Inactive 8(a) Sole Source (FAR 19.8)

This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capabil... This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement. This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the 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. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. Background: The proposed project will examine age-associated changes in gene expression of human muscle samples. Skeletal muscle biopsies will be obtained from 100 donors of age ranging from 20 to above 80 years old so that RNA isolated from the muscle samples can be sequenced. Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of this request is to purchase full-length RNA sequencing flow cells and kits to sequence RNA from muscle samples and then use those samples to identify transcript isoforms, splice variants and fusion transcript. Project requirements: The following brand name or equal kits are required and must be compatible with the Oxford Nanopore GridION x5 machine: 1. Flow Cell (R9.4) – Bulk order of 300, cat.# FLO-MIN106 2. PCR-cDNA Sequencing Kit, cat. # SQK-PCS109 3. Flow Cell Wash Kit, cat. # EXP-WSH003 Salient Characteristics: 1. Direct full length RNA sequencing. 2. Accurate identification of multiple isoforms, splice variants and fusion transcript. 3. Sequence in real time. 4. Fast and easy library preparation compared to traditional sequencing. 5. Low cost of material compared to traditional sequencing. 6. Detection of epigenetic RNA modifications that is not possible with the traditional sequencing. 7. Immediate access to data. Anticipated period of performance: The anticipated period of performance is one year from date of award with multiple shipments during that time. Other important considerations: Since the kits expiration date is short (around 3 months) we will have a minimum of 6 shipments and a maximum of 12 shipments during the year starting 30 days after placing the order. Capability statement /information sought: Respondents must provide clear and convincing documentation of their capability of providing the supplies specified in this notice. 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. Finally, respondents are also encouraged to provide a general overview of the respondent’s opinions about the difficulty and/or feasibility of the potential requirement, and any other information regarding innovative ideas or concepts that may be applicable. Information Submission Instructions Respondents should provide responses accordingly: (1) submit information electronically via email. No telephone, hard copy, or facsimile responses will be accepted; (2) format capability statements using Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF including attachments, resumes, charts, etc. Use single space, 12 point font minimum and 8 1/2 x 11 page size; (3) organize material in such a manner that clearly identifies and addresses capability requirements (4) capability statement should not exceed ten (10) single sided pages including references; (5) responses should be received no later than July 23, 2020 at 4:00 PM EDT; (6) include respondents' technical and administrative points of contact, Including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses; and (7) send responses to this notice via email to eric.mckay@nih.gov. 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 beta.SAM.gov. 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.