Q301--Strand-Specific RNA-Sequencing Services

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION

STRAND-SPECIFIC RNA-SEQUENCING SERVICES

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products or commercial services prepared in accordance with FAR Part 12. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Offers are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued.

Solicitation number 36C24126Q0788 is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for Strand-Specific RNA-Sequencing Services.

This acquisition is set aside 100 percent for small business concerns. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses by reference. The full text of provisions and clauses may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov.

Solicitation Number

36C24126Q0788

Set-Aside

100% Total Small Business

NAICS

541714 - Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology)

PSC

Q301 - Medical - Reference Laboratory Testing

Contract Type

Firm-Fixed-Price

Questions Due

September 3, 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time (ET)

Quotes Due

September 10, 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time (ET)

(ii) LINE ITEMS

CLIN

Description

Qty

Unit

Unit Price

Total Price

0001

Strand-Specific RNA-Sequencing Services in accordance with Attachment 1, Performance Work Statement

269

EA

$________

$________

The quoted price shall include all labor, personnel, equipment, laboratory services, materials, supplies, sample processing, sequencing, quality-control activities, data preparation, delivery, shipping, overhead, and all other costs necessary to perform the complete requirement.

(iii) DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Contracting Office 1 (NCO 1), requires Strand-Specific RNA-Sequencing Services in support of the VA Bedford Healthcare System. The requirement is for sequencing of 269 Government-furnished human choroid plexus total RNA samples.

Services include sample quality-control assessment, strand-specific rRNA depletion-based library preparation, Illumina paired-end 2x150bp sequencing at 60 million read pairs per sample (approximately 120 million total reads per sample), sequencing quality-control assessment and reporting, and delivery of FASTQ files and associated quality-control reports.

Complete technical requirements are provided in Attachment 1 - Performance Work Statement (PWS).

(iv) DELIVERY, PERFORMANCE, AND ACCEPTANCE

Period of Performance: One year from date of award.

Sample QC, library preparation, sequencing, quality-control reporting, and final data delivery shall be completed within 23-28 business days following receipt of all 269 samples as one batch, in accordance with the PWS.

Place of Performance: The successful Contractor's laboratory facility or facilities identified in its quotation. Government-furnished samples will be shipped from the VA Bedford Healthcare System to the Contractor's designated laboratory facility.

Acceptance and data delivery shall be in accordance with the PWS. Physical hard-drive delivery is the standard method. Secure electronic/cloud-based delivery may be authorized by the Government when the proposed method satisfies applicable VA information-security requirements.

(v) SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

52.212-1 - Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (DEVIATION)

52.212-2 - Evaluation-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (DEVIATION)

52.203-18 - Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements-Representation

52.204-7 - System for Award Management-Registration (DEVIATION)

52.219-1 - Small Business Program Representations (DEVIATION)

52.229-11 - Tax on Certain Foreign Procurements-Notice and Representation (DEVIATION),

52.252-1 - Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference

52.252-5 - Authorized Deviations in Provisions

852.215-72 - Notice of Intent to Re-solicit

ADDENDUM TO FAR 52.212-1 - QUOTATION SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Quoters shall submit a complete quotation containing the following:

1. Technical Capability Statement

The Quoter shall submit a Technical Capability Statement not to exceed five (5) pages demonstrating its capability to successfully perform the requirements of the PWS. At a minimum, the statement shall address:

Relevant experience performing strand-specific, rRNA-depleted RNA sequencing at a comparable scale and sequencing depth, including experience processing degraded or post-mortem human tissue-derived RNA.

Proposed strand-specific RNA-sequencing methodology, including rRNA depletion and library preparation.

Illumina sequencing platform(s) proposed and capability to perform paired-end 2x150bp sequencing at 60 million read pairs per sample (approximately 120 million total reads per sample) for all 269 samples.

Quality-control procedures and capability to achieve at least 85% of bases at Phred quality score Q30 or greater.

Capability to complete the required services and final data delivery within 23-28 business days following receipt of all 269 samples as one batch.

