6515--APPLIED BOISYSTEMS 3500XL GENETIC ANALYZER INSTRUMENT BRAND NAME OR EQUAL

Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 16 - HOUSTON In Support of the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION 36C25620Q1101 BACKGROUND: MEDVAMC has a requirement for the following: REQUIREMENTS: Applied Biosystems 3500XL Genetic Analyzer or EQUIVALENT as listed below: BACKGROUND: The Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) has a request to purchase Applied Biosystems 3500XL Genetic Analyzer Instrument brand name or equal. The Applied Biosystems 3500XL Genetic Analyzer will be used for HIV genotype testing currently being done in Microbiology and will be replacing EE # MX#1173841, Applied Biosystems 3130X Genetic Analyzer, which is no longer being supported by the industry. The contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, parts, equipment, tools, transportation, and supervision to provide, install at, the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC), 2002 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, Texas 77030. The Contractor shall provide all necessary training to the designated VA employees on how to use the installed equipment/products after the installation and setup were complete. All equipment shall be brand new, and all work shall be done in a first-class manner. The contract price shall be firm-fixed, all-inclusive not limited to specified products/equipment, installation, setup/configuration, and training on how to use the installed products/equipment. Salient Characteristics: A new Applied Biosystems 3500xL Genetic Analyzer with the following requirements and key features which will be used for HIV genotype testing. Suggested Manufacturer Brand Name; Applied Biosystems 3500xL Genetic Analyzer or EQUIVALENT as listed below: Specifications/Salient Characteristics: Must process multiple runs with up to 8 samples per run Must be a fully automated system with polymer loading and replacement, DNA separation, detection and data analysis to generate base-called or size-called results. Must be a Capillary electrophoresis instrument Must be designed for use with 8-tube Standard or Fast strips as well as 96 well Standard and Fast strips Samples must be able to be automatically injected directly from the 96 well Microtiter plates or 8-strip tubes Must be designed to specifically improve temperature control and be able to maintain temperatures from 18 to 70 degrees C Must be designed with pre-packaged, single use consumables as shown below: Performance Optimized Polymers ((POP-4®, POP-6®, POP-7 ) available in ready-to-use, load and run, pouch format. Pouches available in three sizes: 96 samples, 384 samples and 960 samples Conditioning Reagent Consumables available in ready-to-use load and run, pouch format. It will contain enough reagents for a single use only Cathode Buffer Container available as a pre-filled container with 1X buffer with two separate compartments; the left side with cathode buffer for electrophoresis and the right side with spent polymer waste from capillary wash between injections Anode Buffer Container available as a pre-filled container with 1X buffer, with a primary chamber containing buffer and a secondary overflow chamber Key Features: 24-capillary 3500xL System Advanced thermal system design that improves temperature control for demanding DNA fragment analysis applications Single-line 505 nm, solid-state long-life laser that utilizes a standard power supply and requires no heat removal Signal uniformity from instrument to instrument, run to run, and capillary to capillary Must have a powerful, integrated data collection and primary analysis software that provides real-time assessment of data quality Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to track key consumables data and records administrative information Must have advanced multiplexing capabilities for DNA fragment analysis with up to six unique dyes Must have simple setup, operation, and maintenance 24-capillary (3500xL system) array and polymer DNA Sequencing, Fragment Analysis and/or HID reagents Dell computer workstation with flat-screen monitor Integrated software for instrument control, data collection, quality control, and auto analysis of sample files for base calling and fragment sizing DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS: Deliver to room # 3A-211. Monday through Friday between 0800 & 1630. 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 exact brand name products listed in the table in the background 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 contact@example.gov. Please respond to this RFI no later than 08/31/2020. 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.