BDR Contracts Section, COB, DEA, NHLBI 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC C 7902, Bethesda, MD 20892-7902

A -- RETROVIRUS EPIDEMIOLOGY DONOR STUDY (REDS)-BLOOD CENTERS SOL RFP NHLBI-HB-98-05 POC Joann A. Ciufolo, Contracting Officer, 301-435-0359 The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute intends to negotiate five sole source procurements to continue epidemiologic studies of human retroviruses in volunteer blood donors. The five blood center contracts for the Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study (REDS) involved in this solicitation are: University of California, San Francisco (Contract # N01-HB-47114); Sylvan D. Goldman Center, Oklahoma Blood Institute (Contract # N01-HB-97078); American Red Cross, Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Region Blood Services (Contract # N01-HB-97079); American Red Cross Blood Services, Southern California Region (Contract # N01-HB-97080); and American Red Cross Blood Services, Southeastern Michigan (Contract #N01-HB-97081). The period of performance of the continuation contracts is expected to be five years, July 17, 1998 through July 16, 2003. The authority to use other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1) as set forth in FAR 6.302-1(b)(1). The incumbents have the unique capability to provide th e required services to the NHLBI without substantive duplication of cost and unacceptable delays. Continued follow up of blood donors whose test results are retrovirus positive, indeterminant, or false positive would not be possible. The confidentiality of study participants is guaranteed, and identifiers of study subjects are not releaseable to other contractors. Hence, seven years of accumulated donor follow-up data would be lost. In addition, it is unlikely other blood centers exist, in the same geograp hic regions, with the capabilities required for this study. See Numbered Note: 22. (0238)

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