This is a SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. Responses to this source sought must be in writing. The purpose of this sources sought announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential qualified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, 8(a), HubZone and other Small Businesses interested and capable of providing the services described below. Documentation of technical expertise must be presented in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition. Responses to this notice shall include the following: (a) company name (b) address (c) point of contact (d) phone, fax, and email (e) DUNS number (f) Cage Code (g) Tax ID Number (h) Type of small business, e.g. Services Disabled Veteran Owned small Business, Veteran-owned small business, 8(a), HUBZone, Women Owned Small Business, Small disadvantaged business, or Small Business HUBZone business and (i) must provide a capability statement that addresses the organizations qualifications and ability to perform as a contractor for the work described below. The Department of Veteran Affairs, San Diego VA Health Care System located at 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA 92161 to provide preventative maintenance for the Bruker BioSpec 3T machine to complete portfolio of state-of-the-art MR Spectroscopy and Spectroscopic imaging methods for preclinical research. It includes ready-to-use MRI application protocols for both mice and rats, localized spectroscopy protocols including PRESS, STEAM, and ISIS, and chemical shift imaging protocols including CSI and EPSI. This suite of imaging techniques allows us to effectively perform spectroscopic measurements on brain as well as ex vivo tissue samples such as rodent muscle. Important information: The Government is not obligated to, nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this source sought synopsis request. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued. The VA is mandated by Public Law 109-461 to consider a total set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business set aside. However, if response by Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms proves inadequate, an alternate set-aside or full and open competition may be determined. No sub-contracting opportunity is anticipated. The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 561612 ($25.5 Million dollars). Notice to potential offerors: All offerors who provide goods or services to the United States Federal Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov and complete Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA). Additionally, all Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses or Veteran Owned Businesses who respond to a solicitation on this project must be registered with the SBA-Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) Registry located at https://dsbs.sba.gov. All interested Offerors should submit information by e-mail to felicia.simpson@va.gov All information submissions to be marked Attn: Felicia Simpson, Contract Specialist and should be received no later than 10:00 AM MST February 17, 2026. The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform preventive maintenance for the Bruker Biospec 3T machine as defined in this Performance Work Statement except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. The contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract. The Bruker BioSpec 3T system is a critical asset supporting multiple VA Merit funded research studies within our program and is used routinely to generate high-quality preclinical imaging and spectroscopy data. The system s hardware configuration, including shim upgrades, is specifically optimized for advanced preclinical applications and is essential to meeting the technical requirements of current and future research protocols. Spectroscopy measurements are a core activity identified in several VA Merit studies, and continued access to a fully functional MRI system is necessary to meet research objectives and maintain data integrity. Maintaining the functionality, reliability, and manufacturer compatibility of the Bruker BioSpec 3T system is therefore essential. Any system downtime presents significant risk, including interruption of research activities, potential loss or compromise of data, and delays to VA-funded research deliverables.
