SOURCES SOUGHT
66 -- Electron Microscope Maintenance
- Notice Date
- 12/14/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Rockledge Dr. Bethesda, MD, Office of Acquisitions, 6701 Rockledge Dr RKL2/6100 MSC 7902, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-7902
- ZIP Code
- 20892-7902
- Solicitation Number
- NHLBI-CSB-(AR)-2011-046-CRS
- Archive Date
- 1/12/2011
- Point of Contact
- Caitlin Savina,
- E-Mail Address
-
savinacr@nhlbi.nih.gov
(savinacr@nhlbi.nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Sources Sought Notice No.: NHLBI-CSB-(AR)-2011-046-CRS Title: Electron Microscope Maintenance This Sources Sought Notice (SS) is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The purpose of this SS is to identify qualified small business concerns [including Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB), Woman-owned Small Businesses (WOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Small Businesses, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) and Service-Disabled Veteran-owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB] that are interested in and capable of providing the below maintenance on electron microscopes. The NHLBI does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. As a result of this Sources Sought notice, the NHLBI may issue a Request for Proposal (RFP). THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against NHLBI shall arise as a result of a response to this Sources Sought notice or the NHLBI's use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement. The NHLBI is seeking capability statements from all eligible small business concerns [particularly Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB), Woman-owned Small Businesses (WOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Small Businesses, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) and Service-Disabled Veteran-owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB)] under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 334516 with a size standard of 500 employees. Based on the responses received from this SOURCES SOUGHT announcement, the proposed acquisition may be solicited as a Total Small Business Set-Aside. All eligible small business concerns responding to this Sources Sought Announcement must have the capabilities to provide the below services upon receipt of purchase order. Interested parties are expected to review this notice to familiarize yourself with the requirements of this project; failure to do so will be at your firm's own risk. Statement of Work Background Since its inception, the Laboratory of Structural Biology Research (LSBR) has specialized in detailed structural analysis of macromolecules, macromolecular complexes, and subcellular structures by computer-enhanced electron microscopy. The goal of these studies is to elucidate structure-function relationships at the molecular level with particular emphasis on (but not restricted to) systems that bear directly on the mission of NIAMS. This program was initiated in 1978 with the appointment of a tenure-track investigator (the Project Officer), and progressed to become a Section in 1984, and further to Laboratory status in 1990. A typical research project involves recording electron micrographs of the highest possible quality, subjecting them to digital image analysis to elicit the maximum amount of structural information, and interpretation, taking into account all pertinent complementary data. Over the years, the LSBR has performed ground-breaking studies on cytoskeletal filaments, virus particles and antigens, and complex enzymes among other important biomedical specimens. Cryo-electron microscopy - the technique of visualizing organic specimens suspended in vitreous ice - was introduced in the 1980s and has revolutionized what is achievable. The LSBR has been to the fore in these advances and in 1997 accomplished the landmark result of extending the resolution on isolated complexes below the 10Å limit for the first time. The results achieved depend both on the quality of the primary data (electron microscope images) and the scope of computer analysis. As for the former, keeping our electron microscopes operational and maintaining them in peak performing condition are essential to our work. Objectives Specifically, in order to keep the LSBR's electron microscopes operational and maintain them in peak performing condition, a maintenance contract that covers repair and routine maintenance is required. A qualified supplier is needed to maintain these advanced and intricate instruments to the standards of operation essential for sustaining the performance of our electron microscopy experiments at the state-of-the-art. Microscopes include: CM120 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) CM200 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) Tecnai 12 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) Tecnai F30 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) Service Provided Scheduled Maintenance: A minimum of two scheduled preventative maintenance visits for each covered instrument shall be provided during the term of the contract. The visits shall occur at reasonably spaced intervals. During the course of scheduled visits, ordinary repairs and adjustments arising from normal usage of the equipment shall be made. The contractor shall perform a compliance review of the equipment and shall clean and align the equipment, as necessary for the full functioning of the equipment. Scheduled visits shall be scheduled for