Sources Sought
Animal Lab Air Changes per Hour (ACH) & Pressure Testing
Department of Veterans Affairs
AI summaryThe VA's Network Contracting Office 6 is doing market research (a sources sought notice, not a solicitation) for air changes per hour (ACH) and pressure testing of animal research labs at the Richmond VA Medical Center, Virginia. Responses, including a capability statement, are due by email to Natasha.Hawkins@va.gov by November 13, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST. More in the summary
Market research, not a bid. Replying is free and tells Department of Veterans Affairs who could do this work. Send a short reply to the contracting contact; no price is needed. See the contact
AI summary Beta
The VA's Network Contracting Office 6 is doing market research (a sources sought notice, not a solicitation) for air changes per hour (ACH) and pressure testing of animal research labs at the Richmond VA Medical Center, Virginia. Responses, including a capability statement, are due by email to Natasha.Hawkins@va.gov by November 13, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST.
Who can bid
- Active SAM registration with a Unique Entity Identifier
How to submit: Email to Natasha.Hawkins@va.gov, subject line "Animal Lab ACH and Pressure Testing". What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (4)
From the version posted Nov 2, 2026.
- Serious: NEBB-certified TAB professional needed. A firm without a NEBB-certified testing and balancing professional on staff would need one to sign the report.
- Worth checking: Missing information counts against you. A response without all the requested items may lead the VA to treat the firm as incapable.
- Minor: No questions answered. The Government will not answer questions about this market research.
Show all 4Show fewer
- Minor: Product-reseller wording in a service notice. The notice asks about manufacturers and authorized distributor letters, although the work described is a testing service.
Read from the notice text only.
Full summary
What they want
- Measure supply, return and exhaust airflow to compute ACH in all designated lower-level research/animal lab rooms
- Verify and document pressure differentials of each room against adjacent corridors and spaces
- Adjust and rebalance failing rooms using existing HVAC controls and balancing devices, then retest
- Final ACH and Pressure Verification Report (PDF) with room-by-room results and deficiencies
- Updated airflow and pressure logs after adjustments
- Signed certification by a NEBB-certified testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) professional
- Place of performance
- Richmond VA Medical Center, Richmond, Virginia
- Estimated value
- Not stated
- Offers due
- November 13, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST
- How to submit
- Email to Natasha.Hawkins@va.gov, subject line "Animal Lab ACH and Pressure Testing"
What to include when you submit
- Send a copy of your capability statement
- Say whether you are a small business manufacturer or a reseller of a small business manufacturer's products
- Say whether you would quote on a Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract (give the number) or open market
- List other companies owned wholly or partly by your owners under the same or related NAICS codes, with SDVOSB/VOSB certification type, Federal ID number and state of incorporation
- Confirm an active SAM registration and give your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
- If offering products, include a letter from the manufacturer saying you are an authorized distributor
After award, you must have
- Signed certification by a NEBB-certified TAB professional on the deliverables From the notice:
Signed certification by NEBB-certified TAB professional.
Not in the notice text
- How many rooms are to be tested is not stated
- The set-aside for any future solicitation is not decided
- Contract type, schedule and value are not stated
Eligibility and how to respond
- No set-aside. Any business can reply: this is market research, and no bid is being taken yet.
- To respond, send a short reply to the contracting contact near the top of this page. No price is needed.
Notice details
- Posted
- Nov 2, 2026
- Notice type
- Sources Sought
- Office
- 246-Network Contracting Office 6 (36C246), Hampton, VA
- Product/service code
- H141 · Quality Control – Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Air Circulating Equipment
- Business type
- Facilities, janitorial & grounds (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 561210)
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
Terms on this notice: Sources sought notice
Full notice text from SAM.gov
The Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office (NCO) 6 on behalf of Richmond VA Medical Center is conducting Market Research through this Sources Sought notice to help determine the availability of qualified Businesses, capable of providing service for Animal Lab Air Change per Hour (ACH) and Pressure Testing that meets the following requirements: The contractor shall verify ACH levels in all designated lower-level research/animal laboratory rooms. The contractor will confirm pressure relationships between rooms and adjacent corridors/spaces. The contractor shall identify deficiencies and perform corrective adjustments, as needed. The contractor will provide complete documentation of airflow measurement, ACH calculations, and pressure results. The contractor will complete all specific tasks as stated below. The contractor shall provide all tools, equipment, consumable materials, labor, transportation and supervision. Specific Taks: The contractor measure supply, return, and exhaust airflow quantities required to compute ACH for each room. The contractor shall verify and document pressure differentials (positive or negative) per room relative to adjacent corridors/spaces. The contractor shall conduct testing in accordance with NEB Procedural Standards, VA regulations, and any federal, state, and local standards and regulations. The contractor shall conduct the following adjustments and balancing: Evaluate any rooms failing to meet ACH or pressure criteria. Perform corrective adjustments using existing HVAC controls and balancing devices. Retest rooms following adjustments and provide updated results. The contractor shall deliver a comprehensive report, including: Individual room airflow measurements. ACH calculations and compliance assessment. Pressure relationship findings. List of rooms not meeting specified performance requirements. Recommendations for any repairs or modifications beyond the scope of TAB adjustments. Any repairs or modifications completed. Deliverables: Final ACH and Pressure Verification Report (PDF format). Summary of deficiencies and recommended corrective actions. Updated airflow/pressure logs post-adjustments. Signed certification by NEBB-certified TAB professional. All respondents shall indicate/provide the following: Whether or not they are small business manufacturers of the products they wish to offer, or if they are a reseller of a small business manufacturer. Is your company interested in providing a Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) quote or Open Market (indicate FSS contract #)? Identify any other companies owned (wholly or in-part) by the owners of this business who provide goods or services under the same or a related NAICS codes. Identify any other companies owned (wholly or in-part) by the owners of this business who provide goods or services that are registered under the same or a related NAICS code with the Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE); Provide the certification type (SDVOSB/VOSB), Federal Identification Number, and state of incorporation for each. Whether or not your company has an active SAM registration and the companies Unique Entity Identifier. A copy of its capabilities statement. Failure to provide the above information may result in the potential offeror being considered incapable of meeting the VA’s needs. If the contractor can provide the above items, the contractor shall provide a letter from the manufacturer stating they are an authorized distributor/licenser of their products. Failure to submit an authorized distributor letter shall result in the product(s) potentially offered to be considered grey market and shall not be considered technically acceptable. The capability statements received from this market research are for planning purposes only and will assist the Government in planning its acquisition strategy. This is strictly market research, and the Government will not entertain questions concerning this market research. The Government will not assume any costs incurred by the contractor in the preparation of responses. All responses shall be submitted in writing no later than November 13, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST to the attention of: Natasha.Hawkins@va.gov Please title the subject line for responses as: Animal Lab ACH and Pressure Testing.