NGS Star System

The Commonwealth of Kentucky's Finance and Administration Cabinet, on behalf of the Department for Public Health (DPH), Division of Laboratory Services, issued a Request for Bids (RFB 758 1900000701) for the one-time purchase of an NGS Star System, a Next Generation Sequencing instrument for laboratory operations in Elliott County. The procured system must meet comprehensive technical specifications including ultraviolet sterilization, positive pressure laminar flow HEPA filtration, multi-channel pipetting capabilities supporting 96 and 384 configurations, capacity for 45 SBS positions or 54 tracks of tube carriers totaling 1,728 tubes, and advanced functions for heating, cooling, shaking, incubation, rotation, and vacuum extraction. The pipetting system must feature up to 16 channels per arm with air-displacement technology, tip positioning accuracy of 0.1mm, volume range of 0.5L to 1000L without hardware changes, real-time droplet monitoring, and support for multiple tip sizes. The software must be CFR 21 Part 11 compliant with capabilities for variable creation, tip tracking, liquid class definition, error recovery alerts, and barcode reading. All equipment must be new and current year model in first-class condition with the manufacturer's best warranty included at no additional cost and delivery to 100 Sower Blvd, Suite 204, Frankfort, Kentucky. Bids were due by May 23, 2019, at 1:30 PM ET, with written questions required by May 15, 2019, at 12:00 PM ET. Award was to be based on best value using a ranking approach weighting price at 90 points and delivery at 10 points.

Bidders claiming Kentucky resident bidder status or qualified nonprofit bidder status were required to submit the Annual Affidavit for Bidders and supporting documentation, including verification of business authorization in Kentucky, corporate income tax filing, unemployment insurance fund payments, and workers' compensation coverage. All bidders were required to complete comprehensive affidavits affirming compliance with Kentucky campaign finance laws, sales and use tax registration, state tax obligations, anti-boycott provisions outlined in Executive Order 2018-905, and restrictions under KRS 11A.236. The procurement specified that pricing must be exclusive of federal excise tax, Kentucky sales tax, and use tax, with F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed terms. Bidders proposing alternate brands or specifications were required to submit descriptive literature for evaluation, with failure to provide sufficient documentation potentially resulting in a non-responsive bid determination. The contract was established for exclusive use by CHFS/DPH Division of Laboratory Services and could be canceled by the Commonwealth with 30 days' written notice. No specific budget range or award value was disclosed in the solicitation documents, with vendors required to submit their best pricing and best delivery terms as part of the competitive bidding process.