J065--Cepheid GeneXpert Services

The Department of Veterans Affairs awarded a sole-source contract to Cepheid for comprehensive lifecycle support of GeneXpert XVI and Infinity diagnostic systems under Federal Supply Schedule GS-07F-0597T, with the award number 36C25626P0688 and solicitation number 36C256-26-AP-3132. The contract, valued at $299,516 for a base year and three optional one-year extensions, is justified under FAR 8.405-6 due to the proprietary nature of Cepheid’s calibration and maintenance services, which are uniquely required to ensure diagnostic accuracy and prevent life-threatening misdiagnoses in veterans. Performance is centered at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System in New Orleans, with services including annual calibration, preventive maintenance, software updates, system backups, and 24/7 technical support, all of which only the original equipment manufacturer can legally and technically perform. The contracting office is located in Ridgeland, Mississippi, with Rachel Babin serving as the primary point of contact and acting contracting officer, while payment processing is managed through the VA’s Southeast Louisiana facility in New Orleans. The acquisition was conducted without competition, as no other provider can replicate Cepheid’s proprietary calibration protocols, making this a non-competitive, high-risk, mission-critical service order where failure to meet standards could result in severe harm to patient outcomes. The contract contains no specified packaging, shipping, or technical standards beyond OEM specifications, no named key personnel, no security clearance requirements, and no formal OCI mitigation plans, and operates under an FSS framework with no LPTA evaluation or cost trade-off analysis. The award is contingent on continued performance of OEM-specific services over a potential four-year term, with no alternative suppliers or substitution options permitted.