6550--Cepheid Reagents, IND 3/1/26 - 2/28/27 PO 583C62157

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition for reagents used with Cepheid GeneXpert DX instruments in the microbiology laboratory at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center. The government is procuring these reagents because they are necessary for ongoing testing, including COVID, Flu, RSV, C. difficile, Carbapenemase-producing organisms, MTB/Rif, vaginal panels, and Factor II/V.

• Reagent kits for Cepheid GeneXpert DX instruments, specifically: Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 plus, Xpress CoV-2/FLU/RSV plus, Xpert C. difficile/epi, Xpert Carba-R, Xpert MTB/RIF, Xpert MVP, Xpert Factor II/V, and Collection kits (SWAB/G-50-US).

• These reagents are required to continue testing on existing, on-site Cepheid instruments.

• Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price

• Estimated Value: $617,108.60 for 1 year

• Period of Performance: March 1, 2026 - February 28, 2027

• This document is a justification for sole source procurement, not a solicitation for proposals. A Notice of Intent to Sole Source was posted on GPE on February 19, 2026, with no responses received.

• The procurement is justified for sole source due to Cepheid Inc. being the sole manufacturer of the required reagents and the only firm capable of providing them without substantial duplication of cost. Market research did not identify any Small Business concerns or opportunities to satisfy the VA Rule of Two or SBA Rule of Two.

• The statutory authority cited for other than full and open competition is 41 USC §3304(a)(1) as implemented by RFO 6.103-1 (Only One Responsible Source).

• Market research will continue to identify potential sources for future acquisitions.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a solicitation for Cepheid Reagents, with a period of performance from March 1, 2026, to February 28, 2027. The solicitation number is 36C25026Q0328.

While the full details of the requirements are in the attached document (SSJ), the opportunity pertains to the procurement of Cepheid Reagents.

This solicitation is associated with Award Number 36C25026P0405, with an Award Amount of $613,093.80. The award was made on February 27, 2026, to CEPHEID (UEI: W6HQTMWB9Q28).

Information regarding proposal submission and evaluation criteria is not detailed in the provided metadata and is presumed to be within the attached document.

No specific set-aside information is provided in the metadata.

• Contracting Office: Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 10, Kettering, OH.
• Product Service Code: 6550
• NAICS Code: 325413
• Point of Contact: Rachel MacRae, Contract Specialist (rachel.macrae@va.gov)

Notice of Intent to Sole Source

This document is a Notice of Intent to Sole Source from the Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 10, Indianapolis VAMC. The VA intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source, Cepheid Inc., for diagnostic reagent kits. This action is being taken under Simplified Acquisition Procedures and FAR Part 6.302-1, citing only one responsible source.

The requirement is for specific Cepheid reagent kits to be used with existing Cepheid GeneXpert DX instruments for diagnostic tests at the Indianapolis Pathology Lab. The specific kits and quantities are:

• KIT,CDIFF/EPI,GX,IVD,10-TEST (GXCDIFF/EPI-10): 30

• KIT,CARBA-R,IVD,GX (GXCARBAR-10): 20

• KIT,MTB,IVD,US (GXMTB/RIF-US-10): 10

• KIT,XPRESS,MVP,US-IVD,10 TEST (XPRSMVP-10): 70

• KIT,FII/FV,10-TESTS,GX,IVD (GXFIIFV-10): 50

• COLLECTION KIT,XPERT SWAB,US IVD,50 (SWAB/G-50-US): 15

• KIT,10 TEST,XPRESS COVID PLUS,US-IVD: 150

• KIT,IVD,XPRESS,COV-2/FLU/RSV PLUS,10TEST: 700 A firm fixed price contract is anticipated.

• The anticipated contract type is Firm Fixed Price.

This notice is NOT a request for competitive proposals or offers. No solicitation package is available. Any interested party must provide clear and convincing evidence that competition would be advantageous to the Government.

Responses must be received no later than 12:00 PM Eastern Time on Friday, February 27, 2026.

Rachel MacRae, Contract Specialist, at rachel.macrae@va.gov.

• NAICS Code: 325413 (Other Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing)
• Product Service Code: 6550
• The government believes Cepheid Inc. is the only source possessing the required capabilities.