J065--Intent to Sole Source: Cepheid Service Agreement

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Integrated Service Network 8, seeks to procure annual service coverage for two GeneXpert diagnostic analyzers located at the C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bay Pines, Florida. The services include preventative maintenance, repairs, parts, labor, module swaps, uptime guarantees, software updates, and loaner equipment in accordance with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) terms. The Government intends to pursue a sole-source procurement with Cepheid, the OEM, based on the specialized and unique nature of the services required and the assertion that Cepheid is the only authorized provider capable of meeting the agency's needs. This Pre-Solicitation Notice invites interested parties to submit evidence of their capability to provide equivalent services by April 24, 2026, at 1:00 PM Eastern Time to Contracting Officer Moneque Rodriguez at moneque.rodriguez@va.gov. The Government will evaluate any responses received to determine whether to proceed with competitive procurement instead of the sole-source acquisition; however, if no responses are received by the deadline, the Government intends to proceed directly with the sole-source contract award to Cepheid under the authority of Revolutionary FAR Overhaul 12.102(b) and 41 USC A1901.

This procurement has not been designated with any set-aside for small businesses or other protected groups. Cepheid is identified as the incumbent contractor and sole proposed source for this requirement. The contract will cover two specific diagnostic analyzer models: a GeneXpert Infinity 48S-32 and a GeneXpert GXIV-4. The period of performance consists of a base year running from June 17, 2026, through June 16, 2027, with four one-year option periods extending the contract through June 16, 2031. Market research conducted by the Government identified 753 Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) and 873 Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) vendors under NAICS code 811210; however, the Government concluded that no alternative sources can fulfill the requirement due to Cepheid's exclusive control over maintenance activities, proprietary diagnostics, certified parts, and required software support.