Histology Sorting and Filing System
THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY FOR MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES.
THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP), REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS (RFQ) OR INVITATION FOR BID (IFB).
NO FORMAL SOLICITATION IS BEING REQUESTED UNDER THIS NOTICE.
This Sources Sought Notice is for market research purposes to identify parties having an interest in and resources to support this requirement for a new Histology Sorting and Filing System for the United States Geological Survey (USGS), National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), Madison, WI
The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement. The Government will review the information requested in this announcement based on the responses to sources sought notice/market research, this requirement may be set-aside for small businesses or procured through full and open competition.
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing) and the size standard is 1,000 employees.
NOTE 1: The Buy American Act (41 U.S.C. 8301-05) is the primary federal procurement law providing a preference for domestic goods and manufactured products. As such, the USGS is seeking information on sources that can supply the described instrument either mined, produced or manufactured in the U.S. in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities of satisfactory quality.
A. Introduction:
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), Madison, WI has a requirement to purchase a new Histology Sorting and Filing System.
B. Background:
The National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) is a science center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) with specialized laboratories dedicated to wildlife disease detection, control, and prevention. Our mission is to advance wildlife health science for the benefit of animals, humans, and the environment. For our wildlife disease and mortality investigations, we routinely collect tissues for histopathology. The final products generated from that work are glass pathology slides, and paraffin embedded blocks containing fixed tissue. Our slide and block archives currently require a significant amount of staff time for filing and organization, and we do not have a working inventory of these archives. We have roughly 170,000 slides and 185,000 blocks in our archive. We do have a system for knowing what slides and blocks are created but not one for tracking what has been filed or removed from the archive. This system would allow us to automatically file and track what slides and blocks enter our archive, with the ability to sort between cases and projects, digitally capturing all the data on each item. This equipment will reduce staff time by automating what is currently a manual process while improving the tracking and itemization of our histology archive.
C. Product Specifications for a Histology Sorting and Filing System: Provide an automated system to accurately sort, index and retrieve histology slide and block location, ensuring sample traceability meeting the following specifications:
1. Required Capabilities
1.1 Sorting Functions:
a. Accept incoming histology slides in batches; automated sorting and inventorying of standard glass pathology slides (all stain types ¿ standard size 25.4 mm × 76.2 mm with a thickness of 1.0¿1.2 mm).
b. Automatically sort based on configurable metadata: case number, accession number, stain type, date, or lab defined categories.
c. Minimum processing rate of 200 slides/hour and 500 blocks/hour.
d. Support both manual and barcode-driven sorting.
1.2 Filing & Storage:
a. Track every item¿s storage location through software (database or LIMS integration).
1.3 Tracking & Identification:
a. Mandatory support for 1D and 2D barcode formats.
b. Automatic logging of handling events, custody transfers, and file movements.
c. Unique identifier preservation throughout the entire workflow.
1.4 Retrieval:
a. Enable rapid search and location retrieval by multiple criteria (case number, date, stain, storage location).
2. System Software Features
a. User friendly interface with role-based permissions.
b. Audit logs that meet federal and scientific data management standards.
c. Integration options for LIMS or other lab databases (API preferred).
d. Error handling for misreads, duplicate IDs, or invalid metadata.
e. Daily automatic data backup.
3. Physical & Environmental Requirements
a. Compact footprint suitable for histology laboratory bench placement.
b. Operation within controlled lab ranges:
o Temperature: 15¿30°C
o Humidity: 10¿60% non condensing
c. Materials resistant to biological staining chemicals (xylene, formalin vapors, etc.).
d. System must be easy to clean and maintain.
4. Safety & Compliance
a. Must comply with OSHA laboratory standards.
b. Electrical components compliant with UL or equivalent safety certifications.
c. If robotic handling is present, include safeguards against pinch points, misfeeds, and collisions.
5. Performance Metrics
a. Sorting accuracy: ¿ 99.5%
b. Barcode read accuracy: ¿ 99.8%
c. System uptime/reliability: ¿ 98%
d. Lost/misfiled slide rate: < 0.1%
D. Requirements:
D.1 Maintenance and Support
a. Vendor must provide user training, operator manuals, and preventative maintenance for a minimum of one year.
b. Service agreement for repairs:
o Onsite response ¿ 72 hours
o Remote support available during lab operating hours
c. Inventory of consumables (labels, trays, etc.) must be supported for at least 5 years.
D.2 Deliverables
a. System hardware
b. Software package and licenses
c. Integration documentation
d. Acceptance testing plan and validation checklist
e. Training sessions for lab staff
f. Warranty and maintenance schedule
(End of Minimum Product Specifications/Requirements)
Businesses with the capability to meet these requirements must submit the following information:
1. Product Information:
Identify the proposed product/manufacturer meeting the product specifications above. Include specification sheets and brochures.
2. Place of Manufacturing / Country of Origin:
Specify whether the product is manufactured within the United States in accordance with NOTE 1.
3. Business Size and Socioeconomic Status applicable to the NAICS code listed above:
Must indicate whether your business is:
¿ Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise (ISBEE)
¿ Small Business
¿ 8(a)
¿ HUBZone
¿ Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
¿ Other than Small Business
4. Company Information:
Provide a point of contact (name and email), System for Award (SAM) Unique Entity ID (UEI), and confirmation of active SAM.gov registration.
All information submitted in response to this announcement 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. Materials submitted to the Government for review will not be returned. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.
This is NOT a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotations (RFQ) or Invitation for Bid (IFB). The Government does not intend to award a contract based on responses received under this announcement.
The government will evaluate market information to ascertain potential market capacity to provide services consistent in scope and scale with those described in this notice and otherwise anticipated.
To be considered responsive to this Notice, businesses must submit all required documentation by July 28, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). Any response that does not follow these instructions will not be considered.
Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.
Inquiries will only be accepted by e-mail to Lisa Williams at lisa_williams@ios.doi.gov.
