SPECIAL NOTICE
A -- Intent to Sole Source Pathology and Transportation Service
- Notice Date
- 7/9/2024 6:20:25 AM
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541720
— Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities
- Contracting Office
- 241-NETWORK CONTRACT OFFICE 01 (36C241) TOGUS ME 04330 USA
- ZIP Code
- 04330
- Solicitation Number
- 36C24124P0762
- Response Due
- 7/12/2024 7:00:00 AM
- Archive Date
- 09/10/2024
- Point of Contact
- Deborah L Reardon, deborah.reardon@va.gov, Phone: 410-691-1140
- E-Mail Address
-
deborah.reardon@va.gov
(deborah.reardon@va.gov)
- Awardee
- null
- Description
- NOTICE OF THE INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE Notice of Intent to Sole Source to Natural Disease Research Interchange. Response Due Date July 13, 2024, by 10:00 am (EST) Notice of the Intent to A Sole Source Synopsis Network Contract Office 1, Procurement Office East on behalf of The Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston VA Medical Center. The proposed procurement is for products/services for which the Government Intends to Solicit and Negotiate with only one source under the Authority of FAR 6.302-1-Only One Responsible Source and no other Supplies or Services will satisfy Agency Requirements 41 U.S.C.3304(a)(1). The North American Industry Classification System code (NAICS) for this requirement is 541714-Research and Development in the social sciences and Humanities. All responsible sources that feel they should be considered qualified to provide the below mentioned products may submit a response to this notice by the response due date shown above to Deborah.Reardon@va.gov. The Information provided shall include detailed and relevant documentation to allow the Government to perform adequate market research and make a proper determination. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive requirement. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. REQUEST FOR A SOLICITATION WILL NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE 121966 Statement of Work for NDRI Pathology and Transportation Service Contract FY24Q4 GENERAL GUIDANCE Title of Project: NDRI Control Pathology and Transportation Service Contract Transaction Number: TBD Scope of Work: The National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) will continue to provide comprehensive project management, pathology services, and transportation to the VA Biorepository Brain Bank (VABBB) as it relates to the recovery of brain, spinal cord, and other central nervous system (CNS) tissues for up to 8 control brains total. Background: The VABBB collects CNS (brain, spinal cord, and not otherwise specified) tissue and relevant medical history from control participants to provide high quality tissue annotated with relevant clinical data to qualified investigators. VABBB staff conduct regular telephone follow-up calls with all enrolled donors and coordinates brain and spinal cord recoveries upon the enrollees death. Donated organs are shipped via courier to our biorepositories either in Boston or the Southern Arizona Core Tissue Laboratory (SACTL) at the Tucson VA. Due to the precious nature of these organs and the time sensitive nature of our shipping, NDRI needs pathology and body transportation services in all 50 states 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This contract will be a follow-on to contract 36C24123P1228 with NDRI, which expires 9/21/2024. The contract will also supplement the existing pathology and transport agreement with NDRI that has been in effect since 2013 for ALS, GW, and PTSD donors. NDRI provides a highly specialized service to the VABBB that would be more expensive and less specific if obtained elsewhere. Performance Period: The anticipated POP for this contract is September 22, 2024 through September 21, 2025 Type of Contract: This is a firm fixed price service contract. CONTRACT AWARD MEETING No kick-off meeting will be required as this will be a continuation of the existing contract. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS NDRI will provide pathology and transportation as described. SPECIFIC MANDATORY TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES monitor OPO screening activities and progress confirm the donor criteria match VABBB s protocol verify the authorization includes the NOK authorization for donation and future contact to obtain additional information via interview coordinate the acquisition of brain from adult donors according to standard operating procedures (SOP) coordinate the shipment of the recovered brain and supporting documents to VABBB provide completed donor authorization to VABBB that includes contact information for NOK for future contact maintain a database of each case that includes copies of the completed authorization, BDSW, and donor s medical data provide a dataset with de-identified medical information after each shipment. The data will be transferred to VA by NDRI via secure means on standardized forms recover up to eight brains EVALUATED OPTIONAL FEATURES N/A SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERABLES Pathology and transport services will be performed on demand in concurrence with the need specified by donors to the VABBB. CHANGES TO THE STATEMENT OF WORK Changes to the SOW must be approved by Dr. Huber (PI), Olivia DeJoie (COR), and the Contracting Officer. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS N/A TRAVEL N/A GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES VABBB personnel will coordinate recoveries with NDRI staff. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS Qualifications of Key Personnel Dr. Bertrand Huber and Dr. Ian Robey will be responsible for receipt of postmortem brain tissue. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE NDRI shall comply with all rules and regulations regarding the delivery of this order. