MODIFICATION
R -- Neurodegenerative Disease Scientific Data Consulting Services - Questions and Answers - Solicitation Amend 0001
- Notice Date
- 1/19/2017
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- 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-CSS-17-052
- Archive Date
- 2/18/2017
- Point of Contact
- Lauren M. Phelps, Phone: 3014802453
- E-Mail Address
-
lauren.phelps@nih.gov
(lauren.phelps@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- Copy of Information Security Clause Addendum Copy of Solicitation Amendment 0001 Questions and answers Amendment 0001: The purpose of this solicitation amendment is to provide anonymized questions and answers in reference to this requirement. The response deadline remains unchanged. Neurodegenerative Disease Scientific Data Consulting Services Competitive Combined Synopsis/Solicitation HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-CSS-17-052 INTRODUCTION 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. The solicitation number is HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-CSS-17-052 and the solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). ACQUISITION AUTHORITY This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures; FAR Subpart 13.5- Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items; and FAR Part 12-Acquisition of Commercial Items, and IS expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-93-1, dated January 1, 2017. The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through this date. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE The associated NAICS code is 541690 with the Size Standard of $15 Million. SET-ASIDE STATUS This acquisition is 100% Set Aside for Small Businesses. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT Background The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Laboratory of Neurogenetics (LNG) uses scientific data consulting services on an array of projects including rapid cloud-based processing of exome and genome sequences in Parkinson's disease; facilitating cloud based environments for real-time multi-center collaborations on large *-omics datasets; predictive modeling and remote phenotyping in Parkinson's disease; international collaborative efforts in charting neurological disease progression; and building robust analytics infrastructure for reproducible and reliable statistical genetics applications. Purpose The purpose of this requirement is to procure scientific data consulting services related to neurodegenerative diseases in support of National Institute on Aging (NIA) Laboratory of Neurogenetics (LNG). Contract Type A Firm Fixed Price Purchase Order with Options to Extend the Term of the Contract is contemplated. Invoicing shall be on a NET30 and payment shall be made via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Invoices against the contract shall be submitted monthly after support is provided and processed via Two Way Match. Period of Performance The required period of performance is a one-year base period and four (4) subsequent one-year optional periods. Place of Performance The primary place of performance shall be the contractor's site via remote efforts. Work shall also be performed at the Government facility located at 35 Convent Drive, Room 1A-1102, Bethesda, MD 20892 as requested. Project Requirements The Contractor shall provide scientific data consulting support services in relation to neurodegenerative diseases as follows: •Provide guidance and recommendations regarding statistical and computing processes related to analyzing the genetic bases of neurological disease. •Manipulate genome-scale and next generation sequence data as directed. •Analyze molecular genetics and genomic data, including genome-wide genotype data, microarray based expression datasets, targeted resequencing, whole exome sequencing, and full transcriptome sequencing; using standard biostatistics/bioinformatics packages as well as machine and deep learning methods. •Develop, implement, and maintain cloud-based analytic pipelines for generating and analyzing multi-modal datasets. •Collaborate with NIH scientists and other NIH collaborators to perform multi-national analytics and data management efforts related to the genomics of neurodegenerative diseases within a meta-analysis and "big data" framework. •Prepare manuscripts related to analyses performed in relation to this requirement. Level of Effort The estimated level of effort for this requirement is one (1) contractor employee on a part-time basis for 1,500 hours per year (approximately thirty (30) hours per week). Reporting Requirements The Contractor shall provide monthly written reports to the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and the Chief of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics which summarize all efforts performed during the reporting period. Reports shall be given on the first business day of each month, following the first month of award. All reports shall also include a brief conference call or meeting with the COR and Chief of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics to discuss plans for the following month. Government Furnished Information/Property The Government will provide data for analysis, computing resources, and office space to the contractor personnel working under this effort. All data provided to the Contractor must be treated as confidential and not be disclosed to any third party. FAR Clause 52.245-1 Government Property shall be applicable to this requirement. Key Personnel The Contractor employee providing