Provision and Implementation of a Laboratory Information Management System on a Multi-Year Contract

May 20, 2026
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
RP022-26
The files
The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from qualified service
providers for the Provision and Implementation of a Lab oratory Information Management System on a Multi-Year
Contract for the Department of Water Resources.
Proposals must be returned in a sealed container mark ed on the outside with the Request for Proposal number
and Company Name. Proposals will be received until 2:50 PM local time on June 15, 2026, at the Gwinnett County
Financial Services - Purchasing Division - 2nd Floor, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30046. Any proposal
received after this date and time will not be accepted . Proposals will be publicly opened, and only names of
submitting service providers will be read at 3:00 PM. Please use the link found here to join, or by dialing 1-323-676-
6170. Access Code is: 736 648 12#. Apparent bid results will be available the following business day on our
website.
Questions regarding proposals should be directed to Dana Garland, Purchasing Manager at
Dana.Garland@GwinnettCounty.com or by calling 770-822-8723, no later than June 2, 2026. Proposals are legal
and binding upon the vendor when submitted. One single sided unbound original, five (5) copies, and one (1)
electronic copy on a flash drive should be submitted.
Successful service providers will be required to meet insurance requirements. The Insurance Company should be
authorized to do business in Georgia by the Georgia Ins urance Department and must have an A.M. Best rating of
A-10 or higher.
Gwinnett County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to its programs or
activities. Any requests for reasonable accommodations required by individuals to fully participate in any open
meeting, program or activity of Gwinnett County Government should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the
Gwinnett County Justice and Administration Center, 770-822-8165.
The written proposal documents supersede any verbal o r written prior communications between the parties.
Selection criteria are outlined in the request for proposal documents. Gwinnett County reserves the right to reject
any or all proposals to waive technicalities, and to make an award deemed in its best interest.
Award notification will be posted after award on the County website, www.gwinnettcounty.com and companies
submitting a proposal will be notified via email.
We look forward to your proposal and appreciate your interest in Gwinnett County.
Dana Garland, CPPB, FOII, NIGP-CPP
Purchasing Manager

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1.0 Introduction
The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners (County) is soliciting competitive sealed proposals
from qualified service providers for the provision and implementation of a comprehensive
Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) on a Multi-Year Contract for the Gwinnett
County Department of Water Resources (DWR). The solution will enhance the County's Water
Resources Laboratory (WRL) management capabilities and grow with its needs.
The WRL is interested in a Software as a Service (SaaS/Cloud) solution. Cloud-based systems must
have a proven track record providing LIMS to a laboratory serving large water utilities or similarly
complex and comprehensive testing facilities. The system must also provide key features, including
regulatory compliance, workflow and sample management, instrument integration, mobile sample
tracking, cloud-based accessibility, and quality assurance/quality control features compliant with
40 CFR 136, 141 and 143.
The County intends to award a contract for this proposal to one (1) service provider. There are no
expressed or implied obligations for the County to reimburse responding service providers for any
expenses incurred in preparing proposals in response to this solicitation. The full cost of proposal
preparation and demonstration (if required) is to be borne by the proposing service provider.
Proposals must be signed by a company official who has the authority to commit company
resources.
The request for proposal and the successful proposal will become part of a written contract
between the County and the proposing service provider. The contract shall be on forms supplied by
the County. A sample contract has been included for review by the proposer's legal counsel.
Finally, all proposed solutions must comply with the Security Requirements (Part V) provided in the
solicitation with any exceptions being itemized and explained in detail.
Service Provider Name
________________________________________________________

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2.0 Background and Current Environment
This Section of the request for proposal provides background on the Water Resources Laboratory,
and relevant systems in operation in the current environment, as well as the planned future
environment.
The DWR distribution system contains 4,110 miles of water pipe, 282,447 meters, and serves
approximately one million residents. As the laboratory supporting DWR operations, the WRL is
responsible for sampling, testing, and reporting on many aspects of the permits required for the
operation of this utility. It is the goal of the WRL to utilize a secure proven information management
system to holistically track, report, and maintain data for permit-related requirements.
The County operates and maintains the WRL for analyzing water, wastewater, and stormwater
samples. Daily, the WRL conducts chemical analyses and microbial testing. Annually, the WRL
performs over 44,000 analyses, totaling over half a million data entry points. This testing is being
conducted to comply with the various regulatory laws, such as the Clean Water Act (specifically,
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)) and the Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA). WRL is currently supported by up to 15 subcontracted specialty laboratories on an as-
needed basis.

