SOLICITATION NOTICE
66 -- Two (2) Microscopes
- Notice Date
- 8/23/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 333314
— Optical Instrument and Lens Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Midwest Area Office, 1815 N. University Street, Peoria, IL, 61604
- ZIP Code
- 61604
- Solicitation Number
- 5114-6-0018
- Response Due
- 9/5/2006
- Archive Date
- 11/23/2006
- Description
- This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 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. Solicitation No. 5114-6-0018 is being issued as a Request for Proposals (RFP). This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-12. The NAICS code applicable to this acquisition is 333314. For a company to qualify as a small business, the small business standard is 500 employees. The USDA/ARS National Center for Agriculture Utilization Research, Peoria, Illinois, requests proposals for the purchase of two (2) Microscope Systems. These Microscopes will be used to label and simultaneously image several fluorescent proteins in an accurate and efficient manner. Documenting these proteins requires a high level of spatial and spectral resolution. Due to temporal considerations, the process also needs to go quickly and with a minimum of extraneous manipulation of the system particularly in our multiple-user environment. Ergonomics and ease of use factors are important to the end user. The Microscope systems shall be interoperable and interchangeable, both software and hardware, with existing Zeiss Systems in a networked environment. THE SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS-CLIN #1 Research Fluorescence Microscope System- The microscope system must meet or exceed the following minimum specifications: 1) The microscope must have an Apochromatically corrected reflected light illumination train. 2) The microscope fluorescence filter turret must employ light trap technology that virtually eliminates stray light in the fluorescence illumination system. The turret must be encoded so that its individual filter module positions can be read by the system?s camera software. 3) The microscope fluorescence filter modules must be of tool-free, push-and-click design and be accessible from the front of the filter turret. 4) The microscope trinocular head must be non-tilting, with a vertical adjustment range of 50mm and a binocular angle of 20 degrees. It must provide a reversed image to the eyepieces and must direct light 100% to the eyepieces or 100% to the phototube, with no intermediate position. 5) The microscope eyepieces must have a field number of 23. They must have separate zero-diopter adjustment indicators for use with and without reticles. 6) The microscope body must be configured with light management technology allowing each user to program his or her individual illumination preferences. 7) The microscope stage must be ceramic-coated and have ball bearing rotation through 240 degrees. Its control arm must be user-adjustable for height and tension and its specimen holder must be optimized for use with immersion objectives. 8) The microscope diascopic illumination train must be outfitted with neutral-density filters of 0.50%, 0.25% and 0.12% transmission in dual rotating wheels. 9) The microscope objective nosepiece must be encoded so that its individual objective positions can be read by the system?s camera software. It must accept objectives of 27mm thread diameter. 10) The microscope condenser must be achromatic/aplanatic, with numerical aperture 0.9. It must contain DIC prisms with integral polarizers. 11) The microscope must be configured with a second photo port mounted to the left side of the microscope body. 12) The microscope system must include two cameras with the following characteristics: a) Camera #1: 13-Megapixel color mosaic, Peltier-cooled, with PCI/fiber optic interface between camera and computer--controllable by Zeiss AxioVision software with native file format .zvi (This software is currently in use in our lab.) b) Camera #2: 1.4-Megapixel Monochrome, Peltier-cooled, with FireWire interface between camera and computer--controllable by Zeiss AxioVision software with native file format .zvi (This software is currently in use in our lab.) 13) The microscope system must include software for control of Zeiss cameras. The software must be capable of image acquisition, annotation, point-to-point measuring, auto-scaling, and pseudocoloring and overlay of monochrome images. It must also provide analysis of relative fluorescence intensities from multiple labels. The software must be able to save files in .zvi format, allowing users to document each image in a data overlay saved as part of the image file. 14) The camera control software must read filter module and objective turret positions and provide auto-scaling of images to all objective magnifications. CLIN #2 Fluorescence Stereo Microscope - The microscope system must meet or exceed the following minimum specifications: 1) The microscope must have a manually adjusted continuous zoom range of 8:1, with detents at all labeled magnifications 2) The microscope 1x objective must be planachromatic, with numerical aperture 1.44. 3) The microscope must have a binocular head with integral phototube that is tiltable 5-45 degrees. 4) The microscope eyepieces must have a field number of 23. They must have separate zero-diopter adjustment indicators for use with and without reticles. 5) The microscope fluorescence turret must have five (5) positions for dovetail-mounted filter modules accessible by a magnetic access door. 6) The microscope focusing system must be motorized and computer-controlled, with 350nm steps over a 350mm range. It must be programmable for variable speed profiles from 0.52 microns/second to 6.5mm/second. 7) The microscope must have a 3-Position rotatable objective nosepiece that is encoded so that the individual objective positions are readable by the system?s camera control software. 8) The microscope diascopic base must be lighted by a 21v/150w halogen fiber optic power supply with heat-absorbing filter and iris. The base must provide continuously variable brightfield, darkfield and oblique illumination. 9) The microscope reflected-light illumination must be 21v/150w halogen, delivered via dual gooseneck light guide with 30? flexible common bundle custom-mounted to the motor-focus assembly. 