Digital Patch Clamp Rig and Amplifier System
COMBINED SYNOPSIS / SOLICITATION-COMPETITIVE Title: Digital Patch Clamp Rig and Amplifier System 1. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; Quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. 2. The solicitation number is 75N95021Q00215 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; and FAR Part 12—Acquisition of Commercial Items and is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition teshold. 3. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect tough Federal Acquisition Circular 2022-06, dated 04-26-2022. 4. NAICS Code: The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. The small business size standard is 1,000 employees. This requirement is not a small business set-aside. 5. Line Items: Tough this procurement NIDA anticipates a single award, firm fixed price purchase order for the Digital Patch Clamp Rig and Amplifier System and component parts as described in Attachment 1 – Purchase Description. It is anticipated that the warranty and support services shall consist of a 12-month Base Period, which will begin upon receipt of the items. Below is a table that contains the line item number and description of the requirement for the anticipated award of the Base Period. Line No. Description 1 dPatch Dual Headstage Digital Patch Clamp Amplifier System 2 Trio-MPC100 Controller and 2 MP-845 Manipulators 3 4-Channel Perfusion SYS, Pressurized, Inline Heated Pencil 2/250UL Tip - With N Adapter Standard H Insert. 4 BOB Microscope With EPI-Illuminator, Trinocular Head, Dual Trans Light 5 UPLFLN4X;U Plan Fluorite 4X Objective,NA 0.13, WD 17MM 6 LUMPLFLN40X/W;U M Plan FLN 40X/W NA0.8 WD3.3MM,IR,ECO 7 Differential Interference Contrast CONDNSRBOB W/40X 8 Motorized Translat.SYS/Sutter BOB 9 FLED - Dual Channel System For Olympus 10 Dual band pass filter set GFP/DsRed-A-OMF 11 NP-22U - 22U 2-post open frame rack with casters 12 NP-CS-8 - 1 U shelf, 8" (210mm) deep with lip 13 Rack Mount Hardware (Nuts, Screws and Washers) 14 4k Camera and Monitor (Comment: for visualization only. This camera does not acquire images) 15 Monitor Bracket 16 Shipping and Handling Charges 6. Project Requirement: A detailed description of the requirement and the salient characteristics is attached to this combined synopsis/solicitation, as Attachment #1 - Purchase Description. The purpose of this procurement is the acquisition of an electrophysiology rig for ultra-fast dynamic patch clamp measurements in brain slices to investigate how alternating hemiplegia of childhood affects electrical signaling in mouse brains. The National Institute for Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