The Medical University of South Carolina, in accordance with South Carolina Procurement Code, Section 11-35-1560 and regulation 19-445.2105, intends to award without competition, a sole source contract to Olympus America. The Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology along with the Hollings Cancer Center is requesting the renewal of the maintenance agreement of the Olympus FV1200MPE (Fluoview), a multiphoton microscope system, originally purchased with PO FA125707NT in 2013. The system has been optimized for infrared laser transmission and precise and careful treatment of the IR laser to maximize multiphoton excitation efficiency and resolution in order to image deep within fixed or live samples, which is essential for research needs. Olympus is the exclusive provider of service for the FV12000MPE (Fluoview). Any service work performed by another vendor would render the warranty null and void.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. Any responsible sources who wish to identify their interest and capability to provide these services must notify the Procurement Officer at walsar@musc.edu no later than January 29, 2021, (12:00 a.m. EST). Telephone responses will not be accepted. Upon receipt of the interested parties’ notification, the Procurement Officer will determine whether to conduct a competitive procurement or proceed with sole source negotiations.

PROTESTS (MAY 2019): If you are aggrieved in connection with the intended award of this contract, you may be entitled to protest, but only as provided in §11-35-4210. To protest an intended award of a contract pursuant to §11-35-1560, you shall (i) notify the chief procurement officer in writing of your intent to protest within five (5) business days of the date this intent to award is posted, and (ii) if the appropriate chief procurement officer has been timely notified of your intent to protest, you may submit your actual protest within fifteen days of the date this notice of intent to award is posted. Days are calculated as provided in §11-35-310(13). Both protests and notices of intent to protest must be in writing and must be received by the appropriate Chief Procurement Officer within the time provided. The grounds of the protest and the relief requested must be set forth with enough particularity to give notice of the issues to be decided.

Any protest or notice of intent to protest must be addressed to the Chief Procurement Officer, Materials Management Office, and submitted in writing (a) by email to: protest-mmo@mmo.sc.gov or (b) by post or delivery to: 1201 Main Street, Suite 600, Columbia, SC 29201