This Small Business Sources Sought Notice (SBSS) is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to identify qualified small business concerns including 8(a), HUBZone or Service-Disabled Veteran-owned business concerns that are interested in and capable of performing the work described herein. The NCI does not intend to award a contract based on responses received nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. This requirement is assigned North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 334516 with a size standard of 1,000 employees is being considered.

NCI may issue a request for quotation (RFQ) as a result of this Sources Sought Notice. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against NCI shall arise as a result of a response to this Sources Sought Notice or the NCI’s use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement.

1.0 BRAND NAME OR EQUAL

This requirement is for the procurement of the brand name or equivalent instrument described in section 4.0. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision FAR 52.211-6, Brand Name or Equal (AUG 1999) is applicable to this requirement.

2.0 BACKGROUND

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), Experimental Immunology Branch (EIB) has established an electrophysiology platform to examine enteric neurons and intestinal enteroendocrine cells. EIB has been performing patch clamp recordings in a collaborator’s laboratory outside of EIB for the past two years and have recently published a manuscript about intestinal enterochromaffin cells (Immunity, In press). Based on these works, EIB will continue to do electrophysiology experiments to study intestinal physiology and pathophysiology. Therefore, to continue with these experiments, it will be significantly more efficient and appropriate for EIB to set up a rig system in a EIB laboratory. The rig system, inclusive of the required instrument and equipment rack, is based on working experiences and specific laboratory needs.  EIB has experienced scientists in electrophysiology, who are well-trained in neuroscience, and are very familiar with the required instrument. Additionally, EIB has trained other staff scientists in the lab to operate and maintain the rig system based on past two years’ experience. Therefore, considering the substantial amount patch clamp recordings EIB are about to do, the required equipment will improve our working efficiency significantly.

3.0 TYPE OF ORDER

This is a Firm Fixed-Price Purchase Order.

4.0 PRODUCT FEATURES/SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS

The following product features/characteristics are required for one (1) MultiClamp 700B Amplifier or equivalent which shall enable EIB to perform experiments that were previously not possible using a single amplifier:

• The instrument shall be able to use either an external trigger command or user-programmable voltage threshold for rapid, automatic mode switching between current and voltage clamp. For example, by pre-setting a voltage threshold in current-clamp mode, the amplifier shall automatically switch to voltage-clamp mode when the membrane potential reaches the threshold voltage. The instrument shall allow for a user specified delay to be programmed allowing further customization of recording procedures.
• Sudden changes in membrane or pipette parameters may result in undesirable oscillations during whole-cell recordings. To overcome this, the required instrument shall detect current or voltage oscillations and automatically disables or intelligently reduces compensation settings to protect the cell from damage.
• Slight voltage drift, often due to changing electrode properties, may contaminate an otherwise decent current clamp recording. To maintain the membrane potential at a consistent level, the instrument shall automatically inject a compensatory current over a user-defined time course.
• The required instrument will be part of a lager rig system and therefore one (1) floor standing equipment rack with the following specifications shall be included with the Purchase Order:
  • Shall contain the dimensions of 63" tall x 19" wide rack x 16.5" deep.
  • Shall be capable of rack mounting narrow equipment or items that do not have rack mounting capabilities.
  • Shall be load-bearing weight of up to 1,000 pounds.
  • Shall contain adjustable rack mount rails.

4.1 DELIVERY

Delivery shall be within 30 business days of the purchase order award. All shipping/handling (including FOB) and delivery/installation fees shall be included in the quote.

The Contractor shall deliver the equipment at the following address:

Laboratory of Pathology, NCI/NIH
Building 10, room 3S249
Bethesda, MD 20892

4.2 WARRANTY

The Contractor shall warrant that any instruments, equipment, components, or other supplies (“Supplies”) procured by this purchase are free of defects in design, material, or manufacture for a period of at least one (1) calendar year from date of acceptance by the Government.

The Contractor shall warrant that all consumables or expendable parts are free of defects in design, material or manufacture for a period of at least 90 calendar days from date of acceptance by the Government.

Supplies which are repaired or replaced shall be warranted for the remainder of the initial warranty period or for 90-days – whichever is greater.

5.0 RESPONSE DELIVERY POINT

Capability statements shall be submitted via email to Contract Specialist, Adam Hernandez, at [email protected] no later than 11:00 A.M. ET on Friday, February 05, 2021 (02/05/2021). All information furnished must be in writing and must contain enough detail to allow the NCI to determine if it can meet the unique specifications described herein. Please reference number 75N91021Q00024 on all correspondence.

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the 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 capability. 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. After a review of the responses received, an RFQ may be published. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation(s).