THIS NOTICE IS FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND DOES NOT COMMIT THE GOVERNMENT TO AWARD A CONTRACT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. NO SOLICITATION IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. BASED ON CAPABILITY STATEMENTS RECEIVED FROM THIS SOURCES SOUGHT THIS ACQUISITION MAY BE SOLICITED AS AN 8(a) SET-ASIDE; 100% SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE OR AS FULL AND OPEN. ALL SIZE ORGANIZATIONS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RESPOND. THE NAICS CODE IS 541710 WITH A SIZE STANDARD OF 500 EMPLOYEES. The Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports research to understand, and ultimately prevent and/or treat, infectious and immune-mediated diseases that continue to threaten millions of lives each year. The Bacteriology and Mycology Branch (BMB) has a contract entitled “Network on Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (NARSA)” currently being performed by Focus Technologies, Inc. under NIAID Contract N01-AI-95359 since April 12, 1999. It is the intent of the BMB to recompete the NARSA contract and make one (1) award for a period of seven (7) years. The current NARSA contract, due to expire on April 11, 2007, established a repository of staphylococcal strains important to public health and research. This repository of staphylococcal isolates with associated historical case information is available to researchers to use to the fullest potential to increase knowledge and affect prudent clinical management approaches for minimizing antimicrobial resistance. NARSA also includes a website www.narsa.net and communication capacity to link basic scientists, epidemiologists, clinical microbiologists, and clinicians working in the area of staphylococcal diseases and antibiotic resistance, thereby encouraging collaborative research across disciplines of science, public health and medicine. Other NARSA activities include strain characterization; establishment and maintenance of a registry of S. aureus case information; the evaluation of antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods; establishment of a NARSA Scientific Working Group to provide guidance and oversight of NARSA activities; and coordination of annual investigator meetings which is open to any interested party. The NARSA network of investigators currently consists of 190 NARSA Affiliate Members (researchers approved to order NARSA strains) and 71 NARSA Core Members (researchers receiving NIAID grant/contract support to study S. aureus). At present, the NARSA repository maintains 216 strains, and ships approximately 100 samples monthly, with one-third shipped abroad. Oracle databases store the information for the NARSA Strain Repository, the NARSA Case-History Registry, and NARSA membership information. At the time of the first contract, there was no systematic collection and distribution system for methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates. NARSA has filled this gap and it is important to maintain and update this resource for the research community. Researchers will continue to need ready and reliable access to well characterized isolates as well as an ability to easily communicate and interact with other researchers. The original NARSA repository collected isolates of interest for S. aureus fully resistant to vancomycin (VRSA); however, in the contract to be awarded under this RFP, the repository will collect and distribute isolates of clinical, public health and research importance to antibiotic resistance in S. aureus. The repository will also acquire and distribute other reagents which the Scientific Working Group deem helpful to the research community in advancing research on antibiotic resistant S. aureus. Information submitted in your capability statement shall be pertinent and specific in the technical area under consideration in each of the following qualifications: (1) facility and expertise for the handling of infectious microbial agents; (2) informatics expertise for database maintenance and updating; web design and implementation; (3) online ordering and database query; and (4) scientific conference organization and execution. Small business and 8(a) contractors are reminded that in order to quality as a set-aside, 51% of the direct labor must be performed by the prime contractor. It is anticipated that an anticipated total effort of approximately 1.35 FTEs will be needed to accomplish this project. Interested organizations are encouraged to respond and are required to submit two (2) copies of their capability statement addressing the areas cited above. Please reference the solicitation number on all related correspondence and identify the NAICS and size status of your organization. See Government-Wide Numbered Note 22. NO COLLECT CALLS WILL BE ACCEPTED. FACSIMILE AND E-MAIL TRANSMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

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