Twist Bioscience Reagents

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Laboratory Services Division, Genomic Surveillance Program, Sequencing and Wastewater Unit, is procuring synthetic viral assay controls and custom hybridization capture panels through a sole source contract with Twist Bioscience. The procurement encompasses high-fidelity, assay-ready synthetic whole genome DNA/RNA viral controls and customized hybridization capture panels designed for use in quantitative RT-PCR, dPCR, NGS, and equivalent testing applications. The primary objective is to acquire these specialized synthetic controls because CDPHE lacks appropriate biosafety containment facilities for propagating certain pathogenic viruses and requires the precision, consistency, and rapid availability that only synthetic sources can provide, particularly during emergency response scenarios. The contract is structured as an original four-year agreement commencing May 15, 2026, and concluding May 14, 2030, with no renewal options. The deliverables include routine testing costs estimated at $350,000 per year for four years, totaling $1.4 million, plus a special project deliverable of $891,380, for a total estimated life-of-project cost of $2.3 million. The due date for proposals is May 22, 2026, with a posting date of May 19, 2026. Twist Bioscience is identified as the sole qualified vendor capable of producing the required high-fidelity, high-throughput, assay-ready, verified, sequence-published synthetic whole genome DNA/RNA viral controls, and pricing has been determined to be fair and reasonable compared to non-synthetic alternatives.

No set-aside designations or restrictions on organization types are referenced in the procurement documentation provided. CDPHE has an existing relationship with Twist Bioscience, evidenced by previous discretionary purchases in fiscal year 2024 ($1,012) and fiscal year 2025 ($25,066) for wastewater and sequencing services. The sole source justification confirms that no conflict of interest has been identified and that no infrastructure modifications are required for implementation of the contract. The estimated award value is $2.3 million over the four-year contract term, comprised of routine annual testing costs and one special project deliverable. As a sole source procurement, this opportunity is not open to competitive bidding, and only Twist Bioscience is eligible to respond as the identified sole qualified source for these specialized synthetic biological materials.