INTRODUCTION

This is pre-solicitation synopsis for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This acquisition is being conducted in accordance with the procedures of FAR Part 13--Simplified Acquisition Procedures, FAR Subpart 13.5--Test Program for Certain Commercial Items, and FAR Part 12--Acquisition of Commercial Items.

The solicitation number is HHS-NIH-NIDA-(AG)-PSOL-2018-355 and the solicitation is issued as a PRE-SOLICITATION, NOTICE OF INTENT, to award a contract on a non-competitive basis to Nexcelom Bioscience LLC, 360 Merrimack Street, Bldg 9, Lawrence, MA 01843.

ACQUISITION AUTHORITY

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13--Simplified Acquisition Procedures, Subpart 13.5--Test Program for Certain Commercial Items, and Subpart 6.302-1, Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, and is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13--Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6--Competition Requirements.

The non-competitive determination is based upon the market research conducted as prescribed in FAR Part 10--Market Research, specifically the results of market research concluded no other source of supply or service has the capability to provide a Celigo Imaging Cytometer.

The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-99, dated July 2018.

CONTRACT TYPE
The Government intends to award a firm fixed price purchase order for this requirement.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE

The associated NAICS code for this requirement is 334516 Analytical Laboratory Industry Manufacturing, size standard 1000 employees.

BACKGROUND

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation's leading medical research agency and the primary Federal agency whose mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability, conducting, supporting and making medical discoveries that improve people's health and save lives.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this acquisition is to purchase a Nexcelom Celigo Imaging Cytometer with 5 channels to enhance our studies on mitochondria and aging.

The assessment of cell viability and proliferation rate are standard cell culture techniques which are required for the thorough investigation of genotype and phenotype alterations in age-related research. Current technologies require the trypsinization and/or staining of cells with toxic chemicals, which perturbs their natural state and requires the use of a lot of materials (i.e. dishes, media, and drugs) because current techniques also consume an entire cell sample for one time-point. The Celligo will allow us to non-invasively monitor the same cells over time, with different treatments, without having to plate multiple duplicates for time course experiments. This will provide more accurate data with less reagent and materials used in numerous cell culture formats. Moreover, we routinely assess mitochondrial function using the Seahorse XFe96 extracellular flux analyzer. This requires a normalization step to account for the number of cells, to ensure the results are due to mitochondrial functional differences rather than differences in cell number or protein content. Current normalization techniques require cell lysis and protein determination, which is time consuming with a large degree of inherent variability. This method also assumes that there are no differences in total cellular protein content between treatment groups, which may not be the case, especially in experiments where proteins are overexpressed or knocked down for experimental purposes. Using the Celligo, we will be able to count the exact number of cells in each of the 96 wells before and after an experiment using the Seahorse. This will allow us to account for any loss of cells during the course of the experiment, as well as proper normalization per cell, without the need to make assumptions like the current protein content normalization approach. Overall, the Celligo provides a novel, non-invasive tool to more accurately assess and quantify critical cell functions while saving time and money in wasted reagents.

Purchase Description:

200 BFFL-SC, Celigo Imaging Cytometer - 5 Channels, Classic Collection Application Suite Qty.1
200-CSW-S, Celigo Satellite Workstation Qty. 1
Celigo-Serv B, Celigo Level B Service and Support Plan for 12 months includes Qty. 1

Place of Performance:
251 Bayview Blvd
Baltimore, MD 21224

Delivery of Goods
30 days after receipt of order

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

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.

Responses to this solicitation must include sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities of providing the product or service. The price quote shall include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, delivery days after contract award, delivery terms, prompt payment discount terms, F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), product or catalog number(s); product description; and any other information or factors that may be considered in the award decision. Such factors may include: past performance; special features required for effective program performance; trade-in considerations; probable life of the item selected as compared with that of a comparable item; warranty considerations; maintenance availability; and environmental and energy efficiency considerations.

Respondents that believe that they are manufacturers or authorized resellers of the brand-name product specified in this announcement must provide, as part of their response: (a) product, catalog, model, and/or part number(s); (b) product description; (c) all relevant information and documentation that the item(s) offered meets the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics as specified in the purchase description; quantity; estimated price or cost; shipping, handling, and/or installation charges; and delivery date after receipt of order.

The following FAR provisions shall apply to this solicitation: 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors--Commercial Items, 52.212-2, Evaluation--Commercial Items. Evaluation factors that will be used to evaluate the offer most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered, include ability to meet the technical requirements stated in this pre-solicitation and on basis of best value to the government. Offerors must include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items, with their offer. The Clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and the Clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders Commercial Items applies to this acquisition.

The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement.

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."

All responsible sources may submit a bid, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. All responses must be received by August 31, 2018 at 12:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (EST) and must reference solicitation number HHS-NIH-NIDA-(AG)-PSOL-2018-355. Responses may be submitted electronically to [email protected]. For information regarding this solicitation, contact Andrea McGee by email at [email protected] or by phone at (301) 480-2449.