Zeiss Inverted Microscopes w/ Stands

Zeiss Inverted Microscopes w/ Stands Pre-Solicitation Notice of Intent to Sole Source HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-NOI-17-717 INTRODUCTION This is a combined synopsis/pre-solicitation for commercial items 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. This acquisition is being conducted in accordance with the procedures of FAR Part 13--Simplified Acquisition Procedures and FAR Part 12--Acquisition of Commercial Items. The solicitation number is HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-NOI-17-717A and the solicitation is issued as a PRE-SOLICITATION, NOTICE OF INTENT, to award a contract on a noncompetitive basis to Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC at One Zeiss Drive Thornwood, NY 10594. REGULATORY & STATUTORY AUTHORITY This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13--Simplified Acquisition Procedures, Subpart 13.106-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, and FAR Part 12--Acquisition of Commercial Items and is NOT expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13--Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6--Competition Requirements. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-95, dated January 19, 2017. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE The associated NAICS code for this requirement is 811219 with size standard of $20.5 Million Dollars. CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME) DETERMINATION The non-competitive determination is based upon the market research conducted as prescribed in FAR Part 10--Market Research, which indicates that only Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC is capable of providing the necessary support services. Specifically, Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the instruments requiring service and the instruments are proprietary to this company. As such, only Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC is authorized to provide service and parts for this equipment. Use of any other contractor would place equipment integrity in jeopardy which would then risk continuity of science; should the equipment not remain fully operational to original equipment manufacturer standards, standardization of longitudinal research study data would be jeopardized and any loss of this data would be to the serious detriment of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) mission. Accordingly, only Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC is capable of providing the required maintenance support services. 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. 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. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT Background The stem cell unit had previously been working in a section of an existing lab but as the program has developed the need for additional space was required. A new lab has been constructed within the 9800 facility and there is a need for new equipment to furnish this lab. The existing equipment is being transferred from the current work space to the new lab and it is imperative that all the new equipment not only work in conjunction with the current apparatus' it must also be compatible with any software systems currently in use to maintain consistent work results. Purpose and Objectives The purpose of this acquisition is to procure inverted microscopes and system upgrades Project Description Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to perform the below stated. Purchase Description: Inverted Microscopes Salient characteristics: - Minimum included contrast techniques: o Brightfield, Phase contrast, PlasDIC, improved Hoffman Modulation contrast (iHMC), Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) - LED illumination source - Fully tiltable eye piece - Minimum 1.4 megapixel monochrome CCD camera o Digitization of image data at 12 bits/pixel o FireWire card - Minimum 16 GB memory - Objectives 10x, 20x, 40x - Dimensions not to exceed 235 x 560 x 560 mm - Weight maximum 11 kg Quantity: Nine (9) each Delivery Date: One time delivery 4 to 6 weeks after receipt of order. Government Responsibilities Government will provide Contractor personnel reasonable access to the Equipment whenever Service is required. Government will cooperate with Contractor personnel so that Service can be performed efficiently and without interruption. Contractor shall be allowed use of Government equipment which Contractor personnel deem necessary to perform the Services. Reporting Requirements None Key Personnel All Field Service Engineers shall have completed the required training and be certified by the manufacturer. Contractor shall produce copies of these certificates for the field personnel that service the National Institutes of Health for verification of eligibility to perform this service. Non-Personal Service Statement In accordance with FAR 37.104, this requirement is for non-personal services and does not include any inherently governmental functions; functions that are closely associated with inherently governmental functions; unauthorized personal services; critical and/or core functions. Place of Performance: The place of performance shall be the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) site located at 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD. Contract Type A Firm Fixed Price Purchase Order is contemplated. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS Responses to this solicitation must include sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities of providing the product or service. Offerors must provide both 1) a technical response and 2) a separate price quote. 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. Such factors may include: past performance; special features required for effective program performance; trade-in considerations; probable life of the item selected as compared with that of a comparable item; warranty considerations; and maintenance availability. PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL EVALUATION CRITERIA ARE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED IN ANY RESPONSE(S) SUBMITTED. EVALUATION CRITERIA FAR clause 52.212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Items (October 2014) applies to this acquisition and the specific evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of that provision are as follows: The Government will award a contract resulting from this requirement on the basis of best value, technical factors and price considered. Technical factors together shall be considered more important than price and all technical evaluation factors are detailed below. Factor 1: Technical Approach The contractor shall detail in its technical proposal how it shall meet each of the project requirements. This shall include the maintenance provision approach, including discussion of whom shall perform the maintenance support, the