Presolicitation
Slit Lamp Installation for the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC), located at 3001 Green Bay Rd., North Chicago, IL 60064.
Department of Veterans Affairs
AI summaryThe Department of Veterans Affairs (Network Contract Office 12) wants a contractor to install nine (9) slit lamps in the optometry department at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago, Illinois (solicitation 36C25227Q0055). Only service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs) certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA) can bid. The response due date is November 13, 2026, 6:00 PM Central, and work must finish within 60 days after award. 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A newer version of this notice was posted Oct 26, 2026. See the latest version.
AI summary Beta
Summary of another version of this notice: check what changed on SAM.gov. The notice looks incomplete: The attached Department of Labor wage determination for Lake County, Illinois (2015-4935, Revision 32) could not be read here; check the wage rates in the file on SAM.gov. Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (Network Contract Office 12) wants a contractor to install nine (9) slit lamps in the optometry department at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago, Illinois (solicitation 36C25227Q0055). Only service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs) certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA) can bid. The response due date is November 13, 2026, 6:00 PM Central, and work must finish within 60 days after award.
Who can bid
- Service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB). The procurement is 100% set aside, and the firm must be listed as certified by the SBA on its Small Business Search website.
- A letter and/or certification from Haag-Streit/Reliance stating the firm is trained and authorized to install Haag-Streit and Reliance equipment, included with the quote.
- Limitations on subcontracting: the contractor will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the Government to firms that are not certified SDVOSBs or certified veteran-owned small businesses.
How to submit: Not stated in the text read. The solicitation says to submit to the office specified; the contract specialist is Eric King, eric.king2@va.gov, at the VA Great Lakes Acquisition Center, Milwaukee, WI.. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (9)
From the version posted Oct 26, 2026.
- Serious: SDVOSB set-aside: certified SDVOSBs only. Only service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses listed as certified by the SBA can have quotes considered; other firms are not eligible.
- Serious: Manufacturer authorization letter required. A quote must include a Haag-Streit/Reliance letter or certification that the firm is trained and authorized to install this equipment; a firm without it may be excluded.
- Worth checking: Limit on subcontracting to non-SDVOSB firms. A firm that plans to use subcontractors can pay no more than 50% of what the Government pays it to firms that are not certified SDVOSBs or veteran-owned small businesses.
Show all 9Show fewer
- Worth checking: Site visit on November 5, 2026. A site visit is set for November 5, 2026, 10:00 AM local time at the medical center; attendees should tell the contract specialist and facility contact. The text does not call it required.
- Worth checking: Service Contract Labor Standards wage determination applies. The Service Contract Labor Standards statute (minimum wages and benefits for service workers) applies, so price labor at the Lake County, Illinois wage determination.
- Minor: Questions due November 9, 2026. Written questions must reach the contract specialist by email by November 9, 2026, 6:00 PM CST; answers come by amendment on SAM.gov.
- Minor: Extra repairs may fall inside the price. The contract is a non-severable service, and additional repairs needed for the intended operating condition count as in scope, with added cost only through a signed modification first.
- Minor: PWS mentions deinstallation. The scope is installation, but the documentation and performance sections refer to deinstalling equipment; ask the contracting officer whether any removal work is expected.
- Minor: Contractor supplies masks and flu vaccines for its staff. The VA directive on seasonal flu requires the contractor to provide face masks and influenza vaccines for its employees working at the VA facility.
Read from the notice and 2 attachments. Show which files.
- 36C25227Q0055_Silt Lamp Installation_Solicitation_26Oct2026_Final.pdf (read)
- Attach1_Department of Labor Wage Determination_Lake County Illinois_2015-4935_30Sept2026_Rev32.pdf (read)
Full summary
What they want
- Move nine (9) slit lamps from warehouse storage to the designated clinic rooms
- Assemble, mount and align each slit lamp and run functional checks, following manufacturer specifications
- Work with the hospital's biomedical engineering staff and verify each unit is ready for clinical use
- Deliver an installation report, alignment and calibration confirmation, and manufacturer documentation (setup notes, maintenance guidance, warranty materials)
- Bring all tools, test equipment and service manuals; the VA provides none
- Create an engineering service report form (PDF or Word) and get the contracting officer's representative (COR) to approve it before use
- Work Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central, except Federal holidays, unless approved otherwise
- Contract type
- Firm-fixed-price (FFP): one set price, whatever the work ends up costing. Request for quote (RFQ) for commercial services; nonpersonal services. Price line: item 0001, QTY 1.00, unit JB (job), for nine (9) slit lamps.
