Hologic Panther Purchase, Service and Reagents

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is procuring a Hologic Panther and Panther Fusion instrumentation platform, related services, and reagents under a sole-source justification, with proposals due October 23, 2026. This is a sole-source procurement — no competitive bidding.

The scope covers a fully automated, high-throughput molecular testing platform designed for wastewater sample analysis and surge testing, capable of endpoint-to-endpoint overnight operation without staff presence. The platform must support mixed pathogen runs with independent reactions, reusable reagents with 30-day shelf life, and compatibility with laboratory-developed tests rather than vendor-specific assay panels. The equipment will serve the Genomic Surveillance Program's Wastewater Unit within the Lab Services Division.

The estimated contract value is $1.5 million over a five-year term from December 1, 2026, through November 30, 2031. This is an original contract with no prior related purchases from this vendor.

The sole-source justification rests on Hologic being the only vendor offering an integrated, fully automated, high-throughput, open-access molecular platform meeting all operational requirements. CDPHE conducted market research comparing offerings from Roche, Abbott, BioMerieux, Cepheid, BD, Qiagen, and Agilent, determining that no alternative vendor could provide the complete integrated solution. A cost-benefit analysis concluded that Hologic's pricing is fair and reasonable relative to market rates, with additional cost savings from reduced labor expenses, autonomous operation capabilities, and lower per-sample throughput costs. The procurement is located in Denver County and Denver City.