(i) This is a combined synopsis/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.

(ii) The solicitation number is NIH-NIDA-CSS-19-004630 and the solicitation is issued as an request for quotation (RFQ).

This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures; FAR Subpart 13.5-Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items; and FAR Part 12-Acquisition of Commercial Items, and is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.

(iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-101, dated October 26, 2018.

(iv) The associated NAICS code 334516: Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing and the small business size standard of 1000 or fewer employees. This requirement is full and open with no set-aside restrictions.

(v) Purpose and Objectives: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is establishing a new laboratory that will use cutting-edge physiological, imaging, and behavioral methods to investigate the relationship between human neurological disorders and brain function at the molecular, synaptic, cellular, and circuit levels. The new laboratory will include two multiphoton microscopes. These will require a large anti-vibration table tailored to address the low frequency (1-3 Hz) vibration present in NIH Building 35A, as well as to dampen the higher frequencies typically problematic in multiphoton microscopy.

(vi) Background: The NINDS Laboratory of Circuits, Synapses, and Molecular Signaling (LCSMS), will study fundamental issues of synaptic transmission, neuronal excitability, neuromodulation, and neural circuit activity using animal models (principally, the mouse). These issues will be related to human neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative disorders, and will be explored in brain areas including (but not limited to) the amygdala, basal forebrain cholinergic areas, the ventral hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex.

One major line of research will employ multiphoton microscopy from both brain slices and awake, head-fixed mice. The two multiphoton microscopes (in vitro and in vivo) will sit on a single large (5' x 10') anti-vibration table. The table will be placed in NIH Building 35A in a room made up of the present rooms 3B-415 and 3B-214. The building is subject to a non-trivial vibration in the range 1-3 Hz. It is therefore imperative that the anti-vibration table incorporate both piezoelectric active cancellation and pneumatic isolation to counter vibrations over a wide range of frequencies.
Project requirements: The NINDS LCSMS requires an anti-vibration table suitable for holding the components of two multiphoton microscopes. The table must be 5' x 10' in XY dimension. It will sit in Building 35A in a room presently composed of rooms 3B-415 and 3B-214.

• The equipment must have both piezoelectric active vibration cancellation technology and pneumatic vibration isolation technology.

• The equipment must have a digital controller with menu driven interface and LCD display.

• The vibration isolation effect should be fast settling, begin by 0.6 Hz, and meet these specifications: -6 dB at 1 Hz, -20 dB at 2 Hz, -25 dB or more above 3 Hz. In terms of transmissibility (defined as the ratio of transmitted acceleration to injected acceleration for a 2000 lb load), the table should have transmissibility less than 1 both vertically and horizontally for all frequencies greater than 1 Hz. Transmissibility should be less than 0.5 both vertically and horizontally for frequencies greater than 2 Hz. Transmissibility should be less than 0.1 both vertically and horizontally for frequencies greater than 10 Hz.

• The optical top should be 5' x 10' x 12" with individual sealed holes, non load bearing cups, and flatness + 0.005".

• The equipment must have 3/16" thick ferromagnetic stainless-steel top plate, matted finish; ¼-20 countersunk and tapped holes @1" o.c. array, with a honeycomb core .49"2 cell size; 13.3 lb/ft3 density. Maximum damping, research grade.

• The contractor shall provide a Field Engineer for system initialization, optimization and certification, on site for at least three (3) days. The Field Engineer must be onsite to supervise the equipment move in and assembly that will be performed by a qualified rigging team provided by the Government. The equipment must be installed and loaded prior to arrival of Field Engineer.

• The Contractor shall provide installation assistance, load distribution adjustments, isolator cables connection and controller installation for all equipment.

Other important considerations: Contractor shall warrant that the Equipment will be free from material defects for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of acceptance. All service performed on this equipment shall be provided by certified and factory trained technicians. Technicians shall have the ability to diagnose the systems on site via remote access. Contractor shall provide any required replacement components due to malfunctions on-site.

(vii) Anticipated Date of Delivery: The contractor shall deliver and install the equipment within 45 days after receipt of order. Delivery must be FOB destination and include inside delivery. On-site training must take place within two (2) weeks of equipment installation. The equipment shall be delivered and installed between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00 pm, Bethesda, MD local prevailing time. The contractor shall provide an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) certified service technician to perform setup, installation, and an on-site 1-day training session for 10 staff members.

(viii) The provision at FAR clause 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

(ix) The provision at FAR clause 52.212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

(a) The Government will award a contract 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. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: 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; maintenance availability; and environmental and energy efficiency considerations.

(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.

(x) The Offerors to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with its offer.

(xi) The FAR clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

(xii) FAR clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. See attached.

(xiii) The following additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions as determined by the contracting officer are necessary for this acquisition and consistent with customary commercial practices. There are no additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions applicable to this acquisition.

(xiv) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement.

(xv) 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. 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; maintenance availability; and environmental and energy efficiency considerations.

In addition the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov."

All responses must be received by 04/03/2019 by 10AM EST and reference number NIH-NIDA-CSS-19-004630. Responses may be submitted electronically to Andrea King at [email protected].

Fax responses will not be accepted.

(xvi) The name and telephone number of the individual to contact for information regarding the solicitation.
Andrea King
[email protected]
301-827-5245

Please be advised that the National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NI¬NDS) is an Institute within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is a Federal agency. Your mass-market commercial and/or license agreement may include provisions that are customarily found in the commercial sector but which are not appropriate for a contract with a Federal agency. Specifically, NINDS considers any provision in your mass-market commercial and/or license agreement to be inappropriate and unenforceable that:

(1) Contravenes a right granted NINDS under U.S. copyright law (e.g., fair use, right to archive, copying for interlibrary loan),
(2) Violated the Federal Acquisition Regulation or other Federal law (e.g., Antideficiency Act, Principles of Federal Appropriations Law),
(3) Departs from reasonable consumer expectations and was not disclosed by the Licensor prior to agreement, or
(4) Violates fundamental public policy.

NINDS shall assume that you are in agreement with the statements herein if you submit a quotation.