Presolicitation
Sakura Service Agreement | Base 4OY | Start: 1/21/27 | Columbus VAACC
Department of Veterans Affairs
AI summaryThe Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 10, wants a full-service maintenance agreement (RFQ 36C25027Q0049) for Sakura Tissue-Tek lab instruments at the Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center (VAACC) in Columbus, Ohio. Only firms authorized by the instrument maker (the original equipment manufacturer, OEM) to service this equipment when quotes are due can be awarded the contract. It is a firm-fixed-price (FFP: one set price, whatever the work costs) contract for a base year starting January 21, 2027 plus four one-year options, awarded on lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA: the lowest price among quotes that meet the minimums). More in the summary
Advance notice of a coming solicitation, not a bid yet. If it asks for capability statements, sending one is free and puts you on Department of Veterans Affairs's list before the solicitation is posted. See the contact
A newer version of this notice was posted Oct 23, 2026. It moves the due date from Oct 22, 2026 to Nov 6, 2026, which is the date shown on this page. See the latest version.
AI summary Beta
Summary of another version of this notice: check what changed on SAM.gov.
The Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 10, wants a full-service maintenance agreement (RFQ 36C25027Q0049) for Sakura Tissue-Tek lab instruments at the Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center (VAACC) in Columbus, Ohio. Only firms authorized by the instrument maker (the original equipment manufacturer, OEM) to service this equipment when quotes are due can be awarded the contract. It is a firm-fixed-price (FFP: one set price, whatever the work costs) contract for a base year starting January 21, 2027 plus four one-year options, awarded on lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA: the lowest price among quotes that meet the minimums).
Who can bid
- Be authorized by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the Sakura equipment to perform the maintenance and repair services, at the time quotes are due. Offers that fail this special standard of responsibility are not eligible for award.
How to submit: Email only, to Michael.Groneman@va.gov and andrew.arnst@va.gov, with RFQ 36C25027Q0049 in the subject line. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (6)
From the version posted Oct 23, 2026.
- Serious: OEM authorization required by the response due date. A shop that is not authorized by Sakura to service these instruments cannot be awarded the contract, however low its price.
- Worth checking: 24-hour response is described two ways. The performance work statement (PWS) requires an on-site visit within 24 hours, but the evaluation factor asks for a telephone response within 24 hours. Ask the contracting officer which applies.
- Worth checking: Parts, labor, travel and software all inside the fixed price. Every OEM part for planned and unplanned repairs, plus labor, travel and software updates, is included in one price per year, so repair costs fall on the contractor.
Show all 6Show fewer
- Worth checking: Warranty on all service work is an evaluation factor. Quotes must offer a warranty on all maintenance and repair work so the VA pays nothing extra to fix deficient workmanship.
- Minor: Questions deadline October 30, 2026. Questions must be sent by October 30, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT, a week before the response due date.
- Minor: Five-year commitment to price. You must price a base year and four option years up front, so one set of rates has to hold through January 20, 2032 if the VA uses every option.
Read from the notice and 1 attachment. Show which files.
- 36C25027Q0049_1.docx (read)
Full summary
What they want
- Full-service planned (preventive) and corrective maintenance, safety inspections, labor, OEM parts, travel and emergency service for four Sakura instruments, all inside the fixed price
- Planned maintenance (PM) during the month the VAACC designates
- On-site unscheduled repair within 24 hours of VA notification, with full operation restored within 72 hours unless approved otherwise
- All OEM software updates and patches, covered by the fixed price
- Technical support and answers to questions about the instruments during the service period
- A written field service report within 15 days of each service, plus a verbal pass or fail report to Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) staff before leaving
- Field service engineer (FSE) signs in and out with HTM and has any mobile media virus-scanned before use
- Copies of test equipment calibration certificates when the contracting officer or contracting officer's representative (COR) asks
- Contract type
- Firm-fixed-price (FFP)
- Period of performance
- 1 base year (January 21, 2027 to January 20, 2028) plus four one-year options, ending January 20, 2032 if all are used. The option-to-extend clauses allow up to 6 more months, but total duration may not exceed 5 years.