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3.0 Scope of Services
3.1 Project Overview
The WRL staff include state-licensed scientists, analysts, interns, quality assurance/quality control
staff, and management, totaling nineteen (19) employees. The WRL has two primary testing
functions, operating as a state-accredited water microbiological lab and a state-compliant
wastewater lab. The County currently utilizes an on-premises version of a LIMS, Accelerated
Technology Laboratories Sample Master, Version 10 (v10.5.0.2). This application is critical for the
management of daily operations such as work scheduling, inventory, calculations, QA/QC, data
entry, archival data, trend analysis, sample preparation logs, sample preparation labels, unique data
identifications, audit trail, and instrument management.
The proposed LIMS must be fully capable of immediate (out-of-box) implementation with full
functionality except for configuration items. The system should not require service provider
customization.
The selected solution will consist of at least the following:
1. All software for a complete and operable system
2. Installation, on-site testing, and startup
3. Warranties, maintenance contracts, and support services
4. Training, including printed materials and an in-person trainer
5. Project management
6. Data migration
7. Instrument parsing setup and support
8. Integration with external solutions that currently support the WRL - electronic integration
with Hach WIMS and ARCGIS
9. Mobile capability to document and upload distribution system sampling location data
Geofencing features are considered optional. If offered, the service provider
o
must detail the integration/interactions of this option with WRL operations and
the County's GIS system
It is the expectation of the County that the service provider will implement a fully functional LIMS,
including upgrades, integrations with other County and WRL systems, and successful testing within
one year of the project start date.
The successful solution will include, and will be evaluated on, not only the software, but also the
service provider's explanation of technical services, ongoing platform hosting and maintenance,
implementation plan, and post-implementation support as described in this request for proposal.
The functions listed throughout this proposal should all work together to provide a comprehensive,
well-integrated, and scalable solution for the WRL.
3.2 Component Systems
The County expects the service provider to provide all the components necessary for a fully
functioning solution - considering each solution component individually, and the collective
components working together. The County anticipates that in a proposed solution with components
from different sources, the service provider will act as the system integrator and be responsible for

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overall implementation, any internal interfaces required, testing, training, and maintenance support
of the complete solution.
The service provider shall be responsible for ensuring continuity and functionality for all
components of the provided solution regardless of the source throughout the contract duration.

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4.0 Proposal Requirements
The service provider is to submit a written proposal that presents an understanding of the work to
be performed. The proposal is to demonstrate and provide evidence that the service provider has
the capabilities, professional expertise, and experience to provide the necessary services as
described in this solicitation. The service provider is to ensure that all information required herein
is submitted with the proposal. An authorized representative of the service provider shall sign the
proposal. The proposal must stand alone and include verifiable documentation to support the
service provider's claims. Since a demonstration of the proposed product is not guaranteed, the
service provider should not rely on that option to relay relevant information about the proposed
solution and should ensure that the solution is adequately described in the proposal.
All service providers should adhere to a standardized technical proposal format outlined in this
proposal. Responses must be received in both electronic and written formats. Submit all electronic
files on a virus-free USB drive.
Responses are to be adequately detailed for the County to properly evaluate the service provider's
capabilities to provide the required services. However, service providers are encouraged to submit
clear and concise responses, and excessive length or extraneous information is discouraged.
Please address the specific issues requested in this solicitation. Submission of excessive
"boilerplate" information, including sales brochures, is discouraged. Elaborate brochures or
presentations beyond what is needed for a complete and effective proposal will not be considered
and are discouraged.
Proposers should not submit website links in lieu of written responses. Website links and any
information contained within may not be reviewed or considered by the County. Service providers
are to respond clearly and concisely to all questions without referring to preprinted materials
(unless the request for proposal specifically requests the service provider to do so) as a response.

