Inactive

PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE **NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE NOI-NIAID-24-2230483 NAICS – 325414 This is a Notice of Intent, not a request for proposal. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious D... PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE **NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE NOI-NIAID-24-2230483 NAICS – 325414 This is a Notice of Intent, not a request for proposal. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) intends to negotiate on an other than full and open competition basis with Roche Diagnostics Corporation to provide: VENTANA™ BenchMark histological tissue staining consumables Shipping/Handling fees to NIH/RML, Hamilton, MT The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Laboratory of Virology (LV) scientists broadly study viral agents requiring high or maximum containment (biosafety level-2 to biosafety level-4) that cause viral hemorrhagic fevers, viral encephalitis, and certain respiratory diseases. These agents include filoviruses, bunyaviruses, arenaviruses, and coronaviruses (such as SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV). This work employs investigations in cell culture; animal models, including nonhuman primates; reservoir species; and arthropod hosts in order to elucidate the viral pathogenesis, immune responses, molecular evolution, cellular and molecular biology, and vector-host interactions. Many animal model experiments require specialized assays in order to answer what location a virus might replicate in, where damage occurs in organs due to viral infections or what pathways are up or down regulated due to infections or the disease process. Specialized histology staining is one way these questions can be answered. The disposable chemicals for the machines in the LV lab that stain tissue sections are proprietary (specific to the machine) so cannot be ordered from other companies. Due to the H5N1 outbreak in the US cattle and other animal species, LV has increased research in this area to respond to the outbreak. Roche Diagnostics Corp is the proprietary source for VENTANA BenchMark equipment and histology sample testing platforms. These disposables for the specific equipment are available only through Roche Diagnostics Corp. LV currently uses specific staining equipment in their histology laboratory. Failure to use VENTANA™ BenchMark products could compromise the samples within the lab as enrichment would not be able to be performed and sequencing data would be compromised as it will be all host sequences rather than the desired and enriched viral sequences and run the risk of catastrophic failure of the sequencing runs, and total loss of research items and samples, some of which have taken years to collect. These required items are disposables for staining histological samples to determine either viral particle location in cross sections of tissues or to look at upregulation of certain proteins in a pathway or damage caused by infection and will be used by scientific staff and technicians for samples collected from approved protocols. The statutory authority for this sole source requirement is 41 U.S.C. 1901 (a) (1) as implemented by FAR 13.106-1 only one responsible source and no other supply of service will satisfy agency requirements. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. All responsible sources that could provide comparable services may submit a capability statement. All required documents must be submitted via the NIAID electronic Simplified Acquisition Submission System (eSASS) website at https://esass.nih.gov by July 25, 2024 at 5:00 pm ET. All vendors must register in the eSASS system to submit their documentation. Instructions on how to register /submit documents are included on the website. All responses received by the closing date of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.