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Shipping of Donor Screening Samples Product Service Code: V999 – Transportation/Travel/Relocation - Other: Other NAICS Code: 541380 – Testing Laboratories and Services Place of Performance: National I... Shipping of Donor Screening Samples Product Service Code: V999 – Transportation/Travel/Relocation - Other: Other NAICS Code: 541380 – Testing Laboratories and Services Place of Performance: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center 10 Center Drive Building 10, Room TBD Bethesda, MD 20892 POTS: 25-004172 Description: This is a notice of intent, not a request for a quotation. A solicitation document will not be issued, and quotations will not be requested. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Purchasing and Contracts (OPC), on behalf of the Center for Cellular Engineering (CCE), Clinical Center (CC), intends to award a one-year, firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract to MNX Global Logistics, located in Long Beach, CA 90815-1273, for courier and express delivery services. The Department of Transfusion Medicine (DTM) collects donor products, including whole blood, platelets, and cellular therapy products. These products must undergo testing before being transfused into patients for life-saving purposes. This testing is mandated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and must be completed within a short timeframe. Additionally, the samples must be handled according to specific shipping and sample suitability requirements, ensuring they are received at the testing facility within a set timeframe. This includes shipping seven days a week with guaranteed overnight delivery. MNX Global Logistics is the only known source capable of providing the required delivery services. They offer a comprehensive delivery management system, which includes online scheduling for shipments seven days a week, the ability to pick up packages from specific locations at designated times (either the Transfusion-Transmitted Viruses Laboratory in the Department of Transfusion Medicine or the platelet center at Fishers Lane), scheduling flights from local airports based on time constraints, providing courier service to the airline's cargo area, and tracking and notifying of flight statuses to ensure timely delivery. The package is then received at Tampa Airport, where it is picked up by the CTS Courier service. The samples require guaranteed overnight delivery, including on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays, which most courier services cannot ensure. For these critical blood products to be used as life-saving measures, they must be tested for infectious disease markers within a specific timeframe, with results available before transfusion. Some blood products, such as granulocytes and platelets, have very short lifespans, and testing must be completed quickly for the products to be transfused. This necessitates a shipping service that guarantees overnight delivery to allow the testing facility to conduct the required tests within the designated timeframe. Additionally, the samples must meet specific suitability requirements for storage and shipping timeframes. If the samples do not arrive at the testing facility within the required time and in suitable condition, the donor products associated with those samples must be discarded, preventing their use as life-saving measures, which directly impacts patient care and can result in potential loss of life. There are no other known delivery sources capable of guaranteeing overnight delivery for Friday shipments, nor are there any that will pick up or deliver shipments on Saturdays or holidays. Due to the critical nature of these samples—specifically the sample suitability requirements and the need for timely testing, as outlined above—MNX is the only known reliable provider that can perform these services. MNX Global Logistics will provide guaranteed overnight transport services for donor samples collected at the NIH Department of Transfusion Medicine donor center to Creative Testing Solutions (CTS) in Tampa, Florida, both daily and on an as-needed basis. This service includes organizing the flight to ensure the shipment arrives at CTS overnight (within 12 hours), picking up the box from DTM at the requested time, delivering the box to the correct airline at the airport, monitoring the shipment to confirm its delivery, and notifying DTM of any issues that may arise during transit. The contractor shall provide donor sample shipments requiring guaranteed overnight delivery, Monday through Saturday, or on an ad-hoc basis. Blood products intended for transfusion as life-saving measures must be tested for infectious disease markers, with results available prior to their use. Some blood products, such as granulocytes and platelets, have very short lifespans, requiring testing to be completed quickly for the product to be transfused. Due to these critical requirements, it is essential that shipments be guaranteed for overnight delivery, ensuring the testing facility can conduct the necessary tests within the required timeframe. Additionally, the samples must meet specific suitability requirements regarding storage and shipping timeframes. If the samples are not received at the testing facility within the required timeframe and in suitable condition, the associated donor products must be discarded, directly impacting patient care. The contractor shall have a plan in place to ensure there are no delays or interruptions in service. Courier and Shipping Requirements: Shipments will be picked up from the specified locations within 30 minutes of the documented pickup time, as communicated on the website or by phone. The vendor will notify the ordering site of any courier delays and provide the estimated time for resolution in a timely manner. The courier must immediately notify the sending facility of any delays. While this can be done through the contractor, the contractor must ensure the sending facility is notified as soon as possible to resolve the delay. If a courier delay requires dispatching a replacement courier, the vendor must inform the sending facility promptly to facilitate the resolution. Shipping Notifications: The vendor will notify the Transfusion-Transmitted Viruses Laboratory of the expected shipment arrival or any delays. Email notifications will be sent for updates regarding the shipment, including changes, pickup, and delivery statuses. Phone calls will be made to the provided contact numbers to report delays. The vendor will notify the Transfusion-Transmitted Viruses Laboratory once the shipment has arrived at the final destination. Delivery Locations: Primary Destination: Creative Testing Solutions 10100 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. North St. Petersburg, Florida 33716 The shipment will usually be labeled “HOLD FOR PICKUP at Tampa,” as the CTS courier will collect the box from the airport and deliver it to the final destination. Other Destinations: Shipments to other locations will be handled on an ad-hoc basis. Fort Detrick Destination: NIAID Integrated Research Facility 8200 Research Plaza Fort Detrick, MD 21702 This acquisition is being conducted under the policies outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures, Subpart 13.106-1(b)(1). For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), contracting officers may solicit from a single source if they determine that only one source is reasonably available based on the circumstances of the contract action. Contracts awarded under FAR Part 13 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the competition requirements outlined in FAR Part 6. Interested parties may express their interest and capabilities in response to this posting. The Government’s decision not to compete the proposed requirement based on responses to this notice is at the sole discretion of the Government. Comments regarding this announcement, referencing the posting number, may be submitted to the Office of Purchasing and Contracts, Clinical Center (CC), prior to the closing date specified in this notice. Submissions should be made electronically to the attention of Shasheshe Goolsby, Lead Contract Specialist, at shasheshe.goolsby@nih.gov by February 28, 2025, at 1:00 PM EST.