6515--Brand-Name or Equal: Digital Transcutaneous Blood Gas Monitoring System Notice of Intent to Sole Source

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Network Contracting Office 21 has issued a Sources Sought Notice (36C26126Q0289) to conduct market research for the procurement of Brand-Name or Equal: SENTEC tCOM+ Hospital Monitor with V-Sign Sensor 2 for the VA Northern California Health Care System. The purpose is to identify qualified vendors, including those with specific socio-economic statuses, capable of providing these medical supplies. The required items include V-Sign Sensors, tCOM+ Hospital monitors, roll stands, and Vesa mounting plates, all subject to the Buy American Act and FDA approval. Responses are due by January 23, 2026, at 10 AM Mountain Time and should include a statement of capability, GSA schedule information, UEI number, business size, and socio-economic status. This notice is for information gathering only and does not constitute a solicitation or obligation to procure.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Network Contracting Office (NCO 21) intends to award a sole source, Firm Fixed Price contract to Sentec, Inc. for Digital Transcutaneous Blood Gas Monitoring Systems. The procurement is on behalf of the VA Northern California Health Care System. The required items include specific Sentec V-Sign Sensors, tCOM+ Hospital monitors, and related mounting equipment. This acquisition is subject to VA's Gray Market Items terms and conditions, requiring vendors to be an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), authorized dealer, distributor, or reseller, and provide documentation of such authority. The solicitation will be posted on beta.sam.gov around February 24, 2026. Interested and responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation to tawnya.krommenhoek@va.gov by February 26, 2026, at 10:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, including evidence of compliance with Gray Market clauses. Failure to provide the required information may result in disqualification.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking to procure two Sentec Digital Transcutaneous Blood Gas Monitoring Systems for the VA Northern California Health Care System (VANCHCS). This justification for a single-source award is due to the unique characteristics of the Sentec tCOM+ Hospital Monitor with V-Sign Sensor, which is currently the only known FDA-approved system of its kind available in the United States. Market research confirmed no other vendors or authorized distributors exist for this brand, and no national contracts or GSA schedules offer comparable systems. Although other monitoring systems were found during market research, they either did not respond to solicitations or were not direct equivalents. The items are manufactured in Switzerland, requiring a Buy American Act Waiver. Sentec, Inc. is the sole provider and direct sales organization for these products in the U.S.

This government file is a Request for Quotation (RFQ) issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 21, for Digital Transcutaneous Blood Gas Monitoring Systems. It is a sole source procurement to SENTEC, INC., but allows other responsible sources to submit capability statements or quotations. The solicitation outlines contract terms and conditions, including clauses for commercial products and services, invoicing procedures, and safeguarding requirements for contractor information systems. Key items include V-Sign Sensors, tCOM+ Hospital USA devices, Roll Stands, and Vesa Mounting Plates, with a delivery period from March 10, 2026, to June 10, 2026, to the VA Northern California Health Care System. The document also details prohibitions on specific products and services, such as those from covered foreign entities or those containing Kaspersky Lab-covered articles, emphasizing compliance with federal acquisition regulations and national security standards.