Surface Plasmon Resonance Instrument

INTRODUCTION AND AUTHORITY This is a combined synopsis/solicitation (CSS) for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, "Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items," as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested, and a written solicitation document will not be issued. The Government intends to issue a firm fixed price purchase order using simplified acquisition procedures under the authority of FAR subpart 13.5, "Test Program for Certain Commercial Items." This solicitation is a request for quotations (RFQ). The solicitation number is HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-CSS-15-652. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-83, dated August 3, 2015. The resultant purchase order will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through this date. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, Office of Station Support and Simplified Acquisitions, on behalf of the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) is seeking to purchase a sensitive, accurate and easy-to-use SPR (surface plasmon resonance) instrument. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE and SET-ASIDE STATUS The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334516, with a small business size standard of 500 employees. This acquisition is 100% set aside for small businesses and is NOT available for full and open competition. Only small businesses with the NAICS code listed above are invited to submit a quotation. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT The NCGC (NCATS Chemical Genomics Center) is tasked with identifying and developing novel small molecule leads against a wide spectrum of human disease targets, which it accomplishes by screening thousands of small molecules in collaboration with both intra-and extramural researchers. In pursuit of this goal, the Center has a strong internal team of scientists who continually discover novel small molecules for application against a wide range of human diseases - a crucial capability for these sorts of studies is a sensitive, accurate and easy-to-use SPR (surface plasmon resonance) instrument to allow both internal biologists and chemists to detect and measure the binding affinity of NCGC-developed small molecule leads to their respective targets. An SPR instrument allows users to measure small molecule:protein binding affinities with considerable sensitivity, enabling NCGC medicinal chemistry campaigns to be partly driven by dissociation rates. This is a capability our center has lacked since its inception, but recent studies in the drug discovery field have shown that Koff compound dissociation rates are perhaps the single-most important characteristic to optimize during med chem campaigns, as they drive duration of inhibition and selectivity, and can even compensate for poor bioavailability. As such, an SPR instruments represents a key tool for our drug discovery teams across the institute, and it will see extremely high use in our laboratory because of this. All interested companies shall provide quotations for the following: 1 Surface Plasmon Resonance Instrument, Quantity 1 2 Warranty 3 On-site Installation 4 On-site Training Specifically, the SPR instrument must meet the following requirements: - Measure small molecule:protein binding affinities using the well-characterized and critically-accepted techniques of traditional Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) or enhanced Surface Plasmon Resonance (ESPR) - Measure small molecule:protein binding affinities (with a particular emphasis on off-rates) with considerable sensitivity. - Possess a multiplexed injector/flow cell design to enable high-throughput experiments. - Contain an automated fluidic system to allow for fast kinetic measurements. - Have multiple surface chemistry capability to ensure compatibility with a wide variety of protein targets. - Allow for flexible detection of protein-small molecule interactions, protein-protein kinetics, antibody affinities & epitope mapping, oligosaccharide characterization, nucleic acid (DNA-DNA or DNA-RNA) hybridization, and biomolecule concentration measurements. - Include a user-friendly and walk-up capable software package for instrument operation and data analysis; preferred software design would utilize a drag-and-drop structured UI to enable widespread use and ease training requirements and difficulty of use In addition, the NCGC requires the successful offeror to: - Provide warranty coverage - Provide on-site installation of instrument - Provide 2 days of on-site training for an initial user group of 10-20 individuals, with a goal of having all trained individuals capable of operating the basic functions of the SPR instrument - Provide focused and personalized remote support for protocol design, instrument operation and problem troubleshooting, with the capability of remote desktop control and assistance DELIVERY AND PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE Delivery shall be provided no later than 30 days after award of the purchase order. Equipment shall be delivered for inspection and acceptance to: 9800 Medical Center Drive, Room 2050 Rockville, Maryland 20850 All deliverables required under this contract shall be packaged, marked and shipped in accordance with Government specifications. At a minimum, all deliverables shall be marked with the contract number and Contractor name. The Contractor shall guarantee that all required materials shall be delivered in immediate usable and acceptable condition. Training sessions shall be arranged at a mutually agreed time between vendor and NCGC within 3 months of instrument delivery. