Furnish and Deliver a Proprietary Illumina NextSeq 1000 Benchtop

STATE OF LOUISIANA
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY
HAMMOND, LOUISIANA
A Member of the University of Louisiana System
INVITATION TO BID
TO
FURNISH AND DELIVER AN ILLUMINA NEXTSEQ 1000 BENCHTOP NEXT-
GENERATION SEQUENCING SYSTEM FOR THE BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
ISSUING AGENCY: Southeastern Louisiana University
Purchasing Department
SLU 10800
Hammond, LA 70402-0800
DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING: Richard Himber
PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST: Misty Betz
Telephone: (985) 549-5414
REQUISITIONED BY: Kyle Piller
Telephone: (985) 549-2129
RELEASE DATE: March 19, 2026
BID OPENING DATE: March 25, 2026
BID OPENING TIME: 4:00 p.m., Central Time
BID OPENING LOCATION: Southeastern Louisiana University
Purchasing Department
Property Control & Supply Building
2400 North Oak Street
Hammond, Louisiana
This ITB is available in electronic form at
https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/OSP/LaPAC/dspBid.cfm?search=department&term=4
2It is available in PDF format or in printed form by submitting a written request to the
Procurement Specialist listed above. It is the Bidder's responsibility to check the Office of
State Purchasing LaPAC website frequently for any possible addenda that maybe issued.
.
Southeastern is not responsible for a bidder's failure to download any addenda documents
required to complete an Invitation to Bid

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STATE OF LOUISIANA
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY
HAMMOND, LOUISIANA
The Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU) Purchasing Department will receive sealed bids until
4:00 P.M. on the bid opening date specified in the solicitation document. No bid responses will be
considered by the SLU Purchasing Department after 4:00 P.M. Beginning at that time, bids shall be
publicly opened and read aloud to those present in the SLU Purchasing Department.
Mail address: Southeastern LA University Delivery: Southeastern LA University
Purchasing Department Purchasing Department
SLU 10800 Property Control & Supply Bldg
Hammond, LA 70402 2400 North Oak St
Hammond, LA 70402
Bids submitted are subject to LA R.S. 39:1551-1736; Purchasing Rules and Regulations; Executive
Orders; General Conditions; any Special Conditions; and Specifications listed in the solicitation
document.
The purpose of this solicitation is to set forth the requirements and specifications of Southeastern
Louisiana University. The contents of this solicitation and the Bidder/ Vendor/ Contractor's bid
response shall become contractual obligations if a contract (purchase order) ensues.
INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS
1) Bid Forms: Per LA R.S. 39:1556, all written bids, unless otherwise provided for, must be
submitted on, and in accordance with, forms provided, properly signed in ink or electronic
signature by an authorized representative of the bidding entity. Bids submitted in the following
manner will not be accepted: (1) Bid contains no signature indicating intent to be bound; (2) Bid
filled out in pencil; (3) Bid sent by facsimile equipment or email. Price alterations to bid
responses received before bid opening time will be considered provided the written price
alteration has been received and timestamped before bid opening time. Any other alterations of
the bid response form or foreign conditions attached thereto may cause rejection of the bid
response without further consideration.
2) Standard of Quality: Any product or service bid shall conform to all applicable Federal and
State laws and regulations and specifications contained in the solicitation document. Unless
otherwise specified in the solicitation document, any manufacturer's name, trade name, brand
name, or catalog number used in the specifications is for the purpose of describing the quality
level and characteristic required. Bidder should specify the brand and model number of the
product offered in his bid. Bids not specifying brand and model number shall be considered as
offering the exact products specified in the solicitation document.
3) Descriptive Information: Bidders proposing an equivalent brand or model should submit with
the bid response information (such as illustrations, descriptive literature, and technical data)
sufficient for the University to evaluate quality, suitability, and compliance with the
specifications of the solicitation document. Failure to submit descriptive information may
cause bid to be rejected. Any change made to a manufacturer's published specification
submitted for a product shall be verifiable by the manufacturer. If item(s) bid does not comply
with specifications (including brand and/or product number), bidder should state in what
respect the item(s) deviate. Failure to note exceptions on the response form will not relieve the
successful bidder(s) from supplying the actual products requested.
4) Bid Opening: Bidders may attend the bid opening, but no information or opinions concerning
the ultimate contract award will be given at the bid opening or during the evaluation process.
Bids may be examined 72 hours after request is made. Information pertaining to completed
files may be secured by visiting the SLU Purchasing Department during normal working hours.
Written bid tabulations will not be furnished.
5) Louisiana Preference: Preference is hereby given to products produced, manufactured,
harvested, grown or assembled in Louisiana which are equal in quality to products produced,
manufactured, harvested, grown or assembled outside of Louisiana. The bidder shall state his
right to claim the ten percent (10%) preference in his bid response and the bidder should state
the respective Louisiana location where each qualifying item is produced, manufactured,
harvested, grown or assembled.
6) Notice of Special Programs Available
for Small Business: https://www.opportunitylouisiana.com/small-business/special-programs-

