2018 Text Retrieval Conference (TREC); Precision Medicine Track Task.

Notice of Intent 1333ND18QNB770055 I. AUTHORITY / METHOD OF ACQUISITION: Under authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13.106-1(b), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR, 97239-3011, as the only capable source that can meet the requirements: 2018 Text Retrieval Conference, Precision Medicine Track Task. Correspondingly, based on the foregoing authority under the FAR, the NIST intends to award on a sole source basis. The North American Industry Classification System Code 541990-All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services, with a small business size standard of $15.0 million dollars, is associated with the requirements. II. REQUIREMENTS: NIST will provide the contractor biomedical document sets for 30 case studies. The biomedical document set for a case study will contain an average of 1,200 documents. NIST anticipates that this data will be provided to the contractor no later than July 1, 2018. The contractor shall provide a relevance judgment on a 3-point scale for each document in a case study's document set for each of 30 case studies. III. SOLE SOURCE RATIONALE: NIST conducted market research using the Small Business Administration Dynamic Small Business Search Website but could not find another company with the required capabilities. Also, NIST conducted internet searches for companies with capabilities to perform relevance judgments of medical information but could not find another company with the required capabilities. Additionally, historical data over the past two years has shown that OSHU is the only source capable of meeting these requirements. Market Research has identified OHSU as the only source capable of meeting the requirements. No sources, other than OHSU, were identified as capable of meeting the requirements. Therefore, NIST intends to issue a sole source solicitation to OHSU and negotiate with OHSU on a sole source basis. IV. INSTRUCTIONS / COMPLIANCE: This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals or quotations and no solicitation document will exist for this requirement. However, companies interested in responding to this notice may submit technical data, including price and sufficient documentation for NIST to determine capabilities and qualifications in meeting the requirements. All responses received by the closing date of this notice will be considered by NIST. A determination by the NIST not to compete based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the NIST. Companies interested in responding to this notice: 1. May submit their capabilities and qualifications to meet the requirements, in writing via e-mail, to Mario Gray using e-mail address: mario.gray@nist.gov, with the notice number referenced in the subject line of the e-mail. 2. Shall submit their responses by no later than the closing date of this notice. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.