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Address: 9800 Medical Center Dr. Room 2050 Rockville, MD Postal Code: 20850 Country: UNITED STATES APPLICABLE CLAUSES AND PROVISIONS The full text of FAR provisions or clauses may be accessed electronically at https://www.acquisition.gov/?q=browsefar The following contract clauses apply to this acquisition: 1. FAR 52.212-4, "Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items" (May 2015) 2. FAR 52.212-5, "Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders" (May 2015) The following subparagraphs of FAR 52.212-5 are applicable: (b) The Contractor shall comply with the FAR clauses in this paragraph (b) that the Contracting Officer has indicated as being incorporated in this contract by reference to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial items: (4) 52.204-10, Reporting Executive compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Jul 2013)(Pub. L. 109-282)(31 U.S.C. 6101 note). (8) 52.209-6, Protecting the Government's Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment (Aug 2013)(31 U.S.C. 6101 note). (14)(i) 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Aside (Nov 2011)(15 U.S.C. 644). (22) 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (Jul 2013)(15 U.S.C. 632(a)(2)). (25) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (June 2003)(E.O. 11755). (26) 52.222-19, Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Jan 2014)(E.O. 13126). (27) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Apr 2015). (28) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Apr 2015)(E.O. 11246). (29) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (Jul 2014)(38 U.S.C. 4212). (30) 52.222-36, Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (Jul 2014)(29 U.S.C. 793). (31) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (Jul 2014)(38 U.S.C. 4212). (33)(i) 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (Mar 2015)(22 U.S.C. chapter 78 and E.O. 13627). (40) 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging while Driving (Aug 2011)(E.O. 13513). (42)(i) 52.225-3, Buy American--Free Trade Agreements--Israeli Trade Act (May 2014)(41 U.S.C. chapter 83, 19 U.S.C. 3301 note, 19 U.S.C. 2112 note, 19 U.S.C. 3805 note, 19 U.S.C. 4001 note, Pub. L. 103-182, 108-77, 108-78, 108-286, 108-302, 109-53, 109-169, 109-283, 110-138, 112-41, 112-42, and 112-43). (44) 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (Jun 2008)(E.O.'s, proclamations, and statutes administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury). (50) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-System for Award Management (Jul 2013)(31 U.S.C. 3332). ---------- The following solicitation provisions apply to this acquisition: 1. FAR 52.212-1, "Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items" (April 2014) 2. FAR 52.212-2, "Evaluation of Commercial Items" (October 2014) (a) The Government will award a purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. In addition to price, the following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: Factor 1: Technical Capability (75%) The Offeror shall detail in its technical proposal how it meets each of the project requirements. This shall include the specifications of the offered equipment. Factor 2: Quality Assurance (15%) The Offeror shall detail in its technical proposal how it shall meet the delivery, installation, training, and ongoing support requirements described in the solicitation. Factor 3: Past Performance (10%) Offerors shall identify one (1) contract completed in the past five years and a list of all contracts currently underway that are similar in size and scope to the requirements outlined in the "DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT." Contracts listed may include those entered into by the Federal Government, agencies of state and local governments, non-profit entities, and commercial concerns. Offerors that are newly formed entities without prior contracts should list contracts and subcontracts for key personnel. Include the following information for each contract identified: - Name of contracting organization - Contract number - Contract type - Total contract value - Narrative of specific responsibilities of the offeror as they relate to this RFQ Offerors that are newly formed entities without prior contracts should list contracts and subcontracts as required above for all key personnel. The offeror shall submit comparable information on any subcontractor that the offeror proposes to perform a major subcontract under this effort. The Government will consider the currency and relevance of the information, source of the information, context of the data, and general trends in contractor's performance. The lack of a relevant performance record may result in an unknown performance risk assessment, which will neither be used to the advantage nor disadvantage of the offeror. The major evaluation factors for this solicitation, listed in order of importance, include technical (which encompasses experience and past performance) and price factors. All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. (b) 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). (c) A written notice of award 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. 3. FAR 52.212-3, "Offerors Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items" (March 2015), attached at Appendix A. REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION Any questions or concerns regarding this solicitation should be forwarded in writing via e-mail to the contract specialist, Matthew Antonini, at Matthew.Antonini@nih.gov by or before 12:00 p.m. EST on 8/20/2015. Late questions will not be accepted. Questions will be anonymized and answered, with the answers being posted to this solicitation notice by amendment. QUOTATION SUBMISSION Quotes are due on 8/28/2015, no later than 5:00 p.m. EST. All responses must be submitted via email to Matthew.Antonini@nih.gov and reference solicitation number HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-CSS-15-652. Late submissions shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(f). Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror's capability of fulfilling the requirement. The offeror must submit a technical response and a separate price quotation. The technical response should be prepared in reference to the evaluation criteria identified in this solicitation and shall not exceed 10 single-sided pages. The price quotation must include pricing for each numbered line item listed under "DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT." Responses to this solicitation must include sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities of providing the product or service. The price quote shall include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, delivery days after contract award, delivery terms, prompt payment discount terms, F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), product or catalog number(s); product description; and any other information or factors that may be considered in the award decision. Offerors must provide their Company Name, Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), Business Size, Physical Address, and Point of Contact Information in their responses. The information should match an active registration profile in the System for Award Management (SAM) https://www.sam.gov.