SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Quantitative Viral Outgrowth Assay (QVOA) Service Resource
- Notice Date
- 12/16/2013
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541711
— Research and Development in Biotechnology
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Office of Acquisitions, 6700 B Rockledge Room 3214 MSC7612, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-7612
- ZIP Code
- 20892-7612
- Solicitation Number
- HHS_NIH_NIAID_SBSS_13_184
- Archive Date
- 1/15/2014
- Point of Contact
- George Keane, Phone: 3014513690, Michelle L. Scala, Phone: 301-451-3693
- E-Mail Address
-
george.keane@nih.gov, mscala@niaid.nih.gov
(george.keane@nih.gov, mscala@niaid.nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Introduction This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. Background The mission of the Division of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (DAIDS), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is to ensure an end to the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic by supporting research that can lead to the prevention, treatment, and eventual cure of HIV disease. DAIDS supports basic research as well as pre-clinical and clinical evaluation of various HIV eradication strategies. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies at clearing the latent HIV reservoir, a sensitive, reproducible assay capable of quantifying latent HIV is crucial. The best characterized assay today is the QVOA (Quantitative Viral Outgrowth Assay), also known as IUPM (Infectious Units Per Million) assay (Siliciano and Siliciano 2005), performed on highly purified resting CD4+ T cells under conditions that reverse latency and induce replication of HIV. Purpose and Objectives The objective of this contract is to provide the QVOA as a service to the HIV research community. This service will allow standardized QVOA measurements so that unbiased comparisons between different eradication strategies can be achieved. Widespread use of the assay will raise the standards for latent HIV detection and reduce the need for surrogate, less sensitive assays, presently used by some laboratories. The scope of the work includes: •Performance of the QVOA •Development of alternatives to the QVOA. The aim will be the development of assays that are less costly, require smaller amounts of blood, and can be completed more rapidly while maintaining or exceeding the sensitivity of the QVOA. •Training investigators to perform the QVOA at the Respondent's site. The Respondent shall use state-of-the art technologies to accomplish the objectives of the contract and shall incorporate new and improved technologies into activities when appropriate. Project requirements A.Perform Quantitative Viral Outgrowth Assay (QVOA): the Contractor shall perform the direct quantitation of replication competent HIV in latently infected resting CD4+ T cells of HIV patients on HAART. The assay shall be able to detect, at a minimum, one latently infected cell per one million resting CD4+ T cells (Siliciano and Siliciano 2005). B.Develop alternatives to the QVOA: In consultation with of the COR, the Contractor shall develop alternatives to QVOA that are less costly, require smaller amounts of blood, are less labor intensive, and maintain the sensitivity of the QVOA. C.Provide training in the performance of the QVOA. In consultation with the COR, provide training for researchers to establish the QVOA at their own lab. Training may be provided at the Contractor's site. D.Disseminate findings to the scientific community. E.Organize one site visit per year. F.Collect, manage, and quality control data. Ensure confidentiality of data related to study subjects. Ensure integrity of scientific data. Provide quality control procedures for all data generated under the contract such as scientific data, Contractor and subcontractor/consultant reports, etc. G.Receive, store, ship, and inventory contract resources, study products, and clinical specimens. H.Provide for appropriate storage and monitoring of virus stocks, study products, specimens, and other material. Use shipping procedures and containers that comply with International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations (www.iata.org) for shipment by air transportation or with Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations for shipment by ground transportation. Anticipated period of performance It is anticipated that one (1) cost reimbursement, level-of-effort (term) type contract will be awarded. The period of performance will be for one (1) year (Base Period) plus six (6) one-year options (terms) that may be exercised by the Government unilaterally, for a total possible performance period of seven (7) years, beginning on or about May 15, 2015. The requirement will be for the delivery of 3.30 full time equivalents (FTEs) per year for the Base Period (Year 1) and each option period (Years 2 through 7). In addition to the above functions and services to be provided for the Base period, the Government may exercise, at its discretion, Options for additional level of effort as follows: 1) Options to extend the term of the contract; and 2) Options to accommodate significant increases in work. These Options are defined as follows: 1)Options 1 through 6 to Extend the Term of the Contract The Government may exercise options to extend the period of the contract beyond the base period (Year 1), annually, for a total contract period of up to 7 years. Assume that the scope and types of activities as outlined herein (i.e., for Year 1 of the contract) would be continued for each succeeding annual contract period up to 7 total years. 2)Options 7 through 20: Increase in Services The Government may exercise options for an increased level of effort that may result from unanticipated increases in demand for the services supported by the base requirements of this contract. Options for increased services may include the following: Increased Level of Effort for Additional Services: During the course of the contract it may be necessary to incorporate additional services to support new NIAID-supported clinical studies and trials. Such an increase would require an increase in the Contractor's activities to be activated, at the discretion of the Government, as an option. Each option of this type will implement work commensurate with the addition of0.55 FTE per Option. One (1) but not more than two (2) Options for additional services may be exercised in any one year. Other important considerations Capability statement / information sought Respondents shall demonstrate (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and/or other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information. Page Limitations: Interested qualified small business organizations should submit a tailored Capability Statement not to exceed 5 pages, excluding resumes. Capability Statements must not include links to internet web site addresses (URLs) or otherwise direct readers to alternate sources of information. Font size must be 10 to 12 points. Spacing must be no more than 15 characters per inch. Within a vertical inch, there must be no more than six lines of text. Print margins must be at least one-inch on each edge of the paper. Print setup should be single-sided on standard letter size paper (8.5 x 11" in the U.S., A4 in Europe). All proprietary information should be marked as such. Required Business Information: •DUNS. •Company Name. •Company Address. •Company Point of Contact, Phone and Email address •Current GSA Schedules and/or Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) appropriate to this Sources Sought. •Do you have a Government approved accounting system? If so, please identify the agency that approved the system. •Type of Company (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, veteran owned, etc.) as validated via the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) located at http://www.ccr.gov/index.asp. This indication should be clearly marked on the first page of your Capability Statement (preferable placed under the eligible small business concern's name and address). Number of Copies: Please submit one (1) electronic copy of your response as follows: All Capability Statements sent in response to this Small Business Sources Sought notice must be submitted electronically (via e-mail) to George Keane, Contract Specialist, at george.keane@nih.gov in MS Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). The e-mail subject line must specify HHS-NIH-NIAID-SBSS-13-184. Facsimile responses will not be accepted. Common Cut-off Date: Electronically submitted tailored capability statements are due no later than [4:00 PM (Eastern Prevailing Time) on 12/31/20X13]. CAPABILITY STATEMENTS RECEIVED AFTER THIS DATE AND TIME WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. 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 Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality 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).
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