This pre-solicitation notice follows a Sources Sought notice that was released on February 20, 2018 under notice number NIHES2018_SS_ARCHIVES. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) intends to negotiate and award a contract to provide the necessary services, qualified professional, technical, administrative, or clerical personnel as well as materials, equipment, and facilities needed to manage and support the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Archives, NTP Frozen Tissue Bank, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Data and Specimen Repository. The contractor shall provide for the storage and management of large volumes of data and biological specimens that require safe, secure, short-term and long-term storage under specific environmental conditions. The materials include, but are not limited to: wet-tissue preserved or fixed in formalin; formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks; histological glass slides; frozen tissue; biological samples; kodachrome slides; digital images; paper data; electronic data; and microfiche. Mandatory Requirements: The Contractor shall establish and maintain offices, equipment, and technical facilities, including laboratory facilities, within a 25-minute drive of the main campus of the NIEHS located at 111 T.W. Alexander Dr., Durham, NC 27709, for the duration of the contract performance period. The facilities must be fully operational and ready to initiate transition activities by the date of contract award. The facilities shall be co-located within the same building or business complex. All facilities shall be subject to approval by the Contracting Officer as to suitability and adequacy. Contract Type and Contractor's Accounting System: It is anticipated that the resultant contract will be a cost reimbursement type contract. Therefore, to be considered for an award under the resultant solicitation, the offeror's accounting system and practices must be adequate and suitable for accumulating costs under government contracts. Offerors will be required to provide evidence of the accounting system being adequate and the proposal shall include a certification that the offeror's accounting system meets all of the specifications outlined in the solicitation for an adequate accounting system, in accordance with FAR 16.301-3, 16.403-1, and in compliance with FAR Part 31. Solicitation Details: The Request for Proposal (RFP) is anticipated to be available on or about April 16, 2018. The RFP will only be available electronically and must be accessed through the FedBizOpps website (www.fbo.gov). All information required for submission of a proposal will be contained in the electronic RFP package. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the above Website for the release of this RFP and amendments, if any. All responsible sources may submit a proposal, which shall be considered by the agency. This notice is not a Request for Proposals and does not commit the Government to award a contract. The solicitation is anticipated to result in one (1) award to an offeror capable of performing all aspects of the work described in the SOW. It is anticipated that a single award, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract will be awarded on or before July 30, 2018 for a base period of one-year, plus four (4) successive one-year option periods. The proposed contract will be issued using full and open competition. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 493120 with a corresponding size standard of $27.5M. The Government intends to make an award using the procedures for competitive negotiated acquisitions as authorized in FAR Part 15. he National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) intends to negotiate and award a contract to provide the necessary services, qualified professional, technical, administrative, or clerical personnel as well as materials, equipment, and facilities needed to manage and support the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Archives, NTP Frozen Tissue Bank, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Data and Specimen Repository. The contractor shall provide for the storage and management of large volumes of data and biological specimens that require safe, secure, short-term and long-term storage under specific environmental conditions. The materials include, but are not limited to: wet-tissue preserved or fixed in formalin; formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks; histological glass slides; frozen tissue; biological samples; kodachrome slides; digital images; paper data; electronic data; and microfiche. Mandatory Requirements: The Contractor shall establish and maintain offices, equipment, and technical facilities, including laboratory facilities, within a 25-minute drive of the main campus of the NIEHS located at 111 T.W. Alexander Dr., Durham, NC 27709, for the duration of the contract performance period. The facilities must be fully operational and ready to initiate transition activities by the date of contract award. The facilities shall be co-located within the same building or business complex. All facilities shall be subject to approval by the Contracting Officer as to suitability and adequacy. Contract Type and Contractor's Accounting System: It is anticipated that the resultant contract will be a cost reimbursement type contract. Therefore, to be considered for an award under the resultant solicitation, the offeror's accounting system and practices must be adequate and suitable for accumulating costs under government contracts. Offeror's will be required to provide evidence of the accounting system being adequate and the proposal shall include a certification that the offeror's accounting system meets all of the specifications outlined in the solicitation for an adequate accounting system, in accordance with FAR 16.301-3, 16.403-1, and in compliance with FAR Part 31. Solicitation Details: The Request for Proposal (RFP) is anticipated to be available on or about April 16, 2018. The RFP will only be available electronically and must be accessed through the FedBizOpps website (www.fbo.gov). All information required for submission of a proposal will be contained in the electronic RFP package. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the above Website for the release of this RFP and amendments, if any. All responsible sources may submit a proposal, which shall be considered by the agency. This notice is not a Request for Proposals and does not commit the Government to award a contract. The solicitation is anticipated to result in one (1) award to an offeror capable of performing all aspects of the work described in the SOW. It is anticipated that a single award, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract will be awarded on or before July 30, 2018 for a base period of one-year, plus four (4) successive one-year option periods. The proposed contract will be issued using full and open competition. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 493120 with a corresponding size standard of $27.5M. The Government intends to make an award using the procedures for competitive negotiated acquisitions as authorized in FAR Part 15.
