Inactive

INTRODUCTION This is a Small Business Sources Sought (SBSS) notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information reg... INTRODUCTION This is a Small Business Sources Sought (SBSS) notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. This notice is issued to help determine the availability and type of qualified Small Business companies technically capable of meeting this potential government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. The notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. The information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method including small business socio-economic set-aside possibilities and to determine the availability of qualified Small Business companies technically capable of meeting the Government’s potential requirement. All Small Business companies with the capability and availability to perform the requirement under the applicable NAICS code are invited to submit a response to this notice. NORTH AMERICAN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE The NAICS code applicable to this requirement is 325199 All Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing with size standard 1250 employees. Background 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. The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the NIH is missioned to catalyze the generation of innovative methods and technologies that will enhance the development, testing and implementation of diagnostics and therapeutics across a wide range of human diseases and conditions. The RNAi facility was established to provide intramural researchers with access to the equipment and expertise necessary to conduct genome-wide RNAi screens in mammalian cells. This facility works as a collaborative resource for doing RNAi assay development, screening, and initial follow up. This facility works with investigators to develop and optimize their assays for screening, conduct the screens and related informatics analyses, then performs follow-up screens on promising leads. Further work is done on downstream biology required to produce quality publications of the groundbreaking results achieved. The subject potential requirement will enable the facility to develop a flexible functional genomics platform to offer complementary and orthogonal CRISPR screens to NIH intramural investigators. A state-of-the-art sgRNA library is required that follows the RNAi workflow used in this facility and to facilitate the NCATS’ RNAi screening program in which provides intramural researchers with access to equipment and expertise necessary to conduct large-scale functional genomics screening. Chemical syntheses will increase manufacturing consistency and will eliminate biological variability, thereby enabling robust analytical characterization at NCATS. Further, the synthetic production of RNA will allow for chemical modifications that improve the intra-cellular stability, increasing editing efficiency and reproducibility across a wide array of cells, including stem and primary cells. The CRISPR libraries shall produce chemically-modified synthetic sgRNA at quantities and costs that are suitable for high throughput screening performed by the RNAi facility. Purpose and Objectives This Small Business Sources Sought notice seeks to determine eligible sources capable of achieving the essential features of this potential requirement described in this notice. Specifically, the purpose of this potential requirement is to obtain two (2) Complete Druggable Arrayed CRISPR Libraries, 60 pmol/gene (2x30 pmol/gene) on a BRAND-NAME-OR-EQUAL basis to the CRISPR Library, as described and identified herein, manufactured by Synthego, located at 3696 Haven Ave, Redwood City, CA 94063-4604. Project Requirements The Government is seeking to acquire a Complete Druggable Arrayed CRISPR Library, on a Brand-Name-or-Equal basis to the unit described herein manufactured by Synthego. The following salient requirements are deemed essential for this potential acquisition: • All RNA products provided by the vendor shall be chemically synthesized and purified with no biological processes used in production. • All RNA products shall undergo electro-spray ionization-mass spectrometry analysis (ESI-MS) for species identification and purity. ESI-MS traces shall be provided for each sgRNA product as part of a standard deliverable. • gRNA molecules shall consist of 97-100 bases of chemically synthesized single stranded RNA optimized for the S.pyogenes Cas9 nuclease. • gRNA molecules in this library shall be chemically modified on each end with 3 bases consisting of 2’OMe ribose analogs and phosphorothioate interlinkages. • sgRNA shall be dried-down and delivered in 384-well plates. • sgRNA format shall not require any RNA annealing prior to use. • sgRNA libraries shall be DNA free with produceability for transient RNA product • no risk of DNA contamination of the host cell shall be present • high throughput CRISPR sgRNA sequence design services shall be offered for both custom and standard library designs optimized for highly efficient gene knockouts. Products offered must be essentially equal to the supply described in this solicitation, which specifically includes a Arrayed CRISPR Screening Library with the following manufacturer part name, description and quantity: Complete Druggable Arrayed CRISPR Library, 60 pmol/gene (2x30 pmol/gene); Pre-designed Arrayed CRISPR Library constructed in 384-well barcoded plates; Plate Layout: All border edge-wells and column 12 left empty. Quantity two (2). The following deliverables of the Arrayed CRISPR Library shall consist of the following types of deliverables: Guide Design: Smart multi-guide design of up to 3 sgRNA per well to knockout protein-coding gene targets; Guide Modifications: Terminal 3 bases on 5' and 3' ends with 2'OMe and PS bonds; Delivery Form: Oligos are shipped and delivered dried at ambient temperature. Contractors submitting a response to this Small Business Sources Sought notice shall possess the ability to achieve the salient government essential features of this potential requirement. Specifically, Offerors to this Small Business Sources Sought notice shall document evidence of being able to provide the subject supply that will allow for the essential features described herein to be accomplished. Delivery/Warranty Offerors shall provide an outline for estimated build time with estimated delivery time in full after receipt of an order and any other training or warranty or software license considerations applicable. Offerors shall indicate if warranty or service agreements are included with purchase of the equipment or offered as a separate acquisition. Inspection and acceptance will be performed at NCATS located at 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20852. CAPABILITY STATEMENTS SOUGHT Interested parties are expected to review this notice to familiarize itself with the requirements of this project. Failure to do so will be at your firm's own risk. Respondents must provide, as part of their response: (a) product, catalog, model, and/or part number(s); (b) product description; (c) all relevant information and documentation that the item(s) offered meets the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics as specified in this announcement; (d) quantity; (e) shipping, handling, and/or installation instructions, and/or any special delivery conditions after receipt of an order. Respondents that believe that they are manufacturers or authorized re-sellers of the equipment specified in this announcement must provide, as part of their response: (a) product, catalog, model, and/or part number(s); (b) product description; (c) all relevant information and documentation that the item(s) offered meets the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics as specified in the purchase description; (d) quantity; (e) estimated price or cost; (f) shipping, handling, and/or installation charges; and delivery date after receipt of order. The respondent must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc.) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. The information submitted must be in outline format that addresses each of the elements of this requirement. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required. The response is limited to ten (10) pages. The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, or references, if requested. The response must include the respondents’ technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. Respondents must reference the announcement number on all correspondence related to this Small Business Sources Sought notice. The response must be submitted to Hunter Tjugum electronically, at hunter.tjugum@nih.gov, and be received prior to the closing date specified in this announcement. CONCLUDING STATEMENTS Disclaimer and Important Notes. 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. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).