Inactive

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Thoracic & GI Malignancies Branch (TGMB) has a need for Brand Name or Equal MSD... The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Thoracic & GI Malignancies Branch (TGMB) has a need for Brand Name or Equal MSD MESO QuickPlex SQ 120MM Plate Reader This is a Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for commercial items, prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice, and shall be processed in accordance with FAR Part 13– Simplified Acquisition Procedures. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation that will be provided in relation to the stated need contained herein. This solicitation is issued as a Request for Quote (RFQ) and includes applicable provisions and clauses in effect through FAR Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2023-04 (06/02/2023). The requirement’s North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 334516 Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing with a size standard of 1000 employees. One Firm-Fixed-Priced award is anticipated to be made as a result of this solicitation. BACKGROUND The Thoracic & GI Malignancies Branch (TGMB) conducts clinical trials of new therapies to treat patients with thoracic and GI cancers who have failed standard treatments. TC-510 is a novel cell therapy that consists of autologous genetically engineered T cells and currently investigated in the interventional clinical phase I/II trial NCT05451849. In support of this ongoing clinical trial, the TGMB requires an MSD MESO QuickPlex SQ 120MM Plate Reader to measure two distinct biomarkers: soluble mesothelin-related peptide (SMRP) and megakaryocyte potentiating factor (MPF). BRAND NAME OR EQUAL This requirement is for the procurement of one (1) new, commercially available Brand Name or Equal Bio-Rad ChemiDoc MP Imaging System and associated instrumentation. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision FAR 52.211-6, Brand Name or Equal (AUG 1999) is applicable to this requirement. TYPE OF ORDER This will be issued as a Firm Fixed-Price Purchase Order. SPECIAL ORDER REQUIREMENTS PRODUCT FEATURES/SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS The following minimum product features/characteristics are required: Equipment shall be a compact benchtop model, no larger than 22” H x 15” W x 25” D. Shall enable the detection of single biomarkers (single-plex) as well as the simultaneous detection of multiple biomarkers (multiplex) in one sample. Shall be designed to be highly reliable during all assay processing steps. Shall facilitate a low background; the assay background shall essentially be at zero. Capability to conduct electrochemiluminescence-based assays at high sensitivity; must have limits of detection as low as 0.05 to 1pg/ml. Capability to detect and precisely quantify a wide dynamic range of biomarkers with high and low expression levels (low to elevated abundance analytes) in a single sample, without the need of preparing multiple sample dilutions. The dynamic range must be greater than or equal to 105 to detect biological responses within a broad range in a single assay run. Shall utilize immunoassay methodology with an enzyme conjugate that does not require blocking to minimize variability. Must accommodate a large variety of sample types, including supernatant, serum, plasma, and whole blood. Must have a fast sample throughput time; less than 2 minutes per plate are expected. Must have a user-friendly interface and be equipped with appropriate software for running assays. Additional Requirements Must include a minimum of 12-month manufacturer’s warranty. Quotes must include all shipping costs. Must include a minimum of 12-month maintenance support services as a part of the manufacturer’s warranty, to include all labor, material, and equipment necessary to repair or replace the system. Support service shall be available Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm EST, excluding Federal Holidays. Contractor must confirm the instrument meets the Buy American Act for manufacture and assembling. Failing to do so could result in exclusion from award. NOTE: NCI will not be responsible for any shipping charges not listed in the quotation. DELIVERY / INSTALLATION Delivery shall be within forty-five (45) calendar days of the purchase order award. All shipping/handling (including FOB) and delivery/installation fees shall be included in the quote. Upon delivery, the Contractor shall notify the respective NCI Technical Point of Contact, TBD, to schedule installation dates and times. Installation shall occur within one (1) business day of delivery and shall be performed by, or under the direct supervision of, an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) certified technician. Equipment shall be delivered to and installed at the following address: Bethesda, MD 20892 Note that access to the NIH campus is restricted. As such all Contractor personnel will be required to access campus via designated entrances where they are subject to security screening. Also, due to the current COVID-19 Pandemic there maybe additional access restrictions. Please refer to the NIH Security and Access site for more details: (www.nih.gov/about-nih/visitor-information/campus-access-security). • A minimum 12-month manufacturer warranty must be included • Shipping/Handling costs must be included in the quote. NCI will not be responsible in the event charges are not included in the quote. • Installation charges must be included in the quote. TRAINING The Contractor shall provide one (1) training session for up to six (6) NCI staff at the location of delivery. Training shall take place within seven (7) days of equipment installation and will be facilitated by a factory-trained product specialist. Training shall include an overview of setup approaches, maintaining instrument settings, establishing operational voltages, and software usage for custom instrument configurations, as well as a demonstration of the performance. All training expenses, including materials and or travel expenses, shall be included in the quoted price. WARRANTY The Contractor shall warrant that any instruments, equipment, components, or other supplies (“Supplies”) procured by this purchase are free of defects in design, material, or manufacture for a period of 12-months from date of installation. The Contractor shall warrant that all consumables or expendable parts are free of defects in design, material, or manufacture for a period of at least 90 calendar days from date of acceptance by the Government. Supplies which are repaired or replaced shall be warranted for the remainder of the initial warranty period or for 90-days – whichever is greater. 2-months of Technical Support shall be included in the warranty. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE Pursuant to FAR clause 52.212-4, all work described in the SOW to be delivered under this purchase order is subject to final inspection and acceptance by an authorized representative of the Government. The authorized representative of the Government is the NCI Technical Point of Contact: TPOC: TBD The TPOC is responsible for inspection and acceptance of all services, materials, or supplies to be provided by the Contractor. Regardless of format, all digital content or communications materials produced as a deliverable under this purchase order, shall conform to applicable Section 508 Standards to allow Federal employees and members of the public with disabilities to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access to and use of information and data by Federal employees or by members of the public who are not individuals with disabilities. Remediation of any materials that do not comply with the applicable Section 508 requirements as set forth below, shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. HHS guidance regarding accessibility of documents can be found at: https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html Federal Government-wide guidance regarding accessibility of documents can be found at https://www.section508.gov/, including the documents describing the preferred method of authoring and testing documents produced in Microsoft Word 2013 or later, Microsoft Excel, and files formatted as PDF. QUOTE SUBMISSION / EVALUATION (52.212-1 ADDENDA) GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS This Request for Quotation (RFQ) does not commit the Government to pay any cost for the preparation and submission of a quote. In addition, the Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with this proposed acquisition. By submitting a quote in response to this solicitation, it is understood that your firm’s quote shall become a part of the official contract file. The Government is not responsible for locating or securing any information which the Quoter does not include or identify in their quotation. ORGANIZATION OF QUOTE Quotes must be prepared in two SEPARATE volumes: Volume I - "Technical", Volume II - "Price". Each volume shall be separate and complete in itself so that the evaluation of one may be accomplished independently of the evaluation of the other. The solicitation reference number, 75N91023Q00177, shall be included on the front cover of each volume. QUOTATION SUBMISSIONS Quotations submitted in response to this solicitation must be submitted via email no later than 12:00 P.M. EST on Friday, August 25, 2023 (8/25/23) to the points of contract listed below: Name: David Romley, Contract Specialist Email: David.Romley@nih.gov Quoters may submit more than one quote. If multiple quotes are provided, the Government will evaluate each quote separately. All quotations shall provide enough information for the Government to conduct a thorough evaluation of the quotes provided, and the quoter’s ability to fulfill the stated needs within this RFQ. At a minimum all quotes shall include in the following: Cover letter including: RFQ Number Federal Tax Identification Number (TIN); Unique Entity Identifier (UEI); Cage Code; Business size and designation (i.e., Small, Other than Small); The applicable solicitation number for which the quote is provided; Point of Contact Information for individuals authorized to commit on behalf of their organization. Including name, address, and telephone number of the offeror; "Remit to" address, if different than the mailing address; Include a statement to the effect that pricing is firm for a period of at least 60 days from the date of receipt thereof by the Government. Pricing and discount terms; Acknowledgement of Solicitation Amendments; Terms of any Express Warranty; A completed copy of the representations and certifications at Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3(b)) for those representations and certifications that the offeror shall complete electronically)(See attachment to the Combined Synopsis Solicitation); A technical description of the items/services being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary. Note: It’s the Quoter’s responsibility to read the RFQ and all related documents carefully. Additionally, it is the Quoter’s responsibility to ensure/verify the Government receives its submission on or before the date/time specified above. The Government reserves the right to not accept any late quotes, any quote that does not provide items/services requested, or quotes that do not conform to the requirements of the RFQ. Please do not wait until the deadline to submit your quotation. Quotes submitted by any other means other than email will not be accepted. All emails must include the Solicitation number 75N91023Q00177 in the subject line. BASIS FOR AWARD AND EVALUATION An award will be made to the firm that submits the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) quote that is technically acceptable in accordance with the required need outlined above. A technically acceptable quote is one in which the quoter(s) complies with the requirements in the SON and does not take exception, nor object to the terms of the RFQ. Quotes that are not technically acceptable will not be considered for award. Award will be made on an all or none basis. The Government reserves the right to assess the lowest priced quote only. If the lowest priced quote is found to be technically unacceptable, the Government will then assess the second lowest priced quote, and continue this process until an award can be made. If you are providing an “equal” product, you must submit additional documentation that highlights and describes how your offering is equal in accordance with FAR Clause 52.211-6. The Government intends to evaluate quotations and make an award without conducting “discussions.” Quotes which merely offer to conduct services in accordance with the requirements of the Government's scope of work will not be eligible for award. Therefore, the Quoter’s initial quote should contain the best terms from a price and technical standpoint. The Government reserves the right to request revisions that seek additional price discounts revisions to the technical quote, or clarifications for aspects of the quote. If the Government seeks revisions or clarifications, the Government will provide a reasonable deadline for submission of those revisions/clarifications based on the complexity of the request. The Government reserves the right to request revisions or clarifications from only one or a select number of Quoters, if doing so would be in the public’s interest. The Government may reject any or all quotes if such action is in the public interest; accept other than the lowest quote; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in quotes received.