Rapidly autopsied postmortem human brain and blood specimens from sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Autosomal Dominant AD, and Controls

The contract solicitation PCA-NIA-05858 seeks the sole-source procurement of rapidly autopsied postmortem human brain and blood specimens from individuals diagnosed with sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitively normal controls. All specimens must be collected with a postmortem interval of no more than three hours and undergo minimal and uniform fixation to preserve tissue integrity for advanced research applications. The deliverables must include matched pairs of both formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and frozen tissues from the same donor cohort, with sufficient quantities of each disease category and control group to support high-resolution, reproducible experimental procedures such as multiplex immunohistochemical staining, chemical stripping, and repeated re-staining. The only qualified provider capable of meeting these stringent technical specifications is Banner Health, justifying the use of a sole-source acquisition under FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i). The estimated contract value is capped at $350,000 under the simplified acquisition threshold, with no line-item pricing details provided. All specimens are to be delivered to the NIH facility in Baltimore, Maryland, with the contracting office located in Bethesda, Maryland. Respondents must be registered in SAM, possess a valid Unique Entity ID and Taxpayer Identification Number, and certify their business size under NAICS code 325414, with a size standard of 1,250 employees. No socioeconomic certifications or affirmative representations are required beyond these mandatory submissions. Proposals must be submitted electronically by June 14, 2026, to the designated NIH contracting personnel via email, and must include a technical proposal describing compliance with specimen collection and processing requirements, alongside a cost-price proposal. There are no page limits, and fax or hard-copy submissions are not accepted. Although detailed packaging, labeling, or shipping standards are unspecified, the nature of the specimens implies the necessity of cryogenic preservation and robust transport controls to maintain tissue viability within the strict three-hour window. The National Institute on Aging’s Laboratory of Clinical Investigation governs the quality benchmarks, and acceptance is based solely on fulfillment of mandatory technical criteria—not price competition or trade-off evaluation. No formal inspection clauses or FAR-mandated clauses are listed, and the contract is expected to operate under a fixed-price arrangement typical for simplified acquisitions.