replacement parts which shall be available, and expected response times. Technical approach shall be evaluated for speed of response, brand of parts available, and certification of service technicians. Factor 2: Past Performance The Contractor shall provide a list of two (2) contracts or purchase orders completed during the past five (5) years, similar in size and scope to the maintenance requirements outlined in this Statement of Work. Experience must be specific to provision of laboratory instrument maintenance and shall include the following information for each contract or purchase order listed: a. Name of Contracting Organization b. Total Contract Value c. Description of Requirement d. Contract Period of Performance Past Performance shall be evaluated for relevance to the current requirement. Technical proposals will be evaluated using a summary adjectival rating in accordance with the following scale: Excellent The proposal has exceptional merit and reflects an excellent approach which will clearly result in the superior attainment of all requirements and objectives. This clearly achievable approach includes several advantageous characteristics of substance, and very few disadvantages, which can be expected to result in outstanding performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is very low as the proposal provides solutions which are unquestionably feasible and practical. These solutions are further considered very low risk in that they are exceptionally clear and precise, fully supported, and demonstrate a clear understanding of the requirements. Risk Level: Very Low Good The proposal demonstrates a sound approach which is expected to meet all requirements and objectives. This sound approach includes advantageous characteristics of substance, and few relatively minor disadvantages, which collectively can be expected to result in satisfactory performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is low as the proposal contains solutions which are considered feasible and practical. These solutions are further considered to reflect low risk in that they are clear and precise, supported, and demonstrate an understanding of the requirements. Risk Level: Low Acceptable The proposal demonstrates an approach which is capable of meeting all requirements and objectives. The approach includes both advantageous and disadvantageous characteristics of substance, where the advantages are not outweighed by the disadvantages. Collectively, the advantages and disadvantages are likely to result in acceptable performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is moderate, as the proposal solutions are generally feasible and practical. These solutions may also be considered to reflect moderate risk in that they may be somewhat clear and precise, partially supported, and/or demonstrate a general understanding of the requirements. Risk Level: Neutral Marginal The proposal demonstrates an approach which may not be capable of meeting all requirements and objectives. The approach has disadvantages of substance and advantages, which if they exist, are outweighed by the disadvantages. Collectively, the advantages and disadvantages present a low or questionable likelihood of resulting in satisfactory performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is high as the proposal contains solutions which may not be feasible and practical. These solutions may also be considered to reflect high risk in that they lack clarity and precision, are generally unsupported, and/or do not demonstrate a complete understanding of the requirements. Risk Level: High Unacceptable The proposal demonstrates an approach which, based on a very high risk, will very likely not be capable of meeting all requirements and objectives. This approach has several disadvantages of substance, and advantages which, if they exist, are outweighed by disadvantages. Collectively, the advantages and disadvantages are unlikely to result in satisfactory performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is very high as the proposal contains solutions which are not feasible and practical. The solutions may also be considered to reflect very high risk in that they lack any clarity or precision. Risk Level: Very High APPLICABLE TERMS AND CONDITIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE The FAR clauses and provisions below shall apply to this solicitation. 1. All Offerors MUST be actively registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. 2. The provision at FAR clause 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items (JAN 2017), applies to this acquisition. 3. A completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items (JAN 2017), is required with any offer submitted. This requirement may be met by completion of the provision in the System for Award Management. 4. FAR Clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items (JAN 2017) is applicable to this acquisition. 5. FAR Clause 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items (JAN 2017) apply to this acquisition. The following clauses shall be checked/included in this clause: 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Oct 2015) 52.209-6, Protecting the Government's Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment. (Oct 2015) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note). 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns (OCT 2014) (if the offeror elects to waive the preference, it shall so indicate in its offer) 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (Jul 2013) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (June 2003) 52.222-19, Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Feb 2016) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Apr 2015). 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Sept 2016) 52.222-36, Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (Jul 2014) 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (Mar 2015) 52.222-53, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Certain Services-Requirements (May 2014) 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (AUG 2011) 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (June 2008) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-System for Award Management (Jul 2013) 6. The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement. In addition, the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. CLOSING STATEMENT All responsible sources may submit a bid, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. All responses must be received by the closing date of this announcement must reference solicitation number HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-NOI-17-717A. Responses shall be submitted electronically to jermaine.duncan@nih.gov. Fax responses will not be accepted. For information regarding this solicitation, contact Jermaine Duncan by email at jermaine.duncan@nih.gov or by phone at (301) 827-7515.