Whole genome sequencing for Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) participants
(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 75N95021Q00240 and the solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures; FAR Subpart 13.5—Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items; and FAR Part 12—Acquisition of Commercial Items, and is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition teshold. (iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect tough Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) Number 2021-06, with effective date July 12, 2021. (iv) The associated NAICS code 621511 and the small business size standard is $35 million. No set-aside restriction is applicable. (v) Background and Objectives: Health disparities in age-related conic conditions such as obesity and conic kidney disease (CKD) are well documented. Importantly, obesity and CKD have been linked to accelerated aging, the risk for age-associated conditions at younger ages than usual. Although genetics may contribute to observed health disparities, there are only limited studies in the racial and ethnic minority populations most affected by obesity and CKD. The objective of this work is to examine health disparities associated with obesity and CKD tough whole genome sequencing to investigate the contributions of genomics to the disproportionate burden of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, and mortality in minority groups within the United States. (vi) Project Requirements: Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to perform the Statement of Work attached to this solicitation. (vii) The Government anticipates award of a firm fixed-price purchase order for this acquisition. The anticipated period of performance is for 12 months from the date of award. (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: FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Oct 2018) FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020) FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (Jun 2020) FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (Aug 2020) HHSAR 352.239-73, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Notice (December 18, 2015) 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: FAR 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018) FAR 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020) FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items (Oct 2018). Addendum to this FAR clause applies to this acquisition and is attached. HHSAR 352.222-70, Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (December 18, 2015) HHSAR 352.239-74, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility (December 2015) 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. FAR 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Oct 2020) FAR 52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation (Oct 2020) FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (Jan 2021) NIH Invoice and Payment Provisions/Instructions for Submitting Electronic invoices (viii) The provision at FAR clause 52.212-2, Evaluation – Commercial Items, 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: Factor 1. Technical Approach; Factor 2. Past Performance, Factor 3. Cost or Price. Evaluation Criteria is attached to this solicitation. Technical approach, and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. (b) 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. (ix) The Offerors are to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with its offer. (x) There are no additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions applicable to this acquisition. (xi) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement. (xii) 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. The Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), 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 quotations from responsible sources must be submitted electronically (by email) to Fred Ettehadieh, Contracting Officer, at fred.ettehadieh@nih.gov by the closing date and time of this solicitation, and reference Solicitation number 75N95021Q00240. Fax responses will not be accepted. (xiii) All responses must be received by the specified closing date and time in order to be considered. 75N95021Q00240 Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Institute on Drug Abuse
7/13/21, 10:16 PM Whole genome sequencing for Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) participants
This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. 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 NAICS code 541380 should not submit a response to this notice. This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. Background and Objectives: Health disparities in age-related conic conditions such as obesity and conic kidney disease (CKD) are well documented. Importantly, obesity and CKD have been linked to accelerated aging, the risk for age-associated conditions at younger ages than usual. Although genetics may contribute to observed health disparities, there are only limited studies in the racial and ethnic minority populations most affected by obesity and CKD. The objective of this work is to examine health disparities associated with obesity and CKD tough whole genome sequencing to investigate the contributions of genomics to the disproportionate burden of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, and mortality in minority groups within the United States Project Requirements: Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed. The contractor shall deliver plates to the Government sufficient to run 217 samples, some of which have been stored for ten or more years. The Contractor shall perform whole genome sequencing, and specifically shall: • confirm genomic DNA quantity and quality by performing DNA concentration measurements and volume checks • examine agarose gels on all samples as an industry-standard method for screening DNA marker quality prepare PCR-free sequence libraries for all samples • sequence the libraries at a minimum of 30x coverage with 2×150 base pair runs • provide the Government the opportunity to replace any sample that fails to pass these quality checks at no extra charge • perform primary and secondary analysis of the sequencing data including but not limited to read alignment, variant calling, and quality control analyses • provide written summaries and documentation of the methods used to perform the whole genome sequencing pipeline • supply the whole genome sequencing data in a mutually acceptable electronic format that preserves study participants’ confidentiality. Following data delivery and upon request by the Government, the Contractor shall provide attendance at Government laboratory staff meetings and the Contractor shall provide technical consultations as needed. Delivery or Deliverables: The Contractor shall provide the following deliverables: • Analytic plates delivered to the Government at the Biomedical Research Center in Baltimore, MD • A report on the concentration of all genomic DNA samples • A report on the genomic DNA sample integrity and purity • A summary report outlining any problems from sample quality control metrics • PCR-free sequencing libraries for all samples • Electronic sequencing data in a mutually agreed upon device that shall contain the analysis-ready, aligned reads in the electronic compressed version of binary alignment map (CRAM) file format, along with the reference genome version used for alignment, and joint multi-sample called variants in the electronic variant call format (VCF) file format. These electronic data files shall be securely transferred to a portable disk drive and delivered to the Government at the Biomedical Research Center. • Upon the Government’s request, written summaries and documentation of all methods and parameters used to perform the whole genome sequencing pipeline • Upon the Government’s request, attend staff meetings and provide technical consultations as needed. Anticipated Period of Performance: The anticipated period of performance is for (12) months. Capability Statement: Small business concerns that believe they possess the capabilities to provide the required services should submit documentation of their ability to meet each of the project requirements to the Contracting Officer. The capability statement must specifically address each of the project requirements separately. Additionally, the capability statement should include 1) the total number of employees, 2) the professional qualifications of personnel as it relates to the requirements outlined, 3) any contractor GSA Schedule contracts by which all of the requirements may be met, if applicable, and 4) any other information considered relevant to this program. Small businesses must also provide their Company Name, DUNS number, Physical Address, and Point of Contact Information. Interested small businesses are required to identify their type of business, applicable North American Industry Classification System Code, and size standards in accordance with the Small Business Administration. The government requests that no proprietary or confidential business data be submitted in a response to this notice. However, responses that indicate the information therein is proprietary will be properly safeguarded for Government use only. Capability statements must include the name and telephone number of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss responses with Government representatives. Capability statements in response to this market survey that do not provide sufficient information for evaluation will be considered non-responsive. When submitting this information, please reference the solicitation notice number. All capability statements sent in response to this Small Business Sources Sought Notice must be submitted to Fred Ettehadieh, Contracting Officer, by email at fred.ettehadieh@nih.gov before the closing date and time of this announcement. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered. Facsimile responses are not acceptable. Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in the response. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your 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 qualifications to perform the work. 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 review of the responses received, pre-solicitation and solicitation notices may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. The solicitation release date is pending. Confidentiality No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). HHS-NIH-NIDA(AG)-SBSS-75N95021Q00240 Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Institute on Drug Abuse
6/17/21, 5:54 PM