Inactive

Description: This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding:... Description: This is a Small Business Sources Sought 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. Background: The National Institute on Aging (NIA) developed the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study to investigate whether race and Socioeconomic Status (SES) influence health status and age-related health disparities separately or synergistically based on several behavioral, psychosocial, and environmental factors. HANDLS is an ongoing prospective population-based interdisciplinary, longitudinal study initiated by the NIA in 2013 with an initial cohort of 3,720 individuals in Baltimore City, Maryland. The Government is seeking an additional follow-on contract so it can continue to this work by (1) testing participants who were not tested previously; (2) testing participants who became eligible for home visiting during the present home visit program; and (3) re-examining participants who remain eligible so that home-bound participants are included in longitudinal analyses. For continuity of longitudinal data, the Government requires continuing the same protocol it has used in previous contracts. The Government’s experience with this protocol has demonstrated it is a reasonable balance between minimizing participant burden and collecting data necessary to pursue its research interests. Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of this requirement is to acquire the services of a contractor over a 5-year period to perform home-based medical evaluations of HANDLS participants who are unable to visit the Medical Research Vehicles (MRVs) for their follow-up medical evaluations. Project Requirements: The Contractor will perform home visit medical evaluations of all home-visit participants identified by the Government within a specified time frame. The Contractor will schedule biannual visits as well as create a detailed project plan with emphasis made to effectively track HANDLS participants, maximize participant participation, and minimize participant attrition. The Contractor will develop a Project Plan including plans for recruiting HANDLS participants, a questionnaire for telephone screening interviews, a manual of operations, quality control plan, and other project plan related tasks. Establish initial telephone or in-person contact with all home-visit participants to update contact information, confirm their current eligibility status, and their willingness to participate in the HANDLS Home Visit Study. Maintain a Government-provided web-based appointment calendar system for home visits and schedule in-home examinations. Obtain written informed consent for participation in the home visit study using the NIA Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved informed consent documents. Perform in-home follow-up evaluations as outlined in the home-visit protocol provided by the NIA Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Collect, process (in accordance with the home-visit protocol), prepare for delivery, and ship or deliver blood, urine and saliva samples for clinical chemistry assays, DNA extraction and storage of cells, serum, and plasma. Maintain up-to-date data entry in a Government-provided website database with all tracking information and data collected. Contact, recruit, and schedule home-visit participants. Develop an electronic system for tracking and recording information collected during the telephone contact. Develop a screening questionnaire. Conduct the home visit protocol. Collect of blood, saliva and urine samples from participants. Prepare and distribute letters and reports to participants and primary care physicians as appropriate using Government-supplied on-site facilities. Prepare for shipping, tracking and review of clinical laboratory data completed by clinical laboratory. Delivery, processing and tracking of biological samples for NIA Intramural Research Program Bio-specimen repository and keeping record of samples processed in accordance with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) policies. Provide emergency and resuscitative services to home-visit participants as needed. Have employees available to work seven days (7) per week or as required by the approved protocol. Prepare appropriate documents and financial control information to facilitate the Government’s participation compensation mechanism via debit card or other means furnished by the NIA COR. Develop a plan for secure storage and electronic transfer of all data. Replication, dissemination or use of results from the study. Anticipated period of performance: Base period of twelve months and four 12-month option periods beginning on/about December 19, 2021, in accordance with availability of NIH appropriations. Capability statement /information sought. Small business concerns that believe they possess the capabilities necessary to undertake this work should submit complete documentation of their capabilities to the Contract Specialist. The capabilities statement must specifically address each project requirement separately. Additionally, the capability statement should include 1) the total number of employees, 2) the professional qualifications of scientists, medical experts, and technical personnel as it relates to the above outlined requirements, 3) a description of general and specific facilities and equipment available, including computer equipment and software, 4) an outline of previous research projects that are similar to the project requirements in which the organization and proposed personnel have participated, and 5) any other information considered relevant to this program. Interested small business organizations are required to identify their size standards in accordance with the Small Business Administration. The government requests that no proprietary or confidential business data be submitted in a response to this notice. However, responses that indicate the information therein is proprietary will be properly safeguarded for Government use only. Capability statements must include the name and telephone numbers of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss responses with Government representatives. Capability statements in response to this market survey that do not provide sufficient information for evaluation will be considered non-responsive. When submitting this information, please reference the solicitation notice number. 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 an outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirement and in the capability statement /information sought paragraphs stated herein. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required. The response is limited to ten (10) page limit. 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. All responses to this notice must be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist. Facsimile responses are NOT accepted. The response must be submitted Jeanette Russell, Contract Specialist, at e-mail address jeanette.russell@nih.gov. The response must be received on or before January 14, 2021, 5:00 pm, Eastern Time. 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 presolicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published at 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(s).”