Plexon OmniPlex D Multi-Unit Recording System

NOTICE OF INTENT to Sole Source 1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-NOI-2017-690 2. TITLE: Plexon OmniPlex D Multi-Unit Recording System 3. CLASSIFICATION CODE: 66 -- Instruments & laboratory equipment 4. NAICS CODE: 541990 - All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 5. RESPONSE DATE: September 5, 2017 at 10:00 AM EST 6. PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT: Zenab Chowdhry zenab.chowdhry@nih.gov Phone: 301-827-6909 7. DESCRIPTION: INTRODUCTION THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A CONTRACT WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME). The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Station Support and Simplified Acquisitions (SSSA) Branch intends to solicit by a request for quotation from Plexon (SB) 6500 Greenville Avenue, Suite 730 Dallas, TX 75206 USA Phone: +1-214-369-4957 The purpose of this purchase order will be to provide the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) with an OmniPlex D multi-unit recording system from Plexon, to perform in vivo characterization of single neuron activity in the midline thalamus of freely behaving mice. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE and SET ASIDE STATUS The NAICS code applicable to this requirement is 541990 - All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services - and the associated business size standard of $15,000,000.00 This acquisition is NOT set aside for small businesses. This requirement is anticipated to be a firm fixed price purchase order. REGULATORY AUTHORITY This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6-Competition Requirements. FAR Subpart 13.106-1 (b) Soliciting from a single source provides that: For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, Contracting officers may solicit from one source IF the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name OR industrial mobilization). The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-85 dated February 26, 2016. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: To assist in ongoing research, the Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory (UNAM) seeks to purchase an OmniPlex D multi-unit recording system from Plexon, to perform in vivo characterization of single neuron activity in the midline thalamus of freely behaving mice. Research in our unit recently identified the cellular mechanisms underlying the role of the midline thalamus in stress modulation. Using imaging methods, we discovered that the activity of midline thalamic neuron increases during stress. However, thalamic neurons in general display two modes of action potential firing that depend on distinct cellular mechanisms. It is thought that these firing modes relay different types of information to cortical - and in the case of the midline thalamus, limbic structures. We seek to address this issue by directly assessing the spiking activity of midline thalamic neurons during stress and stress related behaviors. In addition, the spike resolution obtained from in vivo electrophysiological experiments with the OmniPlex D, will allow us to focus on other aspects of information processing in the midline thalamus in the context of stress that are currently not possible to obtain with the imaging methods available in our lab. CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME) DETERMINATION The determination by the Government to award a contract without providing for full and open competition is based upon the market research conducted. Specifically, Plexon is the only vendor in the marketplace that can provide the products required by NIMH. The essential characteristics of the Omniplex D System from Plexon Inc. that limit the availability to a sole source are that this is the only available commercial offering that can be found and meets the technical requirements. Additionally, it is the only system that can match current data files obtained from ongoing collaboration with Dr. Alexxai Kravitz, of NIDDK who has trained Dr. Penzo and staff on his Plexon Omniplex D. These files have been generated in the PLX format unique to Plexon. Future comparison of striatal data obtained from Dr. Kravitz's lab and midline thalamus data from Dr. Penzo's lab would no longer be possible and hinder the NIMH mission if we did not continue with Plexon equipment. Only this source can furnish the requirements, to the exclusion of other sources, because as market research has shown Plexon is the only commercially available system meeting set specified standards. In accordance with FAR Part 10, extensive market research was conducted to reach this determination. Specifically, a sources sought notice was posted to FedBizOpps referencing the above detailed requirements and no responses were received. Additionally, contacts with knowledgeable individuals both in industry and Government, as well as reviews of available product literature, revealed no other sources. Finally, a review of the GSA Advantage, Dynamic Small Business Search, and previous government acquisitions returned no results that meet all of the requirements. Therefore, only Magventure is capable of meeting the needs of this requirement. The intended source is: Plexon (SB) 6500 Greenville Avenue, Suite 730 Dallas, TX 75206 USA Phone: +1-214-369-4957 CLOSING STATEMENT THIS SYNOPSIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. All responses must be received by the closing date and time of this announcement and must reference the solicitation number, HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-NOI-17-690. Responses must be submitted electronically to Zenab Chowdhry, Contract Specialist, at zenab.chowdhry@nih.gov. U.S. Mail and Fax responses will not be accepted.