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SET-ASIDE STATUS
This acquisition is unrestricted and available for full and open competition.
ACQUISITION AUTHORITY
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 and FAR Part 12-Acquisition of Commercial Items and IS NOT expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.
The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2019-05, dated August 13, 2019. The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through this date.
DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT
Background
The RF receiver coil is one of the few critical components of a modern MRI scanner that can be easily customized to improve performance of the system. The FMRIF's Siemens 3T-Skyra MRI scanner has been in service for more than 6 years, and currently has 2 RF receiver coils used for FMRI studies - a 20-channel head coil, and a 32-channel head coil, both of which were delivered with the original system. At present, the majority of studies that utilize this scanner use the 32-channel head coil that was originally delivered with the system. This coil has some limitations. Its small inner diameter makes it both uncomfortable for some of our larger subjects and limits the field of view of the brain that can be captured in a given experiment. For example, the cerebellum frequently cannot be acquired as part of a whole brain single scan. The tight-fitting geometry also makes simultaneous FMRI-EEG experiments especially challenging. Its smaller geometry makes adding an EEG cap and the associated cabling around a patient's head, and fitting into the 32-channel head coil for the duration of a typical 1-2 hour FMRI-EEG experiment, a very uncomfortable experience. Similarly, procedures involving additional hardware, such as audio experiments with headphones, and prospective motion tracking (with an external optical camera), are severely constrained by this coil's geometry.
Purpose
FMRIF requests a 64-channel head RF coil for FMRIF 3T-D (Siemens Skyra MRI scanner). The 64-channel coil will benefit researchers using this scanners and patients/subjects being scanned in several ways, including:
• Allow larger subjects to be more comfortably scanned, specifically in experiments that involve audio, or simultaneous EEG-FMRI, or simultaneous TMS-FMRI. Critically, it has an access path to run EEG and other cables thru the top of the coil
• The higher channel count and corresponding geometry permits better performance when conducting studies that employ slice acceleration (SMS) or acquire data at a higher rate. These acquisition techniques have become a necessity so that investigators can routinely achieve fast high-resolution full-brain coverage.
• Improves signal to noise for large field-of-view studies thus allowing whole brain and cerebellum to be scanned simultaneously.
• Improved visibility of subject in coil will permit the use of 2nd generation prospective motion correction system such as the FMRIF-owned Kineticor.
Project Requirements
Please Review Attached Purchase Description for requirements.
SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS
• DirectConnect/Slideconnect interface with Skyra VE11C.
• Must be compatible with the Siemens 3T-Skyra
• 64 element with 64 integrated preamplifiers.
• Rear-opening to accommodate EEG cables/leads.
• Detachable design allows lower 32 channels to be used independent of upper part.
• Standard field of view includes whole brain and c-spine.
• The product must not void the Sky VE11C MRI warranty with Siemens.
Delivery Requirements/Period of Performance
The Contractor shall deliver all equipment within thirty (30) days after receipt of order.
Place of Performance
The place of performance shall be the National Institutes of Mental Health, 10 Center Dr, Bldg. 10, Room 1D80, Bethesda, MD, 20892.
Contract Type
The Government intends to issue a firm fixed price purchase order for this requirement. Invoicing shall be on a NET30 basis and payment shall be made via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).
Response Format
Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror's capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the salient characteristics of the product. The offeror must indicate in their response as to whether the brand-name or equal product proposed can or cannot meet the salient characteristics as stated in this combined solicitation synopsis.
Respondents proposing on an equal product of the brand-name product specified in this announcement must provide, as part of their response: (a) product, catalog, model, and/or part number(s); (b) product description; (c) all relevant information and documentation that the item(s) offered meets the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics as specified in the purchase description.
The offeror must provide a price quote that includes: quantity; list price; unit price, shipping and handling costs; delivery date after receipt of contract award, prompt payment discount terms,
F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin, product or catalog number(s); product description; five (5) year expiry date from the date of manufacture; and any other information or factors that may be considered in the award decision.
