BioFire Defense LLC Reagent and Extended Warranty Sole Source

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) intends to award a sole source contract to BioFire Defense LLC for test kits, reagents, and associated consumables required for rapid molecular diagnostic testing on existing BioFire FilmArray 2.0 instruments. The procurement encompasses BioFire Global Fever Special Pathogens Panel, Control Kit, Gastrointestinal Panel, Respiratory Panel 2.1, and extended warranty coverage for twelve FilmArray 2.0 instruments located at IDPH's Chicago laboratory (2121 W Taylor Street) and Springfield laboratory (825 N Rutledge). The requested items consist of 50 units of Global Fever panels, 20 control kits, 4 gastrointestinal panels, and 16 respiratory panels, with shipping across up to 25 deliveries scheduled between May 1, 2026, and October 18, 2028. The key objective is to maintain CDC and DoD-approved diagnostic capabilities for Ebola detection within the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) while leveraging negotiated reduced pricing that achieves $2,370.50 in annual savings per unit for a total savings of $56,892 across the contract period. A public hearing was scheduled for April 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. via WebEx, with interested parties required to submit written comments or hearing requests by April 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. to Dianne Richman at the Chief Procurement Office for General Services (Dianne.Richman@illinois.gov or 217-622-1857). The Bidbuy contract number is 26-482DPH-OFCDI-B-51128.

This procurement is restricted to BioFire Defense LLC as a sole source award based on equipment compatibility and specialized requirements; the justification for sole source procurement is predicated on the fact that BioFire Global Fever and Gastrointestinal Panels are the only diagnostic reagents compatible with IDPH's existing BioFire FilmArray 2.0 instruments, which represent a significant capital investment of $389,189.42. Alternative vendors evaluated—including Cepheid, Altona Diagnostics, and OraSure Technologies—were deemed unsuitable due to lack of CDC/DoD approval, incompatibility with existing infrastructure, and failure to meet biosafety requirements; thus, no other organizations are eligible to respond to this procurement. The contract is funded through State Appropriated Funds and carries a total estimated value of $224,918, comprised of reagent costs totaling $169,118 and extended warranty services for the twelve FilmArray 2.0 instruments. The State Purchasing Officer approved the sole source determination on March 19, 2026, authorizing IDPH to proceed with the procurement. No renewal options are available under this contract, which extends through October 18, 2028.