National Children's Study (NCS) Navigator - Notice of Intent

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT, NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. A SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED AND PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE REQUESTED. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) serves as the lead agency for the National Children's Study (NCS or Study), a longitudinal cohort study that will examine the effects of environmental influences on the health and development of approximately 100,000 children. Additional information about the Study is available on the Study's website www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov The NICHD intends to negotiate and award, on a sole source basis, a contract to Northwestern University for a period of 1 year. The purpose of this is to continue the implementation, configuration, training, support, data migration, quality assurance and data submission services for the NCS Navigator, an Information Management System (IMS) currently deployed at multiple NCS Vanguard Locations. The contract will be awarded under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c) (1), FAR Subpart 6.302-1(a)(2), Only One Responsible Source and HHSAR 306.302-1(a)(2)(iv). The Northwestern University is currently providing the NCS Navigator IMS and related services to ten NCS Vanguard locations with capacity to accommodate additional locations as needed. The award of a new, one year contract will allow the NCS to continue its evaluation of the feasibility, acceptability and cost of the NCS Navigator. The IMS will continue to adhere to the informatics principles of the NCS including: modular, interoperable, non-proprietary architecture, and inclusive of international data acquisition and transmission standards. Due to the required continuity of operations to ensure human subjects protections, quality data submissions, compliance with NCS study visit schedules, and inherent duplication of costs, the Government has determined that competition of this IMS and related services is not feasible. This notice of intent is not a request for proposal. However, if any responsible source believes it can perform the above requirements, it may submit three (3) copies of its capability statement for consideration by the NICHD to Usha Raman, Contract Specialist, NICHD Office of Acquisitions, Contract Management Branch, 6100 Executive Blvd., Bethesda, MD 20892-7510. Phone number: 301-443-5228; email: ramanu2@mail.nih.gov. All responses must be received in writing by Thursday, June 7 by 4 PM EST and must contain material in sufficient detail to allow the NICHD Contracting Office and the NCS Program Office to make a determination that the party can or cannot perform this requirement. The capability statement will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.