SOLICITATION NOTICE
70 -- SCIENTIFIC WORKPLACE SOFTWARE PACKAGE
- Notice Date
- 9/10/2008
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 511210
— Software Publishers
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Acquisitions and Grants Services, 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 2129, Rockville, Maryland, 20857-0001
- ZIP Code
- 20857-0001
- Solicitation Number
- FDA-SOL-1048804
- Response Due
- 9/17/2008 10:00:00 AM
- Archive Date
- 10/2/2008
- Point of Contact
- Michael P McGrath, Phone: 301-827-7158, Ted L Weitzman,, Phone: 301-827-7178
- E-Mail Address
-
mmcgrath@fda.hhs.gov, ted.weitzman@fda.hhs.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- (i)This is a combined synopsis/solicitation 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. (ii)The solicitation number is FDA-SOL1048804. This solicitation is being issued as a “BRAND NAME OR EQUAL” Request for Quote (RFQ). (iii)This solicitation document and incorporated clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-23. (iv)The associated NAICS code is 511210 and the small business size standard is $9.0M. (v)A software package titled Scientific Workplace, a Quantity of 10 (vi)The Food and Drug administration requests responses from qualified sources capable of providing the software on a Brand-Name-Or-Equal basis in accordance with the salient characteristics listed below: SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS Brand Name - Scientific Workplace - a software package Manufacturer – MacKichan Software, Inc. 19307 8th Ave., Suite C Poulsbo, WA 98370-7370 a. Salient Characteristics: 1. full range mathematical expression 2. symbolic equation solving 3. graphical user interface sufficient to create all the mathematical expressions. Definitions follow. Salient characteristic 1: full range mathematical expression A mathematical expression of any complexity, for example, an integral containing a summation of a product of a summation of a product, should be expressible with clear demarcation of the (five) levels of nesting by not only the variety of round, square and curly parentheses used, but by the size and clarity of iterated super and subscripts. All Greek and customary mathematical symbols are present and can be used in any portion of the mathematical expression. Thus each summation will have its range expressed by an expression subscripted below or to the lower right of the summation sign, with the termination of the range expressed as a superscript above or to the upper right of the summation sign, and in turn each may itself be a formula containing variables with superscripts or subscripts. Here is a sample TeX code for the formula just described, without any clarifying parentheses. \int_{a_1}^{b_1} \sum_{i=a_2}^{b_2} \prod_{i=a_3}^{b_3} \sum_{i=a_4}^{b_4} \prod_{i=a_5}^{b_5} {{e^{-cx}}/{1-dx}} dx Where c and d are functions of \{a_2, a_3, a_4, a_5, b_2, b_3, b_4, b_5\}. Each level of nesting of super or subscript will noticeably reduce font size, but not reduce font size so drastically that a few levels renders the smallest font unreadable. Spacing should also support clarity. The capacity to display arrays of formula is present, and as with super and subscripts, the kerning allows considerable complexity before the smallest fonts become unreadable. The capacity for left super and subscripts would be ideal to additionally cover the needs of chemists, and is often available in such products, but I don't currently expect to require it for mathematicians. As a general standard, typesetting of full range mathematical expressions should be comparable to the freeware TeX. TeX is generally accepted as an international language to code and typeset mathematical formulae; it is not unreasonable to expect a software manufacturer producing products for this market to be sufficiently familiar with it to create a sample file and printout per this sample formula. The learning curve and labor to routinely use TeX are substantial, so we generally do not want to use freeware TeX as our mathematical typesetting software. Salient Characteristic 2: symbolic equation solving 1. gives correct answers to all simultaneous algebraic equations for which answers exist 2. gives correct answers to take derivatives of all formulae for which answers exist 3. gives correct answers for many integrals, reasonably approximating the state of the art 4. re-expresses any formula in simplest form For example, for the question d exp(-ax) -------------- dx The answer is -a*exp(-ax). In symbolic equation solving, the answer is a mathematical formula; in numeric equation solving, the answer is a number. Salient Characteristic 3: graphical user interface to these functions Essentially all aspects of these functionalities are accessible from a point and click graphical interface without typing in computer code text. b. Maintenance: Customary software warranty and bugfixes. c. Other factors or features: To keep the user’s learning curve to a minimum, the solution must provide all characteristics in an integrated package which is learned once, not a collection of softwares whose totality covers the salient characteristics. d. 508 requirements: Sections 1194.21, 1194.31, and 1194.41. Thorough coverage of 1194.21 may suffice for functional requirements 1194.31. e. Notes regarding particular product: That it satisfies all of these salient characteristics adequately. (vii) Delivery within two (2) weeks after receipt of order to the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), WO21, Room 4679, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20993, ATTN: Ferrin D. Harison. (viii) The provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors----Commercial, applies to this acquisition. (ix) The provision at 52.212-1, Evaluation -- Commercial Items (Jan 1999) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforms to the Brand-Name or Equal and will offer the best value to the Government, technical factors, price, and past performance considered. (xi) The clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. (xii) The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders----Commercial Items applies to this acquisition: 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Sep 2006), 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (May 2004) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(2) Equal Opportunity (Mar 2007)(E.O. 11246); 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans (Sep 2006)(38 U.S.C. 4212); 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (Jun 1998)(29 U.S.C. 793); 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans (Sep 2006)(38 U.S.C. 4212); 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—Central Contractor Registration (Oct. 2003)(31 U.S.C. 3332). Full text of clauses and provisions can be accessed at ww.arnet.gov/far. All questions must be submitted in writing to Michael.McGrath@fda.hhs.gov no later than Monday, September 15, 2008 at 3 pm EST. Answers to all questions will be posted as an amendment to the solicitation. Price Proposals, Technical proposals may be submitted electronically at Michael.McGrath @fda.hhs.gov no later than Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 10 am EST.
- Web Link
-
FedBizOpps Complete View
(https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=780cc0a1b76617e61c38d1e579116c34&tab=core&_cview=1)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Successful offeror's facility., United States
- Record
- SN01665800-W 20080912/080910221605-780cc0a1b76617e61c38d1e579116c34 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |