R: THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. THIS SYNOPSIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE, PROPOSAL, OR BID. This notice is not a solicitation as defined by FAR 2.101, therefore it shall not be construed as a commitment by the government to enter into a contract, nor does it restrict the government to an acquisition approach. All information contained in this Request for Information (RFI) is preliminary as well as subject to amendment and is in no way binding on the government. Information submitted in response to this notice is voluntary; the government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the government. The government is requesting that restrictive or proprietary markings not be used in response to this notice. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized in the Federal Contract Opportunities website or General Services Administration (GSA). It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this RFI. 1. Title:  Reagents for BioFire Analyzer  2. Purpose: The purpose of this RFI is to identify potential sources which will aid in defining the procurement strategy for example, set-aside, sole source, or unrestricted for a solicitation the VA intends on issuing shortly as follows:   The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) located in Houston; Texas has a requirement for Reagents for BioFire Analyzer; items listed below: Item# Description/Part# Qty Unit 423742 BIOFIRE RP2.1 PANEL, 30 TESTS IVE 50 KT RFIT-ASY-147 BIOFIRE BCID2 PANEL, 30 TESTS 40 KT RFIT-ASY-0116 FILMARRAY GI PANEL, 30 TESTS 10 KT RFIT-ASY-0118 FILMARRAY ME PANEL, 30 TESTS 10 KT RFIT-ASY-0144 FIMARRYAY PNEUMO PANEL, 30 TESTS 2 KT RFIT-ASY-0138 BioFire Joint Infection Panel, 30 TESTS 6 KT FLM1-ASY-0130 GI Verification Kit 1 KT FLM1-ASY-0150 PN Verification Kit 1 KT FLM1-ASY-0145 ME Verification Kit 1 KT 424181 JI Verification Kit 1 KT The anticipated Small Business Administration (SBA) size standard for the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 325413 In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Mfg. with a size standard of 1,250 employees. Product Supply Code (PSC) 6550 In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance, Reagents, Test Kits and Sets.  The anticipated type of contract shall be a Single Award, Firm Fixed Price. The Government wishes to enter a contract with a one (1) year ordering period. 3.  Responses Requested: The following questions must be answered in  response to this RFI.        Answers that are not provided shall be considered non-responsive to the RFI:  Where are the requested items/equipment manufactured?   Vendor must attach documentation of this information to be viewed by the government to be considered as part of the Market Research and responsiveness to this Sources Sought notice:  Are the requested items/equipment manufactured by a small or large business?   Is the potential vendor in compliance with the Non-Manufacturer Rule (NMR)?  Vendor must attach documentation of this to be viewed by the government to be considered as part of the Market Research and responsiveness to this Sources Sought notice:  Is the Vendor an Authorized Distributor with access to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts which may be required in completion of this requirement?  If so, is the Vendor a Small Business that meets the requirements of 13 CFR § 121.406 (b)(1)(i), (b)(1)(ii), and (b)(1)(iii)? (b) Nonmanufacturers.      (1) A firm may qualify as a small business concern for a requirement to provide manufactured products or other supply items as a nonmanufacturer if it:           (i) Does not exceed 500 employees (or 150 employees for the Information Technology Value Added Reseller exception to NAICS Code 541519, which is found at § 121.201, footnote 18);           (ii) Is primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of item being supplied;           (iii) Takes ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice  Is the Vendor a 3rd party Reseller of an Authorized Distributor with access to OEM parts; if so, does the Authorized Distributor have authority to make such agreements with OEM?   The VA does not accept grey market items; therefore, the Vendor must attach an Authorized Distribution Letter as an approved and authorized vendor on OEM letterhead by the manufacturer as evidence of proof to be viewed by the government to be considered as part of the Market Research and responsiveness to this Sources Sought notice.   g.   Name of potential Contractor that possess the capability to fulfill this requirement. Contractors shall also provide the following:  Point(s) of contact name: _______________________________________________                    Address: ____________________________________________________                    Telephone number: ___________________________________________                    Email address: _______________________________________________  Company's business size: _______________________________________________  UEI #: ____________________________________  CAGE Code: _______________________________  h. Is your company considered a small business concern, SB, SDVOSB, VOSB, HUBZone, or 8A concern, with the requisite NAICS code identified above? Please provide proof of qualifications.  i. Is your company available under any Government Wide Agency Contract (GWAC), Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP), National Acquisition Center (NAC), GSA Schedule, Federal Supply Schedule (FSS), Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ), and/or Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA)?       If so, please identify the contract number for the government to review as part of this Market      Research.   4.  Opportunity/Market Pricing: The MEDVAMC is seeking information from potential vendors on their ability to provide the required items/equipment.  THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. Small Business concerns are encouraged to provide responses to this RFI in order to assist the MEDVAMC in determining potential levels of competition and general market pricing available in the industry. Vendors are requested to submit estimated market research pricing along with their responses to the above. The estimated pricing will be considered when determining the procurement strategy for the forthcoming solicitation.    5.  RFI responses are due by 4:00pm Central Time by close date listed above; size is limited to 8.5 x 11 inches, 12-point font, with 1-inch margins in Microsoft Word format via email listed in Item #5 Contact Information below. There is no page limitation on subparagraphs 3(a) - 3(g).   The subject line shall reference that Request for Information (RFI) number above.    NO SOLICITATION EXISTS AT THIS TIME.   Please provide the information you deem relevant in order to respond to the specific inquiries of the RFI.   Information provided will be used solely by MEDVAMC as Market Research  and will not be released outside of the MEDVAMC Purchasing and Contracting Team.   If no responses to this notice are received from an authorized distributor of the cited brand name items listed above, then this action will be sole sourced to the manufacturer.  6. Contact Information: Contract Specialist Shasta Britt shasta.britt@va.gov   Your response to this notice is greatly appreciated! Â
