The National Institutes of Health is conducting a market survey to ascertain the availability of small businesses, including HUBZONE Small Businesses; Service-Disabled, Veteran Owned Small Businesses; 8(a) Small Businesses; Woman Owned Small Businesses; or Small Disadvantaged Businesses with the capability of providing radioactive material package receipt processing functions, package delivery, transfers of material, and annual inventory. THIS NOTICE IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts or quotations. This is a request for small businesses with the capability of providing the required services to submit a capability statement delineating their experience, expertise, and qualifications for the purpose of determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. The intended procurement will be classified under NAICS 561990 with a size standard of $7 million. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code of 561990 should not submit a response to this notice. The NIH intends to solicit contractual support for on-site management, personnel, materials, and vehicles necessary for the receipt, examination, certification, inventory, and delivery to various locations at NIH of radioactive material shipments. Approximately 15 to 70 radioactive material packages are received, inspected, processed and delivered at the NIH Bethesda Campus daily (about 7,500 packages per year). These packages typically contain radionuclides in microcurie or millicuries quantities. Most of the shipments involve only 7 radionuclides, H-3, C-14, P-32, S-35, CR-51, I-125, and I-131. However, the NIH may receive a wide range of radionuclides as specified in its license with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The contractor shall be responsible for receipt processing functions, package delivery, transfers of material, and annual inventory. Package opening and processing functions involve (1) certification that the package contents comply with the order, (2) examination for gross damage or leakage, (3) verification of radioactivity contamination and measurement of dose rates from the package, (4) recording of results, and (5) repackaging for delivery. Radioactive material packages shall be delivered to the research laboratories at the NIH Bethesda campus as well as satellite facilities in the Rockville, Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Poolesville, Frederick and Baltimore, Md areas. Transfers of material between NIH laboratories are performed on an as-needed basis when researchers relocate from one laboratory to another; the number of transfers is estimated at 12 times a year. Firms responding to this market survey should keep in mind that only focused and pertinent information is requested. Responses must reference Sources Sought Number HHS-NIH-OD-OLAO-SBSS-10-0001 and include the following: (1) Name and Address of the Organization, (2) Size and type of business: Small Business; HUBZone Small Business; Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business; 8(a) Small Business; Veteran-Owned Small Business; Woman-Owned Small Business; or Small Disadvantaged Business, (3) Point of contact with name, title, phone, fax and email, (4) DUNS number, (5) Contractor's capability statement delineating the firm's ability, knowledge, experience and personnel to perform the service described. The Government must be able to ascertain from capability statements submitted in response to this sources sought notice the firm's understanding and experience of all applicable NRC and U.S. Dept of Transportation regulations for radioactive material processing, inventory, delivery and transfers. (6) List of three organizations to which similar types of services have been previously provided within the last three years; to include contract number, dollar value, name and telephone number of the customer. ALL INFORMATION SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE. THE CLOSING DATE FOR RESPONSES IS DUE within 15 days of release of posting at 3PM Eastern Time. Three (3) copies of the capability statement must be sent to: Erin Flynn (Ref. HHS-NIH-OD-OLAO-SBSS-10-0001), National Institutes of Health, Office of Acquisitions, 6011 Executive Blvd., Room 541B, (MSC 7663) Bethesda, MD 20892-7663. (NOTE: If you are using a courier service, Federal Express, UPS, or Express Mail, the city, state, and zip code should read ROCKVILLE, MD 20852). Facsimile and emailed capability statements will not be accepted. All questions and/or comments regarding this sources sought notice must be in writing and may be emailed to Erin Flynn at flynne1@od.nih.gov. Comments and questions will NOT be answered, but may assist in creating a solicitation for this requirement. 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).
