SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE
This is a Sources Sought Notice for market research purposes only. This is NOT a solicitation or request for proposal/quote, and does not obligate the Government to award a contract.
1. Purpose
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is conducting market research to identify potential sources, including Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs), Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs), and other small businesses, capable of providing the item(s) described below that are domestically and non-domestically manufactured. This notice is issued solely for informational and planning purposes.
2. Background
The White River Junction, VT VAMC has a requirement for the provision, installation, and implantation of an automated dispensing cabinet (ADC) system, and necessary software, specifically designed for use in the operating room (OR) and anesthesia care environment. The system must store both medications and related supplies, support anesthesia-specific clinical workflows, and meet stringent security, chain-of-custody, and regulatory compliance requirements applicable to controlled substance management in a perioperative setting.
3. NAICS Code / Size Standard
NAICS Code: 339112 Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing Size Standard: 1,000 employees
4. Salient Characteristics
The item sought must meet or exceed the following salient characteristics. Respondents proposing an equal product must demonstrate that their item meets each characteristic listed below.
OR-purpose-built workflows not available in general-purpose ADCs
Anesthesia-exclusive virtual inventory management allowing providers to issue, transfer, return, or waste medication from a personally managed drug tray without prior patient selection
Personalized, user-specific medication kits accessible only to the assigned provider, at any compatible station facility-wide
Two-step provider handoff (chain-of-custody transfer) enabling mid-case transfer of accountability between anesthesia providers while maintaining patient selection and drawer access continuity
Multispectral biometric (fingerprint) authentication capturing both surface and subsurface characteristics, suitable for OR clinical conditions, and DEA EPCS-certified
Electronic biometric consent capture and automatic template purge upon user decline
Demand-activated ("pop-open") drawer mechanism for high-risk medications such as Propofol, without a handle or front-panel position sensor
Tamper-evident rear panel alarm with electronic logging of unauthorized access attempts
Dual asymmetric keyed rear panel locks with keys controlled exclusively by the customer
Minimum 35-minute internal battery backup with automatic data preservation during power loss
Native integration with a safe medication labeling system supporting scan-to-decrement and common sign-on/sign-off for TJC-compliant syringe labeling
WPA3 Enterprise wireless security with 802.1X authentication support
These requirements are necessary to ensure medication safety, chain-of-custody integrity, regulatory compliance (DEA, TJC), and interoperability with the VA's existing perioperative medication management workflows and infrastructure.
5. Domestic / Non-Domestic Sourcing
Respondents must indicate whether the proposed item is manufactured domestically or non-domestically, and specify:
Country of origin/final assembly
Compliance status with the Trade Agreements Act (TAA), 19 U.S.C. § 2501 et seq., and/or the Buy American Act (BAA), as applicable to this procurement
Whether the item is listed on the applicable GSA Federal Supply Schedule as TAA-compliant, if known
6. Information Requested from Respondents
Interested parties are requested to submit the following information:
Company Information: Name, address, point of contact, phone number, and email address
Business Size/Status: Indicate business size (large/small) and any applicable socioeconomic status (e.g., SDVOSB, VOSB, HUBZone, WOSB, 8(a)), with proof of certification/verification (e.g., SAM.gov, VetCert)
Capability Statement: A statement addressing your firm's ability to provide an item meeting all salient characteristics listed in Section 4, including identification of any characteristics your proposed item does not meet
Product Information: Manufacturer name, model/part number, and product literature or specification sheets sufficient to demonstrate compliance with Section 4
Sourcing: Domestic or non-domestic origin and TAA/BAA compliance status, per Section 5
Contract Vehicle: Whether the item is available on an existing Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract, GSA Advantage, or other applicable contract vehicle, and the associated contract number
Similar Experience: Examples of prior contracts (federal, state, or commercial) for similar items, including contract number, agency/customer, dollar value, and period of performance, if available
7. Disclaimer
This Sources Sought Notice is for informational and market research purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. The Government will not pay for any information submitted in response to this notice, nor will it compensate any respondent for costs incurred in developing a response. Responses will not be returned. The Government reserves the right to consider a Small Business Set-Aside, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside, or Full and Open Competition based on the responses received to this notice. No solicitation currently exists; therefore, do not request a copy of a solicitation.
8. Response Instructions
Interested parties should submit responses via email to Kim McCarthy at kim.mccarthy@va.gov no later than August 26, 2026 at 3:00 pm EST.
Subject Line: Sources Sought Response 36C24126Q0732 Anesthesia Automated Dispensing Cabinet
9. Point of Contact
Contract Specialist: Kim McCarthy, kim.mccarthy@va.gov
