SOURCES SOUGHT
66 -- High Performance Slam Freezing Apparatus
- Notice Date
- 5/23/2016
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Station Support/Simplified Acquisitions, 31 Center Drive, Room 1B59, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20892
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-SBSS-16-378
- Archive Date
- 6/16/2016
- Point of Contact
- Lauren M. Phelps, Phone: 3014802453
- E-Mail Address
-
lauren.phelps@nih.gov
(lauren.phelps@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Request for Information/Sources Sought Notice HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-SBSS-16-378 High Performance Slam Freezing Apparatus Contracting Office Address: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Station Support Simplified Acquisitions, 31 Center Drive, Room 1B59, Bethesda, MD 20892, UNITED STATES. Introduction: This is a 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 large business and small business sources, (2) whether they small businesses 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) large and small business 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. Background: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Laboratory of Neurobiology core mission involves studying the mechanisms of synaptic transmission in the nervous system. Understanding these mechanisms relies heavily on the ability to freeze samples without destructive ice formation. The NINDS Laboratory of Neurobiology therefore utilizes slam-freezing technology to meet the needs of the program. Purpose and Objectives for the Procurement: The purpose of this requirement is acquisition of a high performance slam freezing apparatus to freeze nerve cells for electron microscopy efforts undertaken in NINDS Laboratory of Neurobiology Laboratory protocols. Project Requirements: The NINDS Laboratory of Neurobiology Section requires one (1) slam freezing apparatus that meets the following requirements: 1.The apparatus shall cryo-fix small neurobiological samples (1-3mm in size), composed of living tissues freshly dissected from experimental animals or living tissue-cultures of nerves prepared in the Lab. 2.The apparatus must be capable of repeatedly performing metal mirror cryo-fixation of cells and/or tissue samples. 3.The apparatus must include a cold block (sapphire or copper) cooled by liquid nitrogen and a spring-loaded arm to hold a sample above the cold block and in proper position to drive the sample quickly and with appropriate force against the cold block. 4.The apparatus's cold block must be able to be cooled with liquid nitrogen, which will be stored in an adjacent reservoir and connected to the freezing machine by a properly insulated hose. 5.The freezing-chamber of the apparatus must be able to operate at temperatures from +25ºC to -200°C, and must be able to hold a pure copper or sapphire cold-block with a mirror finish. 6.The apparatus must offer a cool-down mode which initiates liquid nitrogen flow to chill the cryo-block to a temperature below -175°C. A user must be able to then activate the freezing cycle, at this time. 7.The apparatus must include a means to remove the copper or sapphire freezing-block after each use, so that it can be warmed and cleaned, then promptly re-inserted for initiation of the next freezing event. 8.The apparatus must be equipped with adjustable switches on the drop-arm that can be used to provide accurately timed pulses of light or electricity, in the moments or milliseconds just before freezing. 9.The apparatus-chamber, piston-head and specimen-holder must be able to accommodate the aforementioned samples on standard 1 centimeter diameter aluminum holders with tabs, to properly support them during subsequent procedures required for entering them into the electron microscope. 10.The apparatus must come with a six (6) specimen-holders. Anticipated Contract Type: A firm fixed price purchase order within the Simplified Acquisition threshold is anticipated. Period of Performance/Delivery Requirements: The Contractor shall deliver the equipment within eight (8) weeks after receipt of order. The equipment shall be delivered between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Bethesda, MD local prevailing time, Monday through Friday. Delivery should be "inside delivery" to 49 Convent Drive, Room 3A71, Bethesda, MD 20892. Place of Performance: The required equipment shall be delivered and installed at the NIH Main Campus, 49 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892. Capability Statement: Contractors that believe they possess the ability to provide the required equipment should submit documentation of their ability to meet each of the project requirements to the Contract Specialist. The capability statement should include 1) the total number of employees, 2) documentation of ability to provide the required equipment, 3) any contractor GSA Schedule contracts by which all of the requirements may be met, if applicable, and 4) any other information considered relevant to this program. Contractors must also provide their Company Name, DUNS number, Physical Address, and Point of Contact Information. Interested organizations are required to identify their type of business, applicable North American Industry Classification System Code, and size standards in accordance with the Small Business Administration. The government requests that no proprietary or confidential business data be submitted in a response to this notice. However, responses that indicate the information therein is proprietary will be properly safeguarded for Government use only. Capability statements must include the name and telephone number of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss responses with Government representatives. Capability statements in response to this market survey that do not provide sufficient information for evaluation will be considered non-responsive. When submitting this information, please reference the solicitation notice number. All capability statements sent in response to this Sources Sought Notice must be submitted to Lauren Phelps, Contract Specialist, via email at lauren.phelps@nih.gov before the closing date and time of this announcement. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered. Note: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in the response. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your 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 review of the responses received, pre-solicitation and solicitation notices may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. The solicitation release date is pending. The Government anticipates negotiation of a firm fixed price purchase order.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NIDA-2/HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-SBSS-16-378/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Bethesda, Maryland, United States
- Record
- SN04125439-W 20160525/160523234246-ed9d4bd80c9622b5d3baab22fc78082a (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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