- Period of performance
- 60 days after award (contract period base: date of award through date of award plus 60)
- Place of performance
- Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, 3001 Green Bay Rd., North Chicago, IL 60064
- Estimated value
- Not stated
- How they'll choose
- Comparative evaluation: quotes are compared to one another to find the best benefit to the Government, price and other factors considered. The Government may pick a quote other than the lowest price.
- Offers due
- November 13, 2026, 6:00 PM Central (7:00 PM Eastern)
- How to submit
- Not stated in the text read. The solicitation says to submit to the office specified; the contract specialist is Eric King, eric.king2@va.gov, at the VA Great Lakes Acquisition Center, Milwaukee, WI.
What they'll judge offers on
- Price: total of all line-item prices, including options
- Technical Capability: how well the quote meets or exceeds the PWS requirements, including the Haag-Streit/Reliance authorization letter
- Relevant Experience: contracts for similar services, especially at VA facilities, judged by contract number, size and scope, years of experience and when the services were provided
What to include when you submit
- Complete the first page of the Standard Form 1449 (SF 1449): the form you sign and return as your offer. Fill in blocks 17a, 30a, 30b and 30c.
- Acknowledge any amendments on page 2 and fill in the contractor information on page 2.
- Complete the B.2 price schedule (item 0001, nine slit lamps).
- Include a letter and/or certification from Haag-Streit/Reliance saying the firm is trained and authorized to install Haag-Streit and Reliance equipment.
- Technical Capability: describe in detail how you will provide the services in the Performance Work Statement (PWS).
- Relevant Experience: list similar contracts, especially at a VA facility, with contract number, size and scope, total years of experience and when the services were provided.
- Complete the certificate for VAAR 852.219-75, the VA limitations on subcontracting clause.
- Complete the representations for provision 52.219-1, Small Business Program Representations.
After award, you must have
- Establish a payment account with the VA Financial Services Center and register with the Tungsten Network before an invoice can be submitted.
- Coordinate badging, background checks and fingerprinting with the COR or facility point of contact. From 36C25227Q0055_Silt Lamp Installation_Solicitation_26Oct2026_Final.pdf:
Contractors shall coordinate all badging, background…
Not in the notice text
- The attached Department of Labor wage determination for Lake County, Illinois (2015-4935, Revision 32) could not be read here; check the wage rates in the file on SAM.gov.
- How and where to send the quote (email address or portal) is not stated in the text read; ask the contract specialist.
- Part of the solicitation's clause section was left out of the text read here; check the full document on SAM.gov.
- Relative importance of the three evaluation factors is not stated; the notice says the order listed does not imply importance.
- The Government's estimated value is not stated.
Eligibility and how to respond
- Only service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs) certified through SBA's VetCert can bid as the prime contractor. Not certified through VetCert yet? Apply on VetCert (SBA), or start with the SDVOSB guide. More open service-disabled veteran-owned set-asides under NAICS 339115
- How to submit, from the AI summary: Not stated in the text read. The solicitation says to submit to the office specified; the contract specialist is Eric King, eric.king2@va.gov, at the VA Great Lakes Acquisition Center, Milwaukee, WI. 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 26, 2026
- Notice type
- Presolicitation
- Office
- 252-Network Contract Office 12 (36C252), Milwaukee, WI
- Product/service code
- N065 · Installation of Equipment – Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Equipment and Supplies
- Business type
- Medical & healthcare (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 339115)
- Versions
3 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 26, 2026 · Amendment 0001Due Nov 13, 2026
- Oct 26, 2026 · SolicitationDue Nov 13, 2026
- Oct 26, 2026 · Presolicitation (this version)Date Nov 13, 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
- How to read a government solicitation
- How to price a government contract
- Open SDVOSB set-aside contracts
- SDVOSB and veteran-owned contracts
Terms on this notice: Solicitation, SDVOSB (service-disabled veteran-owned small business), Set-aside
Full notice text from SAM.gov
Slit Lamp Installation for the Captain James A. Lovell FHCC, North Chicago, Illinois See Attachments
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