Lab Courier

A short-term sole-source bridge contract was awarded to Safeguard Security Solutions, LLC, to ensure uninterrupted laboratory courier services for the Department of Veterans Affairs, specifically transporting time-sensitive medical materials—including laboratory specimens, blood products, pathology samples, and pharmaceuticals—between the Mountain Home VA Medical Center, Community-Based Outpatient Clinics, and affiliated facilities in Tennessee. The award, issued under FAR 8.405-6 and GSAM 538-7104-3(a), is a non-competitive interim action necessitated by a pending protest, preventing service disruption while a competitive procurement is completed. The contract is structured as an 8(a) sole-source set-aside, confirming Safeguard Security Solutions is a Small Business certified under the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program, and the award relies entirely on the contractor’s existing personnel, vehicles, security clearances, training, and operational knowledge to maintain critical continuity without transition risk. Performance is located at Mountain Home, Tennessee, with service required to begin July 1, 2026, and extend only until the protest is resolved and a new competitive contract is awarded. The estimated contract value ranges from $144,410.04 to $288,820.00. Packaging, preservation, and labeling must maintain specimen integrity and comply with healthcare accreditation standards like CLIA and CAP, though specific technical requirements for cold chain logistics, barcoding, or MIL-STDs are not detailed. Transport services must support uninterrupted clinical operations, with acceptance implied at receiving facilities, though formal inspection criteria and accountability measures are not explicitly defined. The contracting officer, Carmen Hanczyk of the Veterans Integrated Service Network 9 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, signed the award on June 30, 2026, using Federal Supply Schedule contract 47QMCB17D0008, with funding sourced from VA appropriation lines 2237: 621-26-4-037-1017 and 2237: 621-26-4-337-0071. Security clearances for personnel are required but not specified by level, and no contract options, key personnel identifiers, or organizational conflict of interest provisions are documented. No formal evaluation factors, inspection procedures, or invoicing methods were included, as this is a bridge action focused solely on operational continuity rather than competitive selection