6515--RFI - Portable Dialysis Reverse Osmosis Systems

This is Not a Solicitation Announcement. This is a Request for Information Only. This Request for Information (RFI) is intended for information and planning purposes only at this time; and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Since this is Request for Information announcement, no evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to respondents. No solicitation exists currently. The Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 4, Network Contracting Office 4 (NCO 4), is seeking information and potential qualified/verified Businesses capable of meeting requirements and salient characteristics below to provide the Wilmington VA Medical Center with Portable Reverse Osmosis Systems.
WILMGTON VA MEDICAL CENTER SCOPE OF WORK AND GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR PORTABLE REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEMS
Background
Wilmington VAMC requires two brand name or equal to Aqua C 15 Amp, portable reverse osmosis (RO) water purification systems. The systems are required to support hemodialysis operations and to ensure a safe, AAMI-compliant water supply for patient care. The current portables require immediate replacement due to frequent, high-level bacterial contamination. Despite rigorous, in-depth disinfection and ongoing maintenance, the units advanced age and deterioration prevent effective sanitization.
Project Scope
The Department of Veterans Affairs, Wilmington VA Medical Center requests a brand name or equal procurement for the purchase of new Aqua C UNO PORTABLE RO 15-amp water purification system which includes equipment installation and training.
This is a brand name or equal for the following: Aqua C 15 Amp portable reverse osmosis (RO) water purification systems with Softener Portable incl. salt tablet kit, AquaCaddy V2 Backflow Prevention/RPZ, AquaCaddy V2 Bolt on HD Connection kit, AquaCaddy V2 Booster Pump, Aqua Caddy - Dual Carbon Block AAMI Water Profile Kit and Aqua C Uno RO Install with Isopure Cart.
SPECIFIC TASK:
The contractor shall furnish and deliver the following equipment: o Two (2) AquaC 15 Amp Portable Reverse Osmosis Systems (Product No. 24-10VA-1) o Two Softener Portable includes salt tablet kit (Product No. 24-0479-0) o Two AquaCaddy V2 Backflow Prevention/RPZ (Product No. o 24-ACBF-0) o Two AquaCaddy V2 Bolt on HD Connection. Kit (Option) (Product No. 24-ACCK-0) o Two AquaCaddy V2 Booster Pump (Product No.24-ACBP-0) o Two Aqua Caddy - Dual Carbon Block (Product No. 24-AC02-0) o Two AAMI Water Profile Kit (Product No.24-AAMI-0) o Two Aqua C Uno RO Install with Isopure Cart (Product No.111147)
The contractor shall provide complete installation of all two (2) AquaC RO units, including accessories, plumbing connections, and system commissioning.
The contractor shall provide on-site training for Medical Center clinical dialysis staff and Bio-Med techs in accordance with the following parameters:
o Service: AquaC System Training (Product No. 111122) o One (1) follow-up training session is included within the contract price. o Training must be initiated within thirty (30) calendar days after system installation; the follow-up training must be initiated within ninety (90) calendar days after installation. Failure to initiate within these windows shall result in expiration of included training, and additional fees will apply. o Portable RO must be compatible with Fresenius 2008T BlueStar dialysis machines.
