Director, USAMRAA, 820 Chandler St, Fort Detrick, MD 21702-5014

Q -- SERVICES TO CATALOG, STORE AND RETRIEVE HIV AND BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS SOL DAMD17-00-0022 DUE 082900 POC Contract Specialist: Pamela L. Fisher, (301)619-2805, Contracting Officer: Raegon A. Clutz (301) 619-2395 E-MAIL: raegon.clutz@det.amedd.army.mil, pam.fisher@det.amedd.army.mil. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity intends to acquire services to manage the Department of Defense Serum Repository (DoDSR) to be located at 11800 Tech Road, Silver Spring, Maryland. The contract period of performance will be from date of award (anticipated commencement 20 September 2000) for a two base period of performance with three one year option periods. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 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 issued. This is a Request For Proposal (RFP and the solicitation documentation and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 9-45. The Contractor shall be responsible for operating and maintaining the DoDSR which consists of office space, 15 large walk-in freezers (approximately 30' x 30' x 10' in size), and a small laboratory. The DoDSR freezers house approximately 24 million HIV-negative blood specimens with future growth anticipated at the rate of 2.3 million specimens per year. Currently, the DoDSR receives specimens principally from two laboratories: a contractor laboratory (currently Viromed Labs, Eden Prairie, Minnesota), and Air Force Testing Labs. The Viromed Labs submits approximately 1.8 million specimens to the repository each year. The Air Force Testing Labs, located at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, ships approximately 300,000 specimens to the repository every year. Additional small shipments are received from overseas hospitals and other deployment locations worldwide. The DoDSR prepares specimens for research studies, at the rate of 6 to 7 large studies per year. This preparation involves retrieval, sorting, aliquotting, and shipping approximately 2,000 -- 3,000 specimens per study. However, the number of specimens prepared per study can vary from 500 to 20,000 specimens. There is an identified requirement to staff the repository and laboratory with personnel to adequately support the operations of DoDSR. These operations include management support, laboratory support, inventory support, storage of specimens, retrieval of specimens, quality control, and general office duties. There is a requirement to provide transportation of the specimens Viromed Labs in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and an Air Force lab in San Antonio, Texas to the DoDSR located in Silver Spring, MD. There is also a requirement to provide maintenance and repair of the walk-in freezers after the one-year warranty is expired. Scope of Work 1.1 Specimen Processing: Each shipment from Viromed Labs in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and an Air Force lab in San Antonio, Texas contains approximately 350,000 specimens. Shipments are currently received in pallets containing cardboard containers with the specimens inside. The cardboard container is approximately 6" x 18" x 3.5" in size and contains 308 specimens. Virmed Labs provides a weekly delivery of inventory information, including container number, the specimen numbers, and the location of each specimen number within each box. The contractor shall receive the specimens and enter into the inventory system the data which accompanies each specimen box. The contractor shall store the specimens in the walk-in freezers after they are put into inventory. The contractor shall retrieve specimens from the freezers in preparation of clinical studies when requested by the Contracting Officer or his representative (COR). When shipments are received, during the processing and verification, quality control checks hall be performed in locations throughout the box to verify accuracy. All specimen processing shall be complete before the next shipment of specimens is received. 1.2. Laboratory Operations: The contractor shall perform laboratory processing to prepare specimens for shipping to other facilities for research. This shall include specimen retrieval, preparing aliquots, management of remaining serum, and specimen reshelving. The contractor shall maintain the laboratory to standards defined by Good Laboratory Procedures. The contractor will not be performing any testing work at this time. 1.3. Data Entry: The contractor shall process specimen shipments into the repository by adding the appropriate data to the inventory database and storing the specimens in the assigned freezer location. The contractor shall use quality control methods to verify the location of selected specimens in each box. The contractor shall ensure that all specimens are processed into inventory and stored in the freezers before the next shipment of specimens is received into the repository. The contractor shall enter data from a backlog of manifest data into the computer system as time permits during the operations of the DoDSR. The contractor shall have computer experience, specifically with database entry and manipulation. (Currently FoxPro for windows is being used). 1.4 General Repository Operations: The contractor shall provide management of the DoDSR personnel and repository operations. The contractor shall provide a Point of Contact for the monitoring system, who shall be available to answer an alarm 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Upon notification from the monitoring system, the designated contractor staff shall report to the repository to correct the problem or alert maintenance personnel. The contractor shall provide a Point of Contact for the government with regard to operations of the contract. The repository personnel shall assist the Government Project Officer with procuring repository supplies through government channels. The contractor shall provide dry ice for shipment and FedEx delivery of specimens, if required. The contractor shall have the ability to provide specimen storage boxes, if required. The contractor shall have the ability to provide miscellaneous supply items, if needed. The Contractor shall be responsible for the security system, telephone and internet access expenses.. 