Sources Sought- Pathology and Laboratory Microscope
Veterans Affairs · 244-NETWORK CONTRACT OFFICE 4 (36C244)
Capture briefs (a one-page, shareable copy of this page) are part of Pro. The CSV here holds the notice, its timeline and past awards.
Where this opportunity stands
Every notice posted under solicitation 36C24427Q0025 in this department, oldest first.
- Oct 16, 2026 · this noticeSources Sought
Next steps for this stage
Standard steps for the notice type; not advice about this buyer.
- Answer the notice: this is when the requirement can still be shaped.
- Contact the contracting officer named on the notice.
- Check who won similar work; they are the likely bidders.
What the notice says
Scope: The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) is requesting the purchase of one new microscope with attachable camera. All equipment will be solicited and awarded together. The new microscope is necessary for daily patient slide reviews by a staff cytotechnologist. The microscope components and systems will meet all specifications as described in this document. The supply acquisition does not involve connection of contractor-owned IT devices to the VA internal network; therefore, the C&A requirements do not apply, and a security accreditation package is not required. The instruments to be… (show all)
purchased does not have the ability to store any data, nor interface to the VA network, nor accept patient demographic information in any way. General Requirements: Specifications set forth in this proposal are minimum specifications and should not be construed as limiting the overall quality, quantity, or performance of the instrument. The offerer shall meet or exceed the minimum requirements and shall be held responsible for the performance and overall quality of the requested instrument during the instrument�s warranty period. The instruments, based upon the specifications requested, shall be the newest and the most current model. A refurbished microscope is not acceptable. One Cytotechnologist microscope with camera that is compatible with Cell Sens software. Instrument requirements for Microscopes : Standard Microscope Frame with at least 5-postion Nosepiece LED Illumination US style 3-prong power cord Right hand mechanical stage for BX45 Have the following Objective Lenses: 2x, 4x, 10x, 20 x, 40x, 50x, and 60x. DP 28 1� 8.9 MP color CMOS DB9 serial cable 6 ft long Control box for coded components and bifurcated cable to connect coded nosepieces SIIG RS232 Dual Port PCIe card USB 3.1 Gen 1 Cable, standard USB A Male to Type C with dual screw locking, 5 meter/15 feet Cell Sens standard electronic license Adjustable nose piece with dual ocular lenses Thick, left release single slide holder Rubber caps on control knobs, thin set of 2 Screw for fine focus Fine focus knob Tilting binocular Obs tube, 5-35 degrees movement,reverse Eyepiece, 10x w/ ?=24mm t=1.5mm Retical Shelf Polarizer for transmitted light, 45mm diameter that fits in light well polarizer for filter slot Dust cover that is anti-static Installation, including Verification/Validation, Training: The vendor/distributor and/or the manufacturer must provide all necessary procedure manuals, troubleshooting manuals and operator manuals. Installation of microscopes shall be included in the quote. Installation shall be performed by the Contractor or by a sub-Contractor who is certified on the Contractor�s equipment. DELIVERY: All equipment deliveries must be coordinated with the department prior to delivery. Failure to do so may result in the return of the equipment at vendor cost. Location Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System University Drive C Pittsburgh, PA 15240 Repair and Maintenance: Manufacturer will provide troubleshooting manual. The VAPHS Department shall manage the service and repair contract on the equipment. The manufacturer should define maintenance requirements and indicate what maintenance is performed by the user. ALL INTERESTED PARTIES MUST ALSO HAVE AN ACTIVE REGISTRATION IN THE SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM) DATABASE. TO REGISTER, PLEASE VISIT WWW.SAM.GOV. Responses to this notice shall include: Company Name Address Point of Contact Phone Number Email Address DUNS Number CAGE Code Tax ID Number Product Country of Origin ** Note: In accordance with the U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding Kingdomware, service disabled veteran owned (SDVOSB) and veteran owned (VOSB), who are interested in this procurement and consider themselves to have the resources and capabilities necessary to provide these services shall be verified by the Small Business Administration (SBA) at the following link to be considered: https://search.certifications.sba.gov/. Process in 38 U.S.C. 8127(d) whereby a contracting officer of the �Department � shall award contracts on the basis of competition restricted to small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans, if the contracting officer has a reasonable expectation that two or more small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans will submit offers, and that the award can be made at a fair and reasonable price that offers the best value to the United States.� For purposes of this VA specific rule, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) or a veteran-owned small business (VOSB), must meet the eligibility requirements in 38 U.S.C. 8127(e), (f) and VAAR subpart 819.7003 and be listed as verified in the Vendor Information Pages (VIP) database. Please provide answers to all questions below regarding your firm�s Socio-Economic status pursuant to North American Industrial Classification Code (NAICS) 339113: 1. Is your business a small business under NAICS 339113? YES ______ NO ______ 2. Is your firm a Veteran-Owned Small Business? YES ______ NO ______ 3. Is your firm a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business? YES ______ NO ______ 4. Is you firm a certified HUB Zone firm? YES ______ NO ______ 5. Is your firm a Woman Owned business? YES ______ NO ______ 6. Is your firm a Large Business? YES ______ NO ______ 7. Do you have a GSA/FSS schedule for these items? YES______ NO______ Schedule Number: ___________________ Expiration Date: _____________________ Please provide a capability statement as well as any relevant literature addressing your organization�s ability to supply the required items. Also, please include a point of contact name, phone number and email address. Note: Questions regarding this notice should be addressed to Matthew Clark via email only. NO PHONE CALLS WILL BE ACCEPTED REGARDING THIS REQUIREMENT. Please submit all responses to this notice via e-mail to: Matthew Clark, Contract Specialist, Matthew.Clark11@va.gov Responses to this Sources Sought Notice are required by no later than Friday, 23 October, 2026 at 12:00 pm ET. If you are interested in submitting a response to this posting, please ensure to submit a Brochure/Specification Sheet for the product offered as well as a letter of authorization to distribute the product. End of Document
Who won similar work
32 award notices on SAM.gov in the last 24 months. Matched by: Same office (244-NETWORK CONTRACT OFFICE 4 (36C244)), same product/service code (PSC) 6515 and NAICS 339112.