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS The name of the VA donor who has consented into the VABBB study must be given to NDRI personnel to verify identity before performing brain recovery. This information exchange is included in the VABBB consent and explained to donors prior to death. Connection from contractor-owned IT devices to a VA internal network will not be required. The A&A requirements do not apply, and a Security Accreditation Package is not required. VA sensitive information will be exchanged and the security clause must be incorporated. RECORDS MANAGEMENT OBLIGATIONS Applicability This clause applies to all Contractors whose employees create, work with, or otherwise handle Federal records, as defined in Section B, regardless of the medium in which the record exists. Definitions Federal record as defined in 44 U.S.C. ยง 3301, includes all recorded information, regardless of form or characteristics, made or received by a Federal agency under Federal law or in connection with the transaction of public business and preserved or appropriate for preservation by that agency or its legitimate successor as evidence of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the United States Government or because of the informational value of data in them. The term Federal record: includes VHA records. does not include personal materials. applies to records created, received, or maintained by Contractors pursuant to their VHA contract. may include deliverables and documentation associated with deliverables. Requirements Contractor shall comply with all applicable records management laws and regulations, as well as National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records policies, including but not limited to the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. chs. 21, 29, 31, 33), NARA regulations at 36 CFR Chapter XII Subchapter B, and those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a). These policies include the preservation of all records, regardless of form or characteristics, mode of transmission, or state of completion. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, all data created for Government use and delivered to, or falling under the legal control of, the Government are Federal records subject to the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), as amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended and must be managed and scheduled for disposition only as permitted by statute or regulation. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, the Contractor shall maintain all records created for Government use or created in the course of performing the contract and/or delivered to, or under the legal control of the Government and must be managed in accordance with Federal law. Electronic records and associated metadata must be accompanied by sufficient technical documentation to permit understanding and use of the records and data. VHA and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of VHA or destroyed except in accordance with the provisions of the agency records schedules and with the written concurrence of the Head of the Contracting Activity. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage, or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. In the event of any unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records, the Contractor must report to VHA. The agency must report promptly to NARA in accordance with 36 CFR 1230. The Contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate Contracting Officer upon discovery of any inadvertent or unauthorized disclosures of information, data, documentary materials, records, or equipment. Disclosure of non-public information is limited to authorized personnel with a need-to-know as described in the [contract vehicle]. The Contractor shall ensure that the appropriate personnel, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security and confidentiality of this information, data, documentary material, records, and/or equipment is properly protected. The Contractor shall not remove material from Government facilities or systems, or facilities or systems operated or maintained on the Government s behalf, without the express written permission of the Head of the Contracting Activity. When information, data, documentary material, records, and/or equipment is no longer required, it shall be returned to VHA control or the Contractor must hold it until otherwise directed. Items returned to the Government shall be hand-carried, mailed, emailed, or securely electronically transmitted to the Contracting Officer or address prescribed in the [contract vehicle]. Destruction of records is EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED unless in accordance with Paragraph (4). The Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material, and/or records generated under, or relating to, contracts. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and VHA guidance for protecting sensitive, proprietary information, classified, and controlled unclassified information. The Contractor shall only use Government IT equipment for purposes specifically tied to or authorized by the contract and in accordance with VHA policy. The Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any non-public VHA information that is not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract. The Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected from public disclosure by an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act. The VHA owns the rights to all data and records produced as part of this contract. All deliverables under the contract are the property of the U.S. Government for which VHA shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Any Contractor rights in the data or deliverables must be identified as required by FAR 52.227-11 through FAR 52.227-20. Training. All Contractor employees assigned to this contract who create, work with or otherwise handle records are required to take VHA-provided records management training. The Contractor is responsible for confirming training has been completed according to agency policies, including initial training and any annual or refresher training. ** VHA training for contractors is available in Talent Management System (TMS): 5. Records Management for Records Officers and Liaisons, Item #3873736 Flow down of requirements to subcontractors The Contractor shall incorporate the substance of this clause, its terms, and requirements including this paragraph, in all subcontracts under this [contract vehicle], and require written subcontractor acknowledgment of same. Violation by a subcontractor of any provision set forth in this clause will be attributed to the Contractor.
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- Record
- SN07120802-F 20240711/240709230105 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
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