Required salient characteristics the unit must meet the following: System Type Portable, single-patient reverse osmosis (RO) water purification system Height 50cm unit only, excluding cart Width 52cm Depth 20cm Weight (Empty) Approximately 35 kg (77.2 lb) Weight (Full) Approximately 37.5 kg (82.7 lb) Portability Must be cart-mounted and portable within the clinical environment; no permanent plumbing required Water Quality Standard Must meet or exceed ANSI/AAMI RD52 hemodialysis water quality standards for bacteria, endotoxins, and chemical contaminants Permeate Output Minimum 85 L/h (±10%) at 15°C (59°F) water inlet temperature Bacterial / Endotoxin Rejection Greater than 99% rejection rate for bacteria and endotoxins Dissolved Salt Rejection Greater than 96% average rejection rate for dissolved salts Membrane Type Spirally-wound RO membrane Yield (Low Hardness) Up to 70% at feed water hardness <1 °dH (<17.8 ppm CaCO3) Yield (Higher Hardness) Up to 60% at feed water hardness >1 °dH (>17.8 ppm CaCO3) Concentrate Pressure (Max) Maximum 290.1 psi Noise Level (SUPPLY mode) 44 46 dB(A) measured at 1 meter distance Permeate Output (Disinfection) 12 L/h (±10%) during ring heat disinfection cycle Bacterial / Endotoxin Rejection Greater than 99% rejection rate for bacteria and endotoxins Dissolved Salt Rejection Greater than 96% average rejection rate for dissolved salts Membrane Type Spirally-wound RO membrane Yield (Low Hardness) Up to 70% at feed water hardness <1 °dH (<17.8 ppm CaCO3) Yield (Higher Hardness) Up to 60% at feed water hardness >1 °dH (>17.8 ppm CaCO3) Concentrate Pressure (Max) Maximum 290.1 psi Noise Level (SUPPLY mode) 44 46 dB(A) measured at 1 meter distance Permeate Output (Disinfection) 12 L/h (±10%) during ring heat disinfection cycle Bacterial / Endotoxin Rejection Greater than 99% rejection rate for bacteria and endotoxins Dissolved Salt Rejection Greater than 96% average rejection rate for dissolved salts Membrane Type Spirally-wound RO membrane Yield (Low Hardness) Up to 70% at feed water hardness <1 °dH (<17.8 ppm CaCO3) Yield (Higher Hardness) Up to 60% at feed water hardness >1 °dH (>17.8 ppm CaCO3) Concentrate Pressure (Max) Maximum 290.1 psi Noise Level (SUPPLY mode) 44 46 dB(A) measured at 1 meter distance Permeate Output (Disinfection) 12 L/h (±10%) during ring heat disinfection cycle Electrical Supply 120 V AC, 60 Hz, 15.5 Amp Nominal Power Variants 120 V 1000 VA or 120 V 1700 VA (per voltage variant) Operating Mode Continuous operation (Standby); SUPPLY mode used periodically during treatment Electrical Safety Classification Classified per EN 60601-1:2006 + A1:2013 / IEC 60601-1:2005 + A1:2012 Grounding Requirement Must be connected to supply network with protective conductor (grounded outlet); no ungrounded connections permitted Fuse Protection Internal fuses for voltage component protection; replaceable only by trained/certified personnel EMC Compliance Compliant with applicable electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards; no stacked installation with other electrical devices Interface / Connectivity Fresenius hemodialysis device interface port; compatible with Fresenius 2008T BlueStar dialysis machines Thermal Disinfection Module Module heat disinfection up to 82°C (179.6°F) Thermal Disinfection Ring Ring heat disinfection up to 90°C (194°F) Membrane Service Life Minimum expected life of 120 heat disinfection cycles Chemical Disinfection Compatible with peracetic acid solution (~0.2% effective concentration); system volume 2.5 L (0.66 gal) Decalcification Compatible with approximately 20% citric acid solution; automated decalcification program required Rinse Interval Automated rinse cycle: minimum every 4 hours; rinse volume 10 L (3 gal) or 10-minute rinse time AutoSTART / AutoSTOP System shall support automatic start in SUPPLY mode via communication cable connection to dialysis machine Disinfection Validation System must provide auditable disinfection reporting and daily operational data acquisition logs Biocompatibility Standard All components in contact with permeate must be biocompatible per DIN EN ISO 10993-1 Tubing / Piping Material FEP, silicone, or stainless steel; food-grade with chemical resistance Sensors Titanium (Ti), Aluminum Oxide (Al O ), PBT Module Tube V4A stainless steel Membrane Material PSU/PA (polysulfone/polyamide) Hydraulic Blocks / Valves iPP, PVDF, Noryl GTX Seals EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) Sampling Ports Integrated permeate sampling ports for microbiological and chemical analysis Permeate Connection Permeate nipple; optional permeate coupling; compatible with Fresenius hemodialysis machine water inlet Feed / Concentrate Flow Feed flow: 0.0 20 L/min (±10%); Concentrate flow: 0.0 20 L/min (±10%) Permeate Consumption 0 6 L/min (±10%) during normal supply operation Drain Connection System drain must connect to available outlet; no recontamination of permeate circuit permitted Water Supply Hose Must connect to potable water supply meeting pre-treatment feed water requirements Installation Type Portable; no permanent wall or floor mounting required; Stacking / Adjacency System must NOT be stacked with other electrical devices; minimum separation distances from radiation sources required per IFU Operational Qualification Vendor must perform Installation and Operational Qualification (IQ/OQ) at time of installation Display Integrated digital display with operating mode status bar; multilingual support Permeate Conductivity Monitoring Continuous real-time permeate conductivity measurement and display; alarm on out-of-range condition Feed Water Conductivity Continuous real-time feed water conductivity measurement and display Temperature Monitoring Permeate and concentrate temperature display; heater temperature 1.0 135°C (±1°C); concentrate temperature 1.0 135°C (±1°C) Rejection Rate Display Real-time rejection rate display: 0.0 99% (±1%) Effective Yield Display Effective yield display: 0.0 70% (±5%) Alarm System Audible and visual alarms for: no water supply, fault drain, conductivity fault, sensor error, and other abnormal conditions; alarm must halt dialysis supply automatically Operational Data Logging System must support manual and automated daily operational data acquisition and reporting per AAMI requirements Visual Status Indicator Green visual indicator must illuminate to confirm system is ready for treatment
TRAINING: The contractor shall provide on-site training for Medical Center clinical dialysis staff and Bio-Med techs.
