REAGENTS/INSTRUMENT TESTING HSV & STD

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) Public Health Laboratory is seeking a procurement for reagent assay kits, fully-automated instrument systems, and associated consumables for testing various sexually transmitted infections and viruses. The specific testing requirements include Herpes Simplex Virus types 1 and 2 (HSV), Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Mycoplasma genitalia. The estimated annual testing volume is approximately 137,000 tests, with 48,000 tests each for Chlamydia and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, 20,000 tests each for Trichomonas and Mycoplasma genitalia, and 1,000 tests for HSV-1/HSV-2. The solicitation requires pricing on a per-test basis, covering all inclusive costs such as reagents, assay kits, controls, calibrators, consumables, and collection materials. Evaluation criteria will be based on best value, with 60% weight for price, 20% for experience and qualifications, and 20% for equipment performance. The original submission deadline was November 9, 2021, but was amended to November 23, 2021, with award notification rescheduled to December 16, 2021. The contract will have an initial one-year term with four optional one-year renewals, spanning from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2026.

Prospective offerors must be registered with the South Carolina vendor registration system and can submit offers online or by hard copy. All proposed platforms must be FDA-approved, and bidders are required to submit comprehensive documentation including one original marked copy, USB drives with documents, and a sealed price proposal envelope. DHEC reserves the right to increase contract quantities by 150% or decrease by 50% without price adjustments. Prior to award, an evaluation of the highest-ranked offeror's system will be conducted if the system has not been used by DHEC within the previous year, with the vendor responsible for travel expenses for up to four DHEC laboratory staff and required to provide at least 200 no-charge test samples for evaluation. The solicitation indicates flexibility in potentially splitting testing between different pathogen groups under separate contracts. While no specific set-aside designations were mentioned, the procurement process emphasizes comprehensive technical capabilities, pricing transparency, and demonstrated performance. Though a specific contract value was not explicitly stated, the annual testing volume of 137,000 tests suggests a significant potential contract value over the five-year potential contract period.