Extended warranties for StepOne Plus instruments

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) issued an Invitation to Negotiate on May 5, 2020, for extended warranty coverage on laboratory equipment used throughout the state. The procurement seeks a five-year extended warranty from Life Technologies Corporation (Applied Biosystems LLC) to provide maintenance and replacement services for 11 Step One Plus qPCR instruments currently deployed across various Michigan health departments for E. coli testing on beaches. The instruments were originally purchased in 2015 with a four-year warranty set to expire in May 2020, and EGLE requires continuous protection through May 2025 to maintain operational capability of this critical testing infrastructure. Potential alternative bidders must demonstrate equivalent products or services by the May 12, 2020 deadline, with written questions accepted through May 8, 2020 via the Michigan SIGMA VSS website. The evaluation is based on the specialized nature of the equipment and the requirement for service continuity on existing instruments, with EGLE contending that Life Technologies Corporation represents the sole viable source for this extended warranty. The award will be issued as a Purchase Order under commodity code 96391 for warranties. All inquiries and submissions should be directed to Lisa VanOstran, the solicitation manager and sole point of contact for this procurement.

No set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, minority-owned businesses, or other special categories of organizations were identified in this solicitation. Life Technologies Corporation (Applied Biosystems LLC) is the incumbent vendor and current provider of the original warranty coverage on these instruments. The procurement requires integration with the existing 11 Step One Plus qPCR instruments currently in operational use by Michigan health departments, necessitating full compatibility and continuity of service without equipment replacement or modification. No pricing information, budget ranges, or funding source details were provided in the Invitation to Negotiate notice.