Notice of Intent to Sole Source Blood Products & Reference Testing - NIHCS

Background
The Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 10, Northern Indiana VAHCS, located at 1700 East 38th St, Marion, IN 46953, intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under Simplified Acquisition Procedures. The vendor for this contract will be The American National Red Cross, based at 431 18th Street, Washington, DC 20006.

This procurement aims to provide blood products and reference lab testing services for the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System. The American National Red Cross has been the established vendor for these services for many years due to their proximity to the VA Medical Center, which allows for a required turnaround time of within 2 hours for both blood products and service requests. The total estimated value of this acquisition is $320,000 over a five-year period.

Work Details
This procurement includes the delivery of blood products and components as well as reference lab testing services. Specific details include:
- Blood and blood components
- Reference lab testing services
- Required turnaround time: within 2 hours
- Estimated total value: $320,000 over five years
- Contract type: New firm-fixed price IDIQ contract with a 5-year ordering period.

Period of Performance
The performance period for this contract is five years.

Place of Performance
The services will be performed at the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System located in Marion, IN.

Bidder Requirements
This is a sole source procurement; therefore, no competitive proposals are being requested. The Government believes that only The American National Red Cross possesses the required capabilities to meet this requirement.

Incumbent Analysis (see Incumbents section for more detail)
The American National Red Cross appears to be the incumbent for this requirement based on prior award 36C24825A0020, under which it provided blood products and blood components for VACHS in the same geographic area. The current notice again calls for delivery of blood products/components along with reference laboratory testing services for the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System, and the emphasis on rapid turnaround (within 2 hours) suggests continuity of the same blood supply and support function at the facility.