THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT, A MARKET SURVEY FOR WRITTEN INFORMATION ONLY. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE MADE FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY FOLLOW-UP INFORMATION REQUESTS. NO TELEPHONE CALLS WILL BE ACCEPTED REQUESTING AN RFQ PACKAGE OR SOLICITATION. THERE IS NO RFQ PACKAGE OR SOLICITATION. IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY OF ANY FUTURE PROCUREMENT, IF ANY, THAT MAY ARISE FROM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INFORMATION REGARDING THE TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT WILL NOT BE GIVEN AND NO APPOINTMENTS FOR PRESENTATIONS WILL BE MADE.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Acquisitions and Grants Services (OAGS) is issuing this source sought announcement on behalf of the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), Division of Systems Biology (DSB) in order to determine if there are existing small business sources capable of providing a dual source mass spectrometer capable of achieving ion mobility and Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS). Other than small business concerns, especially vendors who may be able to offer domestic products, are also encouraged to submit a capability statement that provides company information, as well as information demonstrating that it can meet all of the minimum requirements included below, to include the country of manufacture of products offered. This requirement also includes four (4) option years of post-warranty maintenance.

If your firm is considered a small business source under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 334516 - Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing; with a Small Business Size Standard of 1,000 employees and you believe that your firm would be able to provide the FDA with the supplies/services described below, please submit an email to [email protected].

Background:  

Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS) is a label free, ever-evolving technology which produces 2D ion density maps representing the distribution of an analyte(s) across a tissue section in relation to tissue histopathology. Although MALDI IMS was initially developed to spatially profile proteins and peptides, the variety of detectable analytes has greatly increased and includes lipids, n-linked glycans and small molecule drugs.  Within the Division of Systems Biology (DSB) there is a MALDI IM lab in which tissue sections from a fresh frozen organ can be analyzed for a variety of analytes. DSB offers this technology FDA wide for research groups which can help aid in toxicity studies, developmental studies etc. Currently the mass spectrometer utilized in the imaging lab is a Bruker scimaX FT mass spectrometer which while ideal for high resolution imaging runs is not ideal in terms of speed and identification of lipid subspecies. One specific disadvantage of the existing FTMS is the run time to collect data. It is very slow since it is designed to image high resolution areas of tissues etc. Many different protocols fall under this approach, and recently a cryo macrotome which does whole body sectioning was added to the lab. For these reasons we are seeking a mass spectrometer which couples ion mobility and MALDI IMS. An instrument that has ion mobility on the front end of the mass spectrometer will enable more classes of analytes to be identified. Additionally, the instrument shall contain features to aid in decreasing ionization suppression effects which are a problem in MALDI IMS.

Minimum Technical Requirements:

1. Shall be capable of performing ion mobility and MALDI IMS experiments within the same analysis.
2. Shall be capable of high-resolution runs using MALDI IMS at resolutions of 10 µm and lower.
3. Shall be include a second laser for post ionization.
4. Shall include a nitrogen air generator.
5. Shall include alarms to alert the user if problems arise.
6. Shall include a condenser cover to reduce noise.
7. Shall include glass capillaries for ESI (electrospray ionization)
8. Shall include stainless steel sample loop for ESI
9. All software to support all applications of the mass spectrometer including a computer system with enough memory and power to run the workflows.
10. Shall include a compatible Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) system
    1. Shall include table to support UHPLC system.

Installation, Training and Additional System Requirements:

1. The components and equipment shall be newly manufactured, not used or refurbished, or previously used for demonstration.
2. Offered systems shall be a turn-key solution i.e., the contractor shall be responsible for providing all hardware, components, instruments, computers, software, and that otherwise required to meet these specifications and the FDA’s stated need.
3. The systems shall be delivered with all necessary supplies and accessories required for installation and start-up.
4. The system and associated accessories shall include operations and maintenance manuals covering proper operation, routine maintenance, and troubleshooting for the system and controlling software.  All manuals and documentation shall be provided in hard copy and/or electronic format.
5. The Contractor shall provide all labor, travel, and tools to install the equipment at the address provided below, to include shipping. The contractor shall demonstrate upon installation that the item meets or exceeds all performance specifications. Upon acceptance of the system, the contractor shall provide on-site operator training/familiarization. Such familiarization shall include system operations, calibration, optimization, troubleshooting and basic operational maintenance procedures.    
6. Systems shall be warranted for not less than one (1) year from FDA acceptance of the system(s) to include on-site training. Warranty service shall include troubleshooting capabilities based on complete knowledge of the entire system, immediate access to replacement parts, and immediate access to system improvements and updates. Phone and email technical support shall be included for a minimum of one (1) year.  

