6640--Brand Name or Equal Triple Quad Liquid Chromatography (LC) / Mass Spectrometry (MS) Systems

Sources Sought Notice

The Veterans Affairs North Texas Veterans Healthcare System (VANTXHCS) is conducting market research to identify qualified sources capable of providing two (2) Liquid Chromatography (LC) / Mass Spectrometry (MS) Systems on a lease-to-own basis. The requirement is for equipment that meets or exceeds the specifications of the Agilent 6475 Triple Quad LC / MS System, including associated hardware, consumables, installation, training, and maintenance.

• Equipment: Two (2) LC/MS Systems, brand name or equal to Agilent 6475 Triple Quad LC/MS.

• Lease-to-Own: Government will retain title at the end of the contract.

• Comprehensive Package: Includes all system hardware, software, filters, consumables, UPS, nitrogen generator, and other components for full operation.

• Services: Installation, comprehensive training (initial on-site and off-site, applications, method development), and maintenance for the lease duration.

• Technical Specifications: Detailed requirements for mass analyzer, sensitivity, ion source, MRM throughput, polarity switching, collision cell, instrument intelligence, maintenance, software, and physical dimensions are provided.

• Delivery: Within ninety (90) days of contract award.

• Contract Type: Intended to be a Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) contract.

• NAICS Code: 334516 - Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (Small Business Standard: 1,000 Employees).

• Product Service Code: 6640 – Laboratory Equipment and Supplies.

• Response Deadline: April 28, 2026, by 12:00 pm EST.

• Submission Method: Email to kathryn.prose@va.gov.

• Required Information: Organization's Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), proof of capability, and answers to specific questions regarding socio-economic category, manufacturer status, Brand Name or Equal compliance, Trade Agreement Certificate, government contract eligibility, small business status (13 CFR 121.406), subcontracting plans, and estimated shipping/delivery.

• Offerors must be registered in SAM.gov.

• Offerors must be certified with the appropriate NAICS code on SAM.gov.

• SDVOSB/VOSB offerors must be verified in the SBA database.

• Potential set-aside clauses (VAAR 852.219-76, 852.219-73, 852.219-74) and Limitations on Subcontracting (RFO Clause 52.219-14) may apply.

• This is a Sources Sought notice for market research purposes only and does not constitute a commitment to award a contract.

• Information provided is subject to change.

• Failure to respond to the provided questions may affect the acquisition strategy.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a provision titled "Trade Agreements Certificate" (Feb 2021). It requires offerors to certify compliance with the Trade Agreements Act.

• Certification: Offerors must certify that each end product offered is U.S.-made or from a designated country, as defined in the "Trade Agreements" clause.
• Listing of Other End Products: If an offeror is providing supplies that are not U.S.-made or designated country end products, they must list these "other end products" along with their country of origin.
• Evaluation: The government will evaluate offers based on the Trade Agreements Act policies. U.S.-made or designated country end products will be preferred, and offers of other end products will only be considered if no suitable U.S.-made or designated country options are available.

Bidders must carefully review this provision to understand the requirements for certifying the origin of their products. Failure to properly complete and submit this certification, or to identify any non-compliant end products, could impact the evaluation and award of the contract. Bidders should be prepared to list the country of origin for any supplies that do not meet the U.S.-made or designated country criteria.