6640--GeneStudio S5 Plus Sequencing Supplies ION 540 Kits

1. Title: Name Brand or Equal - GeneStudio S5 Plus Sequencing Supplies ION 540 Kits manufactured by ThermoFisher Scientific. 2. Purpose: The Network Contracting Office (NCO) 16, located at Eugene J Towbin Healthcare Center VAMC BLDG 182 2200 Fort Roots Dr North Little Rock, AR 721145 following Sources Sought to Request Information (RFI) with the intent of determining the contractor interest, capabilities, qualifications of potential businesses, nonmanufacturer rule compliance, Buy American Act compliance, Trade Agreement compliance, and estimated industry pricing information for market research and estimated budgetary purpose for the name brand or equal product GeneStudio S5 Plus Sequencing Supplies ION 540 Kits. Contractor shall provide all shipping for name brand or equal product GeneStudio S5 Plus Sequencing Supplies ION 540 Kits. This Sources Sought is published for market research purposes. This Sources Sought will be used to determine if a set-aside for any small business program is appropriate. Government anticipates competitive, firm fixed price contract. Please review this announcement, respond to questions below and review all attachments in their entirety. Government request that interested offerors complete all questions below, provide required documentation, descriptive literature and authorization letter as described below. The Government is in no way obligated to do business with or to enter any form of contract with any person, firm or other entity that receives or responds to this announcement. 3. Objective: To find qualified and certified contractors with the capability to provide the GeneStudio S5 Plus Sequencing Supplies ION 540 Kits that is name brand or equal to suggested manufacturer ThermoFisher Scientific. The salient characteristics and specification include, but not limited for the Name Brand or Equal product ThermoFisher Scientific: Salient Characteristics: Kits must be compatible with Ion Chef for automated library preparation and chip loading. Kits must be compatible with GeneStudio S5 PlusSystem and use AmpliSeq technology. Kits must have a short hands-on time (<1 hour) with a total turnaround time from Library preparation until direct variant reporting of <12 hours. Support from applications and technical scientists on operation of sequencing using the AmpliSeq technology. Kits must be compatible with GeneStudio S5 PlusSoftware modules for image processing and base calling, base alignment and variant calling, somatic variant detection The new tip must have smoother edges. Kits must support the following Applications available on the sequencer: Targeted DNA Sequencing. Bioinformatics of data produced by AmpliSeq technology should be user-friendly with a graphical user interface (no command-line interface). 4. Place of Performance: Department of Veterans Affairs Eugene J Towbin Healthcare Center VAMC BLDG 182 2200 Fort Roots Dr North Little Rock, AR 721145 Responses Requested: The ETHC requires all the following information and questions answered in this RFI/SS: Questions and information that is not provided shall be considered nonresponsive to the Request for Information and contractor shall not be considered as part of the market research. a. Contractors shall provide their point(s) of contact name, address, telephone number, and email address, and the company's business size, and SAM Unique Entity Identification Number. b. Is your company a small business, SDBs, HUBZone, or 8A concern? Please provide proof of qualifications. c. Does your company meet all required four prong factors for the Nonmanufacturer Rule (NMR) per guidance of SBA and 13 C.F.R. § 121.406? Offer must answer all questions below. 1. Does your company exceed the 1,000 - employee alternative size standard for nonmanufacturers? _________ 2. Is your company primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of products being supplied? __________ 3. Does your company must take ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment, or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice? __________ 4. Does your company supply the end products of a small business manufacturer or processor made in the United States? _____________ d. Is your company considered small under the NAICS code 334516? e. Do you (offer) manufacture the product itself or a distributor of the items being researched above? f. Are you an authorized distributor/reseller? Provide evidence from original equipment manufacturer (OEM). g. Do you (offer) supply a product manufactured by another domestic small business, if it is a nonmanufacturer? h. Do you (offer) supply the product of any sized manufacturer if SBA has granted a waiver to the nonmanufacturer rule? i. Is your (offer) Buy American Certificate completed in SAM? Please provide evidence with response. j. Is your (offer) Trade Agreement Certificate completed in SAM? Please provide evidence with response. k. Information for the name brand or equal product being requested, is it manufactured outside the US-Domestic non-available? l. Information for the name brand or equal product being requested, is it a foreign manufactured end-product under the trade agreement? m. What is your schedule of delivery after receipt of order for the name brand or equal product? n. For the name brand or equal product required, Is your company available under any; Government Wide Agency Contract (GWAC) General Services Administration Schedules (GSA) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) If so, please list the contract number for name brand or equal product. o. Provide descriptive literature demonstrating ability to meet all the requirement/salient characteristics listed if other than brand name product is being offered. Please provide list of contracts for commercial, federal, state, and local governments. Listed contracts shall provide communication on the government requirement illustrating the capability for comparison. to the name brand or equal product meeting the specific requirements per the draft Statement of Work. p. Contractors shall provide an estimated industry pricing for name brand or equal product for market research and budgetary purpose. 6. Opportunity: The NCO 16, is seeking information from potential contractors on their ability to provide this service. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT FOR REQUEST INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. Small Business Concerns are encouraged to provide responses to this Sources Sought in order to assist the Eugene J Towbin Healthcare Center in determining potential levels of competition available in the industry. Contractor shall possess the capability to provide all requirements and objectives. 7. Instructions and Response Guidelines: Sources Sought responses are due by August 12, 2024, at 10:00 am (CST) via email to carolyn.bennett1@va.gov. All questions shall be submitted by August 07, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (CST) via email to Carolyn.bennett1@va.gov. Telephone requests or inquires will not be accepted. Public Information will not be provided and shall be utilized to the full extent possible. This a New Requirement. The subject line shall read: 36C25624Q1216 - RFI-Sources Sought- Name Brand or Equal- GeneStudio S5 Plus Sequencing Supplies ION 540 Kits. NO SOLICITATION EXISTS AT THIS TIME. There is no page limitation on subparagraphs 5(a) - 5(p). Please provide the information you deem relevant in order to respond to the specific inquiries of the Sources Sought. Information provided will be used solely by NCO 16 as "market research" and will not be released outside of the NCO 16 Purchasing and Contract Team. This Sources Sought notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Quotation (RFQ), and it is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response to this request. All information contained in this Sources Sought is preliminary as well as subject to modification and is in no way binding on the Government. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on Contracting Opportunities (https://beta.sam.gov/) website or GSA. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this Sources Sought, or future RFP/RFQ. 8. Contact Information: Contract Specialist: Carolyn Bennett Email address: carolyn.bennett1@va.gov Your responses to this notice are appreciated. THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES/PROPOSALS; however, any firm that believes it can meet the requirements may provide answers, responses and give written notification prior to the response due date and time. Supporting evidence and responses must be furnished in enough detail to demonstrate the ability to perform the requirements.