Active

Contract Opportunity

Summary: This is a Sources Sought notice and not a request for quotes. This request is solely for the purpose of conducting market research to enhance VHA s understanding of the market s offered products, services and capabilities. The Government will not pay any costs for responses submitted in response to this Sources Sought.
Â
This Sources Sought notice provides an opportunity for respondents to submit their notice of ability, and their available products and services in response to the requirement described below. Vendors are being invited to submit information relative to their potential of fulfilling the requirement below, in the form of a capability response that addresses the specific requirement identified in this Sources Sought. Â
Â
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is seeking a vendor to provide the following products and/or services below. Please see below for the required description. This Sources Sought is to facilitate the Contracting Officer s review of the market base, for acquisition planning, size determination, and procurement strategy.
Â
The Department of Veterans Affairs, Atlanta VA Medical Center, is in need of a MechanoCulture T6 - high force uniaxial mechanical stimulation cell culture system. The Research Office requires a bioreactor capable of applying force to tissue engineered constructs and native tissues. In particular, separate chambers are needed to enable different culture conditions. The MechanoCulture T6 tensile bioreactor is equipped with a controller, software, and appropriate gaskets and pistons to apply tensile loading during cell culture. This is needed to study the role of tension on cells in tissues, such as ligament, tendon, meniscus, and the superficial layer of cartilage. The Atlanta VAMC is currently equipped with tissue culture facilities and incubators for expanding cells and culturing constructs as well as a compressive bioreactor. This requirement is for a system that would allow investigators to apply tensile loading during the culture window, vastly increasing the ability to model physiological (healthy) and supraphysiological (diseased) stresses.

The ability to perform high-force dynamic culture of 6 specimens simultaneoulsy during culture, without contamination, is required. Specifically, loading of samples from 10-80mm, and at various strain rates, at a frequency of 0.1 to 5Hz is required. The MechanoCulture system uniquely provides this potential, with a wide range of testable materials.

The following line items are required/ or equal:
MCT6-306 - MechanoCulture T6 - high force uniaxial mechanical stimulation cell culture system with 6 individual channelsIncludes:Windows-based programming software6 sets of specimen gripsUniversal power supply12 month warranty
MCT6-610 - MCT6 Pull Rod for 10-35mm grip separation range
MCT6-630 - MCT6 Pull Rod for 30-55mm grip separation range
MCT6-650 - MCT6 Pull Rod for 50-75mm grip separation range

I. Response:
A. Capability statement and with general understanding of the industry and current knowledge of the product. Provide business status, SAMs UEI number along with any subcontractors.
B. Submittals furnished will not be returned to the sender. No debriefs will be conducted. Eligibility in participating in a future acquisition does not depend upon a response to this notice.
II. Timeline:
A. This request will close on March 6, 2024.
Notes:
This Sources Sought is for planning purposes only to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification (large business, small business, 8(a), SDVOSB, VOSB, etc.), relative to NAICS code 334516. Responses to this source sought will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. This notice is not a request for competitive quotes; however, any responsible source who believes it is capable of meeting the requirement, may submit a capability statement to the contracting office no later than March 6, 2024, 3 PM CST. Interest/capability statements may be sent by email to Stacy Taylor, at Stacy.Taylor@va.gov. No telephone or mailed responses will be accepted.

Attachments/Links