1.5. Transportation of Specimens: The specimens will loaded onto pallets and be packaged in shrink-wrap by the Viromed Labs or the Air Force Lab prior to transport. The contractor shall provide transportation of specimens approximately once every two months. The contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, and supplies necessary to transport the specimens. The contractor shall ensure that the following specifications are accomplished: a.)During the transport and delivery of the specimens, the storage container and material within a box must be kept at -25 C or below; b.)All necessary Department of Transportation exemptions and permits for the transportation of biological materials must be obtained; and c.)The contractor shall obtain proper insurance documentation, including vehicle insurance and material insurance, at least 10 days prior to transport. The condition of all specimens shall be verified by the contractor upon delivery to the repository. All problems shall be documented and reported to the Project Officer immediately. 1.6. Equipment Maintenance: Beginning the first day after expiration of the one-year warranty period, the contractor shall provide 24 hour a day, seven days per week emergency service for the freezer units and routine maintenance of the freezers, compressors and air conditioner. All maintenance requests for emergency repair shall be answered within 4 hours and services completed within 6 hours. The contractor shall provide personnel with maintenance experience of walk-in freezers, compressors, and freezer monitoring systems. 2.0. Personnel: The Government anticipates the need for the following labor categories during contract performance. Minimum qualifications are also indicated: a.) Task Manager shall provide management of the DoDSR personnel and repository operations. The Task Manager should have experience with contract management, project management and at least 5 years supervisory experience. The Task Manager shall have a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree from an accredited institution; b.) Senior Laboratory Technician shall perform laboratory work to prepare specimens for shipping to other facilities for research. The Senior Laboratory Technician shall have a Medical Laboratory Technician Certification (MLT) or a Medical Technologist Certification (MT); c.) Senior Inventory Technician shall process specimen shipments into the repository by adding the appropriate data to the inventory database and storing the specimens in the assigned freezer location. The Senior Inventory Technician shall have computer experience, specifically with database entry and manipulation. The Senior Inventory Technician shall have a high school diploma and at least two years experience in data entry; d.) Inventory Technician shall assist the Senior Inventory Technician with all aspects of processing the specimen shipments into the repository storage and inventory. When schedules require cooperation of repository personnel to complete a task, the Inventory Technician will provide support asneeded. The Inventory Technician shall have a high school diploma; and e.) Laboratory Technician shall assist the Senior Laboratory Technician with all laboratory functions. The Laboratory Technician shall provide support to the repository part-time, as needed. The Laboratory Technician shall have a high school degree and laboratory experience. Contract Line Items (CLINS): Two year Base -- 0001 All personnel costs anticipated for that period; 0002 Other direct costs; Option One 0003 Al personnel costs anticipated for that period; 0004 Other direct costs; Option Two 0005 Al personnel costs anticipated for that period; 0006 Other direct costs; Option Three 0007 Al personnel costs anticipated for that period; and 0008 Other direct costs. Offerors shall list all proposed labor categories as subclins with estimated hours proposed. The Government attends to award a fixed price (Time and Materials) contract. Reimbursement will be made monthly based on hours actually worked and other direct costs incurred. This is not a set-aside for small businesses. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous, representing the best value to the Government price and other factors considered. The following factors will be used to evaluate offers: (1) Technical Approach and Technical capability to provide the services to meet the government requirement; and (2) Past Performance and Experience with similar contracts of this magnitude. Each offeror must (1) submit an offer, (2) submit a technical proposal that addresses Factor #1; (3)in order to assess Factor #2 identify all federal, state local or private contracts for which the offeror has performed work similar to the SOW in this solicitation. Include contracts within the last two years, including POCs and telephone numbers. This list is due on the established receipt date of proposals. Offerors are reminded to include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3Offeror Representation and Certification-Commercial Items. The following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses are hereby incorporated by reference into this solicitation: FAR 52.212-1, instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (OCT 1995), FAR 52-212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items, FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders Commercial Items. Addition clauses that apply: 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of Contract and 52.219-8 Utilization of Small Business Concerns, 52.245-1 Property Records, and 52.245-2 Government Property (Fixed-Price Contracts). Proposals are due on 29 August 2000 at 3:00 PM EST to USAMRAA, 820 Chandler Street, Fort Detrick, 21702-5014. POC: Pamela L. Fisher, 301-619-2805. Posted 08/11/00 (W-SN485215). (0224)

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