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Q301--Media Fill Testing for Clean Room Compliance - Pharmacy Base 4 years

VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF.VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF.249-NETWORK CONTRACT OFFICE 9 (36C249) · Response deadline: Wed, 28 Oct 2026

What the government is buying

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contract Office 9, is soliciting services for media fill testing for clean room compliance in a pharmacy setting. This is a base contract with a duration of four years.

Media fill testing is a critical quality assurance process used in pharmaceutical compounding environments. It involves simulating sterile drug preparation using a growth-promoting microbiological medium instead of actual medication to verify that aseptic techniques and clean room conditions prevent microbial contamination. This testing is required for compliance with standards such as USP <797> (pharmaceutical compounding—sterile preparations) and helps ensure patient safety in VA pharmacy operations.

The specific scope, testing frequency, clean room classification levels, and performance standards for this contract see the solicitation.

Key facts

Who can bid

This is a full and open competition with no small business set-aside. Any responsible offeror—large or small business—may bid, provided they meet the requirements in the solicitation.

Given the NAICS code 541380 (Testing Laboratories), relevant bidders typically include:

• Commercial environmental microbiology laboratories
• Pharmaceutical testing firms with clean room validation expertise
• Contract research organizations with USP <797> compliance capabilities
• Firms holding relevant accreditions such as ISO/IEC 17025 or state laboratory certifications

Small businesses are encouraged to evaluate whether they can meet all technical, staffing, and credentialing requirements, as they will compete directly with larger firms.

How to put together a competitive bid

For testing laboratory services in a federal healthcare environment, focus your proposal on:

Technical approach and methodology. Describe your media fill testing protocol in detail—sample collection procedures, incubation parameters, environmental monitoring integration, and documentation standards. Specify how your methods align with current USP <797> requirements and any VA-specific directives.

Qualifications and credentials. Highlight your laboratory's certifications, analyst training records, and experience with compounding pharmacy environments. Include relevant past performance references from hospital or federal pharmacy clients, if available.

Quality assurance and reporting. Explain your data management system, turnaround times for results reporting, and procedures for handling out-of-specification results. Federal pharmacy operations prioritize rapid notification of contamination events.

Pricing strategy. Structure your pricing to cover four years of base-period services. Consider whether the VA anticipates fixed-price per-test arrangements, time-and-materials, or another structure. See the solicitation for pricing instructions and any cost ceilings.

Past performance. Prepare documentation of comparable contracts, especially those involving sterile compounding facilities, federal healthcare providers, or long-term service agreements.

Next steps

1. Retrieve the full solicitation on SAM.gov using solicitation number 36C24927Q0020
2. Review all attachments for the complete statement of work, deliverable requirements, evaluation criteria, and any amendments
3. Confirm place of performance and any site visits or pre-bid conferences in the solicitation documents
4. Submit your proposal before the deadline: October 28, 2026, at 3:00 PM Eastern Time

View the official notice on SAM.gov →