Q301--q&a cytopathology and next generation sequencing testing services close 08/21/2026 17:00

The Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 2 seeks to establish a five-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract for comprehensive cytopathology and Next Generation Sequencing molecular diagnostic testing services for thyroid nodules with indeterminate fine needle aspiration cytology, with proposals due August 21, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Amendment 0001, issued August 13, publishes government responses to vendor questions and a revised Performance Work Statement; offerors must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to submission.

Place of performance is Northport VA Medical Center, Northport, NY. This is not a set-aside contract; however, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned and Veteran-Owned Small Business firms receive evaluation preference. The NAICS code is 621511 (Medical Laboratories) and PSC is Q301 (Reference Laboratory Testing).

The contractor must provide collection and shipping kits, dedicated courier service for specimen pickup, cytopathology reports within four days of biopsy, and molecular testing results within 15 days. The molecular assay must detect single nucleotide variants, insertions/deletions, gene fusions, copy number alterations, and gene expression alterations using validated NGS with DNA and RNA sequencing. The contractor must maintain CLIA certification, CAP accreditation, The Joint Commission certification, and a New York State Department of Health clinical laboratory permit, with board-certified molecular pathology oversight and published peer-reviewed clinical validation studies demonstrating thyroid molecular diagnostics expertise.

The contract minimum quantity is 30 tests and maximum is 600 tests over five years (approximately 96 tests annually). Performance runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031. Services are provided Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, excluding federal holidays. Evaluation weighs technical capability and past performance (minimum three references from the last five years) more heavily than price. The contracting officer is Mariangie Rivera at Mariangie.Rivera@va.gov.