Title: Electronic Lab Notebook Software Workflow Integration

SOLE SOURCE – NOTICE OF INTENT

Title: Electronic Lab Notebook Software Workflow Integration

Solicitation/Reference Number: 26-000455

Posted Date: 7/17/26

Response Date: 7/27/26

PSC Code: DA01 IT and Telecom – Development Support Services

NAICS Code: 541519 - Other Computer Related Services

1.0 DESCRIPTION

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Mission Acquisition Solutions (OMAS) on behalf of National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Division of Intramural Research Programs (DIRP), Data Science and Sharing Team (DSST), intends to procure on a sole source basis, specialized services to extend the DSST-developed LabAPI and ArchiveFlow open-source software stack into a production-ready web application. The application will connect Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) records to downstream scientific data pipelines, including Neurodata Without Borders (NWB) data packaging, DANDI Archive uploads, and structured directory management for NIMH investigators.

OpenTeams:

8656 W Highway 71 Bldg F200

Austin, Texas

78735-8373

This acquisition will be processed under FAR Part 12 – Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services and will be made pursuant to the authority at 41 U.S.C. 1901, utilizing simplified procedures in accordance with RFO 12.201-1. Competition is being restricted in accordance with RFO FAR 12.102(a), based on the Contracting Officer’s determination that only one source is available to meet the Government’s requirements. The North American Industry Classification System code is 541519 and the business size standard is $34 Million.

The following is the requirement for the solicitation number: 26-000455

Professional IT services will be utilized by DSST to:

• Design and implement a production-quality browser-based front end for ArchiveFlow that replaces the existing Streamlit and R Shiny prototypes.
• Provide professional UX/UI design for the resulting application covering authentication into a configured ELN, project and notebook browsing, experiment-record parsing and curation, directory monitoring, status tracking through preprocessing/analysis, NWB packaging, and DANDI upload.
• Generalize the data-schema layer beyond the Tejeda-lab fiber-photometry case to additional NIMH microscopy/imaging modalities specified by DSST during the period of performance. Schemas shall remain Pydantic-validated and round-trip cleanly with the ELN backends.
• Treat labapi and elabftw-app as interchangeable ELN backends behind a single pluggable interface so that the front end can target either LabArchives or eLabFTW without per-deployment forks.
• Provide unit and integration tests sufficient to support continued maintenance by DSST staff after the period of performance and ship a deployment recipe (containerized or equivalent) compatible with NIH IRP infrastructure.

2.0 UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE CONTRACTOR

NIMH requires specialized contractor support capable of providing senior-level software engineering for production Python web applications, professional UX/UI design tailored to scientific software users, and demonstrated expertise in the open-source scientific Python ecosystem supporting the application. This expertise includes integration with Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELNs), the Neurodata Without Borders (NWB) data standard, and DANDI Archive APIs.

OpenTeams demonstrated the unique combination of senior software engineering expertise, integrated UX/UI design capabilities, and experience within the open-source scientific Python ecosystem necessary to perform the complete scope of work under a single engagement. OpenTeams also provides the required technical capabilities through vetted, open-source-aligned technologies and trusted partners without the need for multiple contractors or additional integration efforts.

This acquisition is necessary to ensure continuity of critical services and to maintain compliance with the June 2024 NARA/OMB Federal-wide Transition to Electronic Records mandate. Delaying or postponing this effort could adversely impact program schedules, increase the risk of noncompliance with federal records management requirements, and potentially defer critical work into FY27.

3.0 RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

This notice is not a request for competitive quotations. However, all responsible sources may submit a capability statement, which will be considered by the agency. The response and any other information furnished must be in writing and must contain material in sufficient detail to allow the Office of Mission Acquisition Solutions (OMAS) to determine if the party can perform the requirement. All responses must be sent via email to Contracting Officer, Christopher Shih, at christopher.shih@hhs.gov and Contract Specialist, Tasha Lowe, at tasha.lowe@hhs.gov by no later than 6:00 pm EST on Monday, July 27, 2026. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed 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 be registered and have valid certification through SAM.gov. Reference solicitation number: 26-000455 on all correspondence.