National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Contracts Management Branch, 6100 Bldg., Suite 7A07, 6100- Executive Blvd MSC 7510, Bethesda, MD 20892-7510

A -- STORING, MONITORING AND DISTRIBUTING OF NICHD BIOLOGICAL SPECIMEN REPOSITORY SOL SS-NICHD-DESPR-98-07 POC Mrs. Lynn Salo, 301-496-4611 WEB: National Institutes of Health, http://www.nih.gov. E-MAIL: National Institutes of Health, ls59u@nih.gov. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is planning to award a contract to have one contractor be responsible for blood and urine samples collected by six NICHD programs. We are looking for capability statements from Small Businesses to determine if this acquisition should be for Small Business Set-Aside. The following criteria define NICHD's need for one facility. a). There are approximately 2 million vials of biological specimens that have been collected under various research protocols. Storing them will require the current availability of approximately 3,300 cubic feet of storage space in a -20 degree Celsius walk-in freezer with the ability to increase this space to 4,400 cubic feet over five years. The procurement will also require the current availability of facilities to house twenty-one (21) -70 degree Celsius freezers (15 cubic feet each). All freezers, including the walk-in freezer, must be in the same building, or in adjoining buildings not more than two minutes' walking time apart. Building(s) must be equipped with adequate and appropriate monitoring facilities and back-up electrical power source(s). b) The specimens must be catalogued into a computerized inventory system that must be able to locate every sample. The inventory system must be microcomputer based, currently in use, demonstrated to be able to manage a repository of this size, and able to locate any given specimen without the assistance of the NICHD beyond the provision of a subject ID number and date the specimen was drawn. Since the information collected on the samples from each of the six programs differs, the inventory system must be able to accommodate from 3 to 25 items per specimen, including tracking data for in/out status, number of times thawed, etc. without generating massive skip patterns. All computer hardware and software must be year 2000 compliant and tested. c) Since frequent on-site monitoring by the NICHD will be necessary, the facility proposed to store the specimens must be within one hour's driving time of the NIH Campus in Bethesda, Maryland. d) Respondents must demonstrate capability retrieve specimens from inventory, aliquot them into a new container, and ship them to designated locations upon request. e) Respondents must demonstrate the capability to return to inventory all unused portions. And f) Respondents must demonstrate the capability to inventory and receive new specimen into the repository. Sources capable of doing the above work, please indicate whether you are Small Business or 8(a), should submit 3 copies of your capability statement by three weeks from the date of the publication of this announcement to: Mrs. Lynn Salo, Contract Specialist, CMB, NICHD, NIH, 6100 Executive Building, MSC 7510, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7510 (or overnight courier: 6100 Executive Blvd., Rockville, Maryland 20852). Phone number: 301-496-4611 and FAX number: 301-402-3676. (0141)

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