This is a Sources Sought only.  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is performing market research to determine if there are any vendors with economic status of Service Disabled Veteran Owned, Veteran Owned, Women Owned, and other Small Businesses that can provide a broad range of specialized testing for the workup of surgical pathology and hematopathology cases.  Testing is to include, but not limited, to flow cytometry, cytogenetics, FISH, anatomic pathology (immunohistochemical and special stains), and molecular studies.  Requests for testing in some cases (e.g., immunohistochemistry stains, flow cytometry, FISH) may be limited to the technical component of the procedure.  In these instances, the contractor shall provide electronic access to digital images of the stained slides or report printout (e.g. flow cytometry) for interpretation by the submitting pathologist, VA Central California Health Care System (VACCHCS).

There is no solicitation document as this time.  The NAICS is 621511 with Small Business size of $35.0 million.  NOTE:  Please ensure that System For Award Management (SAM) (www.sam.gov) indicates this NAICS code if you are interested in the requirement.

Only firms interested and capable should send their information and/or capability statement and any questions by email to [email protected]  no later than 3:00 PM Pacific Standard Time, Oct 30, 2020. 

If interested, please provide the following information:

• Name of Company
• Point of Contact Name, phone number, and email address
• DUNS number
• Socio-economic status such as Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, VOSB, Women-Owned Small Business, etc. should be included. SDVOSB/VOSB status will be verified using VetBiz.
• Capability statements
• Any unique terms and conditions required for this requirement
• Describe experience providing Anatomic Pathology Testing Services
• List company’s past experience doing business with the Federal government
• Price estimate of Cell Saver equipment lease, including all supplies, materials, and maintenance
• Identify Per Procedure Price Estimate by CPT Code for the Services based on the requirements in the PWS.   (Note, this is not a request for quote – it’s requesting pricing information for market research purposes only.)

Before responding please carefully read and consider the following:

As this is a service acquisition, the Small Business Administration and the Federal Acquisition Regulation have a Limitations on Subcontracting requirement.  For all small businesses, to include SDVOSB and VOSB, “At least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the concern.”  See FAR 52.219-14 and FAR 52.219-27 available in full text at https://www.acquisition.gov/far/html/52_217_221.html

The Service Contract Act will apply.  Pursuant to FAR 52.222-17 Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers, a successor contractor will be required to offer a first right of refusal to incumbent employees. 

Invoices will only be accepted on a monthly basis.  Weekly invoices will not be accepted.

Please see the DRAFT Performance Work Statements attached for further details.

DISCLAIMER

This Sources Sought notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this request that is marked proprietary will be handled accordingly.  The Government will not compensate an offeror for providing information in response to this sources sought.  Furthermore, the Government reserves the right to cancel this requirement at its discretion.  This is simply a sources sought notice.

See attached document: Anatomic Pathology Services PWS 2021.