Laboratory Location and Performance Approach: Identify the laboratory facility or facilities where sample QC, library preparation, sequencing, and related laboratory services will be performed. The Quoter shall identify which portions of the requirement will be performed directly by the Quoter and which, if any, will be performed by a subcontractor or third-party laboratory. For any proposed subcontractor or third-party laboratory, identify the entity, its location, and the specific services it will perform.

Capability to provide FASTQ files and associated quality-control reports in accordance with the PWS.

The Technical Capability Statement shall contain sufficient information for the Government to determine technical acceptability. Merely restating the PWS requirements or stating that the Quoter will comply, without sufficient supporting information demonstrating capability, may be insufficient to establish technical acceptability.

2. Price Quotation

CLIN 0001 Unit Price: $________ per sample Quantity: 269 EA Total Price: $________. The quotation shall be Firm-Fixed-Price.

3. Business Information

Provide the legal business name and address, point of contact, telephone number, email address, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), CAGE Code, and small-business status under NAICS 541714. The Quoter shall maintain the SAM.gov registration required for award.

ADDENDUM TO FAR 52.212-2 - EVALUATION AND BASIS FOR AWARD

The Government will evaluate quotations utilizing the simplified acquisition procedures of RFO FAR Part 12. Award will be made to the responsible Quoter submitting the lowest-priced technically acceptable quotation.

Factor 1 - Technical Capability

Technical Capability will be evaluated on an Acceptable/Unacceptable basis. Acceptable means the Technical Capability Statement demonstrates the Quoter's capability to successfully perform all material technical requirements of the PWS. Unacceptable means the statement fails to demonstrate capability to successfully perform one or more material technical requirements. A quotation receiving an Unacceptable technical rating will not be eligible for award.

Factor 2 - Price

The Government will evaluate the total quoted price for the complete requirement. The Contracting Officer will determine whether the quoted price is fair and reasonable.

(vi) CONTRACT CLAUSES

52.212-4 - Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (DEVIATION)

52.203-17 - Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights

52.203-19 - Prohibition on Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements

52.204-13 - System for Award Management-Maintenance (DEVIATION)

52.209-6 - Protecting the Government's Interest When Subcontracting With Contractors Debarred, Suspended, Proposed for Debarment, or Voluntarily Excluded

52.209-10 - Prohibition on Contracting With Inverted Domestic Corporations

52.219-6 - Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (DEVIATION)

52.222-36 - Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (DEVIATION)

52.222-50 - Combating Trafficking in Persons (DEVIATION)

52.222-90 - Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors

52.223-23 - Sustainable Products (DEVIATION)

52.226-8 - Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving

52.227-14 - Rights in Data-General

52.232-33 - Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-System for Award Management

52.232-40 - Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors

52.233-3 - Protest After Award (DEVIATION)

52.233-4 - Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (DEVIATION)

52.240-91 - Security Prohibitions and Exclusions (DEVIATION)

52.244-6 - Subcontracts for Commercial Products and Commercial Services (DEVIATION)

52.252-2 - Clauses Incorporated by Reference

52.252-6 - Authorized Deviations in Clauses

852.203-70 - Commercial Advertising

852.232-72 - Electronic Submission of Payment Requests

852.242-71 - Administrative Contracting Officer

(vii) QUESTIONS AND RECEIPT OF QUOTATIONS

Questions regarding this solicitation shall be submitted in writing via email to:

Chelsea Cortright

Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 1

Email: Chelsea.Cortright@va.gov

Questions must be received no later than September 3, 2026, at 11:00 AM Eastern Time (ET). The Government reserves the right to provide responses to questions through an amendment to the solicitation when appropriate.

Quotations shall be submitted electronically via email to Chelsea.cortright@va.gov and must be received no later than September 10, 2026, at 11:00 AM Eastern Time (ET).

The email subject line shall reference: RFQ 36C24126Q0788 - Strand-Specific RNA-Sequencing Services.

Quoters are responsible for ensuring that their complete quotation is received by the Government by the established deadline.

(viii) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Government intends to evaluate quotations and make award without exchanges. The Government reserves the right to conduct exchanges if determined necessary.

Quoters shall maintain the SAM.gov registration required for award. All responsible small-business concerns may submit a quotation for consideration by the Government.

ATTACHMENT

Attachment 1 - Performance Work Statement (PWS), Strand-Specific RNA-Sequencing Services