Solicitation: HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-NOI-17-427

Title: Detection Assasy Systems

INTRODUCTION
PURSUANT TO FAR Subpart 5.2-Synopses of Proposed Contract Actions, THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE OF A PROPOSED CONTRACT TO ACTION.

THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A CONTRACT OR PURCHASE ORDER WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME).

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Station Support Contracts and Simplified Acquisitions Branch (SS/SA) on behalf of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) intends to negotiate and award a contract for the Detection Assay Systems with Promega Corporation, 2800 Woods Hollow Road, Madison, WI 53711-5399.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE
The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 325414 - Biological Product (Except Diagnostic) Manufacturing with a Size Standard of 1,250 Employees.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY
The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses of the Federal acquisition Requlation (FAR) in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 05-95, January 19, 2017.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

This acquisition is conducted as non-competitive under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c) under provisions of the statutory authority of FAR Subpart 6.302-1 - Only one response source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

Project Description
Tox21 collaboration between NCATS (then NCGC), NTP, EPA and FDA started off with an aim to screen tens and thousands of known drugs and compounds in vitro by reducing the cost and time consuming processes involved in traditional toxiciticy testing methods. Since its inception nearly a decade ago, several screenings against Tox21 compound collection were performed at NCATS by running cell based assays that are focusing mainly on different targets and toxicity pathways which include nuclear receptor signaling, stress response, developmental toxicology, GPCR/cAMP signaling, and Epigentics etc.
All these assays used either luciferase or fluorescence reporter gene technology for readouts. In order to quantify the induction/inhibition of these reporter gene activities, different detection assay systems have been used.

Purpose and Objectives
The purpose of this requirement is to procure luminescence and fluorescence detection assay systems. These assay kits will be used to screen compounds from the NCATS Tox21 collaboration.

Delivery Schedule
Within 30 Days after receipt of order (ARO).

CLOSING STATEMENT
This synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice.

Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror's capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the technical evaluation criteria. The price proposal must include the labor categories, an estimate of the number of hours required for each labor category, fully loaded fixed hourly rate or each labor category, breakdown and rationale for other direct costs or materials, and the total amount.

General Requirements:
Luciferase Assay System:
• High-throughput, sensitive quantitation of firefly luciferase activity in mammalian cell culture.
• Reagent consist of two components, a Luciferase Reagent Buffer and Luciferase Reagent Substrate.
• Assay must contain:
o Highly sensitive detection of firefly luciferase activity.
o The signal output must be stable for more than two hours, providing flexibility with regard to incubation time.
o Simple one-step, homogeneous protocol.
o One-step homogeneous protocol must minimize hanlding steps to support high-throughput screening applications.
o Must work well with a variety of common media containin -10% serum and phenol red.
o Does not require a luminometer with injectors.

Cell Viability Assay System:
• Quantifies the protease activity within live cells.
• Reagent is nonlytic, and is a single-reagent-addition fluorescence assay.
• Assay is homogeneous and stable.
• The assay can be multiplexed with the luciferase assay for measuring viability.

3/7 Assay System:
• Measures the apoptosis for cell based methods.
• A luminescent assay for measuring Caspase-3/7 activities.
• The assay is homogeneous and highly reproducible.
• Assay is designed for use with multiwell plate formats.

Annexin Apoptosis Assay:
• Measures the apoptosis and necrosis for cell based methods.
• Assay is homogeneous and bioluminescent.
• The method obviates laborious washing and sample preparation steps associated with traditional annexin methods.
• Fully compatible with either plate-based multimodal signal detection or bioluminescent imaging systems.
• The reagent contains a novel time-released luciferase substrate and a cell impermeable, fluorogenic DNA dye for monitoring cell membrane integrity.

Luminescent Cell Viability Assay System:
• Quantifies the ATP present in the cell.
• Assay is homogeneous.
• Designed for use with multiwell formats, and so ideal for automated high-throughput screenings.
• The assay is very stable for a number of thaw and freeze cycles.
• The signal generated after adding this reagent is stable for at least 5hrs, and this extended half-life provides flexibility for processing of multiple plates in high throughput screenings.

Quantity: Fifty-One (51) total Detection Assay Systems

In addition the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov."
A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement.

All responses must be received by Monday, Septmebr 4, 2017 at 12PM, Eastern Standard Time, and reference number HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-NOI-17-427. Responses may be submitted electronically to Danielle R. Brown, Contract Specialist, at [email protected].

Fax responses will not be accepted.

Please contact Danielle R. Brown, Contract Specialist, at [email protected] or (301) 594-1928 with any questions.