The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Office of Global Research (OGR) and Division of Intramural Research (DIR), is conducting market research for the operation, management, and expansion of the Mali Service Center (MSC), to facilitate and support research of the NIAID. The market research is to determine the capabilities of all small businesses in providing guidance and oversight in the administration of disbursement of NIAID grant/contract funds and material purchases via the NIAID-managed disbursement service center, the Mali Service Center. The successful Contractor shall assume the operation of the MSC, and ultimately prepare the MSC to operate independently.

The MSC was established by the government of Mali to operate as an independent service center for the management of research funding provided to the University of Bamako or other entities within Mali. By agreement between the NIAID and the University of Bamako, the Mali Service Center was implemented.

The contractor will be required to provide support for the operation of NIAID-funded activities in Mali. This support will include, but not be limited to, the disbursement of payroll, which is funded under a separate NIAID contract (Scientific, Technical, and Administrative Staff at University of Bamako) for Malian staff at the University of Bamako, who work on these programs; the disbursement of payroll of staff working under NIAID extramural grants; the payment of expenses in support of field studies; the payment of expenses related to the operations of laboratory facilities; the facilitation and payment of travel of scientists; and assisting in the management of operations of research activities in Mali.

Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary equipment and facilities, services, qualified personnel, and material, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the Statement of Work. A cost-reimbursement type contract is anticipated. All interested small businesses including veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, and women-owned small business concerns must provide a capability statement, of no more than 10 pages, to Wimberly King at [email protected] on or before January 27, 2011 at 9:00 AM EST. Capability statements must reference similar work that has been performed by the offeror and the dollar value of that work. This is a market survey, not a request for proposals.

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