6640--histocore slide printer

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Veterans Integrated Service Network 6 seeks procurement of a HistoCore Lightning S Slide Printer through a single-source acquisition, with proposals due July 17. The procurement is being conducted under the GSA Schedule contract vehicle with a total value of $43,350.74, including delivery and installation.

Place of performance is the Salem VA Medical Center. The equipment will be used in the pathology laboratory to label histology slides and eliminate human error in patient identification. The single-source justification is based on unique technical characteristics of the HistoCore brand, including compatibility with multiple Laboratory Information Systems, extensive barcode scanning capabilities that allow continued use of the current cassette printer, laser etching technology for consistent print quality, compact design, support for both on-demand and batch printing, durability in laboratory chemical environments, and a user-friendly interface requiring minimal training. Market research conducted through the ADDS database and a sources sought notice posted from June 11–16 yielded only one response from Government Scientific Source Inc., and the contracting officer determined the acquisition could not meet the VA Rule of Two. The procurement is justified as a commercial items acquisition under Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Part 12, with contracting officer approval under RFO 12.102(a) deviation signed June 23. The NAICS code is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, and the PSC code is 6640, Laboratory Equipment and Supplies. The projected award date is July 1.