User Friendly Portable in vivo Electrophysiology hardware/software System

NOTICE OF INTENT to Sole Source 1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-NOI-17-685 2. TITLE: User Friendly Portable in vivo Electrophysiology hardware/software System 3. CLASSIFICATION CODE: 66 -- Instruments & laboratory equipment 4. NAICS CODE: 334510 - Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing 5. RESPONSE DATE: September 01, 2017 at 11:00 am EST. 6. PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT: Zenab Chowdhry Zenab.chowdhry@nih.gov 301-827-6909 7. DESCRIPTION: INTRODUCTION THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A CONTRACT WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME). The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Station Support and Simplified Acquisitions (SSSA) Branch intends to solicit by a request for quotation from Neuro Nexus Technologies Inc. (Small Business) 655 Fairfield Ct. Ste 100 Ann Arbor, MI 48108-2287 United States for award on or around September 6, 2016. The purpose of this purchase order will be to provide the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) with a user friendly portable in vivo electrophysiology unit (both software/hardware) for use by researchers. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE and SET ASIDE STATUS The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 334510 - Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing. This acquisition is NOT set aside for small businesses. REGULATORY AUTHORITY This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6-Competition Requirements. FAR Subpart 13.106-1 (b) Soliciting from a single source provides that: For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, Contracting officers may solicit from one source IF the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name OR industrial mobilization). The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-85 dated February 26, 2016. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: The Rodent Behavioral Core (RBC) is new state-of-the-art research facility designed to provide NIH researchers the capacity to expand their behavioral research. As part of its service to the NIH community, the RBC must provide specialized equipment and software for shared use to a broad spectrum of researchers from varied Neuroscience fields. Electrophysiological methods are commonly used in behavioral neuroscience as a means of measuring electrical activity of neurons. This method becomes especially powerful when applied to freely moving animals, where patterns of neural activation provide unparalleled insight into the fundamental neural mechanisms driving both normal and pathological behavior. At the NIMH Rodent Behavioral Core (RBC), we have gathered extensive resources for the study of behavior, but currently lack the ability to integrate behavioral studies with electrophysiological methods. The Core needs a user friendly portable in vivo electrophysiology unit (both software/hardware) for use by researchers who may not have the preexisting electrophysiology training requirements. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS: 1. Portable in vivo Electrophysiology hardware/software System, 2. Smartbox Kit 128 3. NeuroNexus Technologies (Parent Company is Nuvectra. 4. Model and part numbers for component parts 1. Smartbox Kit 128, quantity 1 which includes Chronic Smartlink16 headstage, quantity 2, Chronic Smartlink32 headstage quantity 3, SmartLink Cable quantity 5, SmartBox Battery quantity 1, DB50 Breakout Kit quantity 1 2. Commutator, quantity 4 3. Commumatator Cable Std 6 foot, quantity 4 CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME) DETERMINATION The determination by the Government to award a contract without providing for full and open competition is based upon the market research conducted. Specifically, NeuroNexus Technologies Inc. is the only vendor in the marketplace that can provide the products required by NIMH. The essential characteristics of the Smartbox Kit 128 (software/hardware) plus Commutator and Cables from NeuroNexus Technologies that limit the availability to a sole source are this is the only commercially available fully portable and laptop configured in vivo electrophysiology software/hardware for testing animals in varied testing apparatus/chambers while allowing for 4 individual experiments to be run simultaneously. Only this suggested source can furnish the requirements, to the exclusion of other sources, because as market research has shown NeuroNexus Technologies is the only commercially available system. Other possible vendors did not offer portable processing units that were laptop friendly and highly portable. Additionally, past experience of RBC support Staff and Chief with both hardware/software in electrophysiology determined that only NeuroNexus Technologies could supply a product that investigators who are interested in neural recordings but lack the relevant experience could operate. The complete system meets all the technical requirements as listed in the product description salient requirements and as reproduced below. In accordance with FAR part 10, extensive market research was conducted to reach this determination. Specifically, a sources sought notice was posted to FedBizOpps referencing the above detailed requirements and no responses were received. Additionally, contacts with knowledgeable individuals both in industry and Government, as well as reviews of available product literature, revealed no other sources. Finally, a review of the GSA Advantage, Dynamic Small Business Search, and previous government acquisitions returned no results that meet all of the requirements. Therefore, only Neuro Nexus Technologies Inc. is capable of meeting the needs of this requirement. The intended source is: Neuro Nexus Technologies Inc. (Small Business) 655 Fairfield Ct. Ste 100 Ann Arbor, MI 48108-2287 United States CLOSING STATEMENT THIS SYNOPSIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. All responses must be received by the closing date and time of this announcement and must reference the solicitation number, HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-NOI-17-685. Responses must be submitted electronically to Zenab Chowdhry, Contract Specialist, at zenab.chowdhry@nih.gov. U.S. Mail and Fax responses will not be accepted.