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RFQ-26-PHX-051
Response Deadline
Aug 19, 2026, 7:00 PM(PDT)13 days
Eligibility
Contract Type
Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
COMBINED SYNOPSIS / SOLICITATION
Medical Laboratory Staffing Services
RFQ-26-PHX-051
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Indian Health Service (IHS)
Office: Phoenix Area Indian Health Service (PAIHS)
Type of Action: Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
Authority: FAR Part 12 – Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services
Set-Aside: Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise (ISBEE)
NAICS Code: 561320 – Temporary Help Services
Buy Indian Set-Aside Authority: This acquisition is conducted pursuant to the Buy Indian Act (25 U.S.C. § 47) and HHSAR Subpart 326.6 and is restricted to Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEEs).
Commercial Services: The Indian Health Service (IHS), Phoenix Area Indian Health Service (PAIHS), is issuing this Request for Quotations (RFQ) for nonpersonal Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) services in support of Government-operated healthcare facilities throughout the Phoenix Area.
This acquisition is conducted using FAR Part 12 commercial services procedures under the HHS Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO), the Buy Indian Act (25 U.S.C. § 47), and HHSAR Subpart 326.6.
The Government intends to establish one or more Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs).
This Combined Synopsis/Solicitation constitutes the only solicitation issued for this requirement.
SECTION A
SOLICITATION INFORMATION
A.1 General
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Indian Health Service (IHS), Phoenix Area Indian Health Service (PAIHS), is issuing this Request for Quotations (RFQ) to establish one or more Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) for non-personal Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) services supporting Government-operated healthcare facilities throughout the Phoenix Area.
Services will be ordered through individual BPA Calls issued during the BPA ordering period. Each BPA Call will identify the Ordering Activity, place of performance, period of performance, estimated hours, and any facility-specific requirements.
This acquisition is conducted using the commercial services procedures of FAR Part 12, as supplemented by applicable HHSAR provisions, the Buy Indian Act (25 U.S.C. § 47), HHSAR Subpart 326.6, and applicable HHS Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) class deviations.
The Government intends to evaluate quotations using comparative evaluation procedures and establish one or more BPAs with the Quoter(s) whose quotation(s) are determined to be the most advantageous to the Government.
This solicitation is restricted to eligible Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEEs).
A.2 Place of Performance
Services shall be performed at Government-operated healthcare facilities identified in individual BPA Calls.
A.3 Period of Performance
5-year ordering period from the date of award.
Individual BPA Calls will establish the applicable period of performance.
A.4 Description of Requirement
The Contractor shall furnish qualified Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLTs) to provide nonpersonal clinical laboratory services in accordance with the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS).
Services include, but are not limited to:
The Contractor shall provide all management, supervision, scheduling, recruiting, qualification verification, replacement personnel, quality control, and administrative oversight necessary to perform the required services.
All services shall be performed in accordance with the attached Performance Work Statement.
The estimated hours identified in the BPA Pricing Schedule are based on the Government's anticipated operational requirements and historical utilization and are provided for quotation evaluation, acquisition planning, and BPA administration purposes. The estimated hours are not intended to represent a required number of individual Medical Laboratory Technicians or full-time equivalents (FTEs). The Contractor shall determine the number of Medical Laboratory Technicians necessary to satisfy the coverage requirements of the Performance Work Statement while maintaining continuity of services.
A.5 Nonpersonal Services
The services acquired under this solicitation are nonpersonal healthcare services.
Nothing in this solicitation or any resulting BPA shall be construed as creating an employer-employee relationship between the Government and Contractor personnel.
The Contractor shall retain responsibility for:
Government personnel shall not supervise Contractor employees.
Government oversight shall be limited to inspection and acceptance of services, contract administration, quality assurance surveillance, and coordination necessary to accomplish the Government's mission.
Government laboratory personnel may provide technical coordination regarding laboratory operations, testing priorities, quality control procedures, and workflow necessary to accomplish the Government's mission. Such coordination shall not constitute supervision or control of Contractor personnel.
A.6 BPA Calls
Services will be ordered through individual BPA Calls issued by the Contracting Officer or other authorized ordering official.
