This is a Notice of Intent, not a request for proposal. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) intends to negotiate on an other than full and open competition basis with FEI Company, Inc for a full-service agreement on a TEM Tecnai Microscope.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Office of the Chief Section in the Laboratory of Infectious Disease section in building 50 requires the renewal of a service maintenance agreement with FEI Company for the TEM Tecnai microscope. FEI Company is both the manufacturer and distributor of the highly sophisticated science equipment who will be able to provide the original parts for various replacements if needed. In addition, they can also have trained technicians to troubleshoot problems with expertise knowledge.

The TEM Technai microscope and software consists of a method to capture a series of images, from a tissue specimen mounted on a glass microscope slide, in order to create an image data file from which is produced a virtual image capable of being analyzed on a computer as if using a microscope. Digital images, from histopathology glass slides, permit archiving, searching, shared viewing for consultations, quantitative image analysis, remotely or on any desktop Image files are managed using instrument software so that they can be stored, recalled, shared & annotated. The technology will permit improved interactions between multiple pathology activities within NIAID, including CMB and other LID labs. Instrumentation is required that will be fully functional with pre-existing instruments located in other laboratories within the institution.

If submitting a capability statement, it must include evidence of being capable of providing and meeting the following requirements:

Priority scheduling and onsite response for all repairs during the period of performance. Priority is defined as giving priority scheduling equal to a direct contract and guaranteeing the equivalent manufacturer’s priority onsite response. If you are a third-party service provider, the priority scheduling and/or response time, must be listed on a capabilities statement, as well as documentation of OEM trained technicians is required.

The statutory authority for this sole source requirement is 41 U.S.C. 1901 (a) (1) as implemented by FAR 13.106-1 only one responsible source and no other supply of service will satisfy agency requirements. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. All responsible sources that could provide comparable services may submit a capability statement that will be considered by email (subject line to reference NOI-NIAID-24-2208965 to Maliaka Pinkney at [email protected], by 12:00 pm eastern standard time March 25, 2024. All responses received by the closing date of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A
determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.