DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A SOURCE 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 RFI is preliminary as well as subject to modification 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 is will be synopsized in the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website or GSA. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this RFI.
The anticipated Small Business Administration (SBA) size standard for the North American Classification code (NAICS) 334516 is 1,000 employees.
1. Purpose: The Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) hereby issues the following Sources Sought Notice as a Request for Information (RFI). This RFI is being used for Market Research purposes only to seek contractors with the capability to provide the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) with all labor, tools materials, supplies, equipment, cabling, licensing, personnel, supervision and transportation required to provide the Illumina NextSeq 2000 Sequencer, DRAGEN Server, Installation and Training IAW attached draft Statement of Work.
2. Place of Performance:
Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System
4300 West 7th Street
Little Rock, AR 72205
3. Opportunity: CAVHS is seeking information from potential contractors on their ability to provide this service. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. Small Business Concerns are encouraged to provide responses to this RFI to assist the CAVHS in determining potential levels of competition available in the industry.
NOTE: All Questions and information shall be answered and provided in Sections 4 through 7 for the government to consider whether the contractor has the capability to meet the government re
4. Instructions and Response Guidelines: RFI responses are due by 3PM (CST) on Monday, July 13, 2026; size is limited to 8.5 x 11 inches, 12-point font, with 1-inch margins in Microsoft Word format via email to joseph.warren@va.gov All Questions shall be submitted by 10:00am (CST) on Monday July 10, 2026 via email to joseph.warren@va.gov Telephone requests or inquires will not be accepted.
The subject line shall read: 36C25626Q0961 Illumina NextSeq 2000
NO SOLICITATION EXISTS AT THIS TIME. There is no page limitation on subparagraphs 4(a) - 4(f). All Questions shall be answered to be considered as part of the Market Research for capable contractors to meet the government requirements.
11. Contact Information:
Contracting Officer, Joseph Warren
Email address: joseph.warren@va.gov
Your responses to this notice is appreciated.
SCOPE OF WORK AND GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
For Purchase of NextSeq 2000 Sequencer and DRAGEN Server
DRAFT
Purpose of this Contract: Execute a Firm-Fixed price contract for an Illumina NextSeq 2000 Sequencer, DRAGEN Server, Installation and Training, Service Agreements post 1-year warranties
Background:
The PAL was established in 2007 by the Cooperative Studies Program, Veterans Affairs (Washington, DC) as a high-throughput genomic laboratory for clinical studies implemented by CSP physicians and other VA investigators. A few of the priorities for CSP and PAL are clinical research projects on Neurodegenerative Disorders, Cardiovascular Disease, Environmental Exposures and Cancer.
PAL will support a Cooperative Studies Program initiative evaluating clinical implementation of coronary heart disease (CHD) polygenic risk scores through whole exome sequencing of thousands of Veterans DNA samples. The laboratory s current Illumina MiSeq is near end of life and cannot meet the required sequencing throughput.
PAL is also supporting ongoing transcriptomics research from the Durham VA MIRECC (Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center) in Veterans with Suicide Ideation, exposure to environmental toxins, PTSD and Traumatic Brain Illness.
The NextSeq 2000 provides substantially higher output (up to 540 Gb, 1.8B reads) compared with the MiSeq (up to 30 Gb, 100M reads) and is better suited for large scale genomic applications. While the MiSeq offers flexible 2×300 bp read lengths for smaller projects, the NextSeq 2000 provides faster, high capacity workflows using P4 reagents and integrated informatics. The optional DRAGEN server supports secure on site analysis without cloud dependency.
Contract shall include the following instrumentation and services (see table):
Item #
Description/Part Number*
Qty
Unit
Unit Price
1
NextSeq 2000 Sequencing System
1
$ 201,000.00
2
Illumina DRAGEN Server v4
1
$ 25,000.00
Item #
Description/Part Number*
Qty
Unit
Unit Price
1
NextSeq 2000 Silver Support Plan
1
Â
$ 31,335.85
2
NextSeq 2000 Sequencing System Training - Customer Site
1
Â
$ 8,681.00
3
Dragen Server Installation
1
Â
$ 3,559.00
4
DRAGEN Server Lvl 1 1 year License
1
Â
$ 15,000.00
5
DRAGEN Server v4 Advance Exchange Support Plan
1
Â
$ 4,091.00
6
Freight
1
$ 200.00
7
Surcharge
1
$ 23,758.11
TOTAL $ 312,624.96
Project Scope:
PAL wants to establish a firm-fixed price contract to purchase a NextSeq 2000 Sequencing System and On-Site Custom DRAGEN Server with Analysis Pipeline. The Contract needs to include installation, trainings, software license, and support plans for when warranties expire. The Contract will need to have special attention to the Promotional Terms and Conditions offered by the Vendor which are required to receive the 40% discount.
Please see pages 4-7 of Quotation 4779215 for special terms and conditions of purchase. See pages 8-10 of quote for Ship Schedule Policy plus general terms and conditions of purchase.
The Pharmacogenomics Analysis Laboratory has a dedicated space in GC146 for the NextSeq 2000 and DrAGEN. It will replace the outdated Illumina MiSeq and BaseSpace (no longer supported by Illumina). PAL will also work closely with Biomedical Engineering if we need to connect the DRAGEN to our PAL server for transfer of sequencing data in the future; however, the NextSeq 2000 and DRAGEN work as stand-alone units not requiring connectivity to our PAL internal nextwork/server system. Both instruments are small in size and weight; they are replacing units of similar size.
Package should include:
Hardware with Software: NextSeq 2000 Sequencing System
Illumina NextSeq 2000 Sequencing System is an integrated system for automated generation of DNA clonal clusters by bridge amplification, sequencing, primary analysis, and secondary analysis. System includes embedded touchscreen monitor and on-instrument computer, control software, hardware accelerated Dragen Bio-IT secondary analysis pipelines, installation and training, and 12 months warranty (including parts and labor.
