R416--Pre-Solicitation Notice with Intent to Sole Source for Academic Animal Lab & Core Services

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration has issued a pre-solicitation notice announcing its intent to award a sole source contract to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) for academic animal laboratory and core services. The contract, designated as 36C24E25Q0070, is being managed by the Veterans Health Administration's Office of Research and Development Regional Procurement Office East in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The procurement involves a one-year base period with four optional extension years to support ongoing research activities at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. The contract falls under NAICS code 541940 (Veterinary Services) with a size standard of $13.5 million and uses Product Service Code R416 for veterinary and animal care support services. The VA has identified OMRF as the only known vendor capable of providing the specialized services required for this research initiative.

The purpose of this sole source procurement is to obtain specialized academic animal core services that maintain bacteria-free conditions and utilize specialized instrumentation essential for an ongoing research study at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. While this is intended as a sole source award under FAR 6.103-1 authority (only one responsible source), the government is accepting capability statements from alternative vendors who believe they can provide equivalent services with the same specialized features. Interested contractors must submit detailed capability statements demonstrating how their services meet the requirements to Contracting Officer Shannon Hukriede at shannon.hukriede@va.gov by September 3, 2025, at 11:00 AM EDT. The VA emphasizes that telephone responses will not be accepted, and any determination to maintain the sole source approach or consider alternative vendors remains at the government's discretion. OMRF's selection is based on their status as the only known local, accredited academic animal core facility with the necessary specialized capabilities and their previous successful performance supporting this ongoing research project.