- Place of performance
- Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center (VAACC), 420 N. James Road, Columbus, OH 43219 (SAM.gov's place of performance field is blank)
- Estimated value
- Not stated
- How they'll choose
- Lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA)
- Offers due
- November 6, 2026, 10:00 AM Eastern
- How to submit
- Email only, to Michael.Groneman@va.gov and andrew.arnst@va.gov, with RFQ 36C25027Q0049 in the subject line
What they'll judge offers on
- Maintenance plan: full-service preventive maintenance and emergency repair of the Sakura Tissue-Tek processors, Film CoverSlipper and Prisma Plus, following OEM specifications
- Competency: evidence of preventive maintenance and repair experience on this Sakura equipment at the VAACC
- Unscheduled service: narrative of response and restoration, including telephone response within 24 hours and restoration within 72 hours
- Parts: plan for getting OEM parts quickly, including expedited overnight delivery when needed
- Reporting: plan for field service reports to HTM within 15 days after each service visit
- Warranty: a warranty on all preventive maintenance and emergency repair work, at no added cost to the VA
What to include when you submit
- Send Word documents or PDFs; each file may be up to 10MB. Send several emails with separate attachments if you go over.
- Respond to all six evaluation factors, one section each.
- Price each of the five lines (CLIN: one priced line of the order): base year 0001 and options 1001, 2001, 3001 and 4001, each 1.00 YR, plus the grand total.
- Include the solicitation number, your name, address and telephone number, your unique entity identifier (UEI), and a signed and dated offer.
- State how far you agree with all terms, conditions and provisions and any amendments, and fill in the amendment acknowledgment block if there are amendments.
- Include evidence that you are authorized by the OEM to service this equipment.
- Complete the representations and certifications unless they are already in SAM.gov, including the security prohibitions provision (FAR 52.240-90).
- Hold your prices firm for 60 calendar days after the response due date.
After award, you must have
- Use a qualified field service engineer (FSE) to perform the work on site. From 36C25027Q0049_1.docx:
The maintenance services should be performed by a qualified field service engineer (FSE).
Current contractor
No incumbent is named in the documents.
Not in the notice text
- SAM.gov does not state a set-aside, and the SF 1449 (Standard Form 1449, the solicitation form) printed its set-aside options as labels, so no set-aside can be read from it. Check the notice on SAM.gov.
- The Government's estimate or budget for this work is not stated.
- How many planned maintenance visits a year each instrument needs, and which month the VAACC will designate, are not stated.
- The equipment list names the fourth instrument as slide stainers (model 6170) in the PWS but as a Tissue Tek Prisma Plus in the price schedule; confirm the equipment with the contracting officer.
- The wage rule that applies to the technicians is not clearly stated; the clause list includes Service Contract Labor Standards and an exemption for certain equipment maintenance.
Eligibility and how to respond
- No set-aside: any business, large or small, can bid unless the notice says otherwise.
- How to submit, from the AI summary: Email only, to Michael.Groneman@va.gov and andrew.arnst@va.gov, with RFQ 36C25027Q0049 in the subject line. Check it in the notice before you send anything.
- Service contracts usually set minimum pay rates (the Service Contract Act). Price the labor with the SCA price calculator.
Notice details
- Posted
- Oct 22, 2026
- Notice type
- Presolicitation
- Office
- 250-Network Contract Office 10 (36C250), Dayton, OH
- Product/service code
- J066 · Maint/Repair/Rebuild of Equipment – Instruments and Laboratory Equipment
- Business type
- Equipment repair & maintenance (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 811210)
- Versions
2 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 23, 2026 · SolicitationDue Nov 6, 2026 (changed)
- Oct 22, 2026 · Presolicitation (this version)Date Oct 22, 2026
- 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: Solicitation