Sources Sought- Pathology and Laboratory Microscope
Department of Veterans Affairs · 244-NETWORK CONTRACT OFFICE 4 (36C244)
Account requiredWhy it scored this way
Every reason behind the verdict rather than the headline one — which of your certifications match, how much runway is left, whether the work is your size, and what we would need to know to sharpen it.
The requirements that decide a bid — bonding, clearances, experience minimums, page limits — live in the attachments, not in the notice above. Start a free trial to upload them and have them read.
Draft the paperwork
Written against this notice and what you have told us about your company. Anything we do not know is marked [NEEDS INPUT] in the draft rather than guessed at — read it before you send it. Federal notices routinely put the real requirement in an attachment; adding the documents above makes every one of these materially better.
Start a free trial to draft these. Nothing is sent to an agency on your behalf, ever — you get a document to review, edit and submit yourself.
What would disqualify you
Read straight from the solicitation documents: the bonding, clearances, insurance minimums, experience thresholds and deadlines that decide whether you can bid at all — before you write a word.
Sources Sought response
A complete draft response — capability statement, relevant past performance, business size and socioeconomic status, and answers to the agency's specific questions.
Questions to submit
Genuine ambiguities and requirements that disadvantage a smaller bidder, drafted as questions you can submit before the Q&A deadline.
Past performance write-ups
Which of your prior awards best match this requirement, and draft write-ups in the format the agency asked for.
Solicitation details
Solicitation number
36C24427Q0025
Notice type
Sources Sought
NAICS
339112
Product service code
6515
Set-aside
No Set aside used
Posted
2026-10-16
Response deadline
Oct 23, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC
Place of performance
Pittsburgh, PA
Contracting contact
matthew.clark11@va.gov
Market intelligence
Account requiredWho wins this work, and what it pays
Comparable awards under NAICS 339112 at this agency — the incumbent, what they were paid, when their period of performance ends, and the real pricing distribution rather than the headline number. From public federal award records.
Scope: The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) is requesting the purchase of one new microscope with attachable camera. All equipment will be solicited and awarded together. The new microscope is necessary for daily patient slide reviews by a staff cytotechnologist. The microscope components and systems will meet all specifications as described in this document. The supply acquisition does not involve connection of contractor-owned IT devices to the VA internal network; therefore, the C&A requirements do not apply, and a security accreditation package is not required. The instruments to be purchased does not have the ability to store any data, nor interface to the VA network, nor accept patient demographic information in any way. General Requirements: Specifications set forth in this proposal are minimum specifications and should not be construed as limiting the overall quality, quantity, or performance of the instrument. The offerer shall meet or exceed the minimum requirements and shall be held responsible for the performance and overall quality of the requested instrument during the instrument’s warranty period. The instruments, based upon the specifications requested, shall be the newest and the most current model. A refurbished microscope is not acceptable. One Cytotechnologist microscope with camera that is compatible with Cell Sens software. Instrument requirements for Microscopes : Standard Microscope Frame with at least 5-postion Nosepiece LED Illumination US style 3-prong power cord Right hand mechanical stage for BX45 Have the following Objective Lenses: 2x, 4x, 10x, 20 x, 40x, 50x, and 60x. DP 28 1” 8.9 MP color CMOS DB9 serial cable 6 ft long Control box for coded components and bifurcated cable to connect coded nosepieces SIIG RS232 Dual Port PCIe card USB 3.1 Gen 1 Cable, standard USB A Male to Type C with dual screw locking, 5 meter/15 feet Cell Sens standard electronic license Adjustable nose piece with dual ocular lenses Thick, left release single slide holder Rubber caps on control knobs, thin set of 2 Screw for fine focus Fine focus knob Tilting binocular Obs tube, 5-35 degrees movement,reverse Eyepiece, 10x w/ ?=24mm t=1.5mm Retical Shelf Polarizer for transmitted light, 45mm diameter that fits in light well polarizer for filter slot Dust cover that is anti-static Installation, including Verification/Validation, Training: The vendor/distributor and/or the manufacturer must provide all necessary procedure manuals, troubleshooting manuals and operator manuals. Installation of microscopes shall be included in the quote. Installation shall be performed by the Contractor or by a sub-Contractor who is certified on the Contractor’s equipment. DELIVERY: All equipment deliveries must be coordinated with the department prior to delivery. Failure to do so may result in the return of the equipment at vendor cost. Location Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System University Drive C Pittsburgh, PA 15240 Repair and Maintenance: Manufacturer will provide troubleshooting manual. The VAPHS Department shall manage the service and repair contract on the equipment. The manufacturer should define maintenance requirements and indicate what maintenance is performed by the user. ALL INTERESTED PARTIES MUST ALSO HAVE AN ACTIVE REGISTRATION IN THE SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM) DATABASE. TO REGISTER, PLEASE VISIT WWW.SAM.GOV. Responses to this notice shall include: Company Name Address Point of Contact Phone Number Email Address DUNS Number CAGE Code Tax ID Number Product Country of Origin ** Note: In accordance with the U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding Kingdomware, service disabled veteran owned (SDVOSB) and veteran owned (VOSB), who are interested in this procurement and consider themselves to have the resources and capabilities necessary to provide these services shall be verified by the Small Business Administration (SBA) at the following link to be considered: https://search.certifications.sba.gov/. Process in 38 U.S.C. 8127(d) whereby a contracting officer of the “Department ” shall award contracts on the basis of competition restricted to small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans, if the contracting officer has a reasonable expectation that two or more small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans will submit offers, and that the award can be made at a fair and reasonable price that offers the best value to the United States.” For purposes of this VA specific rule, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) or a veteran-owned small business (VOSB), must meet the eligibility requirements in 38 U.S.C. 8127(e), (f) and VAAR subpart 819.7003 and be listed as verified in the Vendor Information Pages (VIP) database. Please provide answers to all questions below regarding your firm’s Socio-Economic status pursuant to North American Industrial Classification Code (NAICS) 339113: 1. Is your business a small business under NAICS 339113? YES ______ NO ______ 2. Is your firm a Veteran-Owned Small Business? YES ______ NO ______ 3. Is your firm a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business? YES ______ NO ______ 4. Is you firm a certified HUB Zone firm? YES ______ NO ______ 5. Is your firm a Woman Owned business? YES ______ NO ______ 6. Is your firm a Large Business? YES ______ NO ______ 7. Do you have a GSA/FSS schedule for these items? YES______ NO______ Schedule Number: ___________________ Expiration Date: _____________________ Please provide a capability statement as well as any relevant literature addressing your organization’s ability to supply the required items. Also, please include a point of contact name, phone number and email address. Note: Questions regarding this notice should be addressed to Matthew Clark via email only. NO PHONE CALLS WILL BE ACCEPTED REGARDING THIS REQUIREMENT. Please submit all responses to this notice via e-mail to: Matthew Clark, Contract Specialist, Matthew.Clark11@va.gov Responses to this Sources Sought Notice are required by no later than Friday, 23 October, 2026 at 12:00 pm ET. If you are interested in submitting a response to this posting, please ensure to submit a Brochure/Specification Sheet for the product offered as well as a letter of authorization to distribute the product. End of Document
Contact
Point of contact
Matthew Clark
Role
not stated on this notice — SAM publishes a role for only about 5% of them, so this may be a contract specialist rather than the contracting officer
Email
matthew.clark11@va.gov
Submit questions
Ambiguities and requirements worth clarifying, written as questions you can send before the deadline.
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