PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE OF INTENT
NON-COMPETITIVE

Solicitation: NIMH-20-004278

Title: Integrated Imaging and Optogenetics System for Rodents

INTRODUCTION
PURSUANT TO FAR Subpart 5.2—Synopses of Proposed Contract Actions, THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE OF A PROPOSED CONTRACT TO ACTION.   

THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A CONTRACT OR PURCHASE ORDER WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME).  

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) intends to intends to solicit by a request for quotation from Inscopix, Inc. for award on or around August 15, 2020.  The purpose of this purchase order will be to provide the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) with the nVoke 2.0  Integrated Imaging and Optogenetics System with hardware/software for control and data acquisition/processing. 

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE
The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing with a size standard of 1,000 employees.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY 
The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses of the Federal acquisition Requlation (FAR) in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular 2020-04 dated January 15, 2020.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY 
This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6—Competition Requirements. FAR Subpart 13.106-1 (b) Soliciting from a single Source provides that: For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, 
Contracting officers may solicit from one source IF the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name OR industrial mobilization). 

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT 

Purpose and Objectives
The purpose of this order is to procure the nVoke 2.0  Integrated Imaging and Optogenetics System with hardware/software for control and data acquisition/processing.  The Rodent Behavioral Core (RBC) led by Dr. Yogita Chudasama needs a critical addition to the Inscopix nVoke system that is currently in use by various labs within NIMH and NIH that use the RBC. This new Inscopix nVoke 2.0 system will expand the capabilities of the RBC to meet the high demands upon existing system nVoke 2.0 system.  The nVoke 2.0 Integrated Imaging and Optogenetics System for Rodents is a cutting-edge technology platform that combines both calcium imaging and optogenetics into a single “all-optical” system. This unique technological advance enables simultaneous visualization and optogenetic manipulation of neural circuit dynamics in the same field of view using a head-attached miniature microscope. This addition will enhance the current systems versatile and unique way to incorporate circuit monitoring and perturbation techniques into a variety of behavioral assays that have already been established in the core for understanding neuropsychiatric phenotypes. The previous nVoke 1.0 system  and its  recent upgrade to 2.0 has been used with much success by labs utilizing the RBC. However, the addition of another nVoke 2.0 system will enhance the previously stated characteristics and allow for more and highly demanded incorporation into experimental paradigms while allowing older data sets and experiments to continue seamlessly with enhanced results.

Delivery or Deliverables
Please see the attached Purchase Description for further details.

CLOSING STATEMENT
THIS SYNOPSIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice.

A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement.

Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.www.sam.gov.” 

All responses must be received by Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, and reference number NIMH-20-004278. Responses may be submitted electronically to Robin Knightly, Contract Specialist, at [email protected].

Fax responses will not be accepted.

Extensions to the deadline will not be granted. 

Please contact Robin Knightly, Contract Specialist, at [email protected] or (301) 827-5302 with any questions.