SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES BIOLOGICAL RESOURCE REPOSITORY (MID-BRR)
- Notice Date
- 2/5/2009
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541711
— Research and Development in Biotechnology
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Office of Acquisitions, 6700 B Rockledge Room 3214 MSC7612, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-7612
- ZIP Code
- 20892-7612
- Solicitation Number
- SS-RFP-NIAID-DMID-NIHAI2009053
- Archive Date
- 3/6/2009
- Point of Contact
- Barbara A Shadrick, Phone: 301-496-7288
- E-Mail Address
-
bs92y@nih.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- INTRODUCTION This SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE is to determine the availability of potential small businesses (e.g., 8(a), service-disabled veteran owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, veteran-owned small business, and women-owned small business) that can provide biological resource repository support services to DMID and DMID-supported investigators. Activities include receipt, acquisition, authentication, production, preservation, storage, and distribution of approximately 15,000 unique organisms and reagents; inventory and tracking system; quality assurance program; outreach activities; and a web portal. The information from this market research will help the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH) plan their acquisition strategy. Please be sure to indicate if you have a GSA schedule contract, a contract on GSA 8(a) STARS, or a contract on GSA VETS GWAC. THIS IS STRICTLY MARKET RESEARCH. The DMID, NIAID, NIH WILL NOT ENTERTAIN QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MARKET RESEARCH. BACKGROUND Research supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), strives to understand, treat, and ultimately prevent the myriad of infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases that threaten millions of human lives. The NIAID Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID) supports extramural research to control and prevent diseases caused by all infectious agents other than HIV, including research to counter bioterrorism. This includes basic and applied research to develop and evaluate therapeutics, vaccines, and diagnostics that is funded through a variety of research grants and contracts. Toward this aim, DMID supports an array of research services. Included are programs that make preclinical and clinical translational research services, as well as organisms and state-of the art reagents, DNA sequencing, data and analytic tools, and biocontainment and core facilities, available to investigators (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/research/resources/dmid/). For the most part, these services are currently provided through multiple, specialized programs. DMID seeks now, however, to adopt an integrated approach to the provision of services by creating unified, comprehensive, coordinated programs. This strategy is being employed to: advance science by promoting cross-fertilization across and within disciplines and approaches; serve the research community more conveniently; achieve efficient use of resources through economy of scale and avoidance of duplication; and provide the flexibility needed to respond to changing priorities. Accordingly, DMID is establishing the Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Biological Research Resources Program (hereinafter called the Biological Research Resources Program). The Biological Research Resources Program will integrate and consolidate the functions currently carried out by numerous NIAID-supported repositories (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/research/resources/dmid/repos.htm). Of these currently supported programs, five concentrate on targeted groups of bacteria (Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, resistant staphylococci, respiratory pathogens, and mycobacteria responsible for tuberculosis and leprosy); one is dedicated to emerging viruses and arboviruses; one focuses on Aspergillus species; and three are dedicated to individual parasites (filarial worms, schistosomes, and plasmodia). Another program focuses on NIAID Category A, B and C Priority Pathogens (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/BiodefenseRelated/Biodefense/research/CatA.htm). This program provides a comprehensive collection of research materials, including those deposited by other Government-supported research projects, to be made available to the biodefense and emerging infectious disease scientific communities. Together, these collections contain approximately 15,000 unique catalog items and more than a half million units for distribution. The Biological Research Resources Program is designed not only to meet the currently defined needs of scientific communities, but also to meet emerging needs for research materials as they are identified. The Biological Research Resources Program comprises multiple components. The Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Biological Resources Repository (MID-BRR) will serve as a central repository that will provide one-stop shopping for the broad community of microbiology and infectious diseases researchers. The MID-BRR will receive, acquire, authenticate, produce, preserve, store and distribute most of the organisms and reagents needed to comprise the comprehensive collection. A separate and complementary Request for Proposal (RFP) is currently soliciting proposals for the Animal Models of Infectious Diseases program, which will provide the capacity to ensure a supply for the MID-BRR of organisms that must be grown in animals as well as reagents integral to research on these organisms. The Animal Models of Infectious Diseases program will work closely with the MID-BRR. The MID-BRR will also serve as a repository for research materials produced by other Government-supported research projects and research service programs. The MID-BRR Contractor is expected to interact with these programs as well. For the purposes of this contract, research materials include both organisms and reagents: •Organisms include, for example, bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi, including NIAID Category A, B and C Priority Pathogens (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/BiodefenseRelated/Biodefense/research/CatA.htm) and NIAID designated emerging infectious disease agents or organisms (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/emerging/list.htm). •Reagents