This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) FAC 2024-05, effective May 22, 2024.
The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334516 - Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing with a small business size standard of 1,000.
Quoters must possess an ACTIVE registration in the System for Award Management system, www.SAM.gov, when submitting a quotation and shall continue to be registered until the time of award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract resulting from this solicitation. Upon receipt of the quotation, the Contracting Officer will confirm that quoters have an “active” registration at the www.sam.gov website. If the SAM.Gov registration is not active, the quotation will not be considered for award.
The objective of this solicitation is to establish a Firm-Fixed-Price purchase order for a Brand-Name-Only AMBR 250 Modular Bioreactor System, including installation, training, and warranty.
BRAND NAME RATIONALE
The National Institute of Technology’s (NIST) Biosystems and Biomaterials Division’s (BBD) need can only be met through a brand name requirement Ambr 250 Modular Bioreactor System manufactured by Sartorius Stedim North America Inc.
BBD’s needs can be described in the following core components:
1. A bioreactor system capable of performing multiple, simultaneous, and independent (parallel) mammalian cultures, with a minimum culture number of four but capable of future add-on expansion (modular) for more simultaneous cultures.
2. The bioreactor system shall operate with culture volumes in the approximately 150 milliliter (mL) working volume range (mini).
3. The bioreactor system shall have demonstrated applications for numerous mammalian cell types, including suspension-adapted and adherence-dependent cells. Such applications can be demonstrated by manufacturer/supplier applications notes or libraries of scientific publications documenting the use and outcomes of the equipment.
4. The bioreactor system shall use pre-sterilized, single-use, integrated consumables that functionally connect the culture vessel, feeding reservoirs, transfer lines, and wetted pump components for each culture.
5. The bioreactor system shall be optimized, both with respect to hardware and control software, for operator ease-of-use to support routine, medium-throughput usage by qualified but non-expert scientists, particularly regarding setting up, performing, and tearing down pre-defined culture processes (recipes). Such optimization can be quantified in ways that include:
- Hardware – Single-use consumables integration that minimizes the number and/or complexity of physical connections that the operator is required to perform to set up or tear down.
- Hardware: Pre-calibration of sensor response, such as pH and dissolved oxygen, and pump volumetric delivery for single-use consumables.
- Software - Integrated, real-time, interactive assistance during culture setup and teardown, such as interactive checklists and visual indications of tasks to be performed on the control software and the hardware (lights or other dynamic indicators).
The Ambr 250 modular, parallel mini bioreactor system is the only bioreactor system that uniquely meets the entirety of the need. The Ambr 250 is the only parallel mini bioreactor system that utilizes bespoke single-use consumables that integrate the needed components and are provided entirely ready-to-use with respect to sterility, connectivity, and necessary calibrations. The Ambr 250 System is the only system that incorporates hardware-level, and software-level user assistance features such as sub-process (setup, sample, tear-down) checklists, including on-screen graphical guides and depictions and corresponding indicator lights on the hardware.
The Ambr 250 Modular Bioreactor System, manufactured by Sartorius Stedim North America Inc., is the only system that can meet BBD’s need to automate and accelerate the delivery of individual materials and create capacity for introducing additional material types and projects. Without this award, BBD’s mission delivery capability will be degraded by limiting the total number of projects that can be undertaken as well as the total number of material types that can be considered in this space, which is encompassed by the Biotechnology Critical and Emerging Technologies (CET) designation and priority of the current administration.
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
Responsible quoters shall provide a quotation for the following Contract Line Items (CLINs) in accordance with the specifications outlined in the attached Statement of Requirement. All equipment must be new. Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award.:
BASELINE ITEMS:
- LINE ITEM 0001: (Quantity 1 Each) Brand Name Only Ambr 250 Modular Bioreactor System in accordance with the Statement of Requirements (SOR).
OPTIONAL LINE ITEMS:
- LINE ITEM 0002: (Quantity 1 Year) OY1 Extended Warranty in accordance with the Statement of Requirements (SOR).
- LINE ITEM 0003: (Quantity 1 Year) OY2 Extended Warranty in accordance with the Statement of Requirements (SOR).
- LINE ITEM 0004: (Quantity 1 Year) OY3 Extended Warranty in accordance with the Statement of Requirements (SOR).
