NIH, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, COB, BDR Contracts Section, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Rm. 6140, MSC 7902, Bethesda, MD 20892-

A -- MAINTENANCE OF BIOLOGICAL SPECIMEN REPOSITORY SOL NHLBI HB-97-03 POC Joann A. Ciufolo, Contracting Officer, (301) 435-0359. R--MAINTENANCE OF BIOLOGICAL SPECIMEN REPOSITORY Solicitation Number: NHLBI HB-97-03 Due: 08/21/96 Point of Contact: Joann A. Ciufolo, Contracting Officer, (301) 435-0359. The Blood Diseases and Resources Program of the National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute (NHLBI) is conducting a market survey to assess the availability and potential technical capability of small business firms to operate the NHLBI biological specimen repository. The purpose of the repository is the maintenance, storage, and dissemination of blood specimens from virtually all NHLBI-sponsored epidemiological and clinical studies conducted over the last 21 years. These specimens are made available to investigators conducting research related to transfusion medicine and disorders of the blood or cardiovascular system. Approximately 1.7 million specimens (90 percent of which are from subjects in studies of HIV infection or AIDS) are currently stored in the NHLBI biological specimen repository, and this number is expected to increase regularly (approximately 4 percent per year) as original specimens are divided and distributed and as specimens from new NHLBI studies are added. Specific requirements of this project include: 1) Maintenance of a serum, plasma, and cell repository at temperatures between -50 and -70 degrees centigrade. Freezers shall be located in an air-conditioned facility with temperatures maintained between 20 and 25 degrees centigrade. Freezers shall be connected to a central alarm system, emergency standby freezers shall be available in case of mechanical failure, and an alternate system shall be available in the event of utility company power failure. Space for approximately 71 low-temperature freezers, including 10 walk-ins, and 5 liquid nitrogen freezers, along with room for future expansion of the repository is required. Freezers shall be furnished by the Government. 2) Storage, retrieval, aliquoting, and shipment of specimens of serum, plasma, cells, or other blood components or samples by staff trained in virologic techniques with biosafety stage 2 biological material. 3) Performance of serologic and virologic assays requiring laboratory biosafety level 2 facilities and personnel trained in handling pathogenic agents and dealing with potential hazards of the pathogens likely to be involved in the operations of the repository. 4) Maintenance and update of a computerized inventory control reflecting all activities of the biological serum repository. Small business firms having demonstrated experience in performing the requirements listed above are invited to submit capability statements (original and two copies). Capability statements shall include: 1) description of firm's ability to manage a biological specimen repository, 2) description of facilities and resources necessary to house the blood specimen repository, to aliquot and ship specimens, to perform virologic and serologic testing, and to implement SAS programming system, 3) experience and qualifications of personnel proposed (laboratory personnel should have specific training in handling pathogenic agents and in handling pathogenic agents and dealing with potential hazards of pathogens likely to be involved in the operation of the repository), and 4) the firm's status as a small business under Standard Industrial Code 8731, with a size standard of under 500 employees. The intended procurement is a recompetition of contract N01-HB-17087 awarded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute on 02/28/91. The government intends to negotiate one contract for the period of ten years. This is not a Request for Proposals (RFP), and responses should not include budgetary information. Firms responding to this market survey should provide pertinent information to the requirements mentioned above within twenty (20) calendar days from the date of publication of this announcement in the Commerce Business Daily (CBD). (0215)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0010 19960805\A-0010.SOL)