Pertussis Diphtheria Laboratory (PDL)/Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (Labcorp)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is issuing a sole source pre-solicitation notice to procure 4,680 deidentified nasopharyngeal specimens from Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (Labcorp) for Bordetella pertussis genomic surveillance research. The CDC requires specific specimens including 20 Bordetella pertussis positive samples, 20 positive for other Bordetella species, and 5 negative specimens to be selected weekly at random from Labcorp's clinical submissions. These specimens must be stored frozen at -70°C and shipped on dry ice quarterly as part of the agency's ongoing surveillance project. The procurement is being conducted under FAR 13.106-1(b) and 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1) as a sole source acquisition, with the justification that Labcorp possesses unique nationwide diagnostic testing coverage and the ability to provide residual specimens from clinical submissions. The CDC has determined through market research that only Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics have sufficient nationwide coverage for this type of procurement. Interested parties must submit any quotations or responses to the contract specialist at ehu0@cdc.gov by the August 8, 2025 deadline, though this notice is not a request for competitive quotations.

This procurement does not utilize any set-aside designations and is specifically targeted as a sole source award to Labcorp based on their unique capabilities and comprehensive national laboratory network. The CDC's market research identified Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics as the only two nationwide medical diagnostic laboratories with sufficient coverage to meet the agency's requirements, though Labcorp is being selected as the sole source provider. The contract involves the systematic collection and delivery of remnant nasopharyngeal specimens over an unspecified timeframe, with specimens being selected on a weekly basis and shipped quarterly. The procurement falls under NAICS code 62151 for Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories and PSC code AN42 for Health R&D Services and Applied Research. While the exact contract value is not specified in the notice, the procurement is being conducted under simplified acquisition procedures, suggesting it falls below the $250,000 threshold. The specimens will support CDC's genomic surveillance efforts for pertussis, utilizing samples that are residuals from suspected pertussis cases already processed through Labcorp's diagnostic testing services.