10) The microscope system must include two cameras with the following characteristics: a) Camera #1: 13-Megapixel color mosaic, Peltier-cooled, with PCI/fiber optic interface between camera and computer--controllable by Zeiss AxioVision software with native file format .zvi (This software is currently in use in our lab.) b) Camera #2: 1.4-Megapixel Monochrome, Peltier-cooled, with FireWire interface between camera and computer--controllable by Zeiss AxioVision software with native file format .zvi (This software is currently in use in our lab.) 11) The microscope system must include software for control of Zeiss cameras. The software must be capable of image acquisition, annotation, point-to-point measuring, auto-scaling, and pseudocoloring and overlay of monochrome images. It must also provide analysis of relative fluorescence intensities from multiple labels. The software must be able to save files in .zvi format, allowing users to document each image in a data overlay saved as part of the image file. 12) The camera control software must read filter module and objective turret positions and provide auto-scaling of images to all objective magnifications. DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE: Offerors shall submit 2 copies of the Descriptive Literature describing their proposed equipment in enough detail to ascertain whether the equipment meets the criteria listed above. REJECTION OF PROPOSAL: Failure to demonstrate compliance will be cause to reject the proposal without further discussions. All responsible sources may submit an offer which will be considered. The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and can be found in full text at http://www.arnet.gov/far/loadmainre.html. FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference are as follows: FAR 52.212 1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Items; FAR 52.212 3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items (Provide with Proposal); FAR 52.214-21, Descriptive Literature (Provide with Proposal); FAR 52.204-7, Central Contractor Registration (All Offerors must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) Database in order to receive an award. The website address for registration is: http://www.ccr.gov); and FAR 52.222-22, Previous Compliance Report. FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference, FAR 52.212 4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items apply to this acquisition. The following FAR clauses cited in 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items are applicable to this acquisition: FAR 52.222-3, Convict Labor (E.O. 11755); FAR 52.222-19, Child Labor; 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans; 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans; 52.225-13, Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases; 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer -Central Contractor Registration (31 U.S.C. 3332); 52.232-36, Payment by Third Party (31 U.S.C. 3332) and FAR 52.233, Protest After Award. The above FAR clauses may be viewed at http://www.ARNet.gov/far/. SHIPPING: FOB Destination. DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN PROPOSAL: In order to be considered for award Offerors shall provide 1) a Proposal on company letterhead detailing the item(s) description, and unit price per CLIN and total price; 2) descriptive literature, brochures; 3) at least 3 to 5 references for the proposed equipment. References must have received the proposed equipment within the last three (3) calendar years (Government references preferred but will accept commercial references). References shall be provided for the product proposed and if possible include the email address of the person to be contacted; and 4) Offerors shall include a completed copy of the provisions FAR 52.212-3 OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS - COMMERCIAL ITEMS, with this offer; a copy of this provision may be obtained at http://www.arnet.gov/far/loadmainre.html DELIVERY TO: USDA-ARS-NCAUR, Peoria, IL. PROPOSAL PRICE MUST INCLUDE any freight or shipping, as well as any applicable duties, brokerage, or customs fees. DELIVERY DATE DUE: The government requires delivery on or about December 1, 2006. Exact decision on delivery to be made at award, however, each offeror shall include their proposed delivery schedule as part of their proposal. FAR 52.212.-2 EVALUATION-COMMERCIAL ITEM, the significant evaluation factors, in the relative order of importance, are (i) technical capability of the item offered to meet the Government requirement including delivery date; (ii) past performance; and (iii) price (based on F.O.B. Destination), technical and past performance are more important than price. Award will be made based on overall BEST VALUE to the Government. EVALUATION & AWARD FACTORS - The contract resulting from this solicitation will be awarded to the responsible party whose offer, conforming to the solicitation, is determined most advantageous to the government, cost, and other factors considered. Each Proposal shall respond to each of the evaluation factors identified below. With the exception of past performance, a technical evaluation will be performed on each proposal based solely on the information furnished and not on previous knowledge or associations. The evaluation factors are as follows: (1) Technical Evaluation Factors: A) All proposals will be rated against the salient characteristics and minimum requirements. B) Delivery C) Warranty D) Price. The Offeror shall extend to the Government the full coverage of any standard commercial warranty normally offered in a similar commercial sale, provided such warranty is available at no additional cost to the Government. Acceptance of the standard commercial warranty does not waive the Government's rights under the Inspection clause nor does it limit the Government's right with regard to the other terms and conditions of this contract. In the event of a conflict, the terms and conditions of the contract shall take precedence over the standard commercial warranty. The contractor shall provide a copy of its standard commercial warranty (if applicable) with this response. Any amendment and documents related to this procurement will be available electronically at the Internet site: http://www.eps.gov. Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of those documents related to this procurement, if any. Furnish Proposals to Rebecca Holzinger, Contracting Officer, USDA, ARS, MWA, Contracting Office, 1815 N. University Street, Peoria, IL 61604, no later than 2:00 p.m., 5 September, 2006. Proposals and other requested documents may be provided by facsimile to (309) 681-6683 if desired. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Contracting Officer at (309) 681-6616 or email below.
- Place of Performance
- Address: NCAUR, 1815 N University, Peoria, IL 61604
- Zip Code: 61604
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 61604
- Record
- SN01123013-W 20060825/060823220231 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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