CTF 100% Helium Recovery and Recycling System and Service Maintenance Agreement

Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE 1. Solicitation Number: NIHDA201800265 2. Title: CTF 100% Helium Recovery and Recycling System and Service Maintenance Agreement 3. Classification Code: 65 Medical, Dental & Veterinary Equipment & Supplies 4. NAICS Code: 334510 Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing 5. Description: See Statement of Work This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement. This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. 6. Background: The mission of the NIMH MEG Core Facility is to maintain a state of the art magnetoencephalography (MEG) platform to obtain in vivo measurements of brain function. This enables investigators across the NIH IRP to reach their research objectives. The MEG core facility currently possesses a state-of-the-art CTF 275 channel MEG system. The MEG system is able to detect extremely weak electrical fields (on the order of femto-tesla) using superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). These sensors must be maintained at an ultra-low temperature by immersion in liquid Helium (LHe). The MEG core currently uses at least 6500L of liquid helium per year. Costs are expected to increase, and supply is expected to tighten, particularly in 2021 when the U.S. Bureau of Land Management phases out the strategic helium reserve. A 100% helium recovery system can recycle 100% of the helium, completely eliminating the MEG Core's reliance on this costly, increasingly scarce, non-renewable resource. The proposed closed-loop 100% helium recovery system will incorporate automated transfers that will also eliminate the need to perform manual LHe transfers. 7. Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of this requirement is to provide a 100% helium recovery and recycling system for the NIMH MEG Core Facility and maintenance contract for one-year plus three-year warranty. The required system must seamlessly integrate with the existing CTF MEG system. 8. Project requirements: See General and Specific Requirements in the Statement of Work 9. Anticipated Period of Performance: The period of performance shall be four (4) years and nine (9) months from the date of award. Installation of equipment will have a duration of nine months, plus one-year maintenance and three-year extended warranty for a total of four years 10. Other important considerations: The Government requires supplies/services from an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) authorized service provider of OEM parts for the CTF MEG system. Helium will not be procured under this acquisition. 11. Capability statement /information sought: Respondents shall: 1. Provide a capability statement that clearly describes their ability to provide the OEM supply/service requirements specified in this notice. 2. Provide sufficient details of the respondent (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information. 3. Provide the respondent DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc. pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. Also, respondents are encouraged to provide their opinions about the difficulty and/or feasibility of the potential requirement or proposed acquisition, possible solutions and approaches that may currently exist in the marketplace, and information regarding innovative ideas or concepts. 12. Submission Instructions: One (1) copy of the response is required and must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8.5" x 11" paper size, with 1" top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing. The information submitted must be in outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirement and in the capability statement /information sought paragraphs stated herein. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required. The response is limited to ten (10) page limit. The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, or references, if requested. The response must include the respondents' technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone, and e-mail addresses. All responses to this notice must be submitted electronically to Christopher Weaver, Contracting Officer via email at christopher.weaver@nih.gov. Email subject line: "Response to No. NIHDA201800265 CTF 100% Helium Recovery and Recycling System and Service Maintenance Agreement". Facsimile responses are NOT accepted. The response must be received on or before July 10, 2018 by 3:00 pm Eastern Time. 13. Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a presolicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. 14. Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).