Notice of Intent to Sole Source ANAB Accreditation

The Defense Health Agency (DHA) U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) intends to award a Firm Fixed Price sole source contract on behalf of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES) to the American National Standards Institute American Society for Quality (ANSI-ASQ) National Accreditation Board (ANAB), under the authority FAR 13.106-1(b)(1): For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name, or industrial mobilization).

The services being requested are the ANAB accreditation to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/ International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 17025:2017 "General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories", ANAB AR3125 (2023 or later) “Forensic Science Testing and Calibration Laboratories Accreditation Requirements”, and the “Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories” (2020 or later).

AFMES has been continuously accredited by the ANAB/ American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) to the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 "General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories", ANAB AR3125 “Forensic Science Testing and Calibration Laboratories Accreditation Requirements”, and the “FBI QAS for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories” standards since 2014. There are no other vendors in the market that can meet all of the accreditation standard necessary in the requirement. ANAB is the only vendor that can meet all of the standards specified above.

This is a notice of intent to issue a contract on a Sole Source basis. This notice of intent is NOT a request for quotations (RFQ). Any other firms desiring consideration must fully identify their interest and capability to provide these services to the individual listed below. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Interested persons may identify their interest in writing, to the Government point of contact. Responses to this notice must be received no later than 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, 17 June 2025. The point of contact for this action is James Cheng, james.cheng1.civ@health.mil. No telephone requests will be honored.