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5.0 Proposal Evaluation Process
The County's evaluation process will use the criteria outlined in this section to identify the solution
that best meets the County's business and operational needs, is offered at the best value, and is
submitted by a service provider with expertise and a proven implementation track record for
delivering successful systems. The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, in whole
or in part, to negotiate changes in the scope of services and to waive any technicalities as deemed
in its best interest.
For any sections that have required questions to answer, please label the question with the
corresponding number, re-state the question, and then answer it.
Required Proposal Formatting
Part I Responsiveness
This section of the proposal response should be identified as "SECTION 1 - RESPONSIVENESS"
and include the items listed below in the order indicated below.
Responsiveness: The service provider's ability to follow the proposal preparation instructions
outlined in this solicitation including the presence of all required pages, required signatures,
applicable references, requested documents, etc.
Section 1 of Proposal
a. Include a Cover Sheet as the first page of the proposal response. Include the following
at a minimum:
i. Request for proposal number and name.
ii. The company submitting the proposal response (service provider).
iii. Date of submission.
iv. Point of contact (service provider).
b. Table of Contents that includes all major response headings and page numbers. Note:
all pages in the proposal response should be uniquely numbered.
c. Cover Letter should:
i. Be supplied on company letterhead.
ii. Signed by a person with the corporate authority to enter into any contract which
results from the proposal.
d. Executive Summary should include:
i. Overview of service provider company and all partners that make up the
proposed solution.
ii. List of products/modules that make up the complete proposed solution.
iii. Acknowledgement that service provider has reviewed and understands this RFP
and the scope of services to be provided.
iv. Acknowledgement that the service provider has reviewed and understands and
can fully comply with all Gwinnett County IT security requirements set out herein.

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Part II Experience & Qualifications
This section of the proposal response should be identified as "SECTION 2 - EXPERIENCE &
QUALIFICATIONS " and include the items listed below in the order indicated below.
Experience: (Past performance) The service provider is to document their experience providing,
installing, maintaining, and hosting a LIMS system of similar or larger size and complexity as
requested under this request for proposal. The experience documented should include such factors
as quality of work, control of cost, ability to meet time requirements, and ability to meet the
objectives of the project. If the proposal reflects a team rather than a single service provider, then
experience working as a team should be provided in the proposal. The service provider should use
the outline provided below to provide this information.
Qualifications: (Ability to provide the solution) Provide background on the service provider, such as
the number of years in business and specialized skills of the staff proposed to support this effort.
The service provider is to provide specific information on the qualifications of the available
resources for delivery of the services required under this request for proposal. The service provider
should specifically delineate for each major component of the proposal requirements
(implementation, data conversion, testing, training, cutover, etc.) whether such resources are locally
or remotely located. Independent certifications of the system's security measures should be
provided if available. The service provider should use the outline provided below to provide this
information.
Service Provider Identification Information
Identify the prime service provider information and explain if there are any subcontractors, partners,
or parties that are part of the proposed solution. This should include the information listed below
at a minimum. The prime service provider is solely responsible for the successful implementation
and the performance of the service offered under this proposal for the full duration of the contract,
regardless of the use of subcontractors or partners.
1. Service provider's full company name.
2. Service provider's organizational structure (individual, partnership, or corporation;
private or public; profit or non-profit).
3. If the service provider is a subsidiary of a larger corporate structure, specifically identify
primary firm and any affiliates or subsidiaries (if any) that may be involved in providing
services under this request for proposal.
4. Service provider's headquarters location address and telephone number.
5. Service provider's location address that will be directly responsible for the delivery of
the proposed solution to the County.
6. Provide a summary of the service provider's company history. This should include the
information listed below at a minimum.
a. Dates of inception to present
b. Timelines associated with all acquisitions and changes.
Experience and Qualifications
The service provider and all partners that make up the proposed solution will use the response to
this section to share information related to experience and qualifications that will be used to