Each BPA Call will identify:
The establishment of a BPA does not obligate funds or guarantee a minimum quantity of services. Funds will be obligated only through individual BPA Calls.
SECTION B
SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES
B.1 General
The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, supervision, management, transportation, materials, and services necessary to provide nonpersonal Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) services in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS), the terms and conditions of this solicitation, and any resulting BPA.
Services will be ordered through individual BPA Calls issued during the BPA ordering period. BPA Calls will identify the Ordering Activity, estimated hours, period of performance, and funding.
The BPA will establish firm-fixed-price, fully burdened hourly rates applicable to all BPA Calls.
Estimated hours identified in the BPA Pricing Schedule are provided solely for quotation evaluation, acquisition planning, and BPA administration. The Government does not guarantee a minimum quantity of services.
B.2 BPA Pricing Schedule
Quoters shall complete Attachment B – BPA Pricing Schedule.
The Pricing Schedule will identify each participating Ordering Activity and the applicable estimated annual hours for quotation evaluation purposes.
B.3 Pricing
Quoters shall complete Attachment B, BPA Pricing Schedule.
Hourly rates shall be fully burdened and shall include all direct and indirect costs associated with contract performance, including but not limited to:
No separate reimbursement will be made for costs not specifically identified in the resulting BPA or an individual BPA Call.
B.4 Compensation for Hours Worked
The hourly rates quoted and awarded under this BPA shall be fully burdened and shall constitute full compensation for all hours worked under the BPA or an individual BPA Call.
No separate premium rates, overtime rates, holiday rates, callback rates, shift differentials, standby pay, on-call pay, or other additional compensation shall be paid unless expressly authorized by a BPA modification executed by the Contracting Officer.
All authorized hours worked, including services performed on weekends, Federal holidays, or in excess of forty (40) hours in a workweek, shall be compensated at the applicable awarded fully burdened hourly rate identified in the BPA Pricing Schedule.
The Contractor shall be solely responsible for complying with all applicable Federal, State, and local labor laws governing compensation of its employees. Any overtime compensation, holiday premium pay, or other employee compensation required by law or by the Contractor's internal policies shall be the sole responsibility of the Contractor and shall not result in any additional cost to the Government.
The estimated quantities shall not be construed as representing a required number of Medical Laboratory Technicians, staffing positions, or full-time equivalents. Staffing decisions remain the responsibility of the Contractor.
B.5 Estimated Hours
Estimated hours identified in Attachment A are provided solely for quotation evaluation, acquisition planning, and BPA administration purposes.
Actual quantities may vary above or below the estimated hours based upon the Government's mission requirements and available funding.
The estimated hours do not constitute a guaranteed minimum quantity of services.
B.6 Invoicing
The Contractor shall invoice only for services actually performed and accepted by the Government.
Invoices shall include, at a minimum:
Invoices shall be submitted electronically through the Department of the Treasury Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) unless otherwise authorized by the Contracting Officer.
SECTION C
DESCRIPTION / SPECIFICATIONS / PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENTS
C.1 General
The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, supervision, management, and services necessary to provide Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) services in accordance with this solicitation, the resulting BPA, individual BPA Calls, and the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS).
This acquisition is structured as a performance-based, non-personal services BPA. The Contractor is responsible for achieving the performance outcomes identified in the Performance Work Statement rather than adherence solely to prescribed processes.
The Contractor shall perform all services in accordance with the standards, performance objectives, qualifications, deliverables, and other requirements identified in the PWS.
Nothing contained in this solicitation or any resulting BPA or BPA Call shall be construed as creating an employer-employee relationship between the Government and Contractor personnel.
C.2 Performance Work Statements
The requirements for this acquisition are contained in the following attachments, which are incorporated into this solicitation:
Attachment
Title
Attachment A
Performance Work Statement – Medical Laboratory Staffing Services
The PWS establishes the minimum performance requirements, qualifications, staffing requirements, deliverables, performance standards, acceptable quality levels (AQLs), Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP), and all other technical requirements applicable to this acquisition.
C.3 Performance Standards
Performance shall be measured in accordance with the Performance Objectives, Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs), and Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) contained within the Performance Work Statement.
