Annual Software License and Maintenance Agreement for the Grant Redundant Application Search Program (GRASP)

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT, NOT A REQUEST FOR A PROPOSAL. A SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED AND PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE REQUESTED. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Office of Acquisitions (OA), on behalf of the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), intends to negotiate and award a purchase order on a noncompetitive sole source basis to HelioText, LLC (HelioText), 4205 Preston Forest Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060-8655, to procure a one (1) year software license and maintenance agreement for the Grant Redundant Application Search Program (GRASP). For requirement details, please see the attached Statement of Work. This is a follow-on requirement. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation's leading medical research agency and the primary Federal agency conducting and supporting medical discoveries that improve people's health and save lives. CSR is the portal for NIH grant applications and their review for scientific merit. CSR receives all research grant applications sent to NIH and handles the review of more than 70% of those by organizing peer review groups (study sections) to evaluate research grant applications. CSR's mission is to see that NIH grant applications receive fair, independent, expert, and timely reviews - free from inappropriate influences - so NIH can fund the most promising research. To that end, CSR contracted with HelioText for the development of the Grant Redundant Application Search Program ("GRASP") system to compare new grant application submissions to a database of previous application submissions. This comparison minimizes the time and resources that would otherwise be used to identify inequality amongst grant submitters. This sole source determination is based on the fact that HelioText developed the GRASP system, and at the core of the system are proprietary HelioText technologies, including Contaro, a search engine that makes rapid text comparison possible. Because of the proprietary nature of these modules resident in the GRASP system, no other companies are permitted to work on or maintain it. Therefore, HelioText is the sole source for the maintenance of the GRASP system. The North American Industry Classification (NAICS) Code is 541990, and the Small Business Size Standard is $14.0M. The acquisition is being conducted under FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures, therefore the requirements of FAR Part 6 Competition Requirements are not applicable (FAR Part 6.001) and the resultant purchase order will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 05-61 (September 13, 2012). This requirement is under the SAT of $150,000.00. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. Interested parties may identify their interest and capabilities in response to this synopsis no later than September 26, 2012, 7:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. The determination by the Government not to compete the proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct future competitive procurement. Inquires about this announcement, referencing synopsis number NHLBI-CSB-(RG)-2013-006-DEL, may be submitted electronically to Deirdre Lyons at deirdre.lyons@nih.gov. Responses may be submitted electronically to Deirdre Lyons at deirdre.lyons@nih.gov. Faxes will not be accepted. Responses will only be accepted if dated and signed by an authorized company representative. Note: In order to receive an award from NHLBI, contractors must have a valid registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov.