Roche Ventana Slide Software, Support, and Maintenance

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE: IAW RFO FAR 5.101 this notice is to advise the public that The Department of Veterans Affairs, Regional Procurement Office East (RPOE), Network Contracting Office 4, intends to award a sole source, Firm-Fixed-Price contract pursuant to RFO FAR 12.102-1 to Roche Diagnostics Corporation located at 9115 Hague Rd, Indianapolis, IN, 46256, for a base year with four (4) option years, exercisable at the Government s discretion. The Lebanon VA Medical Center (VAMC) requires software licenses, support, and equipment maintenance to operate and maintain its Roche Ventana Slide System according to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications. THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS or QUOTATIONS. Responsible sources that believe they can meet the requirements may give written notification by submitting capability information that clearly demonstrates the capability to perform all required work and applicable certifications/licenses for the Hardware/Software. Capability information is required prior to the response due date and time, to establish the ability of the source to meet this requirement. Capability information should not be a generic mission statement or marketing material. Supporting evidence must be furnished in sufficient detail to demonstrate the ability to perform the requirements and must include relevant corporate experience along with the applicable contract number, total contract dollar amount, contract period of performance, details of the relevant services and customer point of contact with corresponding telephone number and email address. Responses must include following information: 1. Company Name 2. SAM UEI number 3. Company s address 4. Point of Contact information (title, phone number and email address) 5. Business size/classification A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. The Government will not be responsible for any costs associated with the preparation of responses to this notification. Responses are due by 6:00am ET, Monday, March 30, 2026. No submissions will be accepted after this date and time. Responses shall be submitted via email to jefferson.mann@va.gov. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. The NAICS code for this acquisition is 541519 and the size standard is $34 Million. STATEMENT OF NEED Title of Project: Software, licenses, and maintenance of ROCHE Ventana equipment. Purpose: This contract is issued to ensure the continuous reliability of the ROCHE equipment and software owned by Lebanon VA Medical Center laboratory. The ROCHE equipment and software is used to process specimens for pathological analysis. Due to the complexity of the system, it requires yearly maintenance, and repairs completed by trained personnel using manufacturer approved parts and specifications. The reliable and accurate operation of this equipment is considered critical to the health of patients. General Requirements: The Contractor shall provide all resources necessary to accomplish the deliverables described in this statement of need (SON). The contractor shall perform preventive maintenance (PM), corrective maintenance/repair services for the ROCHE equipment and provide software license with updates as needed. The PM shall meet all regulatory requirements and ensure optimum performance. Service shall consist of calibration and testing in accordance with manufacturer s latest established service procedures to ensure operation of equipment within manufacturer s and/or VA s performance specifications, whichever is the most rigorous. This agreement includes all preventive maintenance (PM), corrective maintenance repairs, and software to the ROCHE Ventana equipment and software for continuous reliability. Scheduled preventive maintenance shall be as follows: one (1) visit per year. Software updates shall be completed as needed to ensure quality. Preventative Maintenance: The Contractor shall perform PM service to ensure that the equipment listed performs in accordance with the specifications. Any exceptions to the PM schedule shall be arranged and approved in advance with the Program POC and provided in writing to the CO. The Contractor shall provide complete and original documentation indicating PM work performed, referencing the procedures followed, actual tests and/or evaluation results obtained to the Program POC at the completion of the PM service. Parts, travel, and labor necessary for PM are provided by awarded contractor at no additional cost. Materials such as lubricants, fluids, cleaning supplies, services, manuals, or tools required for the Contractor to successfully complete scheduled PM shall be provided by the Contractor and are included within this contract at no additional cost. Preventive maintenance will be provided at a scheduled time and must be scheduled at least one week in advance to minimize the impact on patient care. All exceptions to the preventive maintenance schedule and procedure shall be addressed and approved in advance with the Program POC. A designated staff member will accompany the Contractor as an observer during the inspection. The inspection shall be thorough and shall conform to manufacturer and Industry Standards for the equipment. Sufficient time shall be allowed to permit a thorough inspection of the overall system. Maintenance work and inspections may be combined at the approval of the Program POC or designated alternate if downtime is not considered significant. Additional Requirements: Software patches and upgrades shall be completed during normal business hours unless approved by the Program POC and shall be compatible with VA s current operating system. Normal business hours are between 7am and 4pm ET, Monday through Friday, excluding designated federal holidays. Contractor shall provide unlimited telephone technical support, labor, travel and parts, to maintain system operation. Parts and Software: The contract shall include coverage for all parts. All parts supplied shall be original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and fully compatible with existing equipment. All defective parts replaced become the property of the Contractor, unless otherwise specified by the CO or Program POC. Software shall be updated by the contractor to be compatible with actively supported versions/builds of Microsoft Windows Operating Systems. Coverage Outside of Normal Business Hours: If the contractor wishes to furnish services at a time that is outside of the normal hours of coverage, at no additional cost to the Government, the contractor shall submit a request to the Program POC prior to the proposed start of the work, and the request is approved in writing by the Program POC before work is begun. Any proposed work that falls outside or the scope of the contract will be provided in writing to the Program POC with a price estimate and will be authorized by the Contracting Officer with a contract modification prior to the work being started. There will be no additional charge for time spent waiting at the site during or after the normal hours for coverage for delivery of parts. Equipment/Software Covered: Each of the following items shall be serviced/updated in accordance with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specifications. BenchMark Special Stainer DP 200 Slide Scanner Vantage Software Ventana Connect uPath Subscription (up to 10 current users) Documentation: The Contractor shall prepare and submit a written report containing findings, certifications, maintenance, and repairs. In addition to one (1) hard copy of the report, the Contractor shall also provide one (1) electronic copy to the Program POC. Schedule of initial PM shall be coordinated within 15 days of contract award. All work shall be performed by competent, experienced personnel qualified to work on the specified equipment in accordance with manufacturer s recommendations. The Contractor shall make sure all manufacturer specifications are met. Upon request, the Contractor shall provide factory training certificates/competencies for all technicians assigned to service the specified equipment, in accordance with The Joint Commission (TJC) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP). If requested, such certificates/competencies are to be submitted to the Laboratory Service. Program Point of Contact: Frank Wornyo Phone: (717) 272-6621 x4181 Email: Frank.Wornyo@va.gov Note: The POC has no authority to change the terms and conditions of the awarded contract.