The Government will monitor Contractor performance through the surveillance methods identified in the PWS.
Failure to satisfy the required performance standards may result in requests for corrective action, replacement personnel, adverse Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) evaluations, or other contractual remedies available under the BPA.
C.4 Contractor Responsibility
The Contractor shall be responsible for providing qualified Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLTs) who meet all education, certification, qualification verification, competency, security, onboarding, and training requirements identified in the Performance Work Statement.
The Contractor shall retain full responsibility for the supervision, management, scheduling, compensation, replacement, and performance of Contractor personnel.
The Government shall not supervise Contractor personnel. Government responsibilities are limited to contract administration, quality assurance surveillance, inspection and acceptance of services, and clinical coordination necessary to accomplish the Government's mission.
C.5 Qualification Verification
All Contractor personnel shall successfully complete qualification verification, security requirements, onboarding, orientation, competency validation, and all other requirements identified in the Performance Work Statement before independently performing services under an individual BPA Call.
C.6 Order of Precedence
In the event of any inconsistency between this solicitation, the Performance Work Statement (PWS), or any other technical attachment, the Contracting Officer shall resolve the inconsistency in accordance with the Order of Precedence clause of the resulting BPA. For purposes of technical performance requirements, the Performance Work Statement shall govern the scope of work, performance standards, qualifications, deliverables, and Contractor responsibilities unless otherwise specifically modified by the resulting BPA or BPA Call.
SECTION D
INSTRUCTIONS TO QUOTERS
D.1 General
Quoters shall submit quotations electronically to the Contract Specialist, Dekovan Cook, at dekovan.cook@ihs.gov no later than close date and time specified in SAM.
D.2 Questions
Questions concerning this solicitation shall be submitted in writing to the Contract Specialist at the email address identified above no later than forty-eight (48) hours prior to the solicitation closing date and time identified in SAM.gov.
Questions shall clearly identify the solicitation number and the applicable section, paragraph, or attachment to which the question pertains.
The Government is under no obligation to respond to questions received after this deadline.
Responses to questions that materially affect the solicitation will be provided by written amendment posted to SAM.gov.
D.3 Quotation Format
Quotations shall consist of the following separate volumes:
Volume I – Technical Capability
Volume II – Relevant Experience and Past Performance
Volume III – Price
Volume IV – Buy Indian Documentation
Quoters are encouraged to organize their quotations using the section numbering contained in this solicitation.
Volume I shall not exceed twenty (20) pages, excluding resumes and divider pages.
D.4 Volume I – Technical Capability
The Technical Capability volume shall demonstrate the Quoter's ability to successfully recruit, qualify, deploy, supervise, and retain qualified Medical Laboratory Technicians necessary to perform the services described in the Performance Work Statement.
At a minimum, the quotation shall address the following:
A. Recruitment and Staffing
Describe the firm's approach to:
B. Staffing Continuity and Retention
Describe the firm's approach to:
C. Replacement Personnel
Describe the firm's procedures for:
D. Qualification Verification and Onboarding
Describe the firm's process for:
E. Contract Management
Describe the firm's approach to:
F. Corporate Experience
Describe experience performing similar healthcare staffing services, including:
G. Sample Candidate Qualifications
To assist the Government in evaluating the Quoter's demonstrated recruiting capability and the qualifications of personnel typically furnished under contracts of similar scope, Quoters shall submit up to three (3) representative resumes for Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLTs).
Representative resumes shall demonstrate qualifications consistent with the Performance Work Statement, including education, certification, clinical laboratory experience, and applicable technical competencies.
If the Quoter currently has qualified Medical Laboratory Technicians available for assignment, the Quoter may identify those individuals and provide an anticipated availability date. However, the Government is not requiring currently available personnel as a condition of award, and failure to identify currently available personnel will not adversely affect the evaluation.
Representative resumes are submitted for evaluation purposes only and do not obligate the Contractor to furnish those individuals. Representative resumes do not count toward the Volume I page limitation.
Following award, the successful Contractor shall submit qualification verification documentation for personnel proposed under individual BPA Calls in accordance with the Performance Work Statement.
