J066-- STX Richard-Allan Epredia SVC

Request No.: 671-26-4-121-0661 JOFOC Log Number: FY26 - NCO 17 - 1828 Date Prepared: July 20, 2026 Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Contracting Office: RPO West | Network Contracting Office 17 (NCO 17) | Lab Services Support (LSS) NAICS Code: 811210 Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance PSC Code: J066 Maintenance/Repair/Rebuild of Equipment: Industrial and Manufacturing Machinery Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) | Commercial Service | FAR Part 12 Proposed Contractor: Richard-Allan Scientific, LLC. (d/b/a Epredia) UEI / CAGE: N1LPLL6K6S58 / 044N0 Period of Performance: Base Year: August 1, 2026 July 31, 2027, plus Four (4) One-Year Option Periods through July 31, 2031 Estimated Total Contract Value: $93,326.00 (Base + 4 Option Years) 1. CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY (FAR 6.303-2(b)(1)) This Justification and Approval (J&A) is prepared by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), RPO West, Network Contracting Office 17 (NCO 17), Lab Services Support (LSS), located at 5441 Babcock Rd., Suite 302, San Antonio, TX 78240, on behalf of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS), San Antonio, Texas. This document is identified as a 'Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition' in accordance with FAR 6.303-2(b)(1). 2. NATURE AND DESCRIPTION OF ACTION BEING APPROVED (FAR 6.303-2(b)(2)) This J&A supports the award of a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP), sole source contract to Richard-Allan Scientific, LLC. (d/b/a Epredia), the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), for preventive maintenance and repair services for two (2) Epredia Excelsior Tissue Processors and one (1) Epredia HM525 Cryostat located in the Histology Laboratory of the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS), Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital, San Antonio, Texas. The contract will be awarded using FAR Part 12 commercial service procedures and consists of a Base Year with four (4) one-year option periods (Base + 4 OYs), with an estimated total value of $93,326.00. The contract is a continuation of expiring Contract No. 36C25721P0979 (awarded 08/01/2021; expiring 08/01/2026; total value $93,990.00). 3. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND ESTIMATED VALUE (FAR 6.303-2(b)(3)) The Government requires OEM preventive maintenance and repair services for the following proprietary laboratory instrumentation currently installed and in active service at the STVHCS Histology Laboratory: (2) Richard-Allan Scientific, LLC. / Epredia Excelsior Tissue Processors S/N: ET55941709 and S/N: 3ET56691710 (1) Richard-Allan Scientific, LLC. / Epredia HM525 Cryostat S/N: CNX05692307EP The Contractor service program shall include, at a minimum: Onsite repair by Certified Richard-Allan Scientific, LLC. (Epredia) Field Service Engineers (FSEs) All replacement parts, labor, travel, and expenses for unscheduled repair visits One (1) annual scheduled Preventive Maintenance (PM) onsite visit All applicable instrument shipping charges 24/7 toll-free hotline with same-day response capability Emergency repair within twenty-four (24) hours from time of request Same-day repair when both instruments are simultaneously non-operational All repairs performed during normal working hours, 8:00 AM 5:00 PM, Monday Friday Services must comply with AABB and CAP accreditation requirements and VHA Directive 1106. Period of performance: Base Year August 1, 2026 July 31, 2027, plus OY1 through OY4 through July 31, 2031. Estimated total contract value (Base + 4 OYs): $93,326.00. 4. IDENTIFICATION OF THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY (FAR 6.303-2(b)(4)) The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition for this procurement is: 41 U.S.C. § 3304(a)(1) Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements, as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(a)(1) and RFO FAR Part 6 (GSA Class Deviation, effective 2025 2026). Pursuant to FAR 6.302-1(b), this authority is used in preference to FAR 6.302-7 (Public Interest). None of the other circumstances enumerated at FAR 6.302-2 through 6.302-6 are applicable to this procurement. 5. DEMONSTRATION THAT PROPOSED CONTRACTOR'S UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS OR THE NATURE OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES USE OF AUTHORITY CITED (FAR 6.303-2(b)(5)) 5.1 Proprietary Nature of Instrumentation: The Epredia Excelsior Tissue Processors and the Epredia HM525 Cryostat are proprietary, OEM-designed instruments manufactured and sold exclusively by Richard-Allan Scientific, LLC. (Epredia). The technical design, internal components, diagnostic algorithms, and calibration protocols for these instruments are proprietary intellectual property of Epredia, protected under applicable patent, trade secret, and intellectual property rights (FAR 6.302-1(b)(2)). Epredia does not publish, disclose, or license its technical service data, repair procedures, or calibration specifications to third parties. No independent third-party service organizations are authorized, trained, or certified by the OEM to perform maintenance or repairs on Epredia Excelsior Tissue Processors or the HM525 Cryostat. 5.2 OEM-Certified Field Service Engineers: Maintenance, repair, and calibration of the Epredia Excelsior Tissue Processors and HM525 Cryostat must be performed exclusively by Certified Richard-Allan Scientific, LLC. (Epredia) Field Service Engineers (FSEs). These FSEs possess exclusive access to OEM diagnostic tools, proprietary service software, technical service manuals, and OEM-approved replacement parts that are unavailable to any other service organization. Use of non-OEM-certified personnel would void manufacturer warranties, could cause instrument damage, and would constitute non-compliance with AABB and CAP accreditation requirements, directly jeopardizing the STVHCS Histology Laboratory's accreditation status and its ability to provide diagnostic pathology services to Veterans. 5.3 Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance: The STVHCS Histology Laboratory is accredited by both the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP). Both accrediting bodies require that laboratory instrumentation be maintained and calibrated in accordance with the OEM's service standards, performed by OEM-certified personnel. VHA Directive 1106 additionally mandates compliance with these accreditation requirements for all VHA laboratory operations. Failure to use OEM-certified service personnel would place the STVHCS's AABB and CAP accreditation at risk, which would suspend the laboratory's ability to perform histological analyses and directly disrupt Veterans' access to pathology and cancer diagnostic services. 5.4 Continuity of Veteran Care: The Epredia Excelsior Tissue Processors and HM525 Cryostat are essential, mission-critical instruments used daily in the Histology Laboratory for the processing and sectioning of surgical and biopsy tissue specimens submitted for pathological diagnosis, including cancer diagnosis. Any disruption in the availability or reliability of these instruments directly delays diagnostic results for Veterans receiving care at the STVHCS. The Government's minimum need for continuous, uninterrupted OEM maintenance coverage cannot be met by any source other than Richard-Allan Scientific,