MRI Brain Scan: Use of a 3 Tesla (3T) strength MRI scanner Pre-Solicitation Notice with Intent to Sole Source

Special Notice Special Notice Page 2 of 2 Special Notice Special Notice Page 1 of 2 Pre-Solicitation Notice for notice of intent to award a sole source contract. This is not a solicitation. The Department of Veterans Affairs intends to negotiate a sole source contract for a five-year period with the University of Illinois, Chicago Campus, (UIC) Center for MR Research (CMRR), 809 S Marshfield Ave, Chicago, IL 60612 its primary academic affiliate, to support the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) research office.

This requirement is for the University of Illinois Chicago to provide the use of a 3 Tesla (3T) strength MRI scanner to the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital. The scanner is required to have the capabilities of running advanced functional and structural sequences. These sequences must include the ability to obtain a 3-D volume MPRAGE T1, resting state fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

The University of Illinois Chicago Center for MR Research has one 3TGE Discovery MR 750 System, equipped to run state of the art advanced neuroimaging sequences. The University of Illinois Chicago Campus, (UIC) Center for MR Research (CMRR) is unique in that it is staffed by experts in neuroimaging who avail themselves to UIC PIs using the center for help with collection and analysis of images.

The University of Illinois Chicago Campus, (UIC) Center for MR Research (CMRR) is equipped with the research-dedicated, state-of-the-art GE MR750 scanner. The scanner is fully equipped with any cardiac or neuroimaging study and has the required customized pulse sequences for high resolution anatomic imaging.

No other facilities were identified as possessing the specialized hardware and software research capabilities required to carry out the primary aims of this study, and located at a reasonable distance from the Hines VA so patients could easily participate. Moreover, no other facilities offer faculty support for the collection and analysis of neuroimaging.

Due to the precise expertise required by the VA, proximity, and existing affiliate relationship, they are the only vendor practical, without experiencing substantial duplication in costs or delays to VA research. Furthermore, since the University of Illinois Chicago is an academic affiliate, the VA is authorized to procure these services pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 8153. Since the intent is to procure this on a sole source basis, no solicitation will be posted to FedBizOps (FBO).

The applicable NAICS code is 621512 with a 19 Mil size standard. The PSC is AN41. The authority for this action is FAR 6.302.5-1, Authorized or Required by Statute per 41 USC §3304(a)(5). Interested persons may contact the Contracting Officer via email at annmarie.stewart@va.gov regarding this procurement. The determination to conduct a competitive procurement based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Contracting Officer.