Inactive

AMENDMENT No.: 01 PURPOSE: Provide for questions and answers submitted in regards to this solicitation Amendment with Questions and Answers attached. QUOTATION DUE DATE: 9 a.m. (EDT) on August 24, 202... AMENDMENT No.: 01 PURPOSE: Provide for questions and answers submitted in regards to this solicitation Amendment with Questions and Answers attached. QUOTATION DUE DATE: 9 a.m. (EDT) on August 24, 2023 (unchanged) AMENDMENT No.: 01 (i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. (ii) The solicitation number is 75N95023Q00607-RFQ and the solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures; and FAR Part 12—Acquisition of Commercial Items and is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) Number 2023-04, with effective date 06/02/2023. (iv) The associated NAICS code is 541380 - Testing Laboratories and the small business size standard is $19M. This requirement has no set-aside restrictions. (v) 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. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is one of 27 Institutes and Centers at the NIH, and its mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease for all people. NINDS Translational Neuroradiology Section (TNS) major research goal is to understand how multiple sclerosis (MS) injures the brain and spinal cord, how to stop that injury, and how to promote repair. To do this, noninvasive or minimally invasive imaging methods, particularly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used. The Section performs long-term studies on time scales that are relevant for disease processes, examine radiological-pathological correlations in autopsy tissue and animal models, and elucidate the cellular and molecular pathways involved. Experiments with new MRI techniques on state-of-the-art imaging equipment in the NIH Clinical Center and elsewhere on the NIH campus are developed and performed. NINDS TNS has an increasing demand for blood-based analysis of samples from study participants in MS studies. With a small sample of blood from patients, TNS can identify biomarkers indictive of neurologic disease, such as MS, and make determinates of disease progression in patients. In partnership with the Neuroimmunology Clinic (NIC) and Viral Immunology Section (VIS), there are many readily available samples that can provide valuable data for investigating neurologic disease course. Thus, NINDS TNS requires the measurement of Neurofilament Light Chain (NFL) and Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) in sixty-hundred and fifty (650) serum samples and the comparison of the results to normative values. (vi) The Statement of Work (SOW) with the general and specific requirements is included as an attachment to this Solicitation. NINDS TNS requires the analysis of blood samples to provide reliable biomarkers to diagnosis disease of the central nervous system (CNS), such as inflammation, demyelination, and vascular disease. (vii) The Government anticipates award of a firm fixed-price purchase order for this acquisition, and the anticipated period of performance is four (4) months from award. (viii) The provision at FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at these addresses: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html (End of provision) The following provisions apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference: FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Oct 2018) FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020) FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Mar 2023) FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Dec 2022) FAR 52.214-34, Submission of Offers in the English Language (Apr 1991) FAR 52.214-35, Submission of Offers in U.S. Currency (Apr 1991) FAR 52.225-25 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in Certain Activities or Transactions Relating to Iran—Representation and Certifications (Jun 2020) HHSAR 352.239-73 Electronic Information and Technology Accessibility Notice (December 18, 2015) The clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at these addresses: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html (End of clause) The following clauses apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference: FAR 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018) FAR 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020) FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Dec 2022) HHSAR 352.222-70, Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (December 18, 2015) The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are attached in full text. Offerors MUST complete the provisions at FAR 52.204-24 and FAR 52.204-26 and submit completed copies as separate documents with their proposal. FAR 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021) FAR 52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation (Oct 2020) FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Jun 2023) Invoice and Payment Provisions with IPP (Mar 2023) (ix) The Government will perform a comparative evaluation of responses in accordance with FAR 13.106-2(b) to award a purchase order from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose response meets the solicitation’s requirements and, as a whole, provides the best value, considering price and other factors in this solicitation. The evaluation will compare: (a) Technical capability of the service offered to meet the Government requirement; (b) Price; and (c) Past Performance as defined under FAR 13.106-2(b)(3). If only one quotation is received it will be evaluated on the preceding basis. Responses may exceed capability or performance characteristics of the solicitation’s requirements. The Government reserves the right, but is not required, to award to a response that exceeds capability or performance characteristics of the solicitation’s requirements if it provides a benefit to the Government; and the Government is not requesting or accepting alternate proposal(s). (x) The Offerors to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Dec 2022), with its offer. If the offeror has completed FAR provision 52.212-3 at www.sam.gov , then the offeror does not need to provide a completed copy with its offer. (xi) The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Dec 2022) applies to this acquisition. (xii) The following additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions as determined by the contracting officer are necessary for this acquisition and consistent with customary commercial practices. FAR 52.212-4 – Addendum. Please be advised that the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is an Institute within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is a Federal agency. Your mass-market commercial sales and/or license agreement may include provisions that are customarily found in the commercial sector, but which are not appropriate for a contract with a Federal agency. Specifically, NINDS considers any provision in your mass-market commercial sales and/or license agreement to be inappropriate and unenforceable that: Contravenes a right granted NINDS under U.S. copyright law (e.g., fair use, right to archive, copying for interlibrary loan), Violated the Federal Acquisition Regulation or other Federal law (e.g., Antideficiency Act, Principles of Federal Appropriations Law), Departs from reasonable consumer expectations and was not disclosed by the Licensor prior to agreement, or Violates fundamental public policy. NIH shall assume that you are in agreement with the statements herein if you submit a quotation/proposal and accept NIH's order/contract. CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR) The following Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will represent the Government for the purpose of this contract: [To be specified at time of award] The COR is responsible for: (1) monitoring the Contractor's technical progress, including the surveillance and assessment of performance and recommending to the Contracting Officer changes in requirements; (2) interpreting the statement of work and any other technical performance requirements; (3) performing technical evaluation as required; (4) performing technical inspections and acceptances required by this contract; and (5) assisting in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance. The Contracting Officer is the only person with authority to act as an agent of the Government under this contract. Only the Contracting Officer has authority to: (1) direct or negotiate any changes in the statement of work; (2) modify or extend the period of performance; (3) change the delivery schedule; (4) authorize reimbursement to the Contractor for any costs incurred during the performance of this contract; (5) otherwise change any terms and conditions of this contract; or (6) sign written licensing agreements. Any signed agreement shall be incorporated by reference in the contract. The Government may unilaterally change its COR designation in writing, any time during the contract’s period of performance. (xiii) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement. (xiv) Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror’s capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the technical evaluation criteria. The price proposal must include the labor categories, an estimate of the number of hours required for each labor category, fully loaded fixed hourly rate or each labor category, breakdown and rationale for other direct costs or materials, and the total amount. The Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov, the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. All questions must be received by 9 a.m., Eastern Time, on August 21, 2023, and reference Solicitation Number 75N95023Q00607-RFQ. Questions may be submitted electronically to Renato Gomes at renato.gomes@nih.gov. All quotations must be received by 9 a.m., Eastern Time, on August 24, 2023, and reference Solicitation Number 75N95023Q00607-RFQ. Responses must be submitted electronically to Renato Gomes at renato.gomes@nih.gov. Fax responses will not be accepted. Attachments: Statement of Work (SOW) FAR 52.204-24, Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021) FAR 52.204-26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation (Oct 2020) FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Jun 2023) Invoice and Payment Provisions with IPP (Mar 2023)