Single-winner award sizes (32): middle half $47K to $192K, median $82K; range $15K to $2.4M.
| Winner | Awards | Value | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRILLAMED LLC | 3 | $363K | Sep 22, 2025 |
| ORTHO MED SPA INC | 2 | $529K | Jun 10, 2026 |
| DERRAH MORRISON ENTERPRISES LLC | 2 | $303K | Apr 8, 2026 |
| VETERANS HEALTHCARE SUPPLY SOLUTIONS, INC | 2 | $302K | Sep 22, 2025 |
| MARATHON MEDICAL CORPORATION | 2 | $131K | Jul 3, 2025 |
| MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP | 1 | $2.4M | Oct 31, 2024 |
| BUFFALO SUPPLY INC. | 1 | $1.2M | Jun 25, 2025 |
| STRYKER SALES, LLC | 1 | $312K | Jan 21, 2025 |
| SIERRA7, INC. | 1 | $225K | Mar 27, 2025 |
| APEX INTEGRATED DISTRIBUTION INC. | 1 | $172K | Sep 8, 2026 |
Value counts new single-winner awards. "Shared" awards are multiple-award contracts that list every winner with the same total ceiling (same contract, or the same office, day and amount); that ceiling is not one company's win, so it is not added in. Contract modifications are not new awards and are not added in either. Revenue next to a ticker is the company's revenue over the latest 12 months in its SEC filings.
- Sep 8, 2026APEX INTEGRATED DISTRIBUTION INC.$172KAluminum Emergency Crash CartsNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Jun 10, 2026ORTHO MED SPA INC$265K6515--Stryker Power ToolsNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Jun 10, 2026ORTHO MED SPA INC$265K6515--Stryker Power ToolsNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Apr 8, 2026DERRAH MORRISON ENTERPRISES LLC$87K6515--AcuDose Chemistry Dosing System and SCS Conveyor System 460No listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Apr 7, 2026CS MEDICAL, LLC$47KTEE Probe Cleaner for 646 | Award NoticeNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Jan 27, 2026THE WINSFORD CORPORATION$48KAuto-Locking Anesthesia CartsNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Jan 23, 2026AVANOS MEDICAL INC$43KCoolief Cooled Radiofrequency Advanced GeneratorMateriality: <0.01% of $AVNS revenue (Low) SEC
- Dec 12, 2025FIRST NATION GROUP LLC$21K6515--ResMed Astral Ventilators & AccessoriesNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Nov 7, 2025LPIT SOLUTIONS, INC$37K6515--TrackCore Intelligent Cabinet | 646No listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Sep 25, 2025BEACON POINT ASSOCIATES LLC$127K6515 - Brand Name Only - Stryker PI Drive Plus 2 Motor Drills and AttachmentsNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
Materiality: one award's value as a share of the winner's revenue over the latest 12 months in its SEC filings (or its last fiscal year, as noted when you point at it). Low under 1%, Medium 1 to 5%, High 5% or more. Many awards are paid over several years, so this overstates a single year's share.
Competitive landscape
For the 8 most frequent past winners above. Lobbying is matched by the company's exact name or exact ticker; agencies are as named on the filings.
- 1 of these past winners lobbied Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA) since 2024 (2 filings)
- 0 of their lobbyists list a past Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA) job
- No corporate PAC money from them to the overseeing committees since 2024
- 0 foreign-agent (FARA) registrations
Policy around it
Bills the past winners named while lobbying this agency's issues, rules from the department, and executive orders that name the agency, last 12 months.
- 0 bills named on the past winners' lobbying filings
- 25 rules from the department in the last 12 months
- 0 executive orders naming the agency in the last 12 months
Market
For past winners matched exactly to a listed company. Insider trades are open-market buys and sells (Form 4) in the last 90 days, shown as facts; our own study found insiders do not reliably buy ahead of awards. A sale marked 10b5-1 was made under a trading plan set up in advance.
- 0 of the past winners are listed companies
- 0 insider buys and 0 insider sells at them in the last 90 days
Sources: SAM.gov notices and award notices; Senate LDA lobbying filings; FEC filings; FARA; Federal Register; congress.gov; SEC Form 4. Every row above links to its record.
Companies are matched to tickers by exact name, including the subsidiaries a company lists in its SEC filings. A company we could not match shows no market rows; that is a miss, not a finding.