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 a cell analyzer with five laser configuration to replace a soon to be end-of-service BD LSR II flow cytometer . The replacement cell analyzer is required to maintain continuity of science, data integrity, experimental compatibility with existing equipment and critical protocols, and prevent variability in data. In order to support existing research projects and provide seamless transition to the new equipment, the laboratory requires the continued use of the BD platform.  Procurement of a new BD instrument will allow staff to use existing protocols to avoid introducing outside variables resulting in corruption of the lab’s experiments leading to spending additional funding to having to start experimental process with a different platform. Switching to a different manufacturer would require development of new protocols, which would be very costly to the government. The new instrument will be housed in a Biosafety Level II/III laboratory, which no special plumbing, electrical, or special air required as modification to the laboratory is not allowed. This cell analyzer will be utilized to make informed predictions as to how the body will respond when challenged with various microbes and vaccine formulations. NIAID has identified the BD FACSymphony A3 cell analyzer with FACSFlow Supply System 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 laboratory’s research advances.

• Must have the capability of up to 5 lasers, 30 parameters with 28 colors
• Must use state of the art fiber optics to carry the light/fluorescent signal from the flow cell to the PMTs
• Must have the Decagon optical arrangement for up to 5 lasers
• Must have air-cooled lasers
• Must have fixed alignment optics in conjunction with solid state lasers ranging in power from 20mW to 200mW
• Must have easily replaceable optical filters and mirrors for experimental flexibility
• Must not have special room requirements (no special electrical requirements, no special plumbing requirements, and no special air requirements)
• Must have sensitivity of <15 MESF-PE and  <80 MESF-FITC
• Must provide for performing real-time statistics, area, height, and width measurements via the DIVA acquisition software
• Must have the CS and T software for standardizing and QC’ing the instrument. (Cytometer Setup and Tracking software).  Totally automates the QC of numerous parameters and alerts the user if a parameter does not meet specification and tracks the QC parameters over time.
• Must be capable of analyzing at least 30 logical gates
• Must have state of the art low noise digital acquisition electronics with acquisition speeds of 40,000 events per second
• Must have the capability to sample from a 96 well microtiter plates with the HTS (High Throughput Sampler).  The HTS can run a 96 well plate in the high throughput mode is less than 15 minutes
• Must have a proven user base with service support guaranteed within 48 hours.
• Must have the option of adding a Forward Scatter PMT for detection limits of .2 microns
• Must have the software capability of internal Laser Control Software which allows the user to adjust laser power up or down on an as needed basis

Delivery to Bethesda, Maryland approximately 120 days after receipt and acceptance of award.  

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 20 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 who can provide the FACSymphony A3 cell analyzer and FACSFlow Supply System 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 seven (7) 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-NIAID-2133887.

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].