6640--Microtome

The Department of Veterans Affairs, through the Network Contract Office 23 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is conducting a sources sought notice to identify potential domestic manufacturers and suppliers of a manual microtome for use in the histology laboratory at the Minneapolis VA Healthcare System. The requirement is strictly for the Leica HistoCore BIOCUT Config. 1 (Part #: 149BIOG00C1), a brand-name-only instrument engineered to produce tissue sections between 1 and 60 micrometers thick, with specific technical features including manual mechanical rotary operation, silent retraction, horizontal feed and vertical stroke mechanisms, a smooth-running hand wheel with rocking mode and dual locking systems, a personalized coarse feed wheel, removable top tray, 2-in-1 blade holder, quick clamping for specimen holders, universal cassette clamping, and an antistatic waste tray. The instrument must also meet precise dimensional specifications for trimming thicknesses of 10 and 30 micrometers, specimen feed of 24 mm ± 2 mm, vertical stroke of 70 mm ± 1 mm, and specimen retraction of approximately 40 micrometers with an option to disable. The procurement is governed by NAICS code 334516 for Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, with a size standard of 1,000 employees, and no set-aside is currently applied. Respondents must be registered in the System for Award Management with this NAICS code and must submit a capability statement detailing their ability to meet the Statement of Work, including equipment specification sheets, evidence of authorization from the manufacturer if not the producer, and information on subcontracting plans if a small business. All responses must include certification under the Buy American Act, identifying the country of origin and stating whether the product contains more than 55% domestic content, with U.S.-made products requiring the country of origin to be listed as USA. The Nonmanufacturer Rule outlined in FAR 52.219-33 applies to this acquisition, requiring non-manufacturers to provide details on the manufacturer’s socioeconomic status. Delivery, if a solicitation follows, would be FOB destination to Building 70, Warehouse (90D), One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417, within 60 days of award during business hours Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays, with installation and basic operation required by the contractor but no training or validation support needed. Responses must be submitted