5-Year Contract for Services Needed to Continue SCID-SMA Screening as Part of the Newborn Screening Program

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and Department of State Health Services (DSHS) issued Invitation for Bids (IFB) HHS0017038 for a five-year contract to provide annual preventative maintenance and repair services for Eppendorf laboratory equipment at the Texas Department of State Health Services Laboratory in Austin. The procurement covers maintenance and repair services for three Eppendorf epMotion 5073l automated pipetting systems and twelve Eppendorf Mastercycler X40 PCR thermocyclers used in the SCID-SMA Newborn Screening Laboratory. The contractor must deliver comprehensive service coverage equivalent to Eppendorf North America Premium Care, including unlimited technical support during business hours (9:00 AM–5:00 PM Central Time, Monday–Friday), on-site service engineer response within 72 hours of service requests, software and firmware updates within 60 days of release, and one annual preventative maintenance visit for each pipetting system and one annual temperature verification visit for each thermocycler. The initial contract term runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027, with four renewal options (September 1, 2027–August 31, 2031) and one extension option of up to one year. Qualified bidders must demonstrate a minimum of five years of relevant experience maintaining Eppendorf pipetting robots and thermocyclers, with assigned service technicians possessing at least three years of experience within the past five years, and must provide three verifiable references for similar services completed within the past three years. Pricing must be submitted as firm, fixed prices on Exhibit C with all labor, materials, travel, and expenses included; subcontracting is prohibited due to the critical public health nature of the equipment, and all repairs must use Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) certified parts with vendor responsibility for equipment replacement if OEM specifications are not followed. The response deadline is April 21, 2026, at 10:30 AM Central Time, and bids may be submitted either in-person at the PCS office located at 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas, or electronically through the HHS Online Bid Room; the HUB Subcontracting Plan has a courtesy review deadline of April 17, 2026.

No specific incumbent vendor information is identified in the solicitation documents. A Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Subcontracting Plan is required as part of the bid submission, indicating that disadvantaged enterprise participation is encouraged through subcontracting opportunities, though direct service delivery must be performed by the prime contractor. All respondents must affirm 62 mandatory certifications and representations outlined in Exhibit A (HHS Solicitation Affirmations, version 2.9), including compliance with suspension and debarment requirements, E-Verify utilization for service contracts, child support obligation disclosures for owners with 25% or greater ownership interest, human trafficking prohibitions, cybersecurity training compliance, and various state policy certifications regarding abortion funding, firearm industry non-discrimination, energy company boycott prohibitions, and Israel boycott prohibitions. Contractors must obtain a Texas Identification Number (TIN) through Form 4109 to receive payment from HHSC and must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including workers' compensation, commercial general liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence), professional liability ($1,000,000), and umbrella liability ($1,000,000). All contractor personnel must pass background checks, and the contract terms and conditions incorporate the Uniform Terms and Conditions for HHS contracts, which establish that all work product and intellectual property created under the contract are owned exclusively by the System Agency. No specific contract award value or budget range is disclosed in the solicitation documents provided.