- LINE ITEM 0005: (Quantity 1 Year) OY4 Extended Warranty in accordance with the Statement of Requirements (SOR).
DELIVERY TERMS
Delivery terms shall be FOB Destination. The Contractor shall pack and mark the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the purchase order, be responsible for loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt and acceptance of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the purchase order; and pay all charges to the specified point of delivery.
EVALUATION CRITERIA & BASIS FOR AWARD:
The Government intends to award a purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Contractor whose quotation, conforming to the solicitation, provides the lowest-priced, technically acceptable quote.
Technically acceptable means that the quote:
- Meets or exceeds the minimum equipment specifications listed within the Statement of Requirements;
- Meets training, warranty, and installation requirements as applicable; and
- Meets the required delivery schedule.
Price:
The price evaluation will determine whether the quoted prices are fair and reasonable in relation to the solicitation requirements. Quoted prices must be entirely compatible with the technical quotation.
INSTRUCTIONS:
System for Award Management Registration
In accordance with FAR 52.204-7, the awardee must register in the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.sam.gov) prior to the award. Failure to register forfeits the award.
Completed Solicitation Provisions
A completed version of all required solicitation provisions (see attached provisions/clauses document – required submissions highlighted in blue).
Due Date for Quotations and Questions
All quotations must be submitted via e-mail to Rudolph Spencer, Contract Specialist, at rudolph.spencer@nist.gov with a carbon copy to Donald Graham, Contracting Officer, at donald.graham@nist.gov. Submissions must be received no later than 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on August 30, 2024. FAX quotations will not be accepted. Quoters must reference the RFQ number in the subject line of the e-mail submission. Quotes shall not be deemed received by the Government until the quotation has entered the e-mail inbox of the individual(s) set forth above.
Questions: All questions regarding this notice must be submitted via e-mail to rudolph.spencer@nist.gov with a carbon copy to Donald Graham, Contracting Officer, at donald.graham@nist.gov, no later than 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on August 26, 2024.
Quotation Preparation Instructions
Each quotation shall consist of two (2) separate electronic files: (1) Technical Quotation and (2) Pricing Quotation. See details below:
1. Technical Quotation containing:
- Technical description and/or product literature. Quoters shall include the manufacturer, make and model of the product, manufacturer sales literature, or other product literature that CLEARLY DOCUMENTS that the offered products meet or exceed all specifications outlined in the statement of requirements. The quoter is responsible for ensuring the submitted documentation clearly addresses all specifications and requirements.
- Quoter’s ability to meet the required delivery schedule.
- Quoter’s ability to meet the installation, training, and warranty requirements.
2. Price Quotation: A Firm-Fixed Price, FOB Destination quotation inclusive of shipping, training, and warranty, in accordance with the Statement of Requirements for all line items. The price quotation shall include a cover page with the following information:
- The solicitation number 1333ND24QNB640589.
- The name, address, and telephone number of the Quoter.
- Unique Entity ID# for the SAM registration.
- A total firm-fixed price for the requirement.
- Any applicable discount terms.
- A statement that the Contractor agrees to all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. If the Contractor objects to any of the terms and conditions contained in this solicitation, the Contractor shall state, “The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following:” [Contractor shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s)]. It is the Contractor's sole responsibility to identify any exceptions to the terms and conditions of the solicitation in their quote. If the Contractor does not include such a statement, the submission of a quotation in response to this solicitation will be regarded as the Contractor’s acceptance of the Government’s terms and conditions for inclusion into the resultant purchase order.
- A statement that the quotation is valid for a minimum of 60 days from the response deadline of this solicitation.
Please note that this procurement IS NOT being conducted under the GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) program or another Government-Wide Area Contract (GWAC). If a contractor submits a quotation based on an FSS or GWAC contract, the Government will accept the quoted price. However, the terms and conditions stated herein will be included in any resultant Purchase Order, not the terms and conditions of the contractor’s FSS or GWAC contract.
PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES:
The provisions and clauses applicable to this solicitation are identified in Attachment 2, titled “Applicable Clauses & Provisions.” The full text of a Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision or clause may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov/far. The full text of a Department of Commerce Acquisition Regulation (CAR) provision or clause may be accessed electronically at http://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/acquistion_management/policy/.
ATTACHMENTS:
The following attachments apply to this solicitation:
1. Statement of Requirements
2. Applicable Clauses & Provisions
