Intent to Sole Source-Industrial Launderers for Red Lake Hospital

The Indian Health Service (IHS), a component of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issued a Notice of Intent to award a sole-source contract for industrial laundry services to Red Lake Hospital. The contracting action, valued at $560,000.00, is being pursued on a sole-source basis under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.501(a), which permits procurement from only one source reasonably available. The Red Lake Tribal Council, operating through its Extended Care Facility, has been identified as the only responsible source capable of providing healthcare-grade laundry services in the remote Red Lake, Minnesota area. The IHS determined that no other vendors can meet the government's needs without substantial duplication of costs or unacceptable delays to patient care operations. This notice invites interested parties to demonstrate alternative capabilities that would make competitive procurement advantageous to the government.

The primary objective of this sole-source award is to maintain uninterrupted laundry services for Red Lake Hospital, with the contract structured as a firm fixed-price agreement for a base period plus four option years. Interested contractors must submit clear and convincing evidence of their ability to provide commercial laundry services meeting Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements, along with technical capabilities documentation, by March 9, 2026, at 2:00 PM CST to Purchasing Agent Winona Kitto. To challenge the sole-source determination, respondents must demonstrate that competition would be advantageous to the government and that they possess the necessary equipment and staffing to perform healthcare-grade laundering operations in the immediate geographic area. The existing contract expires in April 2026, establishing the critical timeline for award and transition to continued service. Participation is open to any entity that can substantiate its capability to meet these specialized requirements, though the government has concluded that the Red Lake Tribal Council is currently the only source meeting all operational and geographic criteria.