AJ11--Mesoscopic Photo Imaging Services

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 mesoscopic photo imaging services. 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: to determine how recruitment of individual neurons to the different phases of progression of focal neocortical seizure events depends on cell type and position along the cortical circuit. 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. These experiments involve injecting the compound 4-AP in layer 5 of area V1 (or M1). This induces focal seizures that spread locally and contralaterally. The propagation of seizure events needs to be recorded over a large field of view, approximately 5mm x5mm in size, with single cell resolution, essentially simultaneously across cortical areas. Furthermore, deep imaging of different cortical layers is required. 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 Monday, February 01, 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.