Notice of Intent to Sole Source

The USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) intends to issue an award on a sole source basis (IAW FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)) to BIOCARE MEDICAL LLC at 60 Berry Dr Pacheco, CA 94533. This purchase is for: Biocare Intellipath+ Automated Slide Staining System, Installation & Training, Service and Maintenance. Biocare Medical is the only vendor that can provide 100% factory trained and authorized field services engineers with labor and travel time. Biocare Medical field services engineers work on Biocare equipment daily and maintain current factory training. Biocare Medical is the original equipment manufacturer and is the only company able to provide Biocare software service and instrument upgrades. The purchase of this equipment and service agreement is critical to the success of the Eastern Laboratory Pathology Branch. Biocare Medical's intelliPATH+ immunohistochemistry autostainer is used by the University of Georgia Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, whom the Eastern Laboratory Pathology Branch is collaborating with to develop, optimize, and validate immunohistochemistry testing protocols on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue samples collected by FSIS inspection program personnel. This instrument will be used to test samples for the presence of influenza A virus in samples submitted by Public Health Veterinarians. It would serve the agency if Eastern Laboratory Pathology Branch could purchase a piece of equipment (Biocare Medical intelliPATH+) that can be used for immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of prepared slides to detect infectious livestock pathogens, including influenza A. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotes and no solicitation document exists for this requirement. However, parties interested in responding to this notice shall submit technical data sufficient to determine capability in providing the same or similar supply. All capability statements received by the closing date of this publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Capability statements shall be submitted only by e-mail as a Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, or Adobe PDF attachment to angela.carey@usda.gov. FSIS plans to issue a Fixed Price Purchase Order for equipment to include four (4) Option Periods of annual preventative maintenance.