Inactive

Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office (NCO) 7 Request For Information (RFI) DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. THIS SYNOPSIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE, PROPOSAL, OR... Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office (NCO) 7 Request For Information (RFI) DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. THIS SYNOPSIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE, PROPOSAL, OR BID. This notice is not a solicitation as defined by FAR 2.101, therefore it shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to an acquisition approach. All information contained in this Request for Information (RFI) is preliminary as well as subject to amendment and is in no way binding on the Government. Information submitted in response to this notice is voluntary; the Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government. The Government is requesting that restrictive or proprietary markings not be used in response to this notice. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized in the Federal Contract Opportunities website or GSA. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this RFI Title: Immunohistochemical (IHC) Stainer 2. Purpose: The purpose of this RFI is to identify potential sources which will aid in defining the procurement strategy (e.g., set-aside, sole source, unrestricted) for a solicitation the VA intends on issuing shortly for the following: Model / Part Number Item /Description of Supplies/Equipment Qty 910021 Bond-Prime Processing Module 1 490644 Bond-System Control Kit 1 911701 Bond-Prime PM Add Kit-US 1 9CON-SLVR Bond-Prime Silver Service 1 The anticipated Small Business Administration (SBA) size standard for the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code ___________ is ____________ (employees or dollars). 3. Responses Requested: The following questions must be answered in response to this RFI. Answers that are not provided shall be considered non-responsive to the RFI: a. Where are the requested items/equipment manufactured? Vendor must attach documentation of this information to be viewed by the government to be considered as part of the Market Research and responsiveness to this Sources Sought notice b. Are the requested items/equipment manufactured by a Small or Large business? Is the potential vendor in compliance with the Non-Manufacturer Rule (NMR)? Vendor must attach documentation of this to be viewed by the government to be considered as part of the Market Research and responsiveness to this Sources Sought notice c. Is the Vendor an authorized distributor with access to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts which may be required in performance of this requirement? The VA does not accept grey market items and therefore the Vendor must attach evidence of this access (Authorized Distributor letter) to be viewed by the government to be considered as part of the Market Research and responsiveness to this Sources Sought notice. d. Name of potential Contractor that possess the capability to fulfill this requirement. Contractors shall also provide the following: Point(s) of contact name: _______________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________ Telephone number: ___________________________________________ Email address: _______________________________________________ Company's business size: ________________________________________________ Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) #: _______________________________ e. Is your company considered a small business concern, SB, SDVOSB, VOSB, HUBZone, or 8A concern, with the requisite __________________ NAICS code? Please provide proof of qualifications. f. Is your company available under any Government Wide Agency Contract (GWAC), General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ), and/or Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA)? If so, please identify the contract number for the Government to review as part of this Market Research. 4. Opportunity/Market Pricing: The MEDVAMC is seeking information from potential vendors on their ability to provide the required items/equipment. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. Small Business Concerns are encouraged to provide responses to this RFI in order to assist the MEDVAMC in determining potential levels of competition and general market pricing available in the industry. Therefore, vendors are requested to submit estimated market research pricing along with their responses to the above. The estimated pricing will be considered when determining the procurement strategy for the forthcoming solicitation. 