(i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.
(ii) The solicitation number is 75N95024Q00278 and the solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ).
(iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) Number 2024-05, with effective date May 22, 2024.
(iv) The associated NAICS code 621511 and the small business size standard is $41.5 million. This requirement has no set-aside restrictions.
(v) This requirement is for the following services: Protein Analysis in Cerebrospinal Fluid Samples.
(vi) The Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (CARD) is endeavoring on a large-scale phenotyping project to characterize patient samples afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). To date, alpha synuclein is traditionally difficult to analyze in CSF. Recently, a new method has been developed to identify misfolded ASyn seeds. Identifying misfoled ASyn protein in CSF will advance the National Institute on Aging’s (NIA) understanding of ADRD. Please see the attached Statement of Work (SOW) for detailed requirements.
(vii) The Government anticipates award of a firm fixed-price purchase order for this acquisition. Please see the attached Statement of Work (SOW) for the anticipated period of performance.
(viii) The provision at FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. 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 offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at these addresses:
https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far
https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html
(End of provision)
The following provisions apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference:
The clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. 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 these addresses:
https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far
https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html
(End of clause)
The following clauses apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference:
The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are attached in full text. Offerors MUST complete the provisions at 52.204-24 and 52.204-26 and submit completed copies as separate documents with their proposal.
(ix) The provision at FAR clause 52.212-2, Evaluation – Commercial Items (NOV 2021), applies to this acquisition.
(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: (i) technical capability to meet the Government’s requirements; (ii) past performance [see FAR 13.106-2(b)(3)]; (iii) price.
Technical and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price.
(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).
(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.
(x) The Offerors to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (FEB 2024), with its offer. If the offeror has completed FAR clause 52.212-3 at www.sam.gov, then the offeror does not need to provide a completed copy with its offer.
(xi) There are no additional contract requirements(s) or terms and conditions applicable to this acquisition.
(xii) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement.
(xiii) Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror’s capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the technical evaluation criteria. The price proposal must include the labor categories, an estimate of the number of hours required for each labor category, fully loaded fixed hourly rate or each labor category, breakdown and rationale for other direct costs or materials, and the total amount.
In accordance with FAR 19.704 and FAR Clause 52.219-9, the submission of a subcontracting plan by other than small business offeror(s) is a requirement as a part of the proposal submission process and is to be submitted separately from the technical and cost proposals. An offeror's subcontracting plan must be determined to be acceptable, by the Contracting Officer, prior to the contract award. Offerors are required to submit a subcontracting plan electronically using the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Small Business Customer Experience (SBCX) system via the link below:
https://osdbu.hhs.gov/subcontracting/bcf0a5d2-65c5-4516-a0a9-83b514e4fa3a
The official point of receipt for determining timely submission of an offeror's subcontracting plan is the SBCX system and/or email notification. Once thesubcontracting plan is successfully submitted in the SBCX system the offeror should receive an email notification and confirmation message of completion upon submission. If an offeror's subcontracting plan is not confirmed as received within the SBCX system by the proposal submission date specified in the solicitation, it will be considered late. Disposition of late submittals of a subcontracting plan by an offeror via the SBCX system is at the discretion of the Contracting Officer. See attached document “SBCX Industry Subcontracting Guide” for additional information.
The Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov, 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.
All questions must be received by 2:00 pm Eastern Time, on Friday, June 14, 2024, and reference Solicitation Number 75N95024Q00278. Questions may be submitted electronically to [email protected].
All quotations must be received by 9:00 am Eastern Time, on Thursday, June 27, 2024, and reference Solicitation Number 75N95024Q00278. Responses must be submitted electronically to [email protected].
Fax responses will not be accepted.