The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intends to award a sole source firm fixed price purchase order to Quest Diagnostics for genomic sequencing for surveillance of SARS CoV-2. This contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b) (SAP) and 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1). Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals.

Quest manages a network of clinical diagnostics testing laboratories covering a large portion of the US and has the largest coverage and access to covid19 positive samples in US. Quest has the second largest market share for COVID diagnostic testing in the US market and has high volume sequencing capabilities for SARS-CoV-2.  This combination of access to positive samples and high throughput validated SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequencing capacity is a unique qualification for variant surveillance.  This vendor is ideally suited to provide the data CDC needs quickly to address the rapidly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.  The geographic breath of the Quest samples makes this contract of particular importance to providing samples for the overall CDC SARS-Cov-2 National Surveillance Project.  This contract is a bridge contract to assure enough surveillance samples are available until a larger competitive contract is awarded (estimated March 2022).  With the recent discovery of the Omicron variant and its’ impact on public health, the ability to continue to sequence as many positive SARS-CoV-2 samples a week as possible from as many US States and Jurisdictions is of utmost importance to identify and track new variants. Although there are 8 other vendors providing this service to CDC, they are currently under contract with CDC and operating at maximum capacity. Furthermore, each of these vendors provides particular areas of geographic coverage in its testing services. The award of a 16-week bridge contract to Quest is necessary to avoid a significant gap in these services, both in the quantity of sequencing that is conducted and in the geographic area that is covered.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, all quotations/responses received within five (5) days of the issuance of this notice will be considered by the government.  A determination by the government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government.  Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.  Any quotation/response should be emailed to contract specialist at [email protected] by 9:00am EST December 13th.