AJ11--PTSD Research Services for assays

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 Quanterix Corporation. The requirement is for Quanterix Corporation to provide the VA Boston Healthcare System with research services for assays. These services are in direct support of the project titled, Central Nervous System and Inflammatory Biomarkers of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Age. These services will directly support the R&D Laboratory at the VA Boston Healthcare System in Boston, Massachusetts. This contract will consists of a base period (1 year) and 4 option periods (5 years total if all option years are exercised). 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 Quanterix Corporation is the only contractor that can provide these specific services for this project. The research services shall be performed by Quanterix Corporation on banked VABHS research plasma samples. The samples were collected under Dr. Miller s PTSD studies over the past 10 years. Administratively, the samples are part of Dr. Miller s protocol PTSD Genetics Data and Specimen Repository. They are physically stored in the MAVERIC biorepository at the Jamaica Plain Campus of VABHS. The samples are barcoded, they will be unidentifiable to Quanterix and no VA data will accompany them. This work will be performed under Dr. Miller s research protocol entitled Neuroimaging-genetics of PTSD. The deliverables for this project will be assay results in the form of electronic data generated by the Quanterix Accelerator Lab using the Single Molecule Array (SIMOA) assays. The electronic data will be delivered to VA Boston via a method that meets VA information security requirements. The data generated by this project will belong exclusively to VABHS. The accelerator lab (contractor) will provide Dr. Miller and his team post-project consultation to assist the VABHS investigators in understanding the format and contents of the dataset. SIMOA technology was developed by Quanterix and is proprietary in nature. This is the only technology currently in existence that is capable of measuring the investigator s neurological biomarkers of interest at the extraordinarily low concentration levels at which they exist in plasma samples. Currently, ELISA procedures are performed manually in clinical research departments and quantification of clinical samples occurs using microplate readers. Thus, routine ELISA data analysis is extremely time-consuming as extra effort has to be devoted to calculate calibrators and samples. By VABHS working with Quanterix Corporation and using the SIMOA HD-1 Analyzer, all samples are processed automatically and sample details are captured using advanced automation software. 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, June 14, 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.