Acquisition Description:
This notice is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items using Simplified Acquisition Procedures. This acquisition will be made in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6 “Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and solicitation for commercial Items,” as applicable, and as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation (a written solicitation will not be issued) and quotes are being requested.
This acquisition will be processed under FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP). The solicitation documents and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2024-04.
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is
325414 – Biological Product (except Diagnostic) manufacturing (size standard 1250).
The requirement is being competed as a Brand Name or Equal (full and open competition) requirement and is NOT a small business set aside.
The Solicitation number is RFQ-CC-24-009997 and the solicitation is issued as a Request for Quotes (RFQ).
The National Institute of Health, Clinical Center (NIH-CC)’s Translational Biobehavioral and Health Disparities Branch (TBHD) requests the purchase of Invitrogen ProcartaPlex immunoassay kits from the company, Thermo Fisher Scientific. The materials will be used in a collaborative protocol between the NIH Clinical Center TBHD Branch and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to test human cytokine and chemokine levels in serum and saliva samples in individuals with alcohol use disorder. The immunoassay kits need to be able to:
- Detect and quantify a panel of 80 targets in 50µL of serum and/or saliva
- Perform simultaneous analysis of 80 cytokines and chemokines in one sample
- Can be used with the Thermo Fisher Scientific Luminex platform
- Can be used with human samples
The NIH Clinical Center TBHD Branch conducts protocols on the impact of alcohol consumption and oral health on salivary and serum inflammatory markers in patients with alcohol use disorder. The results from these tests will be used to gain knowledge on how heavy alcohol use and abstinence from alcohol impacts oral health through oral and systemic inflammation. The required immunoassay kits are made and sold by Life Technologies Corporation and by their subsidiary/sister company Fisher Scientific.
Program requires this specific brand of Invitrogen ProcartaPlex Immunoassays that are manufactured by Life Technologies Corp./Thermo Fisher Scientific. These kits provide the unique combination that Program requires. There are certain sequencing that must be done in the assay and these are the only kits that provide the comprehensive sequencing platform needed for the research analysis. The NIH is conducting biomarkers across studies and need to have the same kits to ensure continuity of research as well as the ability to provide comparisons of data across studies.
Life Technologies Corp. and Thermo Fisher Scientific are the only providers of the Luminex xMAP technology and solely manufactures the Invitrogen ProcartaPlex Immunoassays. They are the only companies that can provide an 80-plex assay for multiplex protein expression on the Luminex instrument, and the only supplier to offer this unique combination of proteins:
Target [bead region]: APRIL [88], BAFF [86], BLC [29], bNGF [55], CCL1 (I-309) [83], CCL17 (TARC) [91], CCL21 (6Ckine/SLC) [96], CCL23 (MPIF) [98], CCL25 (TECK) [94], CD30 [84], CD40L [74], CXCL6 (GCP-2) [99], ENA-78 [82], Eotaxin [33], Eotaxin-2 [30], Eotaxin3 [49], FGF-2 [75], Fractalkine [59], Gal-3 [89], G-CSF [42], GM-CSF [44], Granzyme A [38], Granzyme B [77], Gro a [61], HGF [46], IFNa [48], IFN-g [43], IL-10 [28], IL-12p70 [34], IL-13 [35], IL-15 [65], IL-16 [70], IL-17A [36], IL-18 [66], IL-1a [62], IL-1b [18], IL-2 [19], IL-20 [81], IL-21 [72], IL-22 [76], IL-23 [63], IL-27 [14], IL-2R [9], IL-3 [73], IL-31 [37], IL-34 [79], IL-37 [7], IL-4 [20], IL-5 [21], IL-6 [25], IL-7 [26], IL-8 [27], IL-9 [52], IP-10 [22], I-TAC [57], LIF [15], MCP-1 [51], MCP-2 [8], MCP-3 [68], MCP-4 (CCL13) [90], M-CSF [67], MDC [87], MIF [53], MIG [69], MIP1a [12], MIP-1b [47], MIP-2 alpha (CXCL2) [95], MIP-3 beta (CCL19) [93], MIP-3a [56], MMP-1 [64], PTX3 [100], SCF [39], TNF b [54], TNF-a [45], TNF-R2 [85], TRAIL [58], TREM-1 [13], TSLP [80], TWEAK [97], VEGF-A [78].
Offerors must provide this brand of items:
4x Qty of #EPX480-20834- 901; MO IMMUNE MONITORING 48PLEX 96 TESTS
2x Qty of #EPX800-10080-901; HU IMMUNE RESPONSE 80PLEX 96 TESTS
Place of Performance or Delivery:
Delivery is estimated to be within two (2) weeks of award or as soon as possible.
Place of Performance/Delivery/Performance contact:
NIH-CC
10 Center Drive
NIHBC 10, Room 2B07
Attn: Julie Kohn-Godbout
Bethesda, MD 20892
The following FAR provisions apply to this acquisition:
FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items (SEPT 2023)
FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items (DEC 2022)
FAR 52.204-7 System for Award Management (OCT 2018)
(Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications on-line at http://www.sam.gov/ in accordance with FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items (Please ensure 52.209-2 -- Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations--Representation. (Nov 2015) is updated in your SAM record)
FAR 52.203-18 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements – Representation (JAN 2017)
52.204–26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation
(OCT 2020) *** Must complete representation if attached to this solicitation- see attachment 52.204-26
The following FAR contract clauses apply to this acquisition:
FAR 52-212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items (DEC 2022)
FAR 52-212.5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders Commercial Items (SEP 2023)
FAR 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (MAR 2023)
FAR 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018)
FAR 52.204-25 Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (NOV 2021)
HHSAR 352.222-70, Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (December 2015)
52.252-2 -- Clauses Incorporated by Reference. (Feb 1998)
This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address: http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm.
By submission of an offer, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation (www.sam.gov). Copies of the above-referenced provisions and clauses are available from http://www.acquisition.gov/far/loadmainre.html & http: //www.hhs.gov/regulation/index.html or, upon request, either by telephone or fax.
The government intends to award a “firm fixed price” order (in the form of a PO, IDIQ, or BPA) to the responsible contractor as a result of this RFQ that will include the terms and conditions set forth herein. The government will evaluate quotes to determine the proposal that conforms to the solicitation and presents the best value to the government (eg. the most advantageous to the Government based on price, performance, availability of funds, etc.). The award will be made based on technical capability to meet the requirements/technical factors, price, and past performance.
Submission shall be received not later than 09/17/2024 by @ 11:00 AM EST.
Offers may be emailed to Lu Chang at <lu-chang.lu@nih.gov> by the date and time stated above.
Late submission shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(f). All responsible sources may submit an offer that will be considered by this Agency. Any questions or concerns regarding this solicitation should be forwarded in writing via email to the respective contacts above.
Offers shall include RFQ number in the subject line (RFQ-CC-24-009997).
Offers shall also include the price, delivery timeframes, and any other required documentation/information as mentioned above. Offers that do not meet these requirements may be excluded from consideration.
