Inactive

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a solicitation Announcement or Request for Quote. It does not constitute any commitment by the Government. No award will result from this notice. The ... This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a solicitation Announcement or Request for Quote. It does not constitute any commitment by the Government. No award will result from this notice. The purpose is to conduct market research to gain knowledge of potentially qualified sources and to determine the capability of Small Business and/or Large Business companies to provide the supplies/services described below. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice will be used by the Government to make an appropriate acquisition decision. Department of Agriculture (ARS) requests responses from ALL socioeconomic categories in order to gain a more complete understanding of the market for these products and service. The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will not award a contract on the basis of responses or pay for the preparation of any information submitted. Respondents will not be notified of the results of this notice. After completing an analysis of the responses, the Government will determine whether to limit competition to 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, Women-Owned, or other small business firms, or to proceed with issuing an unrestricted solicitation, inviting full and open competition. The NAICS code for the expected acquisition is 334516, with a Size Standard of 1,000 employees and the PSC Code is 6630. Any subsequent procurement will be conducted as a commercial item purchased in accordance with FAR Part 12 and as a Simplified Acquisition Procedure in accordance with FAR Part 13. The Department of Agriculture (ARS) has the need for the following products: 001) Single-Cell Analysis System Scope of Work: The UDSA-ARS Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research unit in Ames, IA will be requesting quotes on a Single-Cell Analysis System that meets the technical requirements outline below. Background: Project requires the ability to partition individual eukaryotic cells or nuclei for subsequent RNA capture with unique molecular identifier (UMI) and cell-specific tag followed by cDNA synthesis. Need to recapture the contents of each well for subsequent processing before sequencing. Overall, process allows for single-cell or single-nuclei whole transcriptomic sequencing OR single-targeted RNA assays. Require a system that can partition individual cells or nuclei by gravity into individual wells of a plate for subsequent RNA capture and cDNA synthesis with reagents compatible for single cell/nuclei analysis. Some instruments/methods partition a cell/nuclei with reagents into an individual droplet, but it can be difficult to partition larger cells and droplet based systems limit the ability to assess the number of partitioned cells prior to making next step decisions (sequencing, which is expensive). Also, the ability to capture at least 20,000 cells is needed to get a good representation of different cell types from complex animal tissues. Thus, a partitioning system that is small, portable, and does not rely on droplet generation is desired for isolating single cells (from mix of complex cell types) or nuclei. The imaging of the partitioned cells is needed to make decisions on whether to proceed with next steps. In addition, the ability to develop targeted RNA assays (as opposed to always performing sequencing) is desired for targeted biological questions. In the future, a gravity-based system may be adapted to other uses, including bacteria capture and sequencing. Technical Requirements: Partitioning mechanism must rely on gravity and partitioning of cells into microwells in cartridge or other retrievable system (not droplets). Cell partitioning instrument must not have microfluidics channels. Must be able to partition up to 20,000 cells or nuclei per sample (more if multiplexing samples) with capture efficiencies > 0.75. System must provide metrics on number of cells partitioned prior to library preparation for sequencing. Partitioning component of system must be small and portable (no electronics) to take into a biosafety cabinet (< 15lb, fit in BSC (max of 20in x 20in x 20 in). Imager must fit foot print of no more than 25in wide, 30 in deep, and 35 in high. Must not require network access for partitioning and imaging steps. (5 points) System must be able to partition cells of different sizes and complexity in similar proportions evidenced through peer review publication or company technical note. Reagents must be compatible with library preparation kits for short-read sequencing (preferably Illumina based sequencing for consistence with previously acquired data). System must have ability to assess viability of cells prior to partitioning. System should have evidence of partitioning wide range of eukaryotic cell types, including neutrophils through publication or reviewed technical note. Reagents must be streamlined for oligo-labeled antibody technology (combining protein labeling an RNA sequencing) or multiplexing assays. Working protocols and compatibility with BD FACS Aria (already existing in research group) for enriching cell populations prior to partitioning is required. System quote must include installation. Brand Name or Equal: BD Rhapsody Scanner (Part #: 633701) and BD Rhapsody Express (Part #: 633701). Government Furnished: Access to USDA Building 20 Flow cytometry core lab (3rd floor) will be required for installation and training. Evaluation Factors Technical requirements – Offered products must have all of the technical capabilities/features outlined in the "Technical Requirements" section of the solicitation with documentation provided by the vendor as part of their capabilities statement testifying to the products ability to meet the technical requirement. Price – The lowest price product that meets the evaluation factor one (1) will receive the final award when quotes are requested. Past Performance Must be able to deliver within 45 days of award and provide training no more than 30 days after delivery (i.e. within 75 days after award). Key Deliverables: Single-Cell Analysis System Single-Cell Scanner Single-Cell Partitioning Device (Microwell Gravity Partitioning Instrument and Microwell Imager) Delivery Instillation Training Delivery: Complete system to be delivered to USDA, ATTN: PO #, 1920 Dayton Avenue, Building 24, Ames, IA 50010 within 45 days from date of award and training no more than an additional 30 days after delivery (i.e. within 75 days after award). The vendor shall provide all items F.O.B: destination. Location of the Government site is aboard USDA-ARS Ames, IA and will be identified in the contract. The Government anticipates award of a Firm Fixed Price contract. Capability Statement: Companies who have the experience, as well as an interest in doing business with ARS, should submit a Capabilities Statement which, for this notice, is not expected to be a proposal, but rather short statements regarding the company’s ability to demonstrate their expertise and experience in relation to the areas specified in this notice. Companies should also indicate whether they are a Small Business, SBA-certified HUBZone, SBA-certified 8(a), SDVOSB, or Women-Owned Small Business. To be eligible, all vendors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) with a current and active registration. A DUNS (Dun and Bradstreet) number is required in order to register in SAM. A vendor can contact SAM by calling 1-866-606-8220 or e-mail at www.sam.gov. NO EXCEPTIONS. Vendor must include their DUNS# on their capability statements. To be eligible, all vendors must also be registered in SAM under the specific NAICS code listed as part of this sources sought. If a prospective vendor is not registered under the specified NAICS code and would qualify to be registered under it then they must update their SAM registration prior to providing a capabilities statement. Finally, to be eligible, all vendors must be NDAA 889 Certified. If they do not currently have a NDAA 889 Certification, then they must complete the attached NDAA 889 Certification form and submit it to aaron.dimeo@usda.gov so that they can be added to the list of NDAA 889 Certified vendors. Submitting a Capability Statements: Responses should be submitted via email to aaron.dimeo@usda.gov by Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. CST. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. Questions should be directed to Aaron Dimeo at aaron.dimeo@usda.gov by no later than Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. (CST). Disclaimer: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Respondents are also advised that under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of information or provide feedback about any of the information received. After review of the responses received, the Government may issue a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation. No proprietary, sensitive, confidential or classified information shall be included with your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation.