6640--NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE Nucleic Acid Testing - M2000 - Abbott Molecular HIV, HCV, HCV GT, SARS COV-2 See Description - Page 2

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple-Award Schedule Program (41 U.S.C. 152(3) and 40 U.S.C. 501). The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) 2, Network Contracting Office 2, and the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Services at the Samuel S. Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany, NY anticipate a five-year (1 base plus 4 option years) firm-fixed price Blanket Purchase Agreement under the terms of the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) listed below on a limited sources basis to Abbott Laboratories. The proposed action is to provide a Real-Time PCR nucleic acid analyzer to perform for nucleic acid detection testing for the Abbott Molecular M2000 for HIV, HCV, HCV genotyping and SARs CoV-2. Quantities are estimated and not guaranteed. Pricing is to include all consumables for a cost per reportable test. The requirement for this procurement action is as follows: HIV 96/kit; HCV 96/kit; HCV GT 24/kit;SARS COV-2 96/kit. AbbotT Molecular is the only vendor that offers Real-Time amplification and detection analyzer that provides automation for molecular diagnostics of HIV amplification, HCV, HCV genotyping and SARS CoV-2. The reagents are proprietary to Abbott Molecular and are not available from any other vendor. The reagents and consumables are proprietary and are only compatible with the equipment offered by Abbott Molecular M2000. This is a Brand Name Justification under the authority of FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(B), Items Peculiar to One Manufacturer. Abbott Molecular is the only laboratory testing vendor that has the molecular testing for HCV Genotyping on the same platform with HCV, HIV and SARS Co-V-2. Any other brand is incompatible for use with this system. The Government s technical experts, including Supervisory Medical Technologists and Biomedical Engineers from the Stratton VA Medical Center, conducted market research using specific internet searches in various search engines and also conducted a detailed Federal Supply Schedule 66 III search to determine if another vendor s analyzer and reagents could potentially be used instead of those from the Abbott Molecular for the Albany laboratory s HIV, HCV, HCV genotyping and SARs CoV-2 testing requirements. Based on the totality of the market research conducted by the facility s technical experts, the laboratory concludes that only Abbott Molecular can meet all the testing requirements.