The Government may consider the realism, completeness, and demonstrated effectiveness of the Quoter's proposed staffing, recruitment, retention, and contract management approaches, together with the representative qualifications demonstrated by the sample CVs or resumes, in assessing the likelihood of successful contract performance.
D.5 Volume II – Relevant Experience and Past Performance
Provide descriptions of up to three (3) contracts, BPAs, or other healthcare staffing agreements performed within the past five (5) years involving services similar in size, scope, and complexity.
For each reference include:
The Government may obtain additional past performance information from CPARS or other available Government sources.
D.6 Volume III – Price
Submit a completed Attachment B – BPA Pricing Schedule. Quoters shall complete all pricing information requested in the Government-issued Pricing Schedule. Failure to complete the Pricing Schedule may result in the quotation being determined unacceptable.
Quoters may submit a supplemental pricing narrative or pricing worksheet to explain pricing assumptions, discounts, pricing methodology, or other relevant pricing information. However, the Government-issued Pricing Schedule shall govern for purposes of quotation evaluation, award, and contract administration in the event of any inconsistency between the Government-issued Pricing Schedule and any supplemental pricing document submitted by the Quoter.
If a supplemental pricing document is submitted, it shall be clearly identified as Attachment B.1 – Supplemental Pricing.
Hourly rates shall be fully burdened and shall include all direct and indirect costs associated with contract performance, as identified in Section B of this solicitation.
Price quotations shall be submitted as a Microsoft Excel workbook utilizing active formulas for all extended amounts and totals. Any supplemental pricing document may be submitted in Microsoft Excel or Adobe PDF format.
Pricing information shall not appear in any other quotation volume.
D.7 Buy Indian Documentation
Quoters shall submit:
Failure to submit the required Buy Indian documentation by the quotation due date may render the quotation ineligible for award.
SECTION E
COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF QUOTATIONS
E.1 General
The Government will evaluate quotations using comparative evaluation procedures in accordance with this solicitation and the applicable HHS Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) class deviation.
The Government intends to establish one or more Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) with the responsible Quoter(s) whose quotation(s) are determined to be the most advantageous to the Government based on the evaluation criteria set forth in this solicitation.
The Government intends to evaluate quotations and establish BPAs without conducting exchanges. However, the Contracting Officer reserves the right to communicate with one or more Quoters if determined necessary.
E.2 Eligibility Review
Prior to performing the comparative evaluation, the Government will determine whether the quotation:
Quotations failing to satisfy these requirements may be eliminated from further consideration.
E.3 Comparative Evaluation Factors
The Government will comparatively evaluate quotations using the following factors listed in descending order of importance:
When combined, the non-price factors are significantly more important than price.
As quotations become more equal under the non-price factors, price will become increasingly important in the award decision.
E.4 Technical Capability
The Government will evaluate the extent to which the quotation demonstrates the capability to successfully perform the requirements identified in the Performance Work Statement.
The Government's evaluation will emphasize demonstrated capability rather than generalized statements of corporate qualifications. Quotations should clearly describe the Quoter's established processes and demonstrated ability to recruit, retain, qualify, deploy, supervise, and replace qualified Medical Laboratory Technicians in support of Federal, Tribal, or comparable healthcare staffing requirements.
The evaluation will include consideration of the Quoter's demonstrated approach to:
The Government may also consider the completeness, realism, and effectiveness of the proposed staffing and management approach in assessing the likelihood of successful performance.
Representative sample resumes submitted in accordance with Section D may be considered in evaluating the Quoter's demonstrated capability to recruit and maintain qualified Medical Laboratory Technicians.
The Government may also consider the availability of representative personnel identified by the Quoter as currently available when assessing the Quoter's demonstrated ability to promptly commence contract performance.
The Government's evaluation will focus on the Quoter's demonstrated capability to successfully perform the required services rather than the volume of information submitted.
E.5 Relevant Experience and Past Performance
The Government will evaluate the relevance and similarity of the quoter's recent experience performing healthcare services of comparable scope, size, and complexity.
Greater consideration may be given to experience involving:
The Government may obtain and consider past performance information from CPARS, customer references, or other sources available to the Government.