mutually agreed upon dates and times. If both parties do not agree upon dates and times, the Government will designate a date and time. Unscheduled Maintenance: The Government may place corrective unscheduled maintenance (repair) service calls to the contractor at no additional cost in the event of equipment failures requiring immediate repair. The contractor shall respond to unscheduled maintenance calls within 48 hours of being notified of the need for repair by the Government. Telephone Support: The contractor shall provide telephone support for repair and maintenance of the equipment during NIH working hours M-F, (8:00 am - 5:00 pm), excluding federal holidays. Telephone support shall include response to questions about operating practices, applications use and service issues that can be diagnosed and resolved over the telephone. Replacement Parts and Components: The contractor shall ship new parts within twenty-four (24) hours after identifying the need for a replacement part for the equipment, subject to availability. The contractor may supply reconditioned parts that meet the manufacturer's specifications, at the option of the Government. Service Agreement Includes labor, travel, living expenses and parts coverage (including system software and /or software upgrades applicable to Customer's current configuration). Coverage includes all parts of the equipment unless specifically excluded under the paragraph "Parts Exclusion". Service availability is Monday through Friday, during Government normal business hours (8:00 am -5:00 pm), with a targeted response time of forty-eight (48) hours. Requesting Service Vendor shall supply a telephone number to their customer service center for use in requesting contractor service or advice regarding equipment. Parts Exclusion In the interest of reasonable cost, the following items may be excluded from the agreement: Adjustable apertures (including whenelt apertures) Air Compressors Anti-contamination devices Aperture holders Backscatter detector chips Bright-field detector Scintillators Binoculars Cameras (including Polaroid, 35mm) Cooling blades and cooling traps Cosmetic damage (including table tops) Cranes and lifting devices Dewar vessels Dark-field detector chips Desiccators Flat film holders and inserts Fluorescent viewing screens Lab6 filaments Fiber optics Lens housing Leaded glass (including Viewing windows) Manuals Lens housing Plate camera load boxes Plate camera unload boxes Speciment holders Specimen lading and sorting Devices Tools and tool kits Uninterruptible power Supplies Water chillers (except Zephyr) Wehnelt assemblies Optical Stacks (part of the camera or energy filter that includes the scintillator) At least one (1) FEG Tip/Gun exchange for each FEG microscope is covered per contract year. The contractor shall otherwise repair/replace all parts required for the operation of the equipment. Replacement Parts The contractor shall make reasonable commercial efforts to secure necessary replacement parts and components to perform the service obligations required herein. Compliance with Rules The contractor shall comply with all NIH rules and regulations regarding safety and security. The NIH Project Officer will make a copy of NIH rules and regulations available upon request by the contractor. The contractor shall conform to applicable Maryland state laws. Services Outside the Contract The Government may request service and parts beyond that provided in this contract. The contractor shall provide the NIH Project Officer with a detailed quote listing an estimate of labor and materials required to complete the work. Warranty All labor and replacement parts and components (excluding consumables) provided by the contractor shall be guaranteed for a period of ninety (90) days from the service visit completion date. The contractor shall use commercially reasonable efforts to perform the services in a manner that conforms with the warranty, or replacement parts and components. Independent Contractor The contractor shall be considered an independent contractor and not an agent of the Government. Confidential Information The contractor shall not disclose information the Government has deemed confidential. Interested parties should submit a tailored capability statement for this requirement, not to exceed 20 single-sided pages (including all attachments, resumes, charts, etc.) presented in single-space and using a 12-point font size minimum, that clearly details the ability to perform the aspects of the notice described above. All proprietary information should be marked as such. Statements should also include an indication of current certified small business status; this indication should be clearly marked on the first page of your capability statement (preferably placed under the eligible small business concern's name and address). Responses will be reviewed only by NIH personnel and will be held in a confidential manner. All capability Statements sent in response to this SOURCES SOUGHT notice must be submitted electronically (via email) to Caitlin Savina, Contract Specialist, at caitlin.savina@nih.gov in either MS Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), by December 28, 2010, 8:00 AM, EST. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NHLBI/NHLBI-CSB-(AR)-2011-046-CRS/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
- Record
- SN02344234-W 20101216/101214234755-59a27e9c6aea6721ab3470add6218918 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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