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for-small-business
7) Signature Authority: In accordance with LA Revised Statute 39:1594 (Act 121), the person
signing the bid must be: (1) A current corporate officer, partnership member or other individual
specifically authorized to submit a bid as reflected in the appropriate records on file with the
Secretary of State; or (2) An individual authorized to bind the vendor as reflected by an
accompanying or as provided upon request a corporate resolution or affidavit. By signing the
bid, the bidder certifies compliance with the above.
GENERAL CONDITIONS
The SLU Purchasing Department reserves the right to award items separately, grouped or on an
all-or-none basis and to reject any or all bids and waive any informalities.
1) Prices: Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, bid prices shall be complete, including
transportation and handling prepaid by the bidder to destination - SLU, Hammond, LA. Bids
other than FOB destination may be rejected. Bid prices should be quoted in the unit of
measure stated. Bid prices shall be firm for a minimum of thirty (30) calendar days, unless
otherwise specified by SLU in the solicitation document.
2) Payment Terms: Cash discounts for less than 30 days may be offered, but will not be
considered in determining awards. Bids containing "payment in advance" or "COD"
requirements may be rejected. Payment is to be made within 30 days after receipt of properly
executed invoice or delivery, whichever is later.
3) Delivery: Bids may be rejected if the delivery time indicated is longer than that specified in the
solicitation document.
4) Taxes: Bidder is responsible for including all applicable taxes in the bid price. The University
is currently exempt from Louisiana State Sales and Use Taxes, and local parish and city taxes.
An exemption certificate for state sales and use tax can be provided upon request.
5) New Products: Unless specifically called for in the solicitation document, all products for
purchase must be new, never previously used, and the current model and/or packaging. No
remanufactured, demonstrator, used or irregular product will be considered for purchase
unless otherwise specified in the solicitation document. The manufacturer's standard warranty
will apply unless otherwise stated in solicitation.
6) Default of Contractor: Failure to deliver within the time specified in the solicitation document
will constitute a default and may cause cancellation of the contract. Where the University has
determined the contractor to be in default, the state reserves the right to purchase any or all
products or services covered by the contract on the open market and to charge the contractor
with cost in excess of the contract price. Until such assessed charges have been paid, no
subsequent bid from the defaulting contractor will be considered.
7) Contract Cancellation: The University shall have the right to cancel any contract, in
accordance with Purchasing Rules and Regulations, for cause, including but not limited to, the
following: (1) failure of the vendor to deliver within the time specified in the contract; (2) failure
of the product or service to meet specifications, conform to sample quality, or to be delivered
in good condition; (3) misrepresentation by the contractor; (4) fraud, collusion, conspiracy or
other unlawful means of obtaining any contract with the state; (5) conflict of contract
provisions with constitutional or statutory provisions of state or federal law; (6) any other
breach of contract.
8) Applicable Law: All contracts shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws
of the State of Louisiana.
9) Equal Opportunity: By submitting and signing this bid, bidder agrees that he will not
discriminate in the rendering of services to and/or employment of individuals because of race,
color, religion, sex, age, national origin, handicap, disability, veteran status, or any other
non-merit factor.
10) By submitting a response to this solicitation, the bidder or proposer certifies and agrees that
the following information is correct: In preparing its response, the bidder or proposer has
considered all proposals submitted from qualified, potential subcontractors and suppliers, and
has not, in the solicitation, selection, or commercial treatment of any subcontractor or supplier,
refused to transact or terminated business activities, or taken other actions intended to limit
commercial relations, with a person or entity that is engaging in commercial transactions
in Israel or Israeli-controlled territories, with the specific intent to accomplish a boycott or
divestment of Israel. The bidder also has not retaliated against any person or other entity for
reporting such refusal, termination, or commercially limiting actions. The state reserves the

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right to reject the response of the bidder or proposer if this certification is subsequently
determined to be false, and to terminate any contract awarded based on such a false response.
11) Louisiana Revised Statute 39:1753.1 requirements shall apply to any equipment component
which enables any form of connectivity.
12) Piggyback: Other Louisiana Governmental Agencies may purchase at the same terms and
conditions if agreed upon by awarded vendor.

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SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY
BID RESPONSE FORM
BIDDER'S NAME:
TELEPHONE NO.: FAX NUMBER:
ADDRESS:
MAILING CITY STATE ZIP
SCOPE: To Furnish and Deliver an Illumina NextSeq 1000 Benchtop Next-Generation Sequencing
System for the Biology Department
I/we do hereby acknowledge receipt of the following addenda (if any):
No. Dated No. Dated
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
Bidder shall include the cost of transportation and handling in the unit price of item offered --
F.O.B. University, Hammond, LA.
The attached Instructions To Bidders/General Conditions shall be a part hereof.
TO THE VENDOR:
This is a proprietary bid.
This solicitation is a sealed bid and must be returned by mail or delivered in person. Bid
response forms cannot be faxed and any fax responses shall be rejected.
TERMS: Net 30 Prox., F.O.B., Hammond, Louisiana.
TAXES: Any taxes, other than state sales and use tax, shall be included within the bidder's unit
price. The University is currently exempt from state sales and use tax.
Signature to the Bid Response Form shall be construed of acceptance of the Invitation to Bid in its
entirety.
AUTHORIZED OFFICER:
(Signature) (Print or Type Name)
TITLE: DATE:

BID RESPONSE PAGE
Item Description Qty Price Total
No.
1. NextSeq 1000 Sequencing 1
System
2. Warranty 12 months 1
3. Installation
4. Training
Shipping
Total Bid Amount
NAME OF COMPANY: DATE:
BIDDER INITIALS:
THIS IS A PROPRIETARY BID ONLY
See Next Page for Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS
Item: Illumina NextSeq 1000 benchtop Next-Generation Sequencing(NGS) system.
Item Description:
Illumina NextSeq 1000 Sequencing System is an integrated system for automated generation of
DNA clonal clusters by bridge amplification, sequencing, primary analysis, and secondary
analysis. The Illumina NextSeq 1000 System is a benchtop next-generation sequencer (NGS)
utilizing XLEAP-SBS chemistry and integrated DRAGEN Bio-IT data analysis to deliver high-
quality, rapid, and cost-effective sequencing. The NextSeq 1000 system is designed for
flexibility and efficiency, utilizing Illumina's XLEAP-SBS chemistry to provide accurate and high-
quality data.
Required Technical Specifications
1. Sequencing Technology
The sequencing system must utilize:
Reversible terminator sequencing-by-synthesis chemistry
Bridge amplification cluster generation
Fluorescent nucleotide detection technology
Sequencing chemistry capable of producing base error rates below 1% (typically
0.1-0.5%)
Sequencing technologies based on alternative detection mechanisms such as electrical
signal detection, pH detection, or nanopore current measurement shall not be
considered equivalent.
These sequencing chemistry requirements are mandatory to maintain compatibility with
the project's existing genomic datasets.
2. Data Output Compatibility
The system must produce sequencing data compatible with the existing genomic
analysis infrastructure currently used by the research team.
Required characteristics include:
generation of standard FASTQ sequencing output files
compatibility with established base-calling algorithms used in sequencing-by-
synthesis platforms
support for existing genomic data formats currently used by the research team
ability to integrate with existing hardware-accelerated genomic analysis pipelines
The system must maintain cross-run comparability with existing sequencing datasets
produced using sequencing-by-synthesis technology.
Systems producing alternative data structures incompatible with these requirements
shall be deemed non-responsive.
3. Throughput Requirements
The sequencing system must support scalable sequencing output including:
minimum output capacity of 10 gigabases per run
maximum output capacity of at least 240 gigabases per run

