66 -- PORTABLE SPIROMETERS

Notice Date

December 27, 2001

Contracting Office

Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown -- NIOSH, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV, 26505

ZIP Code

26505

Solicitation Number

2002-N-00300

Response Due

January 22, 2002

Point of Contact

Brenda Goodwin, Contract Specialist, Phone (304)285-5882, Fax (304)285-6083, Email bcg1@cdc.gov -- Rex Wolfe, Jr., Contract Specialist, Phone (304)285-5883, Fax (304)285-6083, Email rsw1@cdc.gov

Description

PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN SUBPART 12.6, AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; BIDS ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. This solicitation is issued as Request for Proposal No. 2002-N-00300. This procurement is being issued as a 100% small business set aside under the NAICS code # 334519 with a size standard of 500 employees. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2001-02. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in Morgantown, WV has a requirement for 100 Portable Hand-Held Spirometers. BACKGROUND: NIOSH has an ongoing study entitled "Workplace Exacerbation of Asthma." Phase II, Validation Study, of this project will involve NIOSH lending commercial portable hand-held spirometers to the contractor for collecting serial forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Subjects with and without workplace exacerbation will be requested to conduct serial spirometry over a 3 week period. The findings will serve as the "gold standard" to determine the sensitivity and specificity of a self-report of workplace exacerbation of asthma. Prior to the serial spirometry, the contractor will test subjects pre- and post-bronchodilator using NIOSH-approved methods. This data will provide a measure of the extent of the reversibility of airway obstruction, and the post-bronchodilator FEV1 value will serve as a denominator for summarizing the serial FEV1 measurements as the percentage of a personal best value. After completion of the pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry, the contractor will instruct subjects in the proper use of the hand-held spirometers and ask the subjects to conduct several trial blows as proof of their ability to use the device. The subjects will be asked to use the hand-held spirometers during the following 3 weeks for at least 16 days. Each day the subjects will be asked to complete five trials: first thing on getting up, morning break, before lunch, before dinner, and at bedtime. Three acceptable blows will be requested for each trial. In addition, subjects will be asked to indicate when and where they were at each trial, recent medication use, and whether they were having trouble with respiratory symptoms. The contractor will provide subjects a local telephone number (or toll-free number if long-distance) to call and ask for assistance. At the end of each week of testing, the contractor will call the subject to confirm that everything is going well and to provide a reminder about downloading data from the spirometer. The downloaded data will be reviewed on an ongoing basis by the contractor to identify problems with compliance or performance. Results from a micro-based portable spirometer with maneuver quality checks is preferable to using traditional mechanical PEF meter. The devices will be checked for accuracy and reliability before and after use by a technician in the NIOSH Pulmonary Function Support Laboratory. SPECIFICATIONS: This procurement action is to acquire 100 EACH of a HAND-HELD, PORTABLE SPIROMETER including modem, cradle, telephone downloading, 3 year warranty, supplies, and customized software, in accordance with the following criteria/ specifications: a) ultrasonic sensor for measuring pulmonary function; b) measures FEV1, FEV6 or FVC, PEF; c) NHANES III predicted normal values for basic spirometric measurements; d) electronic storage of results for each acceptable blow; at least 3 best trials stored per session (although the intent is to have information downloaded every day, the unit must be able to hold, store and transmit up to a maximum of five (5) blows a day for a period of three (3) weeks); e) telephone and PC downloading capability in electronic format; f) programable to include on screen and auditory signals to indicate when to perform testing; g) programable capability to include on-screen and auditory coaching messages, developed by NIOSH, to ensure quality performance by subject; h) programable capability to include on screen quality grades, developed by NIOSH, to be assigned to each acceptable blow; i) programable capability to include customizable questions, developed by NIOSH, that appear on screen, with keypad responses; j) programable instrument control, as specified by NIOSH; k) willingness and capability of company to customize device for programable specifications; l) proven durability in field studies; and m) weigh no more than 16 ounces. Items f, g, h, i, and j must be able to be incorporated into the spirometer unit. A 3-year warranty is desired. Vendors shall include in their proposal a listing of the features that will be implemented into a customized version of the software and should also include any transmission costs as well as what they can collect and transmit. Any deviations from the specifications listed above shall be clearly identified in a separate section of the proposal. Costs should also include a price/rate for changes (upgrades) or new features which could be implemented at a later date. In an effort to reduce costs for customized software development, NIOSH may consider allowing the vendor to retain the intellectual property rights for the software, provided the source code would be placed in a trust fund to be accessed in the event the vendor, or its affiliates were to cease business. Therefore, vendors should provide in their proposal both the costs for NIOSH to own the software and the costs to establish a trust, if such arrangement is possible. The Government reserves the right to consider all options and make award to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to this solicitation is considered most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. EVALUATION FACTORS: Offers will be evaluated for technical compliance with the specifications and past performance. The Government desires delivery within 45 days after receipt of contract. Offers shall propose based on a delivered price, F.O.B. Destination (Morgantown, West Virginia. Information provided must demonstrate the unit's ability to meet or exceed the stated technical criteria (requirements/specification) or your offer may be rejected. The Government will make an award resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government. The following FAR provisions apply to this solicitation: FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial Items (Oct 2000); 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items (Dec 2001) and 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items (Dec 2001). Additionally, the following FAR clauses cited in Clause 52.212-5 are also applicable to this acquisition as follows: FAR 52.222-3 Convict Labor (E.O. 11755), 52.233-3 Protest After Award (31 U.,S.C. 3553 and 40 U.S.C. 759)?; 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government, with Alternate I (41.U.S.C. 253g and 10 U.S.C. 2402); 52.203-10 Price or Fee Adjustment for Illegal or Improper Activity; 52.219-8, Utilization of Small business concerns (15 U.S.C. 637 (d)(2) and (3)); 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (15 U.S.C. 637(a)(14)); 52.222.26 Equal Opportunity; 52.222-35 Affirmative Action for Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; 52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Workers With Disabilities; 52.222-37 Employment Reports on Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; 52.225-1 Buy American Act -- Balance of Payments Program -- Supplies; 52.225-13, Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases (E.O. 12722, 12724, 13059, 13067, 13121, and 13129); and 52.232.34, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer -- Other than Central Contractor Registration (31 U.S.C. 3332). OFFERS ARE DUE JANUARY 22, 2002, 2:00 p.m. local prevailing time. The offer acceptance period of at least 60 days must be included with your offer. SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO: DHHS, PHS, CDC, NIOSH, ALOSH, Attn: Brenda Goodwin (MS1019), REF: Solicitation 2002-N-00300, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505: (1) Original and two copies of a completed SF 1449, signed by an individual authorized to bind the organization; (2) Schedule of Supplies/Services (vendor proposal) containing item description with pricing, a delivery schedule, and published price lists (if available); (3) completed Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items, FAR 52.212-3 (May 2001); (4) information which clearly demonstrates compliance with the stated specifications (for evaluation purposes), as well as references of past performance on similar work; and (5) acknowledgment of solicitation amendments, if any. Facsimile Offers are not authorized. Offers that fail to furnish the required information, or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration. Simplified acquisition procedures will be utilized. Information referenced in this notice may be obtained from Brenda Goodwin at (304) 285-5882 or by fax at (304) 285-6083. All responsible sources may submit a response, which shall be considered by the Agency.=09

Web Link

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Record

Loren Data Corp. 20011231/66SOL007.HTM (D-361 SN5160G7)