Mycobacterial Detection System Equipment and Supplies

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet, on behalf of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services Division of Laboratory Services, is issuing a Request for Bid (RFB 758 2600000208) for a Mycobacterial Detection System and associated equipment and supplies. The solicitation seeks an automated, non-radiometric, liquid culture-based platform equivalent to the BD BACTEC MGIT 960 system, including a mycobacterial detection instrument with 96-tube capacity, supplement kits, pre-filled sterile barcoded culture tubes, and drug susceptibility testing kits (SIRE Kit and PZA Medium/Drug Kit) for the detection and testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other mycobacteria. The equipment will be delivered to and utilized at the Division of Laboratory Services facility located at 100 Sower Boulevard, Suite 204, North Dock in Frankfort, Kentucky 40601. Bidders must have a minimum of ten years of experience in the United States, provide at least a one-year warranty on all equipment at no additional cost, and submit all pricing exclusively through the Commonwealth eProcurement system (https://vss.ky.gov) by November 12, 2025, at 1:30 PM ET. The contract will be awarded using a best value approach with scoring criteria totaling 120 points: Price (95 points), Delivery (5 points), Experience (15 points), and Warranty (5 points), with delivery required within 30 days of contract award on an FOB Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed basis. Prior to award, bidders must submit Kentucky Tax Registration Form 10A100, proof of Commercial General Liability Insurance ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), required affidavits, and maintain Automobile Liability Insurance ($1,000,000 combined single limit) if providing delivery services. The initial contract period is one year from the date of award, with options for four additional one-year renewal periods subject to written approval and potential renegotiation of terms and conditions, with price increases prohibited during the first twelve months.

The Commonwealth applies reciprocal preference to Kentucky resident bidders and provides additional preference scoring to qualified bidders, including Kentucky Correctional Industries (20 percent preference) and other designated nonprofits (15 percent preference) that comply with requirements under 200 KAR 5:410(3). Bidders claiming resident status must certify that they are authorized to transact business in Kentucky and have maintained corporate income tax filings, unemployment insurance fund payments, and workers' compensation policies for one year prior to and through the contract advertisement date. No specific incumbent vendor or current contractor is identified in the solicitation materials. All bidders must comply with Kentucky's Personal Information Security and Breach Investigation Procedures and Practices Act (KRS 61.931, et seq.) and implement security procedures at least as stringent as those established by the Commonwealth Office of Technology, with mandatory breach notification within seventy-two hours of discovery. The solicitation does not specify a total contract value or budget range in the available documents, indicating that pricing will be determined competitively through the bidding process. All proposed pricing must remain valid for a minimum of sixty calendar days after the bid due date, and the Commonwealth reserves the right to cancel the RFB if responses exceed available funding.