5. Instructions and Response Guidelines: Questions regarding this RFI shall be submitted no later than 10:00pm (CST), May 19, 2023, via email to winston.graber@va.gov RFI responses are due by 10:00am (CST), Friday, May19, 2022; size is limited to 8.5 x 11 inches, 12-point font, with 1-inch margins in Microsoft Word format via email to winston.graber@va.gov The subject line shall read: MEDVAMC Stryker Preventative Maintenance Services. NO SOLICITATION EXISTS AT THIS TIME. There is no page limitation on subparagraphs 3(a) - 3(f). Please provide the information you deem relevant in order to respond to the specific inquiries of the RFI. Information provided will be used solely by MEDVAMC as Market Research and will not be released outside of the MEDVAMC Purchasing and Contract Team. 7. Contact Information: Winston P. Graber Jr. winston.graber@va.gov Your response to this notice is greatly appreciated! Statement of Work Immunohistochemical (IHC) Stainer Purpose: Requesting the procurement of an immunohistochemistry (IHC) instrument (customer on-site training included) for staining of tissues with IHC/ISH through instrument purchase agreement for the Histology Lab at the Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, SC. Scope: The Contractor will provide one (1) immunohistochemistry instrument with designated options, all system software, UPS, technical support, on-site customer training, and business hours service plan. The IHC instrument stain menu must be compatible with the current Leica Bond III that is already on-site and compatible with the current computer software setup. The contractor shall: Deliver, install, and set up the instrument and components. Provide test validation guidance and validation supplies. Provide technical support and guidance. Provide reagents, consumables, and supplies for validation. Provide basic and advanced operating training. Location: The instrument shall be located at, and testing will be performed in the Histology Lab, Room B225, P&LMS, RHJVAMC, 109 Bee Street, Charleston, SC 29401. Performance Requirements: The following are required: The IHC instrument stain menu must include tissue staining options that are currently validated and performed on the current Leica Bond III IHC stainer. System Requirements: The system must contain random access technology and individual slide processing without interruption. The system must feature error-proof reagent and commodity design with built in safeguards to prevent reagent mix-ups, probe crashes and unnecessary downtime. The system must have the capabilities of continuous loading of reagents and slides without interruption. The lab system must feature flexibility to optimize protocols, reagents, and timing to facilitate best lab practices and tissue fixation. IHC Stainer needs to be <48 x <36 x <60+ (W x D x H, inches) to accommodate current available space in laboratory. Connectivity Requirements: Must be compatible with the current Leica computer for continuity of testing menu. Maintenance: The Contactor shall perform preventative maintenance at intervals specified by the manufacturer to ensure proper equipment performance. Preventative Maintenance includes the following: Delivery of parts or materials for Preventative Maintenance. Testing all components for proper test performance. Equipment shall reproduce results according to manufacturer s specifications. After Preventative Maintenance, the Contractor shall submit a detailed work report for notice at no additional cost. The Contractor shall provide all preventative service materials at no additional cost to the Government. Technical Support: Support personnel will be available during business hours each business day, and live representatives via the Contractor s message center will be available by telephone at all other times. Technical support shall be available via telephone during business days (and by message center after hours) to provide troubleshooting assistance or to answer testing inquiries. On-site technical support shall be available for escalations within 48 hours. On-site Repairs: For issue that the Contractor determines to require on-site support, the Contractor shall dispatch one or more Support Personnel, normally within 48 business hours after documentation. The Contractor shall submit a detailed work report to include all required materials. The Contractor shall provide all parts and materials at no additional cost to the government. The Contractor shall remove all parts, equipment or materials replaced, or upgraded by the Contractor due to and not limited to repairs, replacements, recall, and upgrades without any cost to the government. If the Contractor is not able to repair the instrument, it shall be replaced with a similar model at no additional cost to the Government. Training: The Contractor shall provide the following: Initial on-site operator (basic and advanced) training for analyzer. Additional on-site training, if required, for additional new employees in subsequent years as agreed by the Contractor at no additional charge. Handouts and training materials in sufficient quantity for each participant in training. These are off-the-shelf courses. The Contractor shall provide lesson plan, course materials, and media (DVDs, CDs, videos, etc.), if required. The Contractor shall provide editable procedures at no additional cost. Safety: The Contractor shall immediately notify RHJVAMC of any changes in reagent kit composition, procedure modification, recall notification, or any changes that will affect the performance of the test or procedure according to FDA regulations. Test Performance: All tests, procedures, and equipment must perform at manufacturer s specifications. Deviations from the performance specifications shall be corrected by the Contractor. Test performance will be evaluated by and not limited for performance thru peer comparison, quality control and CAP peer evaluation. Contractor Security Contract Requirements: This Contractor requires no access to RHJVAMC or any VA Information system. There will be no access to the LIS. There will be supervised access when the Contractor is physically present for technical support, service calls, and scheduled preventative maintenance. NO VA DATA OF ANY TYPE SHALL BE TRANSFERRED FROM THE VA.