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Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 16 - HOUSTON In Support of the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION 36C25622Q0854 BACKGROUND: Background: Th... Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 16 - HOUSTON In Support of the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION 36C25622Q0854 BACKGROUND: Background: The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) is requesting the purchase of brand name or equivalent Leica HistoCore Rotary Microtomes for the Histology Laboratory. The Histology Laboratory uses a Leica HistoCore Rotary Microtome to make thin slices of tissue (usually 4 m but can be 2 10 m) for a large number of sections. For this reason, they are some of the most important and useful devices in histology and pathology. Project Scope: The following components are needed for the areas specified above. Item # Description/Part Number* Qty 149MULTI0C1 HistoCore MULTICUT Config. 1 (Leica RM2255 Microtome) 2 14041157009 Power Cord various NEMA5-15 C13 C13 2 Requirements: Histology Laboratory requires a Brand Name Leica HistoCore Rotary Microtome or equivalent with the following requirements: Key Features: Coarse feed wheel capable of being personalized A force balance system to reduce the risk of injury from an unbalanced object head An anti-static waste tray to reduce contamination and cleaning times 2-in-1 blade holder for both, high- and low-profile blades Quiet retraction to provide reduced noise during prolonged operation Rapid specimen exchange with fast homing and programmable Memory position An electronic brake for safe blade and specimen handling Microtome: Section thickness setting range: 0.5 - 100 m Trimming section thickness setting range: 1 - 600 m Specimen feed: Approx. 24 mm ±1 mm Vertical stroke: 70 mm ±1 mm Maximum specimen size (H x W x D): Large standard clamp: 55 x 50 x 30 mm Super Cassette clamp: 68 x 48 x 15 mm Unique force balance system Specimen retraction: Approx. 5 - 100 m in 5 m increments (ability to be turned off) Coarse Feed and Motorized Sectioning Speeds: Slow forward and backward speed: 300 m/s Fast forward speed: 800 m/s Fast backward speed (fast homing): 1800 m/s Sectioning speed: manual User selectable personalized coarse feed wheel Specimen orientation with zero position horizontal/vertical rotation: ± 8°/ ± 8° Anti-static waste tray REQUESTED RESPONSES: The intent of this Request for Information is to establish sources to define the procurement strategy (e.g set-aside, sole source, unrestricted) for a solicitation that VA intends to post soon. Interested contractors are requested to respond in accordance with the following: Please respond to this RFI if you can provide the name products listed in section above. In the response please cite your business size status. If you have an existing GSA or VA, Federal Supply Schedule contract, please include the contract details in your response. DISTRIBUTORS: You must provide proof that you are an authorized distributor. VA does not accept grey market items. Please respond to this RFI if you can provide supplies that may be determined EQUIVALENT to the products listed in the table in the background section above. Please provide details on the proposed EQUIVALENT products such as Manufacturer Name, Part Number, and Description. If you have an existing GSA or VA, Federal Supply Schedule contract, please include the contract details in your response. DISTRIBUTORS: You must provide proof that you are an authorized distributor. VA does not accept grey market items. Please note that VA is particularly interested in determining the availability of Small Business Manufacturers. If your company is a small business manufacturer of potentially equivalent items, please respond to this RFI. Vendors are requested to submit estimated market research pricing with their responses. The estimated pricing will be considered when determining the procurement strategy for the future solicitation. (e.g. if CO determines that capable small businesses cannot provide fair and reasonable pricing, then the solicitation will not be set-aside). Please note that if no responses to this notice are received, from either authorized distributors of the cited brand name nor from manufacturers marketing a potentially equivalent brand, then this action will be sole sourced to the manufacturer cited in the Background section above. CONTACT INFORMATION AND RESPONSE DUE DATE: Please email all responses to Kelly.Han@va.gov. Please respond to this RFI no later than May 4, 2022 by 1300 CST. DISCLAIMER: This RFI is issued solely for informational and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Department of Veterans Affairs to form a binding contract. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.