6640--650-25-4-741-0229: Campden Vibrating Microtome (VA-25-00088618)

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Veterans Integrated Service Network 1 intends to award a sole source contract for the procurement of a Campden Vibrating Microtome 9000SMZ to be located at the VA Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The specialized scientific equipment is required to support cardiac research goals and is a high-precision instrument designed for sectioning live and fixed biological tissue with features including variable blade frequency, precise z-axis calibration, and the ability to slice live tissue with high cell viability. The VA has identified Lafayette Instrument Company, LLC of Lafayette, Indiana as the only known vendor capable of providing the Vibrotome 9000SMZ that meets their specific research requirements. The procurement is being conducted under FAR 6.302.1-1 authority for "Only One Responsible Source" and will not be posted as a competitive solicitation on SAM.gov. Interested parties must submit responses by September 18, 2025, no later than 10:00 AM EST to Contract Specialist Andrew Simard at andrew.simard@va.gov, though the Contracting Officer retains sole discretion on whether to pursue competitive procurement based on any responses received.

This procurement does not utilize any set-aside designations and is classified under NAICS code 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing) with a size standard of 1,000 employees. Lafayette Instrument Company, LLC, located at 3700 Sagamore Parkway North in Lafayette, Indiana, has been pre-identified as the intended sole source contractor for this award. The equipment will be installed in Building 35's wet lab area at the Providence facility located at 830 Chalkstone Avenue, Providence, RI 02908. While specific contract values or budget ranges are not disclosed in the notice, the procurement falls under Product Service Code 6640 for Laboratory Equipment and Supplies. The solicitation number is 36C24125Q0875, and the extremely short response window of one day between the posted date of September 14, 2025, and the September 15, 2025 due date reflects the VA's intent to proceed with the sole source award unless compelling alternatives are presented.