65--Smartcylcer System

The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in White River Junction, Vermont, plans to negotiate a sole source procurement with Cepheid of Sunnyvale, California, for a Smartcycler System. This system will consist of two processing blocks with independent reaction sites, each equipped with four-color optical excitation and detection. The complete package will include a desktop computer with a flat panel monitor, diagnostic software, an operator's manual, four tube racks, a cooling block, a mini-centrifuge, and 100 reaction tubes sized at 25 microliters each. The procurement is not open for competitive bidding, and no solicitation document is available. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted; instead, interested parties may submit literature explaining how their offerings meet the VA's requirements. Responses to this notice must be received by September 26, 2006, for consideration. The government will decide at its discretion whether to proceed without competition based on the responses received. This procurement is designated under the solicitation number VA-SNOTE-060919-001 and aims to fulfill the specific needs of the medical center without a formal competitive process. Details on the place of performance and agency contact points are not provided, and interested parties are directed to the official government website for further information.