include, for example, biochemical, biologic, cellular, genomic, immunologic and molecular specimens and/or resources integral to research on these organisms. Reagents may also refer to toxins and other agents such as prions; to antiviral and anti-infective drugs and therapeutics, chemicals, agents that modulate the immune system, vaccines, vaccine constructs and vaccine adjuvants, and diagnostic tools and kits for detection and measurement. RESPONSE INFORMATION In order to respond to this notice, contractors must be able to clearly convey its experience and/or ability to provide: 1.a total level of effort of 50 FTEs per year (104,000 total direct labor hours per year based on a Work Year of 2080 hours) for a period of performance of seven years (Base period plus six, one-year Options). In any year of the contract, contractors must also be able to respond to requests to provide additional effort based on the exercise of Options in increments of 2 FTEs, 5 FTEs or 10 FTEs and increase the existing repository level-of-effort by up to a maximum of 50%. Contractors must provide, for example, the following labor mix: Professional Support: Project/Program Manager, Director of Collections, Director of Science Technicians and Support: Technical Manager, Collection Scientist, Regulatory Specialist, Compliance Director, Marketing Manager, Field Acquisition Specialist, Technical Writers, Biologists Non-Professional Support: Operations Technician, Quality Systems Technician, Technical Service Representative, Customer Support staff, Clerical 2.a Project Manager with the adequacy, appropriateness and relevance of expertise and experience with a project of similar size, scope, and complexity; qualifications; 3.key professional and technical staff; 4.organization and staffing to ensure efficient planning, initiation, implementation, conduct, and completion of all activities. 5.the ability to operate a biological resource repository supporting basic and applied research for all infectious agents other than HIV; 6.the ability to identify, receive, acquire, authenticate and produce organisms and reagents supporting basic and applied research for all infectious agents other than HIV; 7.the ability to effect an orderly, secure and efficient transition of all materials from six existing repositories located throughout the United States; 8.the ability to inventory, track, store, receive and distribute organisms and reagents for both basic and applied research for all infectious agents other than HIV; 9.implementation of a program to monitor the quality control of acquiring, authenticating, producing, storing and shipping materials; 10.adequate Biosafety and Security to assure the safety and security of biocontainment facilities and personnel; 11.a documented quality management system including external review and/or accreditation; 12.the ability to organize and/or manage a Scientific Advisory Group; 13.training workshops; 14.satisfactory efficient and effective customer service; 15.the facilities to authenticate, produce, store and distribute approximately 580,000 units of approximately 15,000 unique organisms and reagents under appropriate temperature and containment conditions, including maintenance of an inventory and tracking system; 16.biocontainment facilities (BSL 1-3 and proposed access to BSL 4); 17.equipment and training programs adequate to operate a biological resource repository; 18.adequate computer and information management systems to operate a biological resource repository; 19.a web-based system for ordering and depositing materials from/to the MID-BRR. Each response should include the following Business Information: •DUNS. •Company Name. •Company Address. •Company Point of Contact, Phone and Email address •Current GSA Schedules appropriate to this Sources Sought. •Do you have a Government approved accounting system? If so, please identify the agency that approved the system. •Type of Company (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, veteran owned, etc.) as validated via the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). All offerors must register on the CCR located at http://www.ccr.gov/index.asp Interested contractors must submit a capability statement (five page limitation, excluding resumes) describing their company’s experience and ability to perform this effort which includes the following: (1) a summary list of similar work previously performed or being performed; (2) the professional qualifications and specific experience of staff who may be assigned to the requirement; (3) resumes for proposed key personnel, including the Project Director, which reflect education, and previous work relevant to the proposed requirement; (4) a general description of the facilities and other resources needed to perform the work; and (5) demonstrated ability to carry out the work. Responses must be submitted not later than February 19, 2009; 3:00 PM, EDT. Capability statements will not be returned and will not be accepted after the due date. These statements may be submitted by e-mail or paper copy to Nicole Gordon, Contract Specialist. She can be e-mailed at the address provided below. Electronic submissions should be submitted in PDF format, however, Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect will be accepted. In the subject line Reference: SS-RFP-NIAID-DMID-NIHAI2009053. A paper copy can be sent via regular mail at the address provided below. National Institutes of Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Office of Acquisitions ATTN: Nicole Gordon 6700 B Rockledge Drive, Room 3241, MSC 7612 Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7612 Email Address: gordonn@niaid.nih.gov GENERAL INFORMATION This Sources Sought Notice is for information and planning purposes only and should not be construed as a commitment by the Government. This is not a solicitation announcement for proposals and no contract will be awarded from this Notice. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this Notice. Respondents will not be notified of the results of this evaluation. Capability statements will not be returned and will not be accepted after the due date. As previously stated, the Government will not entertain questions regarding this Market Research; however, general questions may be forwarded to the following: Contracts Specialist: Nicole Gordon Email Address: gordonn@niaid.nih.gov Contracting Officer: Barbara Shadrick Email Address: bs92y@nih.gov
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