Acquisition of Software for Whole-Genome Sequencing
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), specifically the Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch (ITEB), is issuing a presolicitation notice for the sole-source renewal of one (1) software license for whole-genome sequencing from Sentieon, Inc. This acquisition aims to procure proprietary software essential for accelerating cancer genomics research by improving analysis speed and efficiency. While this is not a request for competitive quotations, interested parties, especially small businesses, are invited to submit capability statements. Responses are due by March 2, 2026, 2:00 PM EST.
Purpose and Scope
The NCI ITEB requires the renewal of Sentieon software to significantly decrease analysis time and computational resource requirements for variant detection in whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data, without compromising accuracy. This software is crucial for timely analysis of very large tumor cohorts and eliminating bottlenecks in the overall sequencing workflow, directly impacting cancer care improvements. The scope includes the annual renewal of one software license and ad-hoc software services.
Key Requirements / Salient Characteristics
The required software must:
- Provide a 20-to-50-fold increase in processing speed for tools like BWA-mem, STAR, minimap2, Picard, and GATK, while maintaining mathematical consistency.
- Offer exceptional accuracy and reproducibility for next-generation sequencing data variant calling, with no run-to-run variation.
- Be capable of processing 30x WGS sample data in under 30 minutes for less than $2 compute cost.
- Support joint calling of large numbers of WGS directly from VCFs without intermediate merging.
- Support multiple complex use cases including short and long reads, germline and somatic variant calling, structural variants, and copy number variants.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Sole Source (Presolicitation for renewal)
- Authority: FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) and FAR Part 12, exempt from FAR Part 6.
- NAICS: 513210 – Software Publishers (Small Business Size Standard: $47 million).
- Period of Performance: Anticipated need for the software for the next five years.
- Delivery: Software to be delivered within five (5) calendar days of purchase order award.
- Response Due: March 2, 2026, 2:00 PM EST.
- Published: February 26, 2026.
Set-Aside
None specified.
Submission Information
This notice is not a request for competitive quotation. However, interested parties, particularly small businesses, who believe they can meet the requirement may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation. Submissions must be in writing, contain sufficient detail for NCI to determine capability, and be emailed to Maliaka Pinkney (maliaka.pinkney@hhs.gov). The Government will consider information received solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Contractors must be registered and have a valid, current Entity Record in SAM.gov to receive an award. Reference HHS-26-001246 on all correspondence.
Contact Information
- Primary Contact: Maliaka Pinkney, maliaka.pinkney@hhs.gov, 301-287-0026