Microbiology analyzers

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT Notice for market research purposes only in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 for the upcoming acquisition for the United States Air Force Academy. 10th Contracting Squadron (10 CONS), USAF Academy (USAFA), Colorado, is issuing this Sources Sought solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation nor is this notice a request for quotations. DO NOT submit a quote or proposal in response to this synopsis. The planned North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 446199 All Other Health and Personal Care Stores. The small business size standard is 7.5 million. The proposed contract is anticipated to be a firm fixed price contract. It is this agency's intention to do an unrestricted acquisition unless enough qualified small businesses (SB) are located with serious intentions to propose on our requirement allowing for a set-aside. The purpose of this notice is to identify companies, in particular small business socio-economic categories capable and qualified of providing Vitek MS Plus and Vitek 2 microbiology analyzers or a similar product. This requirement is for brand name or equal. The product must have the following salient characteristics: - The system and database must be cleared by the FDA for clinical use with established performance characteristics for GP, GN, and Yeast. - The system must provide the capability of performing rapid bacterial identification using MALDI TOF technology for common, clinically relevant organisms including GN, GP, and yeast without an offline extraction process. - The system must come with both a closed IVD database (FDA cleared) and an open DUO database whereas the user software will allow the end-user the option to run the system in either IVD or RUO mode. - The system must have the ability to be connected to up to five (5) work stations installed at individual benches in the lab for the set-up of target slides. - The system must allow for full sample traceability using uniquely barcoded disposable target slides and software based guidance to deposit samples. - The system must be able to accept up to four (4) target slides with a total throughput of up to 192 clinical samples plus QC controls in a single, uninterrupted run. - Each target slide should have a dedicated QC control spot for acquisition groups of 16 clinical samples. - The system must not need any further manual sample extraction steps other than on target slide addition of matrix (CHCA) for GP and FN or formic acid (FA) and matrix (CHCA) for yeast - The matrix (CHCA) and formic acid (FA) must be ready to use and light stable at +4C. - The system must be able to connect to the VITEK2 though MYLA to link the ID result to the AST result and report results to the LIS. - The system must report the ID result with a confidence value. - The system must be analyzed raw spectral data not by just comparing a spectrum with a reference spectrum database but using a method that assigns probability values to individual peaks in a spectrum and calculates the confidence levels of a single choice ID. - The system must be able to distinguish Streptococcus pneumonia from non-pneumococcal species of the Streptococcus mitis group. - The mass spec system must provide a mass range of no less than 1Da-500kDa. - The MALDI TOF system must have a linear flight tube (TOF) length of 1.2 meters. - The MALDI TOF system must have the ability to run in both positive and negative ion modes (standards). - The MALDI TOF system must meet the minimum sensitivity of 250amol Glu-Fib peptide, 250 fmol BSA protein with a resolution of 5000 FWHM ACTH 18-39 peptide. This Sources Sought notice shall not be construed as a formal solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the 10 CONS to acquire any products or services. Information provided to the 10 CONS in response to this posting is strictly voluntary and given with no expectation of compensation, and clearly provided at no cost to the Government. A formal solicitation may be executed and posted separately on Federal Business Opportunities website (www.fbo.gov) at a future date. The 10 CONS is interested only in identifying interested and capable contractors for this service and receiving industry feedback to improve the acquisition process as part of market research. This sources sought is issued for determining if there are responsive small business concerns capable of meeting the requirement. Interested vendors must reference their 8(a), HUB Zone, Women-owned, or Service Disabled Veteran status - which must be signed by a company officer with authority to bind the company. Small Business (SB) Set-Aside Determination: The 10 CONS reserves the right to determine if a SB set-aside is appropriate including specific socio-economic programs (HUB Zone, Small Business Administration (SBA) subcontractors referred to as "8(a)" contractors eligible under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act (15 USC 637(a)), or SDVO small businesses) based on responses to this notice and other pertinent information gathered by the contracting officer. In order for the 10 CONS to make a SB set-aside determination, it is emphasized that SB concerns provide sufficient written information to indicate their capacity and capability to successfully perform and manage all the requirements of this notice. The proposed contract is anticipated to be a firm fixed price contract. Delivery is FOB Destination, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Comments and/or suggestions on the attached specifications are encouraged and can be included with your capabilities package. All potential offerors are reminded, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 52.204-7, System for Award Management (SAM), lack of registration in the SAM will make an offeror ineligible for contract award. All businesses capable of providing the Pharmacy Automation system are invited to respond. Interested parties shall provide the following information: a. Company name, address, Cage Code, DUNS Number, NAICS codes, name of point of contact, telephone number and e-mail address; b. Small business status (service disabled veteran owned small business, HUB Zone, 8(a), minority business enterprise, etc.) if any; c. Date of business type certification and company's business size; d. Annual gross revenue, number of full-time employees by direct labor, indirect labor, and administrative/overhead positions; e. Company's primary source of business (commercial/private or Government sector); f. Appropriate written information and/or data supporting their capability to perform the required effort to include past performance information. Interested parties may also provide feedback concerning the following: a. Is this the appropriate NAICS code? If not, please identify which code is appropriate? b. Are you a manufacturer or do you subcontract the work? c. What is your lead-time for manufacturing? d. Have you ever performed federal government contracts? e. What are your payment terms? f. What are your standard packaging and marking requirements? g. Do you have a quality control process in place? If so, explain your process. h. What would you consider "risk" on the contractor's part for this acquisition? i. If you are a large business, do you have a subcontracting plan? Is it a commercial subcontracting plan? Have you met your subcontracting goals? If not, are there subcontracting opportunities for small businesses? j. If you require different terms and conditions than those normally used by the Government, what are your commercial terms and conditions? Please feel free to provide a copy of your terms and conditions for this type of work. k. Do any of the salient characteristics limit competition? l. Are there any aspects of this requirement which are not consistent with current industry practices? m. Add any questions specific to the acquisition not included above. Provide responses not later than 8:00 am Mountain Daylight Time on 13 June 2016. The 10th Contracting Squadron is under no obligation to consider information received after 8:00 am (MDT), 13 June 2016, as part of the formal market research for this acquisition. Submissions shall be limited to fifteen pages, a page is defined as one side of an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Submit all of the above information in sufficient detail for a decision to be made on the availability of interested parties. Proprietary information should be marked "PROPRIETARY INFORMATION." An electronic email response is the accepted method. Failure to submit all information by the submission due date and time will result in a contractor being considered "not interested" in this requirement. Questions and responses should be addressed to the primary contact, David Willers, Contracting Specialist, at 719-333-8925 or david.willers@us.af.mil, or the alternate point of contact, Jerry Smith, Contracting Officer, 719-333-8267 or jerry.smith.25@us.af.mil. This is only a Sources Sought Notice and is NOT a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quotation (RFQ). No solicitation is being issued at this time, and this notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. In accordance with FARS Part 52.204-7, contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) to be eligible for award. Register at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/ SAM/#1. Any future information on this acquisition (statement of work, specifications, solicitation, etc.) will be posted on www.fbo.gov. It is the responsibility of the prospective offeror to review this site regularly for updates and/or changes. For information on Small Business Administration programs, please contact the USAFA Director of Small Business, Bill Wolski at 719-333-4561. Pursuant to AFFARS Part 5301.9102(c), Mr. James Anderson is appointed as the USAFA Ombudsman. The USAFA Ombudsman contact information is: 10 CONS/CD (Mr. James Anderson), 8110 Industrial Drive, Suite 103, USAF Academy, CO 80840. Telephone Number: 719-333-2074, FAX: 719-333-9018. Email Address: James.Anderson.72@us.af.mil.