Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

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 avai... 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. For equipment/supply requirements, small business responses must include: (1) the place of manufacturing (i.e. address if supply/equipment is a domestic end product and include country of manufacture), as well as (2) the size status of the manufacturer under the applicable NAICS code (i.e. address Non-Manufacturer Rule). 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. 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 Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience (SDAN) is a laboratory designed to conduct psychophysiological and brain imaging studies in children and adolescents. A particular area of promising research involves examining the anticipation of aversive stimuli, as can be manipulated using fear conditioning procedures. SDAN has conducted considerable work using various manipulations as part of fear conditioning. The current project uses a manipulation of heat pain to study fear conditioning during neuroimaging. This provides major insights on the underlying biological mechanisms of anxiety in children. Such insights are critical for developing novel treatments, designed to target perturbations in biology. Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of this requirement is to obtain a Thermosensory Stimulator and Digital Thermal Calibration Kit that generate heat pain and examine fear conditioning. Project requirements: The device must possess several specific features to generate effects that are identical to those in our ongoing studies as well as prior studies. Importantly, the device needs to have been proven to work safely and effectively in children with anxiety disorders, since differences in aversive pain delivery could yield dramatic effects on this population. This includes delivery of a very precise temperature (within a resolution of 0.5 degrees Celsius) for a very specific time frame (2-4 seconds). Further, this requires a thermode of size 24 x 24 millimeters in diameter, involving heating and cooling from 0 to 54 degrees centigrade at a rate of approximately 40 degrees per second change; different features could generate different pain sensations. This device must also be compatible with the MRI environment. Finally, this device must be capable of interfacing with physiology recording devices, so that other data can be acquired while pain is being manipulated Purchase Description: One (1) TSA2 fMRI CHEPS Thermosensory Stimulator or equal in accordance with FAR 52.211-6 Brand Name or Equal (AUG 1999) One (1) Digital Thermal Calibration Kit (TSA2) Stimulator or equal in accordance with FAR 52.211-6 Brand Name or Equal (AUG 1999) Salient characteristics: There is a need to conduct research with a device that delivers thermal stimulation to the skin. The device must possess several specific features to generate effects that are identical to those in our ongoing studies as well as prior studies. Importantly, the device needs to have been proven to work safely and effectively in children with anxiety disorders, since differences in aversive pain delivery could yield dramatic effects on this population. This includes delivery of a very precise temperature (within a resolution of 0.5 degrees Celsius) for a very specific time frame (2-4 seconds). Further, this requires a thermode of size 24 x 24 millimeters in diameter, involving heating and cooling from 0 to 54 degrees centigrade at a rate of approximately 40 degrees per second change; different features could generate different pain sensations. This device must also be compatible with the MRI environment. Finally, this device must be capable of interfacing with physiology recording devices, so that other data can be acquired while pain is being manipulated. Different features would make results from prior work and ongoing work (which the requested devices will supplement) incomparable. Quantity: One (1) TSA2 fMRI CHEPS Thermosensory Stimulator or equal in accordance with FAR 52.211-6 Brand Name or Equal (AUG 1999) One (1) Digital Thermal Calibration Kit (TSA2) Stimulator or equal in accordance with FAR 52.211-6 Brand Name or Equal (AUG 1999) Delivery Date: The product will be delivered no later than thirty (30) days after the award of the contract. Period of Performance: It is anticipated that this device should perform for five (5) to ten (10) years. Option(s): None Capability statement /information sought. Respondents must provide clear and convincing documentation of their capability of providing the products specified in this notice including providing information regarding being an authorized provider of the services. 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. One (1) copy of the response is required and must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2” x 11” paper size, with 1” top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing. 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. 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 Christopher Halstead, at e-mail address christopher.halstead@nih.gov with the subject line NIMH22003188SS. The response must be received on or before April 16, 2022, 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 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).