Clinical Reference Laboratory Testing Services
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 Defense Health Agency (DHA) has issued a Special Notice for market research, posting a DRAFT Request for Proposal (RFP) for Clinical Reference Laboratory Testing Services (CRLTS). This is not a formal solicitation, but an opportunity for industry to provide feedback on the draft documents. The goal is to improve the clarity, quality, and feasibility of the final solicitation. Comments and questions are due by March 9, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Central Time.
Requirement Overview
The DHA requires comprehensive, non-personal clinical reference laboratory testing services for approximately 6,960 specialized medical tests that cannot be performed in-house. These services will support over 205 Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) globally. A critical aspect is the establishment and maintenance of a secure, bidirectional electronic interface between the contractor's Laboratory Information System (LIS) and the Government's MHS Genesis electronic health record. Contractors must also comply with stringent DoD cybersecurity requirements, including NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC 2.0.
Proposed Acquisition Strategy (Draft)
- Competition: Full and Open Competition
- Contract Vehicle: Single-award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract
- Period of Performance: A five-year base ordering period and one five-year optional ordering period, totaling a potential ten (10) years.
- Source Selection Process: Performance Price Tradeoff (PPT), where non-price factors are significantly more important than price.
Draft Documents for Review
Industry is invited to review numerous draft documents, including the Draft RFP (SF 1449), Performance Work Statement (PWS), Price List/Schedule of Required Tests, QA Matrix, Past Performance Summary & Questionnaire, Subcontractor Teaming Partner Letter, Addenda to FAR 52.212-1 (Instructions to Offerors) and FAR 52.212-2 (Evaluation Criteria), and various PWS attachments detailing DoD sites, System Security Plan, B2B Gateway Implementation, CAC Request Process, Deliverables, and Performance Requirements Summary.
Request for Feedback
The Government seeks constructive feedback on all aspects of the draft documents, with particular focus on:
- Clarity, feasibility, and completeness of the PWS requirements.
- Clarity of proposal submission instructions.
- Clarity and achievability of evaluation criteria.
- Any ambiguous, overly restrictive, or competition-limiting requirements.
- Industry best practices to improve efficiency or effectiveness.
Submission Instructions
All comments and questions must be submitted in writing via email to the primary and secondary POCs (Michael T. Bilicki, Tamara Fenwick, Melissa Hearst) no later than March 9, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Central Time. Respondents are requested to use the attached Exhibit B – DRAFT Clinical Reference Laboratory Testing Services QA Matrix for submission. The Government may publish a consolidated list of questions and answers at a later date.