SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Patient Recruitment - Recompetition - Small Business Sources Sought
- Notice Date
- 3/21/2016
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases/AMOB, 5601 Fishers Lane, 3rd Floor MSC 9822, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20892
- Solicitation Number
- NIHAO2016045
- Archive Date
- 4/20/2016
- Point of Contact
- Shivani D. Patel, Phone: 2406695127, Dixie Harper, Phone: 301-402-6790
- E-Mail Address
-
shivani.patel@nih.gov, dixie.harper@nih.gov
(shivani.patel@nih.gov, dixie.harper@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Small Business Sources Sought - Patient Recruitment Sources Sought This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. The purpose of this notice is to perform market research to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources and (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; woman-owned; small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as noted. Your response 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. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. For more than 60 years, NIAID research has led to new therapies, vaccines, diagnostic tests, and other technologies that have improved the health of millions of people in the United States and around the world. NIAID has a unique mandate, which requires the Institute to respond to emerging public health threats. Toward this end, NIAID manages a complex and diverse research portfolio that aims to expand the breadth and depth of knowledge in all areas of infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases; and develop flexible domestic and international research capabilities to appropriately respond to emerging and re- emerging disease threats at home and abroad. Part I. Background and Objectives The capacity to evaluate pathophysiologic processes and evaluate innovative therapeutic modalities in an efficient and expeditious manner is an essential element of the efforts of the National institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The Institute has supported efforts to evaluate control measures for infectious diseases during past decades and Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of drugs and immunomodulating agents for the prevention and therapy of infectious diseases. The NIAID is currently seeking small business sources that can assist its investigations of infectious and inflammatory diseases of importance by facilitating patient recruitment both locally and nationally. Specifically, the Contractor must be capable of providing the following services: 1. Establishing and maintaining relationships with community-based, public health and hospital-based clinics in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area within 50 miles of the National institutes of Health, Bethesda campus. The purpose of such relationships is to promote recruitment of eligible patients into various NIAID clinical studies. Immigrant populations served by health facilities within this catchment area represent virtually every area of emerging infectious diseases in the world, especially Africa, Latin America and Asia. The clinics with which NIAID/ DIR currently has established relationships are: Upper Cardozo Health Center, Unity Health Care, Inc. (Washington, D.C.) Metro Health (Washington, D.C) La Clinica Del Pueblo (Washington, D. c.) Family and Medical Counseling Services (Washington, D. C) INOVA Juniper Program (Arlington, VA) Unity Health Care, Minnesota Avenue (Washington, DC) Unity Health Care, Brentwood Health Center (Washington, DC) Parkside Health Center, Unity Health Care (Washington, D. C) Unity Health Care, Minnesota Avenue (Washington, DC) MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Infectious Diseases Clinic (Washington, D.C) Casey Health Center (Alexandria, V.A.) Walker-Jones Health Center, Unity Health Care (Washington, D. C) Greater Baden Medical Services (Prince Georges County) Dennis Avenue Health Center (Silver Spring, MD) 2. In addition to efforts focused on the Washington metropolitan area, this contractor will also provide support to selected NIAID protocols for which nation-wide recruitment is desired. The national recruitment efforts consist of targeted physician mailings, Internet ad campaigns, and ads placed on national disease support groups' web pages. Part II. Requirements A. Specifically, work shall consist of the following activates: 1. Maintain liaisons with the above listed clinics that are diagnosing and treating either US citizens or immigrant communities that regularly present with diseases of interest to the current intramural NIAID research program, such as HIV, tuberculosis chronic hepatitis, and Lyme disease. Liaisons may be made with additional hospital or public health department based clinics at the discretion of the COR. It is anticipated that the number of clinics will not exceed fifteen (15) at any one time. 2. Develop informational materials appropriate for patient and physician populations. These informational materials will describe the disease processes of interest to NIH researchers in a way that improves patient and provider understanding of the importance of biomedical research activities and the nature of clinical trials in general. This will require the development and distribution of educational materials/brochures, the number and subject of which will be determined in consultation with the COR. It is anticipated that no more than one topic brochure or topic booklet will be requested annually. A draft of the brochure will required for review and approval by the NIAID COR within 30 days after a topic has been identified, and the final printer files 5 days after the COR's approval of a final draft. These brochures may need to be updated or modified as new treatments and trials become available. 