This Sources Sought Notice is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to identify businesses that are interested in and capable of performing the work described herein. The NCI does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses received nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. This requirement is assigned North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 325413 with a size standard of 1,250. The Laboratory of Pathology / Center for Cancer Research (CCR) / NCI has a need to provide immunohistochemical assays on formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue sections from patients enrolled on clinical trials in the NCI and other Institutes. Immunohistochemistry is a widespread and accepted technique used in nearly every diagnostic pathology laboratory and in research laboratories throughout the world. These assays have become an essential part of cancer diagnosis and treatment, and have an equally important role in the diagnosis of many infectious diseases. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL: a. Provide a discounted price for the reagents and consumables required in the use of the Ventana Ultra automated stainers b. Provide access to the latest reagents, consumables, optimized protocols, instrument improvement and/or new or updated instrument software c. Be responsible for shipping all eligible reagents, kits and supplies with expiration dates greater than 6 months beyond each shipping date d. The contractor warrants that all reagents delivered shall perform to industry specifications and any defective reagents shall be replaced at no cost to the Government. The contractor shall provide access to scientists and engineers for consultation on procedures and instrumentation. Contractor shall repair or replace free of charge any non-consumable part which fails during the term of this contract, with the exception of equipment damaged by accident, abuse, misuse or misapplication. This includes annual preventative maintenance of each of the four stainers. e. Ship all reagents overnight on dry ice, wet ice or conditions according to the standard commercial shipping practices for each product. CONTRACT TYPE The anticipated award shall be an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with firm fixed priced task orders. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The period of performance for this contract includes a 12-month base period and four 12-month option periods. The anticipated period of performance shall be 12 months from the date of award. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Reagents and consumables shall be delivered the address on the delivery/task order. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT None OTHER UNIQUE REQUIREMENTS OR CONSIDERATIONS None DELIVERY AND ACCEPTANCE Time of Delivery: Unless a delivery/task order specifies a different delivery time, the Contractor shall deliver reagents within five (5) days or after receipt of each delivery/task order. 1. Satisfactory performance of this contract shall be deemed to occur upon the Contractor's delivery and acceptance by the NCI Contracting Officer, or the duly authorized representative. The NCI Contracting Officer or the duly authorized representative will perform an inspection and acceptance of materials and services provided. Inspection and acceptance shall be performed at the address of the duly authorized representative. Acceptance may be presumed unless otherwise indicated in writing by the NCI Contracting Officer or duly authorized representative within 30 days of delivery. 2. The Contractor shall make required deliveries f.o.b. destination with the consignee's premised address as it is provided by the NCI Purchasing Agent. 3. Unless otherwise specified, deliveries shall be made to the delivery point provided by the Purchasing Agent, Mondays through Fridays (excluding Federal holidays) between the hours of 8:30 a.m. EST and 3:30 p.m. EST only. The product(s) shall be delivered to the address stated on the delivery/task order: Complete building and room details shall be provided on the delivery/task orders when placed against the contract. How to Submit a Response: 1. Page Limitations: Interested qualified businesses/organizations should submit a tailored capability statement for this requirement not to exceed 10 single sided pages including all attachments, resumes, charts, etc. (single spaced, 12 point font minimum) that clearly details the ability to perform the requirements of the notice described above. All proprietary information should be marked as such. 2. Due Date: Capability statements are due no later than February 22, 2017 by 4:00 pm Eastern Time 3. Delivery Point: All information furnished must be in writing and must contain sufficient detail to allow the NCI to determine if it can meet the unique specifications described herein. All questions must be in writing and emailed to
contact@example.gov. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. In order to receive an award, contractors must have valid registration and certification in the System for Award Management (SAM) through www.sam.gov. No collect calls will be accepted. Please reference number N02PCSS213-17 on all correspondence. 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 RFQ may be published in Fed Biz Opps. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation(s). Point of Contact: Inquiries concerning this Notice may be direct to: Jolomi Omatete at
contact@example.gov. 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.
