ACTION CODE: SPECIAL NOTICE

SUBJECT: Purchase of custom manufactured lyophilized yeast cells for Standard Reference Material 8230.

SOLICITATION NUMBER: NB644030-18-03585

RESPONSE DATE: 10 days after posting

DESCRIPTION:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b) (1), with Microbiologics Inc. of Saint Cloud, MN to acquire custom manufactured lyophilized yeast cells for Standard Reference Material 8230.

To meet mission requirements; The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Biosystems and Biomaterials Division (BBD) in the Material Measurement Laboratory is developing a NIST Reference Material (RM) for use in training first responders in the sampling and field assessment of suspicious, potential biothreat materials. NIST has engineered a strain of baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae NE095, as a surrogate material to challenge the response process in a manner similar to biothreat agents but with minimal health and safety risks. The BBD has evaluated a prototype batch of a lyophilized yeast material and found it to be satisfactory in terms of homogeneity, stability, and fitness for purpose during the last 18 months. BBD now requires the custom manufacturing of a production batch of lyophilized yeast as the input material for NIST RM 8230.

Sole source determination is based on the following: After extensive research in the field of lyophilized yeast cell culturing, the Biosystems and Biomaterials Division purchased samples of this product in 2014. NIST SRM 8230 is now based on this culture strain and has been tested over years for storage temperature, batch size, and processing capability to meet these technical specifications. Deviation from the Microbiological cell would require NIST to restart this process resulting in significant loss of time and Government funding. The resulting purchase order will be a Firm Fixed Price purchase order.

The NAICS Code is 325412- Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing with a small business size standard of 1250 employees.

No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, interested parties who regard themselves as capable of fulfilling these requirements are invited to submit responses to the Government for consideration. Responses received by 1:00 am EST 20 August 2018, will be considered by the Government.

A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

Inquiry POCs:
[email protected] Primary
[email protected] Secondary
National Institutes of Standards and Technologies NIST
Acquisition Management Division (AMD)
100 Bureau Dr. Mail Stop 1640
Gaithersburg, MD. 20899-1640