Alcon Unity Equipment
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 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued an Award Notice for the procurement of Alcon Unity Vitreoretinal Cataract Systems (VCS) for the Birmingham VA Medical Center. This is a sole source award to O.R. Elder, Inc., under a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-aside.
Scope of Work
The primary objective is to provide the Ophthalmology Service Line at the Birmingham VA Medical Center with the Unity VCS to treat patients with cataracts and other ocular system conditions. This system will replace an outgoing PHACO system by Alcon, which has become obsolete, unreliable, and has failed during multiple procedures. The Alcon Unity VCS is a surgical system platform designed to perform both high-performance vitreoretinal and cataract surgeries. The requirement is for two (2) units of the Alcon Unity VCS VLTP.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Supply Purchase Order
- Awardee: O.R. Elder, Inc.
- Set-Aside: Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Sole Source
- Authority: VAAR 819.7008 (DEVIATION) and 38 U.S.C. § 8127(c)
- Award Date: March 6, 2026
Evaluation
This was a sole source award justified by unique salient characteristics of the Alcon Unity VCS, which market research confirmed are not available from any other manufacturer. No other manufacturers were identified as capable of meeting these unique requirements. The anticipated cost will be compared to historical pricing for similar equipment to ensure fairness and reasonableness.
Additional Notes
This notice serves as an award announcement only; no quotes or proposals are being requested. Future requirements will undergo market research to identify potential for manufacturing competition.