STARlet Instruments - Maintenance and Service

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Forensic Services is seeking maintenance and service agreements for Hamilton Robotics STARlet instruments through a sole source procurement process. This procurement is being conducted by the state of Colorado on behalf of Denver County and Denver City jurisdictions. The services being procured include regular preventative maintenance, repair and escalation services, proprietary software upgrades, and factory-trained technical support for eight Hamilton STARlet instruments that have been in use since 2014 for the liquid-handling PCR set-up phase of DNA profiling processes. The CBI Forensic Services is statutorily required to perform forensic biological sample analysis and DNA database profiling, making reliable instrumentation maintenance critical to operational continuity. The contract period runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, with a proposal deadline of April 16, 2026. The sole source justification centers on Hamilton Robotics being the only authorized service representative and sole contract provider for escalation services, as only Hamilton personnel are factory-trained to service these specialized instruments. Competitive bidding was determined to be infeasible due to the months or potentially years of validation required for alternative vendors' products, which would impede the laboratory's ability to meet its statutory obligations.

This procurement is structured as a sole source award, restricting responses to Hamilton Robotics as the only eligible vendor due to the proprietary nature of the equipment and the requirement for factory-trained technical support. The CBI Forensic Services has validated the existing Hamilton STARlet instruments for use in accordance with agency policies and procedures, and the agency has determined that the pricing for maintenance and service agreements is comparable to previous fiscal year agreements. Hamilton Robotics is identified as both the incumbent vendor and the only authorized service provider capable of delivering the required escalation services and technical support. The estimated total contract value for the three-year period is $500,000.00 for both goods and services combined, representing the budget allocation for preventative maintenance, repairs, software upgrades, and technical support services throughout the contract term.