services for this effort shall be considered key personnel. Key Personnel requirements are as follows: •A PhD in a data science discipline •At least 10 years of experience providing genome-related scientific data analytics and data management support services. •At least ten (10) publications focused on statistical analyses in the neurogenetics field. The proposed Key Personnel will become subject to the provisions of Health and Human Services Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) Clause HHSAR 352.237-75 Key Personnel as follows: The key personnel specified in this contract are considered to be essential to work performance. At least 30 days prior to the contractor voluntarily diverting any of the specified individuals to other programs or contracts the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer and shall submit a justification for the diversion or replacement and a request to replace the individual. The request must identify the proposed replacement and provide an explanation of how the replacement's skills, experience, and credentials meet or exceed the requirements of the contract. If the employee of the contractor is terminated for cause or separates from the contractor voluntarily with less than thirty days notice, the Contractor shall provide the maximum notice practicable under the circumstances. The Contractor shall not divert, replace, or announce any such change to key personnel without the written consent of the Contracting Officer. The contract will be modified to add or delete key personnel as necessary to reflect the agreement of the parties. Travel: The consultant may be required to travel within the contiguous United States to provide the services described in this statement of work. Travel reimbursement will be provided for such required travel. All travel arrangements must be made in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and must be approved by the Contracting Officer and authorized by the Contracting Officer's Representative prior to being finalized or invoiced. Contracting Officer approved and Contracting Officer's Representative-authorized travel shall not exceed $5,000.00 annually. Please note that time spent travelling may not be billed to the Government. Please see the Federal Travel Regulation for allowable travel expenses, such as fares, rental fees, mileage payments, and other expenses related to transportation per FTR §301-10.2. Data Rights: The National Institute on Aging shall have unlimited rights to and ownership of all deliverables provided under this procurement including data, reports, briefings, surveys, analyses, recommendations and all other deliverables. In addition, it includes any additional deliverables required by contract change. The definition of "unlimited rights" is contained in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 27.401, "Definitions." FAR clause 52.227-14, "Rights in Data-General," shall be incorporated into any resulting award by reference. Information Systems Security The Contractor must ensure that any and all computer systems used in the course of this contract shall include the following features: 1.Any computer used in relation to this contract must be patched with most updated IT Security Patches. 2.Any Contractor computer used in relation this contract must have virus protection loaded and running with definition files that are updated on at least a daily basis. 3.Hard drives and portable media used for this contract must be encrypted using the FIPS 140-2 standard. 4.Contractors are required to take NIH Security and Privacy Training annually http://irtsectraining.nih.gov/ 5.Contractor are required to sign the NIH non-disclosure agreement http://irtsectraining.nih.gov/NIH_Non-Disclosure_Agreement.pdf 6.Contractors are required to report any lost or stolen NIH data to the NIA ISSO within one hour of knowing of the lost or theft even if the data is on a Contractor furnished computer. 7.Contractors are required to adhere to the NIH IT rules of behavior which can be found at https://ocio.nih.gov/InfoSecurity/training/Pages/nihitrob.aspx 8.Any computers used in reference to this contract must be assessed for vulnerabilities. 9.Any computers used in reference to this contract must be backed up on an external hard drive which is password protected. 10.Any computers used in reference to this contract must have auditing enabled such that if an incident occurred then that event could be reconstructed. 11.Any computers that are used in reference to this contract must employ at a minimum user name and password authentication or if possible two factor authentication. 12.Any computer used in relation to this contract must be password protected. All Password must meet the NIH standard such that users must choose passwords that have at least eight characters and at least three of the following types of characters: a.capital letters b.lower case letters c.numeric characters d.special characters (!@#$%^&*()_+|~-=\`{}[]:";'<>?,./) Confidentiality of Information Confidential Information means information or data of a personal nature about an individual, or proprietary information or data submitted by or pertaining to an institution or organization. Confidential Information or records shall not be disclosed by the Contractor without written authorization from the Contracting Officer. Whenever the Contractor is uncertain with regard to the confidentiality of or a property interest in information under this contract, the Contractor should consult with the Contracting Officer prior to any release, disclosure, dissemination, or publication. Collaboration Requirements It is required that all contractors involved with the NIH community work collaboratively with federal staff and other contractors towards the NIH mission and other affected organizations and follow the direction of the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), and/or the designated Federal Project Manager(s)/Lead(s). This collaboration includes day-to-day activities, support, development, knowledge transfer and creating and sharing documentation when required. Non-Personal Service Statement: The contract employee performing services will be controlled, directed and supervised at all times by management personnel of the contractor. Actions of contractor employees may not be interpreted or implemented in any manner that results in any contractor employee creating or modifying Federal policy, obligating the appropriated funds of the U.S. Government, overseeing the work of Federal employees, providing direct personal services to any Federal employee or otherwise violating the prohibitions set forth in Parts 7.5 and 37.1 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). Section 508 Compliance Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that Federal agencies' electronic and information technology (EIT) is accessible to people with disabilities. The Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Final Rule for Section 508 (EIT Accessibility) can be found at www.section508.gov and at the Access Board's Web site at https://www.access-board.gov/508.htm. The contractor must state that they will comply with the requirements of Section 508 in the event they become applicable. QUESTION & ANSWER PERIOD Interested contractors may submit questions relating to this requirement. Questions shall be submitted to the contract specialist, Lauren Phelps, via email at lauren.phelps@nih.gov by or before January 19, 2017 at 11:00 AM EST. Late questions shall not be accepted. Questions will be anonymized and answered and the answers will be provided as soon as possible after the question deadline via solicitation amendment. Should no questions be received, no amendment shall be posted. RESPONSE FORMAT Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror's capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the technical evaluation criteria. The offeror must submit 1) a technical response, 2) a copy of the proposed contractor employee's Curriculum Vitae or Resume and 3) a separate price quotation. The technical response should address each individual evaluation criteria identified in this solicitation and may be up to fifteen (15) single-sided pages. This limit does not include key personnel curriculum vitae/ resumes. Price quotations submitted must include a fully burdened hourly rate for each contract period. This hourly rate must cover all associated labor, materials, etc. Price quotations must be submitted in the following format: Data Scientist Consulting Support Price Quote Contract Period Hourly Rate Required Hours Extended Price Base 1500 Base Period Travel N/A N/A $5,000.00 Option 1 1500 Option 1 Travel N/A N/A $5,000.00 Option 2 1500 Option 2 Travel N/A N/A $5,000.00 Option 3 1500 Option 3 Travel N/A N/A $5,000.00 Option 4 1500 Option 4 Travel N/A N/A $5,000.00 TOTAL Contractors must provide their Company Name, Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), Business Size, Physical Address, and Point of Contact Information in their responses. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov." EVALUATION CRITERIA FAR clause 52.212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Items (October 2014) applies to this acquisition. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: 1.Factor 1: Technical Approach The Contractor's proposal shall address each area of the statement of work requirements in sufficient detail to demonstrate a clear understanding of the statement of work. The proposed technical approach shall include information regarding analysis skills, collaboration capabilities, and teleconference and email communication skills. The proposed approach shall also be evaluated for creativity and thoroughness of the planned task execution methods, ability to anticipate and address potential areas of difficulty, and ability to integrate new processes and technologies as they arise. 2.Factor 2: Key Personnel The Contractor's proposal shall include a resume or curriculum vitae for proposed key personnel. This document shall be evaluated for conformance to the key personnel qualifications, as well as for the size and quality of the record of publications in academic and professional literature and contributions to the field of data analytics, statistical genetics, and neurodegenerative disease. 3.Factor 3: Past Performance The Contractor shall provide at least three (3) past performance references with knowledge of the contractor's relevant skills and experience related to the requirements outlined in this Statement of Work. References shall include the following information: a.Name of Organization b.Description of Contractor's Responsibilities c.Contact Name, Title, and Telephone Number Past Performance shall be evaluated for relevance to the current requirement in subject area, anticipated dollar value, and effort duration and complexity. Past performance shall also be evaluated for experience guiding large international collaborative efforts and customer satisfaction. Technical proposals will be evaluated using a summary adjectival rating in accordance with the following scale: Excellent The proposal has exceptional merit and reflects an excellent approach which will clearly result in the superior attainment of all requirements and objectives. This clearly achievable approach includes several advantageous characteristics of substance, and very few disadvantages, which can be expected to result in outstanding performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is very low as the proposal provides solutions which are unquestionably feasible and practical. These solutions are further considered very low risk in that they are exceptionally clear and precise, fully supported, and demonstrate a clear understanding of the requirements. Risk Level: Very Low Good The proposal demonstrates a sound approach which is expected to meet all requirements and objectives. This sound approach includes advantageous characteristics of substance, and few relatively minor disadvantages, which collectively can be expected to result in satisfactory performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is low as the proposal contains solutions which are considered feasible and practical. These solutions are further considered to reflect low risk in that they are clear and precise, supported, and demonstrate an understanding of the requirements. Risk Level: Low Acceptable The proposal demonstrates an approach which is capable of meeting all requirements and objectives. The approach includes both advantageous and disadvantageous characteristics of substance, where the advantages are not outweighed by the disadvantages. Collectively, the advantages and disadvantages are likely to result in acceptable performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is moderate, as the proposal solutions are generally feasible and practical. These solutions may also be considered to reflect moderate risk in that they may be somewhat clear and precise, partially supported, and/or demonstrate a general understanding of the requirements. Risk Level: Neutral Marginal The proposal demonstrates an approach which may not be capable of meeting all requirements and objectives. The approach has disadvantages of substance and advantages, which if they exist, are outweighed by the disadvantages. Collectively, the advantages and disadvantages present a low or questionable likelihood of resulting in satisfactory performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is high as the proposal contains solutions which may not be feasible and practical. These solutions may also be considered to reflect high risk in that they lack clarity and precision, are generally unsupported, and/or do not demonstrate a complete understanding of the requirements. Risk Level: High Unacceptable The proposal demonstrates an approach which, based on a very high risk, will very likely not be capable of meeting all requirements and objectives. This approach has several disadvantages of substance, and advantages which, if they exist, are outweighed by disadvantages. Collectively, the advantages and disadvantages are unlikely to result in satisfactory performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is very high as the proposal contains solutions which are not feasible and practical. The solutions may also be considered to reflect very high risk in that they lack any clarity or precision. Risk Level: Very High APPLICABLE CLAUSES AND PROVISIONS The following FAR clauses and provisions shall apply to this solicitation: 1.All Offerors MUST be actively registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. 2.The provision at FAR clause 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items (October 2015), applies to this acquisition. 3.A completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items (July 2016), is required with any offer submitted. This requirement may be met by completion of the provision in the System for Award Management. 4.FAR clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items (May 2015) applies to this acquisition. 5.FAR clause 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items (September 2016) applies to this acquisition and the following terms within the clauses are applicable: a.FAR Clause 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Sept 2006), with Alternate I (Oct 1995) (41 U.S.C. 4704 and 10 U.S.C. 2402). b.FAR Clause 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Oct 2015) (Pub. L. 109-282) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note). c.FAR Clause 52.204-14, Service Contract Reporting Requirements (Jan 2014) (Pub. L. 111-117, section 743 of Div. C). d.FAR Clause 52.209-6, Protecting the Government's Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment. (Oct 2015) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note). e.FAR Clause 52.209-9, Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (Jul 2013) (41 U.S.C. 2313). f.FAR Clause 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns (OCT 2014) (if the offeror elects to waive the preference, it shall so indicate in its offer) (15 U.S.C. 657a). g.FAR Clause 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (Nov 2011) (15 U.S.C. 644). h.FAR Clause 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Oct 2014) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(2) and (3)). i.FAR Clause 52.219-13, Notice of Set-Aside of Orders (Nov 2011) (15 U.S.C. 644(r)). j.FAR Clause 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (Nov 2011) (15 U.S.C. 637(a)(14)). k.FAR Clause 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (Jul 2013) (15 U.S.C. 632(a)(2)). l.FAR Clause 52.222-3, Convict Labor (June 2003) (E.O. 11755). m.FAR Clause 52.222-19, Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Feb 2016) (E.O. 13126). n.FAR Clause 52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Apr 2015). o.FAR Clause 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Apr 2015) (E.O. 11246) p.FAR Clause 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (Oct 2015)(38 U.S.C. 4212). q.FAR Clause 52.222-36, Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (Jul 2014) (29 U.S.C. 793). r.FAR Clause 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (FEB 2016) (38 U.S.C. 4212). s.FAR Clause 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (Dec 2010) (E.O. 13496). t.FAR Clause 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (Mar 2015) (22 U.S.C. chapter 78 and E.O. 13627). u.FAR Clause 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (AUG 2011) (E.O. 13513). v.FAR Clause 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (June 2008) (E.O.'s, proclamations, and statutes administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury). w.FAR Clause 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-System for Award Management (Jul 2013) (31 U.S.C. 3332). x.FAR Clause 52.239-1, Privacy or Security Safeguards (Aug 1996) (5 U.S.C. 552a). y.FAR Clause 52.222-17, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers (May 2014)(E.O. 13495). z.FAR Clause 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (May 2014) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 67). 6.FAR Clause 52.217-5 - Evaluation of Options (July 1990) applies to this acquisition 7.FAR Clause 52.217-9 - Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (March 2000) applies to this acquisition. 8.FAR Clause 52.227-14 -- Rights in Data-General (May 2014) applies to this acquisition. 9.FAR Clause 52.245-1 -- Government Property (April 2012) applies to this acquisition. 10.HHSAR Clause HHSAR 352.237-75 (December 2015) applies to this acquisition. 11.Please see the attached Addendum 1: Applicable Information Security Information for additional contract requirements and terms and conditions related to information security. 12.The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement. In addition, the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All Offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov." CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE A Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) shall be assigned to the awarded contract. The COR is responsible for: (1) monitoring the Contractor's technical progress, including the surveillance and assessment of performance and recommending to the Contracting Officer changes in requirements; (2) interpreting the statement of work and any other technical performance requirements; (3) performing technical evaluation as required; (4) performing technical inspections and acceptances required by this contract; and (5) assisting in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance. The Contracting Officer is the only person with authority to act as agent of the Government under this contract. Only the Contracting Officer has authority to: (1) direct or negotiate any changes in the statement of work; (2) modify or extend the period of performance; (3) change the delivery schedule; (4) authorize reimbursement to the Contractor for any costs incurred during the performance of this contract; (5) otherwise change any terms and conditions of this contract; or (6) sign written licensing agreements. Any signed agreement shall be incorporated by reference in Section K of the contract. The Government may unilaterally change the COR designation for this contract. CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION Final Evaluation of Contractor performance will be prepared for the resulting contract in accordance with FAR Subpart 42.15. The final performance evaluation will be prepared at the time of completion of work. Final evaluation will be provided to the Contractor as soon as practicable after completion of the evaluation. The Contractor will be permitted thirty days to review the document and to submit additional information or a rebutting statement. If agreement cannot be reached between the parties, the matter will be referred to an individual one level above the Contracting Officer, whose decision will be final. Copies of the evaluation, Contractor responses, and review comments, if any, will be retained as part of the contract file, and may be used to support future award decisions. Contractors may access evaluations through a secure Web site for review and comment at the following address: http://www.cpars.gov CLOSING INFORMATION Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror's capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the technical evaluation criteria. The price proposal must include the labor categories, an estimate of the number of hours required for each labor category, fully loaded fixed hourly rate or each labor category, breakdown and rationale for other direct costs or materials, and the total amount. All responses must be received by the closing date of this announcement and must reference solicitation number HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-CSS-17-052. Responses shall be submitted electronically via email to Lauren Phelps, Contract Specialist, at lauren.phelps@nih.gov. Post and Fax responses will not be accepted. Please contract Ms. Lauren Phelps, Contract Specialist, at lauren.phelps@nih.gov or 301-480-2453 for information regarding this solicitation.
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