Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Labor

Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, a division of the Montana Department of Livestock, operates as a state government entity providing specialized veterinary diagnostic testing and laboratory services to support federal animal health surveillance and response programs. The laboratory, located in Bozeman, Montana, has established itself as a critical resource for federal agencies requiring expertise in animal disease diagnosis and testing, particularly in the area of avian influenza detection and characterization.

Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has provided a diverse range of diagnostic testing services through its federal contract awards, with a primary focus on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) testing. The laboratory's contract work has been funded predominantly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services division, with additional funding from the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 6. Specific delivery order awards have ranged in value from $100 to $100,000, including a $20,000 award for HPAI cattle emerging event testing (awarded August 19, 2025 with completion through August 18, 2026), a $100,000 delivery order for National Animal Health Laboratory Network diagnostic testing services (awarded January 14, 2025 through January 13, 2026), and a $50,000 delivery order for similar diagnostic testing services (awarded April 26, 2024 through April 25, 2025). Additional delivery orders have supported HPAI testing initiatives valued at $10,000, $5,180, and $5,000, along with a $20,000 purchase order from Fish and Wildlife Service for veterinary services supporting the National Wildlife Refuge System (awarded October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2026). None of these awards utilized set-aside designations, indicating open competition or direct award to the qualified state laboratory provider.

Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory holds a significant indefinite delivery contract with USDA APHIS Veterinary Services valued at $20,000,000, awarded on January 20, 2022 with a completion date of November 30, 2026. This single-award IDC enables the federal government to procure various animal laboratory tests on an as-needed basis, with the specific statement of work requiring the laboratory to procure various animal lab tests as necessary in accordance with the contract's requirements. The contract supports the Department of Agriculture's animal health surveillance and response programs and has served as the parent vehicle for numerous delivery orders issued throughout its performance period. These delivery orders have addressed specific testing needs including HPAI testing, HPAI/LPAI testing under the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) structure, and guaranteed minimum services to ensure laboratory availability. The flexibility of this IDIQ structure has allowed APHIS to efficiently task the Montana laboratory for specialized diagnostic services as emerging animal health situations require, particularly during periods of heightened disease surveillance such as the recent cattle HPAI events.