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The system must support multiple run configurations to accommodate varying
sequencing scales.
4. Read Length Capability
The sequencing system must support flexible read lengths including:
single-end reads as short as 50 base pairs
paired-end sequencing up to 300 base pairs per read
5. Integrated Secondary Data Analysis
The sequencing system must include integrated hardware-accelerated secondary
genomic analysis capabilities capable of performing the following functions directly on
the instrument:
sequence alignment
variant calling
demultiplexing
base quality filtering
The system must include embedded computing infrastructure capable of performing
these functions without requiring external high-performance computing clusters.
6. Instrument Design
The sequencing platform must meet the following design requirements:
benchtop instrument configuration
integrated touchscreen control interface
integrated instrument computer
automated sequencing workflow
cartridge-based reagent loading system
minimal hands-on workflow
self-contained dry system design (no water input/output lines required)
7. Workflow Requirements
The system must support a streamlined load-and-go workflow designed to minimize user
intervention and reduce risk of sample contamination.
Required workflow features include:
pre-packaged reagent cartridges
automated sequencing setup
automated cluster generation
automated base calling
automated run monitoring
8. Required Application Capabilities
The sequencing system must support genomic applications including:
whole genome sequencing
whole exome sequencing
RNA sequencing
targeted sequencing panels
metagenomic sequencing
environmental DNA (eDNA) biodiversity monitoring
These applications are required for ongoing research conducted by the Center for
Environmental Research at Southeastern Louisiana University.
9. Required System Components
The vendor must provide a complete sequencing system including:
sequencing instrument

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integrated computing system
system control software
secondary genomic analysis platform
installation and system configuration
user training
minimum 12-month warranty covering parts and labor
10. Delivery and Installation
Vendor must provide:
delivery of equipment to Southeastern Louisiana University
installation and operational verification
on-site user training for laboratory personnel
Justification for Proprietary Specification
The Lake Maurepas Biomonitoring Project relies on genomic datasets generated using
sequencing-by-synthesis technology from previous project phases. Maintaining methodological
consistency is critical for long-term ecological monitoring and comparative genomic analyses.
Alternative sequencing platforms utilize fundamentally different sequencing chemistries and
produce different error structures, read characteristics, and data processing requirements.
Use of such platforms would:
* compromise longitudinal comparability of genomic datasets
* require redevelopment of validated bioinformatics pipelines
* introduce systematic analytical variability
* disrupt continuity of ongoing ecological monitoring research
Therefore, the proprietary specifications described herein are necessary to maintain
compatibility with existing research infrastructure and ensure continuity of scientific analysis.
VENDOR MUST INCLUDE ALL EXPENSES, (THIS INCLUDES SHIPPING AND
DISCOUNTS) IN THE UNIT PRICE.
SEE PAGES 10-14 FOR INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS.

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SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR VENDORS & EXTERNAL PROVIDERS
Before commencing work, the Other Party (contractor and/or subcontractor) shall obtain at its
own cost and expense the following insurance placed with insurance companies authorized to do
business in the State of Louisiana with A.M. Best ratings of A-:VI or higher. The Other Party
shall provide evidence of such insurance as required by the Agency. A cancellation notice will be
provided to the Agency in the event of a cancellation for all of the following stated insurance
policies
A. Workers Compensation
Workers Compensation insurance shall be in compliance with the Workers Compensation
law of the State of the Other Party's headquarters. Employers Liability is included with a
minimum limit of $1,000,000 per accident/per person/per disease. If work is to be
performed over water and involves maritime exposure, applicable LHWCA, Jones Act, or
other maritime law coverage shall be included. A.M. Best's insurance company rating
requirement may be waived for workers compensation coverage only.
B. Commercial General Liability
Commercial General Liability insurance, including Personal and Advertising Injury Liability
and Products and Completed Operations, shall have a minimum limit per occurrence of
$1,000,000 and a minimum general annual aggregate of $2,000,000. The Insurance
Services Office (ISO) Commercial General Liability occurrence coverage form CG 00 01
(current form approved for use in Louisiana), or equivalent, is to be used in the policy.
Claims-made form is unacceptable.
C. Automobile Liability
Automobile Liability Insurance shall have a minimum combined single limit per occurrence
of $1,000,000. The ISO form number CA 00 01 (current form approved for use in
Louisiana), or equivalent, is to be used in the policy. This insurance shall include third-
party bodily injury and property damage liability for the following automobile coverage
classes:
1. Owned automobiles
2. Hired automobiles
3. Non-owned automobiles
Location of operations shall be "All Locations".
Note: If the vendor/contractor does not own an automobile and an automobile is utilized
in the execution of the contract, then only hired and non-owned coverage is acceptable.
If an automobile is not utilized in the execution of the contract, then automobile coverage
is not required.
D. If at any time an insurer issuing any such policy does not meet the minimum A.M. Best
rating, the Other Party shall obtain a policy with an insurer that meets the A.M. Best rating
and shall submit another Certificate of Insurance within 30 days. Upon failure of the Other
Party to furnish, deliver and maintain such insurance as above provided, this contract, at
the election of the Agency, may be suspended, discontinued or terminated. Failure of the
Other Party to purchase and/or maintain any required insurance shall not relieve the Other
Party from any liability or indemnification under the contract.