Consumables Respiratory Panel Kits for MiSeq Instrumentation

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Procurement and Contracting Services division, on behalf of the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), issued Invitation for Bids (IFB) No. HHS0017272 for consumable respiratory pathogen detection kits designed to support the state's wastewater surveillance program. The procurement seeks next-generation sequencing consumables including Respiratory Pathogen ID/AMR Enrichment Kit Sets and Illumina Viral Surveillance Panel v2 Kits with 96-sample capacity, along with associated library prep kits and enrichment kits that identify multiple respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, RSV, and other pathogens while providing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) information from single samples. Deliverables include two units of Respiratory Pathogen ID/AMR Enrichment Kit Set A with 96 indexes and 96 samples and three units of Illumina Viral Surveillance Panel v2 Kit Set A with 96 samples, with separate line items for freight and applicable surcharges. The IFB was posted to the Electronic State Business Daily on May 4, 2026, with a questions and clarifications deadline of May 11, 2026, responses posted May 12, 2026, and a mandatory bid submission deadline of May 19, 2026 at 10:30 AM Central Time. The anticipated contract start date is May 20, 2026, with an initial term through August 31, 2026, and one optional one-year extension available at the sole discretion of HHSC. Evaluation criteria include bidder qualifications, ability to meet performance delivery requirements, price competitiveness, and past vendor performance; the state reserves the right to make single or multiple awards to achieve best value and is not obligated to select the lowest-priced response. Bids must be submitted as firm, fixed prices with all labor, materials, supplies, and related expenses included in unit rates, submitted in US dollars only, with price adjustments potentially permitted based on the Consumer Price Index subject to prior written approval from the designated HHS Agency Contract Manager.

The procurement documents do not identify specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting eligible bidders to disadvantaged enterprises or minority-owned businesses; however, all respondents must complete mandatory HHS Solicitation Affirmations certifications addressing debarment and suspension status, child support obligations, franchise tax compliance, human trafficking prohibitions, cybersecurity training compliance, E-Verify utilization for service contracts, conflict of interest disclosures, and various state-specific prohibitions including restrictions on abortion funding, gender reassignment procedures for minors, vaccine passport requirements, and discrimination against firearm industries. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. Bidders may submit responses through in-person delivery at the HHSC PCS office located at 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, Texas (accessible 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Texas state holidays), or through the optional HHS Online Bid Room system requiring IAMOnline registration; technical support is available at 512-438-4720 or 855-435-7181 (toll-free) from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday. The historical monetary value for similar goods ranged between $35,050 and $90,000 for fiscal year 2025, provided as a guideline only, with no volume, usage, or compensation guaranteed and all contracts remaining subject to appropriations and fund availability. Both HHSC and DSHS are entitled to utilize any awarded contract, and contractors must maintain detailed records for a minimum of seven years post-contract expiration while permitting unrestricted audit access by state and federal authorities.