RP022-26 Page 9
evaluate the service provider's ability and willingness to provide the proposed solution in the
manner required by the County. If in-house staff and resources must be supported by
subcontractors to accomplish a fully functional solution and hosting services, the service provider
must disclose this in their proposal.
1. Provide the following information regarding the service provider's size.
a. The total number of locations.
i. Include a breakdown of US versus non-US.
b. The total number of full-time technical employees.
i. Include a breakdown of how many at the location serving this project and
how many elsewhere.
c. List professional qualifications and specialized experience of the proposed team
related to implementing solutions of similar scope and magnitude (most
specifically with respect to large organizations and government agencies).
2. If the service provider had a contract terminated for default or unilaterally ended service
for a client during the past three (3) years, please disclose it along with the service
provider's position on the matter(s). If the service provider has experienced no such
terminations for default in the past, indicate as such.
3. Are there any current or past lawsuits against the service provider's company by current
or former clients specifically related to the performance of the software or security
issues?
The LIMS must be an established system, which has been in use for a minimum of three years but
is not near the end of its functional life due to outdated software or an emerging company product
line. The proposed system must have been installed and operated in at least three laboratories
comparable to the WRL for at least 3 years. However, these three installations do not need to be
offered as the references required under Part VIII.
Service Provider's Customers
The service provider must include a list of the service provider's current customers within the United
States who are using the proposed solution. Include the customer's name, size of the
implementation, and years in service.
1. List laboratories serving Governments/Agencies/Utilities that are using the proposed
solution.
a. Identify any laboratories supporting a utility serving 500,000 or more residents.
2. List any in the state of Georgia.
3. Identify other installations which are either on-going or proposed to overlap with the
timeframe associated to this proposed installation effort that might compete for the
respondent's resources or the resources of any of their proposed support team.
a. Detail how these competing responsibilities will be managed to the betterment
of the County's installation.

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Part III Water Resources Laboratory System Requirements
Service providers shall indicate how the service provider can satisfy the County's business needs,
specify system requirements, and identify the capabilities available in the proposed solution as
defined in this section. This section of the proposal response should be identified as "SECTION 3
- WATER RESOURCES LABORATORY SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS" and include the items listed
below in the order indicated below.
In this section, provide specific information including how the features and functions work, the
architecture, supportability, and overall robustness of the solution, as well as an overview of the
complexity and flexibility of the solution and how scalable it is.
The service provider must clearly demonstrate an understanding of the County's objectives and
vision in the proposed solution and the ability to meet the County's requirements.
The WRL system requirements of the LIMS are the basic functions that the software application
should be capable of performing. Functionality is outlined in Part III, sections 3.1-3.10.
For each of the sections listed below, the service provider should indicate to what level the
proposed solution provides the functionality, feature, and use indicated. Service providers should
indicate one of the options listed below for each requirement. Failure to do so will result in that
requirement being scored as "No - Does not meet". The service provider's responses must
coordinate with the requirement numbering. Service providers are encouraged to provide as much
detail as possible if alternative functionality/capabilities are available that partially or alternatively
meet the identified functional requirement.
* YES - Fully meets - the service provider's proposed solution will provide the described
functionality in the system.
* YES - Partially meets - The solution proposed will provide significant portions of the
functionality as described - but cannot fully provide the functionality as described -- (provide
detail relating how the functionality is and is not met).
* NO - Does not meet - the service provider's proposed system is not capable of performing
the function as listed in the requirement.
3.1 Laboratory Operations - The requirements associated with laboratory operations include, at
a minimum:
* Scheduling internal and external sample requests based on turnaround time and
holding time
* Sample collection schedule
* Sample receipt
* Unique sample identification
* Chemical solution inventory and monitoring
* Sample tracking with a read-only audit trail
* Sample analysis
* Equipment maintenance, calibrations, scheduling, and documenting
3.2 Offsite/Field Operations - The requirements specific to distribution system sampling (ZONE,
Water Quality Parameter, etc.) include, at a minimum: