SOLICITATION NOTICE
J -- Procurement of a TecnaiSpirit/D1181 Service Contract
- Notice Date
- 7/21/2021 11:25:39 AM
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- Contracting Office
- NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NICHD BETHESDA MD 20817 USA
- ZIP Code
- 20817
- Solicitation Number
- NICHD-21-209
- Response Due
- 7/28/2021 6:00:00 AM
- Archive Date
- 08/12/2021
- Point of Contact
- Amber Harris, Fax: 3014803278
- E-Mail Address
-
amber.harris@nih.gov
(amber.harris@nih.gov)
- Description
- INTRODUCTION THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A CONTRACT OR PURCHASE ORDER WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME). The National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Office of Acquisitions (OA) on behalf of the on behalf of the National Institute of Digestive, Diabetes & Kidney Diseases intends to award a purchase order without providing for full and open competition (Including brand-name) to FEI CO for the purchase of a TecnaiSpirit/D1181 Service Contract. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 811219 with a Size Standard of $22.0. REGULATORY AUTHORITY The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2021-06 Effective July 12, 2021. This acquisition is conducted under the procedures as prescribed in FAR subpart 13�Simplified Acquisition Procedures at an amount not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold ($250,000). STATUTORY AUTHORITY This acquisition is conducted under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c) under provisions of the statutory authority of FAR Subpart 6.302- FAR 6.302-1�Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1). PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE Base Year:�� �09/03/2021 to 09/02/2022 Option 1*:�� �09/03/2022 to 09/02/2023 Option 2*:�� �09/03/2023 to 09/02/2024 Option 3*: �� �09/03/2024 to 09/02/2025 Option 4*:�� �09/03/2025 to 09/02/2026 Place of Performance National Institutes of Health� National Institute of Digestive, Diabetes & Kidney Diseases� 8 Center Drive Bethesda MD 20892 DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) conducts and supports research on many of the most serious diseases affecting public health. The Institute supports much of the clinical research on the diseases of internal medicine and related subspecialty fields, as well as many basic science disciplines.� The Institute's Division of Intramural Research encompasses the broad spectrum of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, inborn errors of metabolism, endocrine disorders, mineral metabolism, digestive and liver diseases, nutrition, urology and renal disease, and hematology. Basic research studies include biochemistry, biophysics, nutrition, pathology, histochemistry, bioorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, chemical and molecular biology, and pharmacology.� NIDDK extramural research is organized into 4 divisions: Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases; Digestive Diseases and Nutrition; Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases; and Extramural Activities. �The Institute supports basic and clinical research through investigator-initiated grants, program project and center grants, and career development and training awards. The Institute also supports research and development projects and large-scale clinical trials through contracts. _________________________ NIDDK�s Cryo-Electron Microscopy (EM) Facility is serving many NIDDK structural biology labs that use Cryo-EM single particle analysis to study the structures of proteins & macromolecules. With the FEI T12 electron microscope, users can screen the samples: by negative stain to check the homogeneity; by cryo to check cryo grids quality, and collect data to get prelimilary structures. This sample screening is the key step of Cryo-EM sample preparation that eventually leads to high resolution structures. As the FEI T12 electron microscope is essential for its optimized and continuous performance, as well as for the quality and productivity it provides in ongoing research work at NIDDK, maintenance of this instrument is critical to ensure its high standard of operation and service to all of NIDDK�s Cryo-EM research projects. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES The objective of this request is to obtain a service agreement for the FEI T12 electron microscope. The maintenance of the FEI TecnaiSpirit/D1181 electron microscope is essential for its optimized and continuous performance, as well as the quality and productivity it provides for ongoing research work at NIDDK. The T12 microscope is a very complex and delicate instrument. As such, we need an experienced and well trained service engineer with the expertise and appropriate skills to perform preventive maintenance, trouble-shoot, and provide prompt repairs when there are any issues. The purchase of the service contract will ensure the high standard operation status of the microscope and its service to all of the Cryo-EM research projects at NIDDK. SALIENT / REQUIRED FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS Specifically, the NIDDK requires the following tasks: Task Area 1 � service agreement:� ��� �Telephone support for quick microscope trouble shooting. Vendor will need to provide a quick solution for easily fixable issues or schedule an on-site visit if necessary.� ��� �When on-site service is needed, an experienced service engineer should be on-site within 48 hours after we submit the service request. Vendor covers all costs including labor, travel, living expenses and parts. ��� �Any parts that are needed for repair should be delivered by overnight shipping at the cost of the vendor. ��� �Vendor should notify us of any new software updates that can improve the functionality of our purchased software capabilities, either free or that need to be purchased. NIDDK Cryo-EM�s facility director will be present during the software upgrade and will verify the success of the upgrade. ��� �Vendor should work with NIDDK to schedule a one time on-site preventive maintenance during the contract period, and NIDDK Cryo-EM�s facility director will be present during the maintenance. Task Area 2 �All services are to be billed in arrears. Additional service fees for billing after services are provided are not acceptable terms to the government.� Task Area 3 - The microscope where work will be performed is located in Bldg. 8. CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME) DETERMINATION The determination by the Government to award a contract without providing for full and open competition is based upon the market research conducted as prescribed in FAR Part 10�Market Research. �Only one source is available: Per FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) the Contracting Officer has determined FEI CO to be the only reasonable available source to provide a FEI TecnaiSpirit/D1181 Service Contract. �� This acquisition was pursued on a sole source basis centered on the following: This acquisition was pursued on a sole source basis centered on the complexity of this piece of equipment and it requiring skilled technicians above and beyond what is typically seen with standard scientific equipment. �Interruption of normal analysis support using this instrument can lead to significant delays. Therefore, the procurement of a service contract mechanism is necessary for continued analysis support using this instrument. Failure to procure these deliverables from FEI CO would result in a significant loss of research. The TecnaiSpirit/D1181 electron microscope is very complex and needs regular maintenance. The service contract of the T12 electron microscope is essential for the continuation of the microscope performance, and thus the quality and productivity of the ongoing research in LCMB in NIDDK. Maintenance of the FEI T12 electron microscope is crucial for ongoing research in LCMB, NIDDK and several collaborations with other NIH institutes. This modern instrument can only be serviced by the certified technicians at Thermo Electron (aside from basic functions and maintenance we are able to do ourselves). The lab does not have the specialized, proprietary training needed to fix this instrument. This leaves us with 3 options; (1) episodic per-event payment for repair, (2) direct contract with the instrument vendor, or (3) contracting with an insurance/service management provider as a 3rd party which would indirectly pay for instrument service. Because of the limited number of certified technicians and finite number of spare parts, the episodic approach leads to very long delays in instrument servicing. Disincentives for faster, more expensive repair (where excess parts used in addressing potential approaches to fixing the instrument cannot easily be returned to the contract engineer�s company, Thermo Electron) will reduce the efficiency of the 3rd party solution. This results in the need for a direct contracting solution, which is the most effective way of maintaining the instrument. The savings between options 2 and 3 are not as significant relative to the internal revenue from cost recovery which would be lost if there were just a few delays in repair (especially as knock-on effects lead to disproportionate delays in many types of project support). Furthermore, third party vendors are unable to support a rapid response time to service calls, whereas direct service by the vendor is superior to third party insurance-like coverage because service provided by technicians from the vendor include delivery of multiple fix kits to cover a single issue prior to a service call. Coupled with the complexity of the instrument, maintenance of this instrument requires skilled technicians above and beyond what is typically seen with standard scientific equipment. CLOSING STATEMENT This synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties� bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: descriptive literature, delivery timeframe, warranties and/or other information that demonstrates that the offer meets all the foregoing requirements, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.� A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement. All responses to this notice shall be submitted electronically by 9:00 am Eastern Standard Time, on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 to the Contracting Officer, Amber Harris, at amber.harris@nih.gov. Assessment of Capability Lowest Price Technically Acceptable �
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
(https://beta.sam.gov/opp/72dc662cc06e49cab2e7ba6fc5c8cfcb/view)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Zip Code: 20892
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 20892
- Record
- SN06068488-F 20210723/210721230126 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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