Reference Clinical laboratory testing and assay services for the (HANDLS) study.

Amendment 1 dated 6/7/2024 attached. Title: Clinical laboratory testing and assay services for the (HANDLS) study. (i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. (ii) The solicitation number is 75N95024Q00194 and the solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). This acquisition is for a commercial service and is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13'Simplified Acquisition Procedures; FAR Subpart 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Products and Commercial Services; and FAR Part 12'Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services and is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. (iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) Number 2024-05, with effective date May 22, 2024. (iv) The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541380 - Testing Laboratories and the Small Business Size Standard of $16.5 million. This requirement is full and open with no set-aside restrictions. (v) This requirement is for the following service: The National Institute on Aging (NIA), requires reference clinical laboratory testing and assay services for the Baltimore Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study. (vi) Project Requirement: (see SOW and Other Requirements attached). Statement of Work: Clinical laboratory testing and assay services for the (HANDLS) study dated May - 2024, 7 pages. Attachment 1 HANDLS Lab Panel: dated May - 2024, 1 page. Attachment 1A (vii) The Government anticipates awarding a firm fixed-price purchase order for this acquisition. The period of performance will include a base period of one year (July 24, 2024 - July 23, 2025) and four (4) consecutive 12 months option periods. Place of Performance: See SOW Inspection and acceptance will be performed at: 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore. Maryland 21224 - United States (viii) The provision at FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at these addresses: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html (End of provision) The following FAR provisions apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference: FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Oct 2018) FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020) FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors- Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Sept 2023). FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (May 2024). FAR 52.217-5, Evaluation of Options (July 1990). The clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at these addresses: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html (End of clause) The following clauses apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference: FAR 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018) FAR 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020) FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2023). FAR 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (Mar 2023). HHSAR 352.222-70, Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (Dec 2015) The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are attached in full text. Offerors MUST complete the provisions at 52.204-24, 52.204-26, and 52.222-52 submit completed copies as separate documents with their proposal. FAR 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021). Attachment 2 FAR 52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services - Representation (Oct 2020) - if not included in the current www.sam.gov registration. Attachment 3 FAR 52.222-52 Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Certain Services-Certification (May 2014) - if not included in the current www.sam.gov registration. Attachment 4 FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Products and Commercial Services (May 2024). Attachment 5 The following invoice instruction is included and will be incorporated in the final award: NIH Invoicing Instructions with IPP (Mar 2023). Attachment 6 Additional terms and conditions apply to this requirement: Additional Terms and Conditions (FAR/HHSAR and NIH policy). Attachment 7 (ix) The Government will evaluate quotations or offers in accordance with FAR 13.106-2 and award a purchase order from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose quote conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotes: (a) technical capability; (b) price, and (c) past performance [see FAR 13.106-2(b)(3)]. Technical capability and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price. Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). This includes the potential six (6) month extension in accordance with FAR 52.217-8. A written notice of award of or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. (x) Offerors must include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Products and Commercial Services (May 2024), with its offer. If the offeror has completed FAR clause 52.212-3 at www.sam.gov, then the offeror does not need to provide a completed copy with its offer. (xi) Additional requirements are applicable to this acquisition. Attachment 7 (xii) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement. (xiii) Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror's capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the technical evaluation criteria. The price proposal must include the labor categories, an estimate of the number of hours required for each labor category, fully loaded fixed hourly rate or each labor category, breakdown and rationale for other direct costs or materials, and the total amount. In accordance with FAR 19.704 and FAR Clause 52.219-9, the submission of a subcontracting plan by other than small business offeror(s) is a requirement as a part of the proposal submission process and is to be submitted separately from the technical and cost proposals. An offeror's subcontracting plan must be determined to be acceptable by the Contracting Officer, prior to the contract award. Offerors are required to submit a subcontracting plan electronically using the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Small Business Customer Experience (SBCX) system via the link below: https://osdbu.hhs.gov/subcontracting/3f96fcbc-82e8-4692-a433-a91fa032c170 The official point of receipt for determining timely submission of an offeror's subcontracting plan is the SBCX system and/or email notification. Once the subcontracting plan is successfully submitted in the SBCX system the offeror should receive an email notification and confirmation message of completion upon submission. If an offeror's subcontracting plan is not confirmed as received within the SBCX system by the proposal submission date specified in the solicitation, it will be considered late in accordance with subparagraph (c)(3) of FAR Clause 52.215-1, Instructions to Offeror-Competition Acquisition. Disposition of late submittals of a subcontracting plan by an offeror via the SBCX system is at the discretion of the Contracting Officer. See attached document - SBCX Industry Subcontracting Guide for additional information. Attachment 8 The Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov, the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. All quotations must be received by 5:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time on June 18, 2024 (revised), and reference Solicitation Number 75N95024Q00194. Responses must be submitted electronically to Iris Merscher, Contract Specialist, at contact@example.gov.