Philips MRI & Chiller Maintenance

The Department of Veterans Affairs, through Network Contracting Office 15 in Leavenworth, Kansas, has awarded a sole-source, firm-fixed-price contract to Philips Healthcare for the maintenance and service of the Philips Ingenia Ambition X 1.5T MRI system and KKT chiller equipment at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. This procurement, identified by solicitation number 36C25526Q0342, is conducted under simplified acquisition procedures per FAR 13.5 and justified as a sole source due to the proprietary nature of the equipment, which requires manufacturer-certified technicians to maintain warranty integrity and ensure operational safety. The contract includes a one-year base period with four additional 12-month option periods, potentially spanning five years of performance. All services must be performed exclusively by Philips-certified personnel; third-party involvement is prohibited as it would void warranties and compromise system performance. The place of performance is fixed at the Columbia VA Medical Center, with inspection and acceptance occurring on-site. No competitive evaluation process was conducted, as the acquisition is non-competitive based on market research and sole source justification, with price reasonableness determined under FAR 13.106-3 using historical data and government cost estimates. The contracting officer, Betty Flores, is the point of contact, and oversight responsibilities are shared between the contracting office and the VA medical center’s biomedical support team. While no specific packaging, labeling, or invoicing standards are detailed, the contract relies on OEM service protocols and compliance with VAAR and VHAPG regulations. The entity is identified as a large business with no socioeconomic set-aside, and no security clearances or OCI provisions are formally required, as the award is inherently limited to the original equipment manufacturer. The contract value is not disclosed, though it falls within the VA’s $350K–$900K procurement threshold for single-source justifications.