3. Design, development, implementation and monitoring results of recruitment campaigns for clinical studies conducted by NIAID comprised of the following: • Major media campaigns that shall consist of advertisements in area newspapers and other print media; radio and/or television advertisement; internet-based campaigns; postings in buses and metro trains. • Quarterly outreach campaigns that consist of meetings in a community of interest (those who speak Spanish, for instance), facilitated by the contractor, that integrate the interests of that community with a review of the impact and relevance of current NIH Protocols. • National recruitment efforts consisting of at least 4 targeted mailings of informational materials, internet ads and ads placed on the web pages of national disease support group regarding NIAID intramural protocols and monitor responses received from these mailings. 4. Contractor's recruitment and outreach liaison activities shall incorporate: • The transportation of patients, who live within a 50 mile radius of the NIH Clinical Center (Bethesda, MD), from their homes, place of employment, or clinics to the NIH Clinical Center or affiliated clinics for study related visits. Patient transportation should be provided for the first visit and for subsequent study-related visits, for approximately 40 patient-visits per week. • On site pre-screening of potential participants for intramural NIAID studies by trained recruitment specialists. • Provision of translation services as needed for outreach patients. The COR will identify specific volunteer recruitment requests, specifying the projected study start date and number of study subjects (volunteers) based on approved protocols. The contractor will be expected to fulfill the recruitment quotas within the specified time frame for study commencement. 5. Arrange periodic meetings with key staff of participating facilities and NIH investigators to discuss protocol recruitment and referral. 6. Provide administrative support to both NIAID activities in the community and to community facilities and organizations in order to facilitate the participation of providers and patients in clinical and basic research projects. Administrative support shall include: providing support for patient data entry; making appointment reminder calls to patients, assist patients in completion of paperwork related to obtaining release of medical records, facilitate distribution and accounting of patient support funds; provide meeting support. 7. Contractor's targeted monthly referrals shall be approximately twenty (20) appropriately screened candidates to NIAID per month. 8. Provide for the timely transportation of biologically viable clinical materials (such as blood, blood products, and microbiologic specimens) collected by participating clinics. The Contractor will transport such specimens from the health care facilities, to the NIH, Bethesda, Rockville, Maryland, or NIH-associated research facilities in Frederick, Maryland. The Contractor shall have provisions for the safe transportation of potentially hazardous biological materials. It is anticipated that there might be the need for regular delivery of up to 200 samples per week from the metropolitan Washington DC-Baltimore area health care facilities to contract facilities in Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland, or to NIH Bethesda laboratories. The contractor will not be responsible for collection or labeling of the specimens (this will be done by the by the health care facility). Infectious disease research (emerging infectious diseases, HIV, chronic hepatitis viruses, etc) requires strict adherence to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, OSHA guidelines, and any other state, local, or federal guidelines and regulations relating to the health and safety of personnel. Technical risks include the handling of blood samples and human secretions potentially contaminated with infectious agents. The Contractor shall ensure their staff has appropriate training and that appropriate facilities and waste handling techniques are used for work with this contract. The contractor shall assume responsibility for compliance with all state, local, and federal regulations for shipping and transporting bio logical and/or hazardous materials. B. Key Personnel The contractor will be required to provide community outreach workers, along with administrative support, data management and web support staff. Qualifications of these key personnel will be evaluated prior to contract award. For personnel communicating directly with the patients, bilingual and multilingual candidates (especially Spanish speaking) may be more highly rated {depending on other qualifications). A Cost plus Fixed Fee or Time and Materials type contract is anticipated to be awarded in September/October 2016 for a base period of 12 months plus the option of four (4) additional 12-month periods. Interested small business sources my submit their capability statements of no more than 10 numbered pages which demonstrates their understanding of the requirement, history of any current or previous contracts performed of similar nature and scope including the dollar value for each, relevant personnel, summary of partnerships and teaming agreements, or any other relevant information necessary to assist the NIAID with assessing the respondents capacity for performing the work as described. Interested parties should provide their technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. ALL questions and capability statements must be submitted via email to Shivani Patel at Shivani.patel@nih.gov, no later than 10am EST, April 5, 2016 and include a Business Point of Contact, Phone Number, DUNS Number, and Small Business Classification (e.g. Small business; HUBZone; Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned; 8(a); Woman-Owned; or other small disadvantaged business) based on the average annual receipts for the NAICS (541990) associated with this requirement. Information on small business size standards can found at the Small Business Administration at https://www.sba.gov/contracting/getting-started/size-standards Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in the 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. Any solicitation resulting from the analysis of information obtained will be announced to the public in Federal Business Opportunities in accordance with the FAR Part 5. 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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