A--Notice of Intent to Award Sole Source Contract Medical Research

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE The Network Contract Office 23 (NCO 23) intends to award a sole source contract under the authority of FAR 6.302-3 to The University of Iowa, 105 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1316, for the performance of a research and development (R&D) project in support of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Iowa City VA Health Care System. One of the charges of the Department of Veterans Affairs is to promote research and development dedicated to improving the health and lives of Veterans. Research Acquisitions are assigned to a VA Investigator or Principal Investigator (PI) who conduct research approved through the VA R&D committee and conduct research under Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) with affiliated educational institutions. This project will be administered by the Iowa City VA Health Care System and approved through the VHA Central Office, Office of Research and Development to improve the health and lives of Veterans. The Project Title is: Human skeletal myotubes to determine cellular mechanisms that ursolic acid and compound A utilize to increase muscle mass and improve muscle function. Health services research is classified as a multidisciplinary field concerned with the effects of social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, technology, and human behavior on health care access, quality, costs, and outcomes. In VA, health services research focuses on understanding how to organize, deliver, and finance health care that is effective and cost-effective, in order to meet the needs of Veterans and to ensure that VA's health care system is sound and consistently excellent. It emphasizes research that has practical applications and that can assist patients, health care providers, managers and policymakers. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation document exists for the requirement. Sources interested in responding to this notice are required to submit a capability statement that includes management and technical data and cost information, in sufficient detail and with convincing evidence that clearly demonstrates the capability to perform the required work. All capability statements received by the due date of this notice will be considered by the Government. A request for documentation or additional information will not be considered as an affirmative response. A determination by the Government not to compete based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement or to proceed with a sole source contract. Capability statements are due by 5:00 PM Central Standard Time, January 7, 2015. Capability statements shall be submitted by e-mail ONLY as a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF attachment to the following address: contact@example.gov.