Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE Solicitation Number: NIMH20003945 Title: Image Processing Software Package Classification Code: 66 -- Instruments & laboratory equipment NAIC... Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE Solicitation Number: NIMH20003945 Title: Image Processing Software Package Classification Code: 66 -- Instruments & laboratory equipment NAICS Code: 511210 – Software Publishers Description: 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: Analysis of images collected collected using several different types of light microscopy is an essential step in experiments performed by basic science investigators in the NIMH intramural program. To facilitate this the program has developed a Systems Neuroscience Imaging Resource aimed at providing hardware, software, and expertise focused on the unique imaging needs of the work being carried out by NIMH intramural investigators. These experiments often involve large image data sets because large brain regions, multiple brain regions, entire brains and multiple brains need to be imaged at a resolution that allows visualization of individual neurons and individual axons or dendrites and viewed in an integrated manner. Image processing needs to be performed in a manner that allows visualization of connections, identification of specific elements such as neurons that express a selected marker (called segmentation), and quantification of multiple types of specific markers. These analyses need to be performed on individual images that are sometimes one Terabyte or larger in size, and identical analyses need to be performed on hundreds of images. The specific image manipulations need to be customized for each experiment. Thus, the program requires an image processing package that can work with images collected on each of the microscopes being used within the program, perform multiple types of user customizable visualization, segmentation, and analysis, on large images and multiple images, be easily programmed by investigators at different levels of training and sophistication and readily perform batch operations. The institute purchased a single user license for Arivis Vision4D in 2017 and a floating license in 2020. Those licenses are now heavily used. The institute now requires a third license for this software. It is important that this software, and not an alternative product, is purchased so that the macro’s and pipelines that have been developed can be used. There is a steep learning curve for this and related software packages. With a third license for the same software the existing software development and expertise can be used. Purpose: The NIMH Intramural program requires software for the visualization and analysis of very large image sets collected on confocal, multiphoton, slide scanning, and light sheet microscopes. Project requirements: The Contractor shall provide one (1) Arivis Vision4D software license (Brand Name) or equal to the following specifications: Salient characteristics: • Is documented to work with datasets up to 6 Terabytes in size. • Inputs images collected in the proprietary formats from Zeiss, Leica, and Nikon and open formats used by LaVision, Scientific Volume Imaging and related software packages. • Perform alignment, tiling and stitching in 2 and 3 dimensions on datasets of at least 1 TB. • Works with data regardless of available RAM. • Provides projections in x, y, z, and t. • 3D-rendering at native resolution. • Pixel and voxel operations including filters for noise reduction and sharpness adjustment and any user specified mathematical operation. • Extended focus algorithms for multiplane images. • Python scripting. • Audit trail, restoration points, and visual guide for Undo/redo operations. • Unattended operation on all specified data sets, including use of a pipeline that includes all programmable operations. • Visual and quantitative analysis of colocalization of any two dyes in multichannel images. • Facilitates user design of a segmentation pipeline that takes advantage of customizable pixel and voxel based operations. • Complete compatibility with macros and pipelines developed in Arivis Vision4D. Anticipated Period of Performance: Deliver 30-60 days after award Capability statement /information sought: Contractors that believe that they possess the ability to provide the required equipment, should submit documentation on their ability to meet each of the project requirements to the Contract Specialist. The Contractor should directly and specifically state in the, capabilities statement, which project requirements can be meet and/or supplied. The Contractor must also provide their DUNS number, GSA number(If applicable), 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 must be in and 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 two (2) page limit. The 2-page limit does not include the cover page or executive summary. 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 to Thien Nguyen, Contract Specialist, at Thien.Nguyen2@nih.gov. The response must be received on or before June 30, 2020 at 12 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 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).