Reference Laboratory Service - Federal Supply Schedule Bridge Order

Special Notice – Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source Procurement

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Network Contracting Office 17, intends to award a Firm-Fixed price, single-award Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Order to Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings for procurement of the tests shown on Attachment A which are required for Reference Lab Services. This will be a one (1) year order to facilitate a bridge between an expiring contract and a new long-term contract.

The El Paso Veterans Affairs Health Care System (EPVHCS) requires a contract for Reference Laboratory Services. The service will be performed for the El Paso VA Clinic located at 5001 N. Piedras St., El Paso, Texas, 79930 and the EPVHCS support facility, William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC) located at 18511 Highland Medics St., El Paso, Texas, 79918. The contractors shall provide reference laboratory testing services for a full range of referral laboratory services, to include patient testing, specimen processing, and courier services. The Contractor must also work with the El Paso Veterans Affairs (VA) laboratory to interface with the VA Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) and Computerized Patient Records System (CPRS). Services include daily transportation of clinical laboratory specimens from the El Paso VA Clinic facilities and WBAMC to the Contractor's laboratory(s), the performance of analytical testing as defined by the Contractor's reference test manual and the reporting of analytical test results and consultative services as required to assimilate the full scope of its laboratory operations. The contractor must place a specimen processor at the El Paso VA Clinic laboratory, who is responsible for providing specimen processing services. The Contractor must provide any supplies needed to ship specimens according to Federal and State Requirements of Category A and B specimens.

A one-year bridge order is necessary to ensure uninterrupted laboratory fee-based testing with a period of performance of 07/01/2025 to 06/30/2026. This bridge contract will allow for sufficient time to prepare a new long-term contract.

This notice is not to be considered a request for quotations or proposals. A contract will not be awarded based on an offer received in response to this notice; however, all responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, by email, to the point of contact and referencing the notice ID 36C25725Q0674, which shall be considered by the agency. Proposals or offers received will be used to determine if a comparable source is available and more advantageous to the government. If no affirmative written response is received within 7 days from the publication of this notice, a contract/order will be issued to Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, without any further notice.

The proposed contract actions are for a service, which the government intends to negotiate with only one source. The anticipated statutory authorities permitting other than full and open competition for the requirement is 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), as implemented by FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(B), Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized.

The capability statement, a price list and any other information furnished must be via email only and must contain material in sufficient detail to allow the Government to determine if the party can meet the requirements.

Capability statements and related materials must be e-mailed to Kathryn Prose at Kathryn.prose@va.gov by 11:00 AM CST on 25 June 2025.