ESR Analyzer for VAABQHS
THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) IS ISSUED SOLELY FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION.
THE SUBMISSION OF PRICING, CAPABILITIES FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, AND OTHER MARKET INFORMATION IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED AND ALLOWED UNDER THIS RFI IN ACCORDANCE WITH (IAW) FAR 15.201(e).
DISCLAIMER
This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. IAW FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.
SOURCES SOUGHT DESCRIPTION
This is NOT a solicitation announcement. This is a sources sought/RFI only. The purpose of this sources sought/RFI is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS 339112 (size standard of 1000 Employees). Responses to this sources sought will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. After review of the responses to this sources sought, a solicitation announcement may be published. Responses to this sources sought synopsis are not considered adequate responses for a solicitation announcement.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), VISN 22 Network Contracting Office, is seeking sources that can provide a ESR Analyzer that at a minimum meets the following requirements with a brand name or equal product for the VA Albuquerque Healthcare System:
STATEMENT OF WORK
ESR Analyzer
1. BACKGROUND:
The New Mexico VA Healthcare System (NMVAHCS), Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS), requires a capital purchase of an instrument to provide Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) testing for its patients. Current instrumentation is old and malfunctioning and is outside of its warranty period. P&LMS was notified by Streck that all ESR-Auto Plus instrumentation and accessories for the instrument currently used, Model 505 are discontinued.
2. OBJECTIVE:
Red cell sedimentation is accelerated by an increase in the plasma concentration of acute phase proteins, which are increased in acute tissue damage, chronic inflammation, chronic infection, and pregnancy. The ESR reflects both the increase in certain accelerating proteins, such as fibrinogen and gamma globulins, and the decrease in retarding proteins, such as albumin. The ESR is a frequently requested screening test.
NMVAHCS requires an automated analyzer to perform the ESR test.
3. GENERAL REQUIRMENTS:
The vendor shall supply an automated instrument to perform ESR testing.
Instrumentation, controls, reagents, and consumables must be FDA approved.
Instrumentation shall minimize interference via temperature control and by addressing hematocrit values, dilution, vibration, and verticality effects.
Vendor shall supply recommended backup method for instrument down time.
4. EQUIPMENT FUNCTIONALITY:
The instrument shall be capable of testing from the primary EDTA tube.
The instrument shall allow positive specimen identification by means of barcode scanning.
The instrument shall allow for automated sample mixing.
A printer for results shall be provided.
Currently performing this testing manually, but the instrument should have option for interface capabilities of results with our current LIS for possible future interfacing.
4. INSTALLATION AND VALIDATION
The vendor shall supply all validation and correlation materials and instructions.
5. TRAINING
Vendor shall provide all necessary procedure manuals, troubleshooting manuals and operator manuals (also available in electronic format). Procedures shall be in the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) format.
6. SECURITY
The C&A requirements do not apply. A Security Accreditation Package is not required.
SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE
1) Instrument support service shall provide assistance with troubleshooting and repair of the Analyzers.
2) The vendor shall provide a service hotline with technical support.
3) The vendor shall provide a preventative maintenance schedule to include timely scheduled vendor preventative maintenance visits as required.
4) Vendor shall provide standard and routine software and hardware upgrades to the equipment hardware and operating systems, without additional charge to the Government (e.g. upgrades that correct or improve either the mechanical operations or software of the system and would keep the instrument performing optimally).
5) Vendor shall define daily, weekly, monthly, and as needed maintenance and the time required to perform each maintenance task. Vendor shall indicate which tasks are user level and which are service level.
6) For reagents with hazardous constituents, vendor shall provide a mechanism for the Laboratory to meet local discharge requirements. The vendor shall supply information regarding any hazardous chemicals.
OTHER
1) Request for instrumentation upgrades or replacement due to workload increase, excessive instrumentation failures/malfunctions, breakdowns, or service calls shall be evaluated as needed/annually by the laboratory with communication to the vendor for modification of the contract. A high incidence of such problems with any equipment/analyzer supplied may indicate probable non-compliance with the terms of this contract and will entitle the facility/clinic to its replacement with another analyzer(s) that can produce the required criteria satisfactorily to the user.
2) The vendor shall remove all equipment within 90 days after notification of the expiration of the terms of this agreement but not until the completion of new vendor's equipment installation inclusive of completed cross over studies and onsite user training. Vendor shall be responsible for removing the hard drive and turning it over to the VA for destruction prior to removal of any analyzer.
3) The vendor shall reimburse the facility for any costs/supplies related to tests sent to a referral laboratory when testing is not available through no fault of the facility due to reagent problems, other product issues, instrumentation failure, or other factors. The assessed damages shall be applied to the invoice in the form of a credit or deduction.
4) In the event any consumable, reagent, or other necessary item are found to be defective and unsuitable for use with the vendor's equipment, or the contractor has failed to comply with the requirements for routine supply delivery, the contractor shall deliver the consumable supplies within a period of 24 hours after receipt of the verbal order for priority delivery from the facility. If either circumstance has occurred, the vendor shall deliver to the facility, in the most expeditious manner possible, without additional cost to the facility, the necessary consumables in sufficient quantity so testing is not delayed.
5) This contract should assist the NMVAHCS to pursue the goal of being a good steward in the community by eliminating, minimizing or mitigating adverse environmental impacts.
The following chemicals have been targeted by the EPA specifically for reductions and feasible elimination. Please list any reagents (and in what concentration) that contain the following chemicals:
Benzene Carbon tetrachloride
Chloroform Dischloromethane
Methyl ethyl ketone Toluene
Methyl isobutyl ketone Xylenes
Tetrachloro-ethylene Cadmium
1,1,1-Trichloro-ethane Chromium
Trichloro-ethylene Cyanide
Lead Mercury
Nickel
The information identified above is intended to be descriptive, not restrictive and to indicate the quality of the supplies/services that will be satisfactory. It is the responsibility of the interested source to demonstrate to the government that the interested parties can provide the supplies/services that fulfill the required specifications.
If you are interested, and are capable of providing the sought out supplies/services, please provide the requested information as well as the information indicated below. Response to this notice should include company name, address, point of contact, size of business pursuant to the following questions:
(1) Please indicate the size status and representations of your business, such as but not limited to: Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Hubzone, Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), Large Business, etc.)?
(2) Is your company considered small under the NAICS code identified under this RFI?
(3) Are you the manufacturer or distributor of the items being referenced above (or equivalent product/solution)? What is the manufacturing country of origin of these items?
(4) If you re a small business and you are an authorized distributor/reseller for the items identified above (or equivalent product/solution), do you alter; assemble; modify; the items requested in any way? If you do, state how and what is altered; assembled; modified?
(5) Does your company have an FSS contract with GSA or the NAC or are you a contract holder with NASA SEWP or any other federal contract? If so, please provide the contract type and number.
(6) If you are an FSS GSA/NAC or NASA SEWP contract holder or other federal contract holder, are the referenced items/solutions available on your schedule/contract?
(7) Please provide general pricing for your products/solutions for market research purposes.
(8) Please submit your capabilities in regards to the salient characteristics being provided and any information pertaining to equal to items to establish capabilities for planning purposes?
*** Submissions addressing Section (8) should show clear, compelling and convincing*** evidence that all equal to items" meet all required salient characteristics.
Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to Jason.white2@va.gov. Telephone responses shall not be accepted. Responses must be received no later than Thursday, January 17, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. PST. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this request for information. Responses to this notice are not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation.
Jason J White
Contract Specialist
562-766-2236
jason.white2@va.gov
