This is a Notice of Intent (NOI). This notice is published in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 5.101(a)(1) requiring the dissemination of information regarding proposed contract actions. This is a Notice of Intent to award a sole source, firm-fixed price purchase order under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), as implemented by FAR 13.106-1(b) and 13.501(a)- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Service Will Satisfy Agency Requirements and is not a request for competitive proposals. 

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) intends to award a firm-fixed priced, sole source, purchase order to Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), One Becton Drive, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417. This requirement is for an integrated advanced cell sorter and biosafety solution to replace a 15-year old cell sorter that is no longer in reliable working condition. The replacement cell sorter is required to maintain continuity of science, data integrity, experimental compatibility with existing equipment and critical protocols, and prevent variability in data. A significant amount of protocols and testing parameters have been developed in the lab and published by researchers. Procurement of a new BD instrument will allow research staff and users to use these existing protocols and parameters whereas switching to a different manufacturer would require development of new protocols and parameters which would result in unacceptable delays. This cell sorter will be utilized to pursue single-cell analysis using lymph node and peripheral blood specimens obtained from individuals enrolled in clinical research protocols.  NIAID has identified the BD FACSAria Fusion cell sorter with biosafety cabinet as the only integrated system which can meet the functionalities list below. These key functionalities are required not only to maintain current protocols and testing parameters, but to also support the continuity of science in the future, as the LIR research advances.

• Cell sorter must offer a minimum of 4-way tube sorting capability and an automatic cell deposition unit for sorting into 96-well plates.
• Cell sorter must have capability of achieving high sorting rates, demonstrating linear and accurate data acquisition at above 50,000 events per second.
• Cell sorter must offer user-friendly optical alignment, laser alignment or laser focus to reduce instrument set-up time and operator interaction in the biosafety cabinet.
• Must have a gel-coupled cuvette that collects four times as much excitation light compared to stream-in-air systems to maximize sensitivity in signal detection (Flow Cytometry Lens System).
•  Sensitivity should have minimum resolution <118MESF on FITC and 34MESF on PE at 90KhZ and 70psi using Sphero rainbow beads.
• Cell sorter must not exceed dimensions of H 86.5 in, x W 50.2 in, x D 35.6 to fit in space available and biosafety cabinet
• Cell sorter must be installed in an NSF-49 certified Biosafety cabinet with ULPA filtration system for live cell sorting.
• Cell sorter must include an octagon shaped collection optics that increases the quality and quantity of the fluorescent signal. Fiber coupled from collection lens (Fluorescence Detection Instrument with Reflective Transfer Legs for Color Decimation).
• Must have three lasers: 405nm 100mw, 488 nm 100mw and 637nm100mw.             
• Cell sorter must use digital technology from the preamp forward. The digital electronics must use mathematical calculations in place of analog log amps to provide more linear quantitative measurements and high throughput.
• Cell sorter must have the ability to achieve threshold on multiple parameters simultaneously. This is a power tool for detecting small particles or samples with large amounts of debris.
• Must have the ability to establish signal-to-noise ratio from any laser.
• Cell Sorter must include a System for Identifying Clusters in Scatter Plots using Smoothed Polygons with Optimal Boundaries.
• Cell Sorter must have a cloning unit that can identify unique sort regions for different wells within the same 96 well plate with the ability to chill or heat the 96 well tray.
• Cell sorter must have Index Sorting to identify sorted cells on scatter plot and cells in any well position on scatter plot.
• Cell sorter must employ automatic sort setup technology that allows the operator to monitor side streams while sorting. This provides for a faster sort set-up providing the operator with a visual display of the sort set-up (Apparatus and Method for Verifying Drop Delay in A Flow Cytometer).
• Cell sorter must have the ability to collect Height, Area and Width parameters simultaneously on all parameters.
• Cell sorter must be able to utilize up to 6 solid state diode or DPSS lasers in various wavelengths and outputs lasers and up to 18 colors plus forward and side scatter.
• Cell Sorter must utilize proprietary software that acquires and analyses in bi-exponential display format with FCS 2.0, 3.0 and 3.1 export of analyzed data.
• Cell sorter must have proven instrument set-up and automated quality control software package that allows for automation in tracking instrumentation performance. It must monitor signal to noise ratio, minimal noise levels for all PMTs and parameters, and allow for feedback on the Q of the laser. 
• Cell Sorter must have automated compensation networks between all lasers, and all fluoresces parameters.
• Cytometer must be serviceable by in-state factory trained engineers with 48 hour guaranteed on-site repair response time.
• Cell Sorter must self-regulate during sorting and have the ability to shut down sample flow, sheath flow, and cover sorted materials in presence of gross shift in sorting parameters (Flow Sorter with Video-Regulated Droplet Spacing).
• A redundant aerosol management system must be included in event of blower motor failure.  The system must evacuate the sort collection chamber by trapping aerosolized particles with a 0.10 µm size ultra-low penetrating air filter.         
• Cell sorter must offer seamless integration with existing FACSAria Cell sorter for ease of assay transfer between sorters and minimum training of operators with identical sample acquisition software

Estimated Period of performance is August 24, 2020 – August 23, 2021.

The North American Industry Classification (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516 Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing which has a size standard of 1,000 employees. BD is an other than small business.  
 

This will be the only notice of the Government's intent to solicit, negotiate, and award to one source to satisfy this requirement. The Government plans to award a contract for this requirement within 30 days of this notice.

While this synopsis does not constitute a solicitation, interested vendors may identify their interest and capability to satisfy this requirement. The Government understands that BD is the only vendor which can provide the FACSAria Fusion cell sorter and integrated biosafety cabinet for NIAID. However, firms that believe they can provide the capability required to fully meet the Government's requirement may submit a capabilities statement, including past performance, in writing to the identified point of contact within fifteen (15) days after publication of this notice. Such documentation shall be used solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit offers on NOI-RML-2025189.

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for any information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.

For additional information or to submit responses, please contact Tamara McDermott, Contract Specialist at [email protected].