E.6 Price
Price will be evaluated for:
The Government will evaluate pricing using the completed Attachment B, Pricing Schedule. Estimated hours are provided solely for quotation evaluation and acquisition planning purposes and do not establish a minimum or maximum quantity of service.
If a supplemental pricing document is submitted, the Government may consider the information for clarification purposes. However, the Government-issued Pricing Schedule shall govern for evaluation and award purposes in the event of any inconsistency.
Quoters shall submit fully burdened hourly rates for each labor category identified in the Pricing Schedule. Hourly rates and all extended prices shall be rounded to two (2) decimal places. If a Quoter submits pricing with more than two (2) decimal places, the Government may round the rates and extended prices to two (2) decimal places for evaluation purposes.
The Government may evaluate pricing using the rounded amounts reflected in the completed Pricing Schedule.
E.7 Basis for Award
The Government will perform a comparative evaluation of quotations and establish one or more Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) with the responsible Quoter(s) whose quotation(s) are determined to be the most advantageous to the Government after consideration of the evaluation factors identified in this solicitation.
The Government reserves the right to:
Upon timely written request from an unsuccessful Quoter, the Government may provide a brief explanation of the basis for the award decision in accordance with applicable FAR Part 12 commercial procedures and HHS RFO guidance.
SECTION F
CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION
F.1 General
The Contracting Officer (CO) is the only individual authorized to modify the terms and conditions of the resulting BPA and individual BPA Calls.
The Contracting Officer shall designate a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) to perform contract administration functions within the scope of the COR's written delegation of authority.
The Contractor shall perform all services in accordance with the resulting BPA and individual BPA Calls, the Performance Work Statement (PWS), and all applicable Federal laws, regulations, policies, and professional standards.
F.2 Contract Administration
The Government will administer the BPA and individual BPA Calls through the Contracting Officer and designated COR.
Government responsibilities include:
Nothing contained in this BPA shall be construed as authorizing Government personnel to supervise Contractor employees.
F.3 Inspection and Acceptance
Inspection and acceptance shall be performed by the designated COR or other Government official authorized by the Contracting Officer.
Services shall be evaluated in accordance with:
Acceptance of services shall not waive any rights of the Government under the resulting BPA.
F.4 Invoicing
Invoices shall be submitted electronically through the Department of the Treasury Invoice Processing Platform (IPP), unless otherwise authorized by the Contracting Officer.
Invoices shall include, at a minimum:
The Government shall pay only for services actually performed, accepted, and properly invoiced in accordance with the BPA and applicable BPA Call.
F.5 Post-Award Conference
The Government may conduct a post-award conference with the successful Contractor to review:
SECTION G
ATTACHMENTS
The following attachments are incorporated into this solicitation and, where applicable, any resulting contract.
Attachment
Title
Attachment A
PWS – Medical Laboratory Staffing Services
Attachment B
BPA Pricing Schedule
Attachment C
Business Associate Agreement (BAA)
Attachment D
Indian Economic Enterprise (IEE) Representation Form
Attachment E
Clauses and Provisions
SECTION H
SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES
The provisions and clauses applicable to this solicitation and any resulting BPA are contained in Attachment E – Clauses and Provisions (or whatever attachment number you assign).
Attachment E is incorporated into this solicitation by reference.
Applicable FAR, HHSAR, and HHS Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) class deviations in effect on the date of solicitation issuance shall apply.
In the event of any inconsistency between a clause incorporated by reference and an applicable HHS RFO class deviation, the class deviation shall govern to the extent applicable.
The Government reserves the right to add, delete, or revise solicitation provisions and contract clauses prior to award through written amendment as necessary to ensure compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, HHSAR requirements, and HHS Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) class deviations in effect on the date of award.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE
PHOENIX AREA INDIAN HEALTH SVC
PHOENIX AREA INDIAN HEALTH SVC
2 RENAISSANCE SQ, 40 N CENTRAL AVE
SUITE 600
PHOENIX, AZ, 85004
NAICS
Temporary Help Services
PSC
REFERENCE LABORATORY TESTING
Set-Aside
Buy Indian Set-Aside (specific to Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Services)