LC-MS/MC DRUG DETECTION & QUANTITATION

The South Carolina Department of Administration, Procurement Services Division, is soliciting bids on behalf of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) for a Liquid Chromatography Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) system to enhance drug detection and quantitation capabilities in the Toxicology Department. The procurement seeks a complete LC-MS/MS system with highly specific technical requirements, including sensitivity specifications such as detecting 1 pg injection of reserpine with a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 350,000:1 in positive ion mode and 1 pg injection of chloramphenicol in negative ion mode. The system must have a mass range of 5-3,000, dynamic range greater than 6.0 x 106, maximum scan rate of at least 17,000 Da/second, and minimum MRM dwell time of 0.5 milliseconds. The HPLC component must feature a quaternary solvent delivery system with an 800 BAR pressure limit and flow range of 0.001-5.0 mL/min, along with an autosampler capable of holding up to 132 vials (2 mL) or 36 vials (6 mL). Key procurement dates include a February 2, 2022 deadline for questions, a February 25, 2022 bid submission deadline at 11:00 a.m., and a scheduled award notification on March 7, 2022.

The solicitation does not specify any set-aside designations or restrictions on bidding organizations. Offerors must be registered as South Carolina vendors and submit a complete online offer through the state procurement portal (www.procurement.sc.gov) with cover pages and manufacturer specifications. The current system in use by SLED consists of an Agilent 1260 LC and 6430 MSMS equipment, which suggests potential integration considerations for the new system. The contract will include a one-year standard hardware and software warranty with a ten-year use guarantee, during which the vendor shall provide fair market residual value credit toward replacement equipment. The state has indicated no preference for manufacturer, brand, or country of origin and will evaluate all bids meeting the stated specifications equally. While specific budget ranges are not disclosed, the procurement aims to increase laboratory capacity with a throughput requirement of 50+ samples per day. Bidders are required to hold their offers open for a minimum of 30 calendar days following the opening date, and the state reserves the right to reject any or all offers.