Patient Meals for Clinical Research Participants

INTRODUCTION This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation, request for proposals (RFP), proposal abstracts, nor a request for quotations (RFQ). The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources that includes; (1) other than small businesses (large businesses, education institutions, non-profits, etc.); (2) small business sources; (3) HubZone small businesses; (4) service-disabled small businesses; (5) veteran-owned small businesses; (6) 8(a) small businesses; (7) veteran-owned small businesses; (8) woman-owned small businesses; (9) small disadvantaged businesses; and (10) private contractors and consultants, who can perform the requirements of the size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code as specified below. 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. The notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. The information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a small business social-economic set-aside, competitive or non-competitive method is possible, and to determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government's requirement. ALL organizations with the capability and availability to perform the requirement under the applicable NAICS code are invited to submit a response to this notice. NORTH AMERICAN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE The NAICS code applicable to this requirement is 722310 - Food Service Contractors and the associated small business size standard of $35.5 Million. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The purpose of this requirement is providing patient meals for the overnight participants of the National Institute of Aging (NIA) Clinical Unit in Baltimore, Maryland. . Background Information: The National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. The Intramural Research Program (IRP) of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) provides a stimulating setting for a comprehensive effort to understand aging through multidisciplinary investigator-initiated research, in this regard. One of the IRP's program activities includes the Clinical Research Core (CRC) part of the NIA Clinical Unit within the Office of the Scientific Director. The CRC seeks to elucidate normative values and separate normal aging findings from disease states. The CRC's goal is to prolong disease-free states with age. The CRC serves as an infrastructure to facilitate the creation and development of therapeutic targets for the treatment of age-related disease across the Intramural Research Program. The CRC performs research in various protocol studies that have direct clinical applications to aging and disease states. Participants in the various protocols may spend one or more days in the Clinical Unit and are provided with patient meals. The successful contractor shall be required to furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities not otherwise provided by the Government to provide NIA Clinical Research participants with fresh, temperature appropriate meals, three (3) meals per day, seven (7) days per week. Specifically, meals will be provided to participants either at an on-site cafeteria, in which participants may get meals themselves, or provided and delivered to the patient in their room at the on-site NIA Clinical Unit located at Harbor Hospital, 3001 S. Hanover Street, Fifth Floor, Baltimore, Maryland. For meals provided in the on-site cafeteria, meal vouchers valued up to $10.00 per meal will be provided to the patient. All meals will be prepared in the incumbent's productions kitchen. For meals transported to the NIA Clinical Unit, NIA's research staff will take possession of the trays and pass the meal trays to the participants upon delivery by the contractor. All transported items must be transported in appropriate containers. While meals are in the contractor's sole possession the contractor will implement temperature controls to meet regulatory compliance. The contractor will be responsible for removing trays and equipment from the NIA Clinical Unit and cleaning all transported items after meals have been consumed. Also required are special study meals which require the calculation and delivery of specific amounts of calories, fat, protein, or carbohydrates. Floor stocks, nourishments and commercial nutritional supplements may be required. Dietetic and related nutrition consulting services may be required to assist the research staff in developing the nutritional component of their research protocols. Meals for special functions or catering may be required. The contractor is responsible for any charges incurred in the delivery of meals to the Harbor Hospital (i.e., loading dock fees, etc.) CAPABILITY STATEMENT /INFORMATION SOUGHT Interested parties are expected to review this notice to familiarize itself with the requirements of this project. Failure to do so will be at your firm's own risk. Respondents must provide, as part of their responses, clear and convincing documentation of their capability of providing the services specified in this notice Respondents must provide a general overview of the respondents' opinions about the difficulty and /or feasibility of the potential requirement, and any information regarding innovative ideas or concepts. The Respondent must also provide information in sufficient details of the respondents' (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. The respondent must also provide their 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. All responses to this sources sought notice must be submitted electronically (via email) to Debra Hawkins, Lead Contract Specialist at debra.hawkins@nih.gov on or before March 17, 2014, 12:00 noon eastern time. Facsimile responses will be accepted at 301-480-1358. The response must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2" x 11" paper size, with 1" top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing. CONCLUDING STATEMENTS 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 pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses 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).