Post-Warranty Preventive Maintenance and Repair Services Minimum Performance Requirements:

1. 1. The Contractor shall provide two (2) scheduled on-site planned preventive maintenance visits (including parts) per year.
   2. The Contractor shall provide unlimited On-Site Corrective Maintenance/Repairs within 2 business days of call for service where problems cannot be resolved remotely after 2 business days.
   3. The Maintenance and Repair activities shall be performed by the service engineers who are trained and certified by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). The service provider should follow the OEM specifications, manuals, and service bulletins, using OEM-certified replacement parts, components, subassemblies, etc.
   4. The service plan shall include access to OEM technical developments, repair procedure bulletins, and unlimited software, firmware, and application updates.
   5. The Contractor shall provide factory-certified replacement parts.
   6. The Contractor shall include unlimited technical support (via phone and email) on software and hardware and troubleshooting with any equipment issues, Monday through Friday (excluding Federal Holidays) 8:00AM – 5:00PM Central Time.
   7. All maintenance/repair pricing shall be inclusive of labor, travel, replacement parts, components, subassemblies, etc. for the system.

Deliverables: Service Records and Reports: the Contractor shall, commensurate with the completion of each service call (inclusive of warranty service), provide the end-user of the equipment with a copy of a field service report/ticket identifying the equipment name, manufacturer, model number, and serial number of the equipment being serviced/repaired and detailing the reason for the service call, a detailed description of the work performed, the test instruments or other equipment used to affect the repair or otherwise perform the service, the name(s) and contact information of the technician who performed the repair/service, and for information purposes, the on-site hours expended, and parts/components replaced. In addition, the Contractor shall provide a written report to the FDA COR and Contract Specialist, summarizing all maintenance and repair activities (including warranty work) each time service and/or repair is performed.

Place of Performance:

FOB Point Destination. All items shall include shipping, handling and inside delivery and installation to the destination identified herein.

FDA/NCTR

3900 NCTR Rd

Jefferson, Arkansas 72079

Period of Performance:

Delivery, installation and training shall occur within 120 calendar days from date of award.

4 - (1-year Post-Warranty Maintenance and Repair Option periods):

Option Year 1: 12 consecutive months commencing upon expiration of initial warranty;

Option Year 2: 12 consecutive months commencing upon expiration of Option Year 1;

Option Year 3: 12 consecutive months commencing upon expiration of Option Year 2;

Option Year 4: 12 consecutive months commencing upon expiration of Option Year 3;

Responses to this Sources Sought shall unequivocally demonstrate that the respondent is regularly engaged in the sale of same or substantially similar product/service.  Though the target audience is small business vendors or small businesses capable of supplying a U.S. service of a small business vendor or producer all interested parties may respond. At a minimum, responses shall include the following:

• Business name and bio, unique entity identification (UEI) number, business address, business website, business size status (i.e., SB, VOSB, SDVOSB, HUBZone SB, SDB, WOSB, LB), point of contact name, mailing address (if different from business address), phone number and email address. Provide this same information again if responding to provide a service offered by another firm.

• Past Performance information for the manufacturer and/or sale of same or substantially similar product and service or similar brand instruments to include date of sale, description, dollar value, client name, client address, client contact name, client point of contact mailing address (if different from that provided for client), client point of contact phone number, client point of contact email address, and name of the manufacturer (to include UEI number and size status) if not the respondent.

• Descriptive literature, brochures, marketing material, etc. detailing the nature of the product and service the responding firm is regularly engaged in manufacturing and/or selling.

• The offeror shall furnish sufficient technical information necessary for the Government to conclusively determine that the offered services meet the technical requirements identified above.

• If applicable, identification of Best in Class (BIC) contract information or other Government-wide or HHS-wide contracts that the equipment/service is available on.

• If applicable, identification of the firm's GSA Schedule contract(s) by Schedule number and SINs that are applicable to this potential requirement are also requested.

• If a large business, provide whether subcontracting opportunities exist for small business concerns.

• Standard commercial warranty and payment terms.

• Provide place of product manufacture or service performance and any other applicable information to enable review and analysis pertaining to the Buy American statute and requirements relating to Made in America in the event a nonavailability waiver request through the MIAO Digital Waiver Portal is needed.

• Informational pricing is desired.

• The Government is not responsible for locating or securing any information, not identified in the response.

Interested Contractors must respond with capability statements which are due by email to the point of contact listed below on or before February 19, 2024 by 1:00 PM Central Time at the Food and Drug Administration, Field Operations Branch, FDA|OO|OFBA|OAGS|DAP, Attn: Warren Dutter, email [email protected]. Reference: FDA-SSN-121830.

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 pre‐solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in sam.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

Confidentiality and Proprietary Information:

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).

Additional Notes:

If the stated requirements appear restrictive, please submit comments detailing the concern. Though this is not a request for quote, informational pricing for the service w