DELIVERY/PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:
Delivery shall be within 90 days after receipt of contract. Deliver equipment to:
Wilmington VA Medical Center (Attn: Shayonna Smith) Dialysis Department 1601 Kirkwood Hwy Wilmington, DE 19805-2917
Prior to delivery, Contractor shall verify shipment with the Point of Contact (POC). Once confirmed, tracking information, quantity and estimated arrival shall be provided. The Contractor must comply and provide all necessary verification and information to the VAMC. Otherwise, the delivery may be refused and require redelivery at no additional cost to the government. Responses to this RFI should include company name, address, point of contact, phone number, and point of contact e-mail, UEI Number, Cage Code, size of business pursuant to North American Industry Classification code (NAICS) 339113, The Small Business Size Standard for this NAICS code is 800 employees.
Please answer the following questions:
(1) Please indicate the size status and representations of your business in accordance with the NAICS code 339113, 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 the required equipment available on a Federal Supply Schedule or Government Wide Acquisition Contract?  If so, please include the schedule number. 
(3) Are you the manufacturer, distributor, or an equivalent solution to the items being referenced above? 
If not, provide additional information shown below.  This is to confirm compliance with the non-manufacturer rule IAW 13 CFR 121.406(b) Nonmanufacturers. 
Does your company exceed 500 employees 
Primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of item being supplied;   
Take ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice;  
Provide the items of a small business
(4) If your company is a large business, do you have any authorized small business distributors? If so, please provide their company name, telephone, point of Contact and size status (if available). 
(5) If your company is a small business and you are an authorized distributor/reseller for the items identified above or an equivalent solution, do you alter; assemble; modify; the items requested in any way? If you do, state how and what is altered; assembled; modified? 
(6) Is the item you are supplying made or manufactured in America? This is to ensure compliance with FAR 52.225-1 Buy American-Supplies.
(7) If you intend to subcontract any work on this contract, what portion of the total cost will be self-performed/will be performed by your organization? Please provide estimated detailed percentage breakdowns related to subcontracted work and completion of job.  (8) General pricing of your products/solution is encouraged. Pricing will be used for the purpose of market research only. It will not be used to evaluate for any type of award. 
(9) Please submit your capabilities in regard to the salient characteristics detailed above and any information pertaining to equal to items to establish capabilities for planning purposes? 
(10) Please review salient characteristics/statement of work (if applicable) and provide feedback or suggestions. If none, please reply as N/A. 
(11) Please provide your UEI number. 
*** Submissions addressing number (10) should show clear, compelling and convincing*** evidence that all equal to items" meet all the salient characteristics. 
This RFI will be conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12. Telephone responses will not be accepted.
Responses must be received via email to Contract Specialist Theresa Murray at Theresa.Murray@va.gov no later than 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
This notice will help the VA in determining available potential sources only.  Do not contact VA Medical Center staff regarding this requirement, as they are not authorized to discuss this matter related to this procurement action.
All firms responding to this Request for Information are advised that their response is not a request for proposal, therefore will not be considered for a contract award.     If a solicitation is issued, information will be posted on SAM.gov web site for all qualified interested parties at a later date and interested parties must respond to the solicitation to be considered for award.  This notice does not commit the government to contract for any supplies or services.  The government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this Request for Information.  Information will only be accepted in writing via email.
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.  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.