Sources Sought Notice: Laboratory Proficiency Testing for the Woodrow Wilson Keeble Memorial Health Care Center, Sisseton, SD

Sources Sought: Laboratory Proficiency Testing Services to be provided for the Woodrow Wilson Keeble Memorial Health Care Center (WWKMHCC), Sisseton, SD.

Sources Sought Notice Number: IHS-SS-26-1519733

This Sources Sought Notice is for informational and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation, an obligation or commitment by the Indian Health Service.

This notice is intended strictly for market research to determine the availability of Indian Small Businesses Economic Enterprise (ISBEE), Indian Economic Enterprises (IEE), or Other Small Businesses.

Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. The anticipated applicable NAICS code for this acquisition is 541380 - Testing Laboratories and Services.

1.0 BACKGROUND

The IHS is an agency within the Department of Health & Human Services and is responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. The Indian Health Service provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 567 federally recognized tribes, in 35 states. The Indian Health Service Headquarters is located in Rockville, MD and then divided into twelve (12) physical areas:  Alaska, Albuquerque, Bemidji, Billings, California, Great Plains, Nashville, Navajo, Oklahoma, Phoenix, Portland, and Tucson.

The Great Plains Area Office (GPAO) works in conjunction with 19 Indian Health Service Units and Tribal Managed Service Units to provide health care to approximately 130,000 Native American located in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa.

WWKMHCC falls under the GPAO and provides medical care to approximately 7,000 tribal members living on the Lake Traverse Reservation. The Service Unit was built in 2007 to provide an expanded level of outpatient health care services specifically designed to meet the needs of our population. Services include:  Behavioral Health, Community Health, Dental, Laboratory, Nutrition Services, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Public Health Nursing, Purchased & Referred Care Services, and Radiology.

2.0 OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of this project to provide laboratory proficiency testing services per Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments (CLIA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines to ensure quality standards in the laboratory department at WWKMHCC.

3.0 SCOPE

Proficiency testing samples and evaluations for all analytes are required. Copies of the laboratory records are to be sent to CMS (via COLA) and other accrediting agencies which monitor compliance.

Proficiency Testing is a process designed to evaluate a laboratory’s performance, testing accuracy, and overall practices. It is a key element in the laboratory accreditation process. Proficiency testing determines the performance of the laboratory for specific tests and is used to evaluate the laboratories’ continuing performance. The intent of the statement of work is to obtain proficiency testing from an HHS approved program.

4.0 CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS/ AND PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS

Must be a CMS approved Proficiency Testing Program for CLIA.

5.0 TYPE OF ORDER

The award for this service will be a firm fixed price non-personal service purchase order.

6.0 ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Period of Performance: January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026

7.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Woodrow Wilson Keeble Memorial Health Care Center, Indian Health Service, 100 Lake Traverse Drive, Sisseton, SD.

8.0 PAYMENT

Invoice Processing Platform (IPP)

The Indian Health Service (IHS) is in the process of implementing an electronic invoicing system in compliance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) M-15-19 memorandum "Improving Government Efficiency and Saving Taxpayer Dollars Through Electronic Invoicing" directing Federal agencies to adopt electronic invoicing as the primary means to disburse payment to vendors. Invoices submitted under any award resulting from this solicitation will be required to utilize the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) in accordance with HHSAR 352.232-71, Electronic Submission and Processing of Payment Requests.

IPP is a secure, web-based electronic invoicing system provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service, in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRSTL). Respondents to this solicitation are encouraged to register an account with IPP if they have not already done so. If your organization is already registered to use IPP, you will not be required to re-register- however, we encourage you make sure your organization and designated IPP user accounts are valid and up to date.

The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov

If you require assistance registering or IPP account access, please contact the IPP Helpdesk at +1 (555) 000-0000 (M-F 8AM to 6PM ET), or contact@example.gov

"Should the contractor feel that use of the IPP would be unduly burdensome, their response to this solicitation should include an explanation of this position for a determination by the contracting officer".

The Government reserves the right to accept or reject services, if the level of performance is unacceptable.

9.0 Capability Statement/Information:

Interested parties are expected to review this notice and attached statement of work to familiarize itself with the requirements of this project. Failure to do so will be at your firm’s own risk. The following information shall be included in the capability statement:

1. A general overview of the respondent’s opinions about the difficulty and/or feasibility of the potential requirement, and any information regarding innovative ideas or concepts.

2. Information in sufficient detail of the respondent’s (a) current capability and capacity to perform the work; (b) prior completed events of similar nature/size; (c) organizational experience and management capability; and (d) examples of prior completed Government contracts and other related information.

3. The respondents’ UEI number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, etc.) Pursuant to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code: 541380 - Testing Laboratories and Services.

4. Any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the requirements of the potential acquisition.

5. The capability statement shall not exceed 10 single-sided pages (including all attachments, resumes, etc.) presented in single-space and using a 12-point font size minimum, in either Microsoft Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), with 8-1/2 by 11-inch paper size, and 1-inch top, bottom, left and right margins.

6. All proprietary information should be marked as such. Statements should also include an indication of current certified small business status; this indication should be clearly marked on the first page of your capability statement (preferably placed under the eligible small business concern’s name and address). Responses will be reviewed only by IHS personnel and will be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

10.0 Closing Statement

Point of Contact: Andrea Whipple, Purchasing Agent

Submission Instructions:

Interested parties shall submit capability via email to Andrea Whipple, at contact@example.gov. Must include Sources Sought Number IHS-SS-26-1519733 in the Subject line. The due date for receipt of statements is November 6, 2025, 1:00 p.m. Central Time.

All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered.

This notice is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of IHS.

IHS does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. As a result of this notice, IHS may issue a Request for Quote (RFQ).

THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against IHS shall arise as a result of a response to this notice or IHS’s use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement.

Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response.