Active

Contract Opportunity

Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) are an official government contracting resource for small businesses. Find your local PTAC (opens in new window) for free government expertise related to contract opportunities.

(i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

(ii) The solicitation number is 75N95023Q00280 and the solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). The anticipated award date is June 17, 2023.

This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures; and FAR Part 12—Acquisition of Commercial Items, and is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.

(iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) Number 2023-02, with effective date 03/16/2023.

(iv) The associated NAICS code is 334516 - ANALYTICAL LABORATORY INSTRUMENT MANUFACTURING and the small business size standard is 1,000 employees. This requirement is not set-aside to small business.

(v) The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation’s leading medical research agency and the primary Federal agency whose mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability, conducting, supporting and making medical discoveries that improve people’s health and save lives.

NINDS is one of 27 Institutes and Centers at the NIH and its mission is to to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease for all people.

The NINDS Division of Intramural Research (DIR) is the internal research program of the NINDS and is among the largest neuroscience research centers in the world. It is home to more than 500 scientists who conduct leading-edge basic, translational, and clinical research in neuroscience, neurology, and neurosurgery research at NINDS laboratories in Bethesda, Maryland.

The Synaptic Functions Section focuses on mechanisms regulating axonal transport that is essential for the maintenance of synaptic function and axonal homeostasis. Using genetic mouse models, the lab is addressing several fundamental questions: (1) how mitochondrial transport is regulated to sense changes in synaptic activity, mitochondrial integrity, axon injury and pathological stress; (2) how neurons coordinate late endocytic transport and autophagy-lysosomal function to maintain cellular homeostasis and distal degradation capacity; (3) how impaired transport contributes to synaptic dysfunction and axonal pathology in neurodegenerative diseases. These studies have led to the identification of three motor adaptor and anchoring proteins (syntaphilin, Snapin, and syntabulin) that regulate axonal transport of mitochondria, endo-lysosomes, autophagosomes, and synaptic cargoes. The long-term goal of the laboratory is to decipher mechanisms (1) boosting axonal and synaptic energy metabolism and (2) enhancing autophagy-lysosomal function for efficient clearance of dysfunctional organelles and aggregated proteins that are associated with major neurodegenerative diseases. Pursuing these investigations will advance our knowledge of fundamental processes that may affect human neurological disorders.

The current projects carrying on in the lab largely depends on cell biology researches. Cell culture is broadly used in all kinds of biochemical studies to investigate the protein levels, functions, interactions, and approved animal study protocol (ASP1303-21).

Thus, NINDS DIR Synaptic Functions Section requires a fully automated and standardized tissue dissociation or homogenization GentleMACS Octo Dissociator with Heaters (brand name or equal) for the quality control of the lab’s primary cultures. Tissue dissociation is the essential basis for primary cell culture to yield cells with high viability and a minimum of cell debris. Hence, a standardized tissue dissociation protocol is critical for reliable and reproducible cellular analysis. Research at the Synaptic Function Section (SFS) aims to investigate the role of mitochondrial metabolism in neurodegenerative diseases. Primary cell culture from rodent is restricted to the embryonic stage due to the technical difficulty that tissue dissociation of postnatal/adult/aged brain requires sophisticated mechanical and enzymatic treatment to successfully disaggregate the tightly connected neural cells. Therefore, a fully automated and standardized tissue dissociation is critical to improve the quality and viability of primary neurons from postnatal/adult/aged brains from rodent models of neurodegenerative diseases.

(vi) The Purchase Description (PD) with a description of the products to be acquired is included as an attachment to this Solicitation.

The Synaptic Functions Section, at the Division of Intramural Research (DIR), within the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) seeks to purchase a fully automated and standardized tissue dissociation or homogenization for the quality control of the lab samples.

(vii) The Government anticipates award of a firm fixed-price purchase order for this acquisition, and the anticipated delivery date within 45 days after contractor receipt of order (ARO). Delivery shall be FOB Destination and shall be delivered to NIH/NINDS Synaptic Function Section, located at 35 Convent Dr, Bethesda MD 20892, USA between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except on Federal Holidays).

(viii) The provision at FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at these addresses: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html

(End of provision)

The following provisions apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference:

• FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Oct 2018)


• FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020)


• FAR 52.211-6, Brand Name or Equal (Aug 1999)


• FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021)


• FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Dec 2023)


• FAR 52.214-34 Submission of Offers in the English Language (Apr 1991)


• FAR 52.214-35 Submission of Offers in U.S. Currency (Apr 1991)


• FAR 52.225-25 Prohibition on Contracting With Entities Engaging in Certain Activities or Transactions Relating to Iran—Representation and Certifications (Jun 2020)


• HHSAR 352.239-73, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Notice (December 18, 2015)

The clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at these addresses:

https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html

(End of clause)

The following clauses apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference:

• FAR 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018)


• FAR 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020)


• FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Dec 2022). Addendum to this FAR clause applies to this acquisition and is attached.


• FAR 52.225-2 Buy American Certificate (Oct 2022)


• FAR 52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (Feb 2021)


• HHSAR 352.239-74, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility (December 18, 2015)

The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are attached in full text. Offerors MUST complete the provisions at 52.204-24 and 52.204-26 and submit completed copies as separate documents with their proposal.

• FAR 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021)


• FAR 52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation (Oct 2020)


• FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (May 2022)


• Invoice and Payment Provisions with and without IPP (Mar 2023)

The following clauses is attached and in included in full text:

• FAR 52.225-2 Buy American Certificate (Oct 2022)

(ix) The Government will perform a comparative evaluation of responses in accordance with FAR 13.106-2(b) to award a purchase order from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose response meets the solicitation’s requirements and, as a whole, provides the best value, considering price and other factors in this solicitation.

The evaluation will compare: (a) Technical capability of the service offered to meet the Government requirement; (b) Price; and (c) Past Performance as defined under FAR 13.106-2(b)(3). If only one quotation is received it will be evaluated on the preceding basis.

Responses may exceed capability or performance characteristics of the solicitation’s requirements. The Government reserves the right, but is not required, to award to a response that exceeds capability or performance characteristics of the solicitation’s requirements if it provides a benefit to the Government; and the Government is not requesting or accepting alternate proposal(s).

(x) The Offerors are to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Dec 2022), with offers. If the offeror has completed FAR provision 52.212-3 at www.sam.gov, then the offeror does not need to provide a completed copy with its offer.

(xi) The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Dec 2022), applies to this acquisition. Addendum to this FAR clause applies to this acquisition and is attached.

(xii) The following additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions as determined by the contracting officer are necessary for this acquisition and consistent with customary commercial practices.

There are no additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions applicable to this acquisition.

(xiii) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement.

(xiv) Responses to this solicitation must include sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capabilities of providing the service. The quote must be for a firm-fixed-price total amount inclusive of all costs and fees and include. any other information or factors that may be considered in the award decision.

The Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov, the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.

All quotations must be received by 9 a.m., Eastern Time, on May 17, 2023, and reference Solicitation Number 75N95023Q00280. Responses must be submitted electronically to Renato Gomes at renato.gomes@nih.gov.

Fax responses will not be accepted.

Attachments:

• Purchase Description


• FAR 52.204-24, Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021)


• FAR 52.204-26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation (Oct 2020)


• Addendum to FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Products and Commercial Services.


• FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders–Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Mar 2023)


• FAR 52.225-2 Buy American Certificate (Oct 2022)


• Invoice and Payment Provisions with and without IPP (Apr 2022)

Attachments/Links