Forensic Toxicology Services

Dane County, Wisconsin is seeking a forensic toxicology services vendor through Request for Proposal #2024-RFP-095-PR for the Dane County Medical Examiner's Office. The procurement will establish a five-year contract from February 1, 2025 through January 31, 2030, with the selected laboratory responsible for comprehensive postmortem toxicology testing. The Medical Examiner's Office currently conducts 700-900 examinations annually and requires a laboratory capable of processing at least 2,000 postmortem cases monthly. Proposing laboratories must be accredited by ISO/IEC 17025 or ASCLD, possess a valid DEA license, and demonstrate comprehensive drug panel testing capabilities across multiple sample types including blood, vitreous humor, urine, stomach contents, and tissue samples. The evaluation will be points-based across seven categories: organization capabilities, testing capabilities, staff qualifications, chain of custody, reporting, cyber-security, and cost. Key proposal dates include questions due by December 18, 2024, and proposals due by January 24, 2025 at 2:00 pm, with the Dane County Purchasing Division serving as the sole point of contact.

The solicitation does not explicitly mention set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations. The current service provider is NMS Laboratory, and the proposal requires vendors to provide overnight shipping of samples at no additional cost. While specific budget ranges are not detailed, the comprehensive nature of the testing requirements suggests a substantial contract value commensurate with processing 700-900 cases annually. The evaluation will utilize the top five most requested tests to score the cost section, indicating a focus on competitive pricing alongside technical capabilities. Proposers must provide detailed, verifiable information about their laboratory's current capacity, workload, performance metrics, and ability to utilize the latest technology for forensic toxicology testing. The contract emphasizes the importance of detecting low concentrations of analytes, maintaining a robust quality assurance process, and ensuring secure electronic report transmission.