Measurement of Gut Microbiome In Collected Stool Samples

This Small Business Sources Sought Notice is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation or commitment by the Government. This notice is intended strictly for Market Research. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases is conducting a market survey to determine the availability and technical capability of qualified small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business or HUBZone small businesses capable of providing Measurement of Gut Microbiome in collected Stool samples. The NIDDK in Phoenix performs research studies investigating the etiology of obesity and diabetes. NIDDK has just completed a protocol investigating how nutrient absorption (as measured by stool calories) is affect by overfeeding, underfeeding and administration of antibiotics. One of the main hypotheses of this study was that relative bacterial content will change and affect stool calories. The protocol has completed recruitment of participants, and we now need to measure the bacterial content of the collected stool samples. This needs to be done by an experience laboratory using l 6s RNA and metagenomics techniques. The vendor shall perform 16sRNA and metagenomic analyses on collected stool samples. The vendor shall be supplied with a total of 744 samples collected during the study. The vendor shall perform the above analyses on 225 selected initial samples obtained during metabolic manipulations within 60 days of sample receipt and then shall have the remainder of the period of work to perform the additional analyses. The vendor shall supply the data obtained from these analyses in excel or SAS datasets. All variables in the analyses will be annotated so the meaning of each variable is clear. A separate dictionary of terms maybe provided to explain each variable. The vendor shall collaborate on data analyses of these samples as they are applied to the collected human metabolic data obtained during the study. The intended procurement will be classified under North American Industrial Classification (NAICS) code 541380 with a size standard of $14.0 Million. All respondents are requested to identify their firm's size and type of business. Interested firms responding to this market survey must provide (a) capability statement demonstrating their experience, skills and capability to fulfill the Government's requirements for the above. The capability statement shall be in sufficient enough detail, but not to exceed 15 pages, so that the Government can determine the experience and capability of your firm to provide the requirements above. Your capability statement, not to exceed 15 pages, should include references. Capability statement must be received at the email address identified in this synopsis by 11:00 A.M. local time on June 12, 2017. Any questions regarding this announcement must be sent via email to verne.griffin@.nih.gov and must include solicitation NICHD2017021 in the subject line of email. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for information solicited. 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 provided feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate response to a solicitation. 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 provided feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate response to a solicitation. 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)." PLEASE NOTE: In order to receive an award, contractor must be registered and have valid certification in the System for Award Management (SAM) http://www.sam.gov