The NIH has issued a sources sought notice (not a solicitation) to assess qualified R&D firms, small businesses, and subcontractors capable of supporting the operation, consolidation, and/or recompete of one or more NIH-funded biorepositories for FY 2028, including at minimum the NIDA Center for Genetic Studies and the NBDC Biobank supporting the ABCD and HBCD studies. The scope includes secure storage and management of at least 3,500,000 biospecimens, processing and distribution, chain-of-custody and quality control, and curation of associated de-identified clinical, diagnostic, environmental, and phenotypic data. Required laboratory capabilities include molecular biology, tissue/cell culture, CLIA-certified assays, genotyping, sequencing, gene-expression analysis, mass spectrometry, iPSC/neural stem cell work, CRISPR/Cas9 editing, and histopathology. Informatics requirements cover biorepository web portals, LIMS/relational databases, APIs, secure interoperable data exchange, FISMA-level compliance, and capabilities such as homomorphic encryption and distributed learning. Interested organizations must demonstrate relevant experience, qualified personnel, facilities, and ability to collaborate with NIH and comply with human subjects, privacy, and data security requirements.

This sources sought notice is for market research only, not a solicitation, and NIH is seeking capability statements from qualified businesses and subcontractors for biobanking, laboratory analytics, and associated informatics services for NIH biorepositories, including continuation of the NIDA Center for Genetic Studies and support for the NBDC Biobank, ABCD Study, and HBCD Study. Required capabilities include secure storage and tracking for at least 3,500,000 biospecimens, sample/data management with LIMS and relational databases, biospecimen distribution, and compliance with GLP and CAP-preferred practices. The scope also covers laboratory and analytic services such as molecular biology, CLIA-certified assays, high-throughput genotyping/sequencing, mass spectrometry, iPSC/neural stem cell work, CRISPR/Cas9 editing, and histopathology. Informatics requirements include developing or maintaining a biorepository web portal, backend infrastructure, APIs, secure data exchange, FISMA/NIH ATO compliance, and capabilities for homomorphic encryption and distributed learning, along with collaboration and governance with NIH data centers and study teams. Interested organizations should submit capability statements detailing relevant experience, personnel, facilities, references, and business/NAICS information (NAICS 541714; SBA size standard of 1,000 employees or fewer), may use collaborators/subcontractors, and should note the government preliminarily considers these services non-commercial, so FAR Part 12 procedures are not currently applicable absent vendor justification.