Inactive

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intends to award a Time and Materials contract modification to Abt Associates under contract 200-2020-08150 for COVID-19 research under “COVID-19 Cohort ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intends to award a Time and Materials contract modification to Abt Associates under contract 200-2020-08150 for COVID-19 research under “COVID-19 Cohort Studies” which encompasses 7 tasks associated with prospective cohort studies of the risk and disease epidemiology of COVID -19 and other co-circulating respiratory pathogens among five US population groups. The contract's provisions include enrollment of participants, collection of sera and nasal swabs, performance of active surveillance for a defined study period and identification and tracking of qualifying events as defined in the study protocol. Contractor delivers datasets and analytic tables to CDC. Abt Associates is the only contractor capable of providing the services required at eh level of quality required because the services are unique or highly specialized. Abt Associates is uniquely qualified to meet CDC's specific needs for additional research activities because they have built a pandemic research infrastructure that includes SARS-CoV-2 specific protocols, procedures, instruments, and data gathering, management, and analysis systems for study of COVID-19 in the US. Abt Associates customized previously developed influenza surveillance capacity in order to establish COVID-19 cohorts in 8 study sites across the US, involving over 2,800 enrolled participants. Their highly trained and specialized research staff perform activities that support CDC’s collection of critical epidemiological data, including management of IRB approved protocols and procedures, utilization of REDCap data systems, implementation of laboratory methods to collect and process respiratory and blood specimens, and compilation of critical data that informs development of CDC’s public health guidance for ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Abt Associates have created and are implementing multiple innovative solutions to conduct COVID-19 vaccine research, including methods to ship self-collected nasal specimens via the express mail service using specially designed collection kits and shipping materials that must meet FDA and corporate regulations. They also have created and use a phone text based surveillance system that can identify COVID-19 symptoms, trigger specimen collection, and assess illness duration and medical care. These capacities and associated skill set are unique and impossible to replicate elsewhere under the current emergency circumstances. The required work for this modification builds on and customizes an essential research infrastructure that does not existing in any other study in the US. In fact, there is only one other cohort in the world, the INSPIRE cohort in UK, that has similar methodology (weekly SARS-CoV-2 testing and periodic serological testing) as Abt's RECOVER essential workers cohort. Results of the RECOVER cohort have had substantial influence on CDC national recommendations for vaccination and mask use (see New England Journal of Medicine 2021; DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2107058) This contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B). Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, all quotations/responses received within fifteen (15) days of the issuance of this notice will be considered by the government. A determination by the government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Any quotation/response should be emailed to Christina McMichael at wpn6@cdc.gov by 5:00 PM EST on August 14, 2021.