NextSeq 2000 Sequencing System Training - Customer Site
NextSeq 2000 Sequencing System two-day hands-on instruction to familiarize users with Illumina sequencing technology and the NextSeq 2000 workflow. This course provides hands-on training in NextSeq 2000 run set-up and operation, and run monitor.
NextSeq 2000 Silver Support Plan
Includes full coverage for parts, labor, and travel; Reagent replacement upon HW failures; 1 PM; Remote Technical Support 18x5; 2 business day on-site response target*; control SW and HW updates; on- site applications support; discounts on advanced training; remote monitoring available. This is the most popular full-service plan balancing performance, productivity, and cost to deliver confidence and peace of mind. *select geographies. Contract Term: 12.00 months
Billing Frequency: In-Full Advance Invoice
Hardware with Software: Illumina DRAGEN Server v4
The Illumina DRAGEN Server v4 contains an integrated FPGA chip which powers accelerated NGS secondary analysis with DRAGEN pipelines. A DRAGEN license is required to operate analysis pipelines on the server. A Support Plan is included in the first year.
DRAGEN Server Lvl 1 [1 year License]
Throughput of 100,000 Gb on DRAGEN Server. Contract Term: 12.00 months Billing Frequency: In-Full Advance Invoice.
Dragen Server Installation
Illumina Field Service Engineer's will perform a rack mount, power and network cabling of the Dragen Server (Power and network drops connected to customers network available). The installation will also include software configuration and hardware verification. Hardware verification excludes using customer data.
DRAGEN Server v4 [Advance Exchange Support Plan]
Includes Advance Exchange for DRAGEN v4 Server; Remote Technical Support 8x5. Contract Term: 12.00 months. Billing Frequency: In-Full Advance Invoice
Trade-in Value
N/A
Warranty and Support.
See section 3 above which lists details about extended support plans in addition to the warranties offered.
See Quotation Number: 4779215 which specifies the warranty period per instrument (DRAGEN and Sequencing System).
Instrument Location:
CAVHS
Pharmacogenomics Analysis Laboratory, GC146
Research Service
4300 West 7th Street
Little Rock, AR 72205
Information Systems Officer, Information ProtectionÂ
The C&A requirements do not apply, and a Security Accreditation Package is not required.
The contractor will not have access to VA Desktop computers, nor will they have access to online resources belonging to the government while conducting services. If removal of equipment from the VA is required, any memory storage devices, such as hard drives, solid state drives and non-volatile memory units will remain in VA control and will not be removed from VA custody. Â
7. Privacy Officer
The contractor will not have access to protected Patient Health Information (PHI), nor will they have the capability of accessing patient information during the services provided to the VA and if removal of equipment from the VA is required, any memory storage devices, such as hard drives, solid state drives and non-volatile memory units will remain in VA control and will not be removed from VA custody.  All research data in the Pharmacogenomics Analysis Laboratory is de-identified.
RECORDS MANAGER:
Contractor shall comply with all applicable records management laws and regulations, as well as National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records policies, including but not limited to the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. chs. 21, 29, 31, 33), NARA regulations at 36 CFR Chapter XII Subchapter B, and those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a). These policies include the preservation of all records, regardless of form or characteristics, mode of transmission, or state of completion.Â
In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, all data created for Government use and delivered to, or falling under the legal control of, the Government are Federal records subject to the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), as amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended and must be managed and scheduled for disposition only as permitted by statute or regulation.Â
In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, Contractor shall maintain all records created for Government use or created in the course of performing the contract and/or delivered to, or under the legal control of the Government and must be managed in accordance with Federal law. Electronic records and associated metadata must be accompanied by sufficient technical documentation to permit understanding and use of the records and data.Â
Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare system and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare system or destroyed except for in accordance with the provisions of the agency records schedules and with the written concurrence of the Head of the Contracting Activity. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. In the event of any unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records, Contractor must report to Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare system. The agency must report promptly to NARA in accordance with 36 CFR 1230.
The Contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate Contracting Officer upon discovery of any inadvertent or unauthorized disclosures of information, data, documentary materials, records or equipment. Disclosure of non-public information is limited to authorized personnel with a need-to-know as described in the [contract vehicle]. The Contractor shall ensure that the appropriate personnel, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security and confidentiality of this information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is properly protected. The Contractor shall not remove material from Government facilities or systems, or facilities or systems operated or maintained on the Government's behalf, without the express written permission of the Head of the Contracting Activity. When information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is no longer required, it shall be returned to Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare system control or the Contractor must hold it until otherwise directed. Items returned to the Government shall be hand-carried, mailed, emailed, or securely electronically transmitted to the Contracting Officer or address prescribed in the [contract vehicle]. Destruction of records is EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED unless in accordance with Paragraph (4).
The Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, contracts. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare system guidance for protecting sensitive, proprietary information, classified, and controlled unclassified information.
The Contractor shall only use Government IT equipment for purposes specifically tied to or authorized by the contract and in accordance with Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare system policy.Â
The Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any non-public Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare system information that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract.Â
The Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected from public disclosure by an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act.Â
The Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare system owns the rights to all data and records produced as part of this contract. All deliverables under the contract are the property of the U.S. Government for which Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare system shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Any Contractor rights in the data or deliverables must be identified as required by FAR 52.227-11 through FAR 52.227-20.
Training. Â All Contractor employees assigned to this contract who create, work with or otherwise handle records are required to take Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare system provided records management training. The Contractor is responsible for confirming training has been completed according to agency policies, including initial training and any annual or refresher training.Â
