The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Coordinating Center for Health Information and Service (CoCHIS), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is seeking to award a sole source purchase order to enlist a laboratory to perform IgA tissue transglutaminase (IgA endomyseal antibody (EM-IgA) testing needed for diagnosis of Celiac disease and in response to the NCHS mandate under the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) Program.  In order to meet the government's minimum requirement for these services a contractor must not only have the laboratory facilities and expertise to conduct the IgA-TTG and EM-IgA testing but also the capacity to perform large quantities of test accurately and in a short period of time.  The laboratory must also be able to operate under NCHS rules for patient privacy which do not allow any patient or doctor referral information to be provided, be able to accept samples for testing on holidays and weekends in NHANES standard vacutainers, and must be able to conduct all testing on-site in its own laboratory facilities.

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, the Government has determined that the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN is the only responsible source to satisfy this requirement.  Subject to availability of funds , the Government intends to issue a purchase order by September 16, 2009.  This is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation is available.  Firms that believe they can provide the services and maintenance required are encouraged to identify themselves and provide written notification to the Contracting Officer ([email protected]) within fifteen days from the date of this synopsis.  Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.