DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Network Contracting Office 17
NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE
(Not a Request for Competitive Proposals)
Notice Posting Date:
July 30, 2026
Response Due Date:
August 10, 2026, 4:00 PM Central Time
Contracting Office:
Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 17 (NCO 17)
Contracting Officer:
Ognian D. Ivanov
Requiring Activity:
South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS), Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service, Specialty Laboratory
Proposed Contractor:
Roche Diagnostics Corporation, 9115 Hague Road, Indianapolis, IN 46250
NAICS Code:
811219 Other Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance (Small Business Size Standard $12.5M)
Product/Service Code:
J065 Maintain, Repair, Rebuild of Equipment: Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Equipment and Supplies
Anticipated Period of Performance:
One (1) Base Year plus four (4) One-Year Option Periods
1. Authority. This Notice of Intent is issued in accordance with the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) Part 5.101 (Publicizing Contract Actions) and RFO Part 6.103-1 (Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements), as implemented by applicable FAR Class Deviations, and the Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR). This action will be conducted under the authority of RFO Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services) and RFO Part 15 (Contracting by Negotiation), as applicable.
2. Purpose. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 17, on behalf of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS), Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service, hereby gives notice of its intent to negotiate and award a sole source, firm-fixed-price service and maintenance contract to Roche Diagnostics Corporation for the continued service, maintenance, and repair of three (3) Roche BenchMark Ultra Automated Immunohistochemistry (IHC) Staining Instruments (Serial Numbers 311977, 311975, and 316490), located at the STVHCS Specialty Laboratory of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service in San Antonio, Texas.
3. Background and Basis for Sole Source. STVHCS has a continuing requirement for uninterrupted service and maintenance support of its three Roche BenchMark Ultra instruments, which are used to perform Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining critical to the diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients. Each instrument performs a unique set of tests that the others are not capable of performing; therefore, all three instruments must remain fully operational, and any delay in testing capability would be detrimental to Veteran patient care.
Roche Diagnostics Corporation has certified, in writing, that it is the sole manufacturer and distributor of the BenchMark Ultra platform and all associated reagents and consumables, and that service and maintenance of the instrument family must be performed exclusively by Roche Diagnostics trained Field Service Engineers (FSEs), or the manufacturer's warranty is rendered null and void. The proprietary and closed nature of the instrument's diagnostic software, hardware architecture, and calibration procedures precludes performance of required maintenance, repair, and preventative maintenance services by any third party. No other contractor, distributor, or service organization is authorized or technically capable of servicing this proprietary equipment.
4. Description of Supplies/Services. The contractor shall provide unlimited on-site service support by a Certified Roche Field Service Engineer, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time (excluding Federal holidays); a 24/7 customer support line for reporting service issues; response and dispatch for repair service within 48 hours (same day if two or more instruments are down); all repair and annual preventative maintenance parts and associated shipping costs; one annual Preventative Maintenance (PM) service per instrument; on-site applications troubleshooting and up to five (5) days of applications support annually by a Certified Field Applications Specialist (FAS); and installation of all manufacturer operational modifications by an FSE, in accordance with the attached Statement of Work.
5. Period of Performance. The anticipated period of performance is a Base Period plus four (4) One-Year Option Periods, to be performed at the STVHCS Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service, San Antonio, Texas.
6. This Notice Is Not a Solicitation. This notice of intent is published for informational purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Proposals, Request for Quotations, or an invitation for bids. The Government is not obligated to pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this notice. No solicitation document exists for this requirement, and none will be issued unless a responsible, capable alternate source is identified.
7. Interested Parties. Any responsible source that believes it can furnish the required services described above may submit, in writing, clear and convincing documentation demonstrating its technical capability to fully satisfy this requirement without the need for OEM certification, proprietary parts access, or voiding manufacturer warranties. Capability statements must affirmatively address ability to (a) provide OEM-authorized parts, software, and firmware updates; (b) perform service without voiding manufacturer warranty; and (c) meet all technical requirements identified in the Statement of Work. Responses must be submitted via email only.
This notice of intent is being posted for a period of ten (10) calendar days, from July 30, 2026, through August 9, 2026. All responses must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. Central Time on August 9, 2026. Responses received after the closing date and time will not be considered.
8. Point of Contact. All questions or capability statements regarding this notice shall be submitted in writing to:
Ognian D. Ivanov
Contracting Officer
Department of Veterans Affairs
Network Contracting Office 17
Email: ognian.ivanov@va.gov
9. Determination. A Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition, in accordance with RFO FAR Part 6, has been prepared and will support the contract file for this requirement. This notice does not itself constitute a final determination; the Government reserves the right to consider any timely, adequately supported response received during the posting period prior to award.
