AJ11--Ecoscopic Focal Epilepsy Imaging

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Office of Research and Development (R&D), Regional Procurement Office (RPO) East in Pittsburgh, PA intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with The Brigham & Women s Hospital, Inc. The requirement is for The Brigham & Women s Hospital to provide the Boston VA Healthcare System with specialized services in support of the project titled, Network Plasticity in Acquired Epileptogenesis. These services will be directly supporting the R&D Laboratory at the Boston VA Healthcare System in Boston, Massachusetts. This contract will have a base period (1 year) and 2 option periods (each 1 year). This procurement is being conducted IAW FAR 6.302-1, Only one responsible source and no other contractors will satisfy agency requirements; and VHAPM Part 813.106-1(b), Other Than Full and Open Competition less than SAT for Open Market Items. The Government asserts this is the most appropriate procurement strategy because The Brigham & Women s Hospital is the only contractor that can provide Mesoscopic in vivo two photon imaging while simultaneously accomplishing the primary goal of this VA Merit project: Measure the profile of recruitment of different types of cortical (retrosplenial) neurons during high frequency oscillations (HFOs) as a function of time during epileptogenesis in the pilocarpine model of TLE. This type of 2-photon imaging is only possible using a unique instrument, the Mesoscope 1.2 (Thor Lab), which has the large field of view (~5mm x5mm) required and is capable of random access large-field-of-view scanning in depth. This instrument is not available at any VHA healthcare system or hospital. In fact, there are currently only 12 such instruments within the US, and the only place where this instrument is available for experiments in the Boston area is at the Neurotechnology studio at the Brigham and Women s Hospital. The scope of services via this sole source contract would give access to the Thor Lab Mesoscope 1.2 for 5hrs per week day to the Smirnakis group in order to perform the mouse experiments proposed in the aim 1 of the grant. The mice for the experiments performed need also to be housed in the Brigham BTM facility, because it does not allow animals to enter from other breeding facilities to avoid contamination. The laboratory will use the 2-photon Mesoscopic imaging facility at Brigham and Women s Hospital to perform the large-field of view 2-photon experiments required. Included: Consultation, access to microscope imaging for 5hrs per day, 5 days a week, per year (base year and 2 option years), animal housing and all expenses related to animal care and breeding for animals participating in experiments. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, any responsible source who believes it is capable of meeting the requirement may submit a capability statement and supporting documentation to the Contracting Officer no later than Tuesday, February 02, 2021, 4:00 PM, EST. Interest/capability statements may be sent by email to Mr. Robin Simmons at contact@example.gov. No telephone responses will be accepted. A determination not to compete the proposed requirement based upon the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.