8890 Gas Chromatograph Custom Purge-Trap System

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) issued Formal Invitation for Bids (IFB) No. HHS0016988 for the procurement of a customized Agilent 8890 Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) Purge/Trap System designed to support drinking water quality protection in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. The procurement encompasses four primary deliverables: two Agilent 5977 Inert Plus MSD Mainframes with Hydrolnert configuration, two Agilent 8890 GC Systems with MSD interface and helium conservation modules, two Teledyne Tekmar Atomx XYZ automated sample preparation systems with 84-vial capacity and purge-and-trap functionality, and two Y-Remote start/stop cables, with delivery required within 14 days of order receipt to the DSHS Lab Warehouse at 1100 W. 49th Street, Lab Dock L 114 in Austin, Texas. The equipment must be capable of operation using existing Agilent Mass Hunter and NIST software, with vendors required to provide Installation/Introduction training as specified in Exhibit C line items. Responses were due March 25, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Central Time, with a questions and clarifications deadline of March 16, 2026. Evaluation criteria prioritize bidders meeting or exceeding specifications, ability to meet performance delivery requirements, and pricing, with HHSC reserving the right to select the bidder offering best value rather than the lowest price. All respondents must submit completed Exhibit A (HHS Solicitation Affirmations), signed acknowledgment of the March 17, 2026 solicitation addendum addressing equipment specifications, and completed Exhibit C Pricing Sheet with firm, fixed pricing including all labor, materials, supplies, and delivery costs on an F.O.B. Destination basis.

The solicitation does not specify set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, though respondents may be required to submit a HUB Subcontracting Plan if subcontracting opportunities exist. Vendor responses must comply with comprehensive state and federal certifications and representations, including non-debarment status, E-Verify employment verification compliance, absence of conflicts of interest, and Texas-specific requirements such as Buy Texas provisions, franchise tax status verification, and prohibitions on boycotts of Israel or energy companies. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. The new equipment must integrate with existing Agilent Mass Hunter and NIST software infrastructure already in use. The anticipated contract start date is March 27, 2026, with an initial contract term through August 31, 2026, and HHSC reserves the right to extend the contract for up to one additional year. The historical monetary value for similar equipment is estimated between $300,000 and $500,000, depending on configuration and installation requirements, though this serves only as a guideline and does not guarantee volume or usage. Price adjustments may be permitted during the contract term based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) formula, with vendors required to immediately implement any available price decreases.