The quote must provide their company name, 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."
In addition, the offeror must include with their submission a fully executed 52.204-24 "Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment" form (attached to announcement).
Evaluation Strategy
The government intends to evaluate quotations based on technical evaluation factors in order to be determined as technically acceptable, the offeror must clearly demonstrate the technical proposal that meets or exceeds the salient characteristics of the project requirement.
IMPORTANT NOTE TO OFFERORS:
PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOUR RESPONSE MEETS THE FORMAT REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES EACH ELEMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT.
SUBMISSIONS MUST INCLUDE BOTH A TECNHICAL RESPONSE AND A SEPARATE PRICE QUOTATION. CONTRACTORS NOT SUBMITTING BOTH A TECHNICAL RESPONSE AND A SEPARATE PRICE QUOTATION SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
PAYMENT
Payment shall be made after delivery, installation, and successful operation of equipment. Payment authorization requires submission and approval of invoices to the COR and NIH OFM, in accordance with the payment provisions listed below:
APPLICABLE CLAUSES AND PROVISIONS
The following Federal Acquisition Regulation and Health & Human Services Acquisition
Regulation Provisions/Clauses apply to this acquisition:
FAR 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)
This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): http://www.acquisition.gov/far/ and/or http://www.hhs.gov/policies/hhsar/.
CLAUSE NO. TITLE DATE
FAR 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS - COMMERCIAL ITEMS OCT 2018
52.212-5 -- Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items (Aug 2019) - See attached.
SOLICITATION PROVISIONS /SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
FAR 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)
This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The quoter is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the quoter and submitted with its quotation. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the quoter may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): https://www.acquisition.gov/Far/ and/or http://www.hhs.gov/policies/hhsar/.
PROVISION NO. TITLE DATE
FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS - COMMERCIAL ITEMS (DEVIATION 2018-O0018)
FAR 52.212-2
EVALUATION COMMERCIAL ITEMS OCT 2014
FAR 52.212-3 OFFERORS REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS -COMMERCIAL ITEMS NOV 2017
FAR 52.212-4
CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS - COMMERCIAL ITEMS OCT 2018
FAR 52.211-6 BRAND NAME OR EQUAL (AUG 1999)
(a) If an item in this solicitation is identified as "brand name or equal," the purchase description reflects the characteristics and level of quality that will satisfy the Government's needs. The salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics that "equal" products must meet are specified in the solicitation.
(b) To be considered for award, offers of "equal" products, including "equal" products of the brand name manufacturer, must-
(1) Meet the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristic specified in this solicitation;
(2) Clearly identify the item by-
(i) Brand name, if any; and
(ii) Make or model number;
(3) Include descriptive literature such as illustrations, drawings, or a clear reference to previously furnished descriptive data or information available to the Contracting Officer; and
(4) Clearly describe any modification the offeror plans to make in a product to make it conform to the solicitation requirements. Mark any descriptive material to clearly show the modification.
(c) The Contracting Officer will evaluate "equal" products based on information furnished by the offeror or identified in the offer and reasonably available to the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer is not responsible for locating or obtaining any information not identified in the offer.
(d) Unless the offeror clearly indicates in its offer that the product being offered is an "equal" product, the offeror shall provide the brand name product referenced in the solicitation.
CLOSING INFORMATION
Proposals must be submitted electronically (via email) to in MS Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), no later than August 22, 2019 to Michelle Cecilia at [email protected] and Valerie Whipple, at [email protected] by 12:00 pm, EST and must reference solicitation number NIMH-19-006405. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time to be considered. PROPOSALS RECEIVED AFTER THIS DATE AND TIME WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. No collect calls will be accepted.
Contracting Office Address:
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8158
Rockville, MD 20852
United States
Primary Point of Contact.:
Michelle Cecilia
Contract Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 301.827.7199
Secondary Point of Contact:
Valerie Whipple
Contracting Officer
[email protected]
Phone: 301.827.5218