Inactive

This is a notice of intent, not a request for a quotation. A solicitation document will not be issued, and quotations will not be requested. The mission of the Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC) withi... This is a notice of intent, not a request for a quotation. A solicitation document will not be issued, and quotations will not be requested. The mission of the Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC) within the National Institute of Mental Health, division of Intramural Programs is to conduct and support research on brain and behavior, with the goal of reducing the burden of mental illness. The HBCC obtains human brain tissue and blood samples from deceased individuals diagnosed with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse disorder, and those who died by suicide, as well as from individuals without a history of mental illness that are used as controls. It is unknown whether brain dysfunction in schizophrenia is associated with altered expression in particular subpopulations of cells. By sequencing individual cell populations in patients with schizophrenia and controls, the project will provide critical data to address this question. The essential characteristics of the library prep kits that limit the availability to a sole source is to ensure compatibility with previous set of samples from this study. Only this suggested source can furnish the requirements, to the exclusion of other sources, because in order to complete this large-scale sequencing project will require us to purchase additional 10x Genomics library prep materials to supplement those already in stock. The 10x Genomics platform is the only available tool for completing the desired type of single-nucleus sequencing. There is no other vendor than 10x Genomics that can provide the required library kits. The materials are needed for a single cell sequencing project that can only be run using the 10x system – hence the need to purchase materials from 10x Genomics. Changing materials/variables at this stage of the sequencing project would jeopardize the results from our earlier single-nucleus sequencing thus compromising the integrity of our ongoing experiment. The equipment available to us to perform this experiment on a large scale and with contained costs of reagents and personnel time are 10X genomics platforms available in the core facilities that serve NIMH and NCI. We are aware of no other commercial platform to perform this conveniently available on campus. Moreover, the core facilities and our lab already have trained personnel to perform the reactions on 10X genomics platforms. Acquiring from another source would entail unpredictable costs and endanger the experiment given the fact that staff would have to be trained and would need to pilot the experiments, adding further delays to what is already a tight schedule for the size of the experiment. As such, no other vendor can provide the Government with the required service and maintenance renewal. This acquisition is being conducted using policies unique to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures, Subpart 13.106-1(b)(1), For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstance of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available. Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6-Competition Requirements. Interested parties may identify their interest and capabilities in response to this posting. The determination by the Government not to compete the proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Comments to this announcement, referencing this posting number, may be submitted to the CC, Office of Purchasing and Contracts, prior to the closing date specified in this announcement, electronically to the attention of Christopher Halstead, Contract Specialist, Christopher.Halstead@nih.gov by the due date and time marked in this notice.