1. Title: Anatomic Pathology Diagnostic Staining Instrumentation Brand Name or Equal to 2. Purpose: The Network Contracting Office (NCO) 16 located at 5075 Westheimer Road, Galleria Financial Center, Suite 750, Houston, Texas, hereby issues the following Sources Sought to Request Information (RFI) with the intent of determining the contractor interest, capabilities, qualifications of potential businesses, nonmanufacturer rule compliance, Buy American Act compliance, Trade Agreement compliance and estimated industry pricing information for market research and estimated budgetary purpose for Anatomic Pathology Diagnostic Staining Instrumentation Contractor shall provide all shipping, installation (if required), equipment, personnel, labor and testing for Anatomic Pathology Diagnostic Staining Instrumentation Brand Name or Equal to. This Sources Sought is published for market research purposes. This Sources Sought will be used to determine if a set-aside for any small business program is appropriate. Government anticipates competitive, firm fixed price contract. Please review this announcement, respond to questions below and review all attachments in their entirety. Government requests that interested offerors complete all questions below, provide required documentation, descriptive literature and authorization letter as described below. The Government is in no way obligated to do business with or to enter into any form of contract with any person, firm or other entity that receives or responds to this announcement. 3. Objective: To find qualified contractors with the capability to provide and delivered Anatomic Pathology Diagnostic Staining Instrumentation to the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center located in Shreveport, LA 71101: 4. Place of Performance: Overton Brooks Veterans Medical Center 510 East Stoner Ave. Shreveport, LA 71101 5. Responses Requested: NCO 16 requires all the following information and questions answered 5a through 5w in this RFI/SS: Questions and information that is not provided shall be considered nonresponsive to the Request for Information and contractor shall not be considered as part of the market research. Please answer all questions a. Contractors shall provide their point(s) of contact name, address, telephone number, and email address, and the company's business size, and SAM Unique Entity Identification Number. The government is considering two NAICS codes. Please identify your business size for the code below: 325413- In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing/ 1200 Employee b. Is your company a small business, SDBs, HUBZone, or 8A concern? Please provide proof of qualifications. c. Does your company meet all required four prong factors for the Nonmanufacturer Rule (NMR) per guidance of SBA and 13 C.F.R. § 121.406 Offer must answer all questions below. d. Do you (contractor) possess the capability to meet the government requirements of the SOW? e. Contractors shall provide their point(s) of contact name, address, telephone number, and email address; and the company's business size, and SAM Unique Entity Identification Number. f. Is your company a small business, SDVOSB, VOSB, SDBs, HUBZone, or 8A concern? Please provide proof of qualifications. g. Do you (Contractor) manufacture the product itself or a distributor of the items identified in SOW? h. Are you an authorized distributor/reseller? Provide evidence from original equipment manufacturer (OEM). i. Do you (Contractor) supply a product manufactured by another domestic small business, if it is a nonmanufacturer? j. Is your (Contractor) Buy American Certificate completed in SAM? Please provide evidence with response? k. Is your (Contractor) Trade Agreement Certificate completed in SAM? Please provide evidence with response. l. Information for the product being requested, is it manufactured outside the US-Domestic non-available? m. Information for the product being requested, is it a foreign manufactured end product under the trade agreement? n. What is your schedule of delivery after receipt of order for the product? 1. Is your company primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of products being supplied? __________ 2. Does your company must take ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment, or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice? __________ 3. Does your company supply the end products of a small business manufacturer or processor made in the United States? _____________ o. Do you (offer) manufacture the product yourself or a distributor of the items being researched above? p. Do you (offer) supply a product manufactured by another domestic small business, if it is a nonmanufacturer? q. Do you (Contractor) supply a product manufactured by another domestic small business, if it is a nonmanufacturer? Does the size of your firm exceed 500 employees? Is your firm primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale retail trade and normally sell the type of item being supplied? Does your firm take ownership or possession of the item(s) with your personnel, equipment or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice? Will you supply the end item of a small business manufacturer, processor or producer made in the United States? Do you (offer) supply the product of any sized manufacturer if SBA has granted a waiver to the nonmanufacturer rule? r. Information for the name brand or equal product being requested, is it manufactured outside the US-Domestic non-available? s. Is your company available under any; Government Wide Agency Contract (GWAC) General Services Administration Schedules (GSA) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) t. Please provide confirmation of your company s ability to provide the Anatomic Pathology Diagnostic Staining Instrumentation product in accordance with the SOW herein. u. Contractors shall provide an estimated industry pricing for name brand product for market research and budgetary purpose. v. reseller Is your company considered small under the NAICS code 325413? w. Provide descriptive literature demonstrating ability to meet all of the requirement/salient characteristics listed if other than brand name product is being offered. Please provide list of contracts for commercial, federal, state, and local governments. Listed contracts shall provide communication on the government requirement illustrating the capability for comparison. to the name brand or equal product meeting the specific requirements per the draft Statement of Work. 6. Opportunity: NCO 16 seeks information from potential contractors on their ability to provide this equipment. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT FOR REQUEST INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. Small Business Concerns are encouraged to provide responses to this Sources Sought in order to assist the Anatomic Pathology Diagnostic Staining Instrumentation Brand Name or Equal to in determining potential levels of competition available in the industry. The Contractor shall possess the capability to provide all requirements and objectives. 7. Instructions and Response Guidelines: Sources Sought responses are due by Feb 16, 2026, at 10:00 am (CST) via email to rhonda.gibson2@va.gov. All Questions shall be submitted by Feb 12, 2026, at 10:00 pm (CST) via email to rhonda.gibson2@va.gov. Telephone requests or inquiries will not be accepted. This is a New Requirement. The subject line shall read: 36C25626Q0389-RFI-Sources Sought- Anatomic Pathology Diagnostic Staining Instrumentation Brand Name or Equal to Shreveport, LA 71101. NO SOLICITATION EXISTS AT THIS TIME. There is no page limitation on subparagraphs 1-8. Please provide the information you deem relevant in order to respond to the specific inquiries of the Sources Sought. Information provided will be used solely by Anatomic Pathology Diagnostic Staining Instrumentation as "market research" and will not be released outside. This Sources Sought notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Quotation (RFQ), and it is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response to this request. All information contained in this Sources Sought is preliminary as well as subject to modification and is in no way binding on the Government. 9. Contact Information: Contract Specialist, Rhonda Gibson Email address: rhonda.gibson2@va.gov Your responses to this notice are appreciated. THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES/PROPOSALS; however, any firm that believes it can meet the requirements may provide answers, responses and give written notification prior to the response due date and time. Supporting evidence and responses must be furnished in enough detail to demonstrate the ability to perform the requirements. See Draft Statement of Work
