--It is the Department of Army's intention to award a sole source for microarray assays and data analysis to Virginia Bioinformatics.

The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity plans to award a sole-source purchase order to Virginia Bioinformatics for the procurement of microarray assays and data analysis services. The government has determined that Virginia Bioinformatics is uniquely qualified to provide these services due to their ability to ensure the best correlation with previously generated microarray data in the Army’s laboratory, thereby minimizing technical variability. This exclusivity is based on the belief that no other organization can match the quality and consistency required for the project. Companies interested in offering similar services were invited to respond by email to a specified contact person by June 10, 2005, to challenge the sole-source determination. The contract solicitation number is USA-SNOTE-050527-001, and it falls under NAICS code 541380. The requirement focuses specifically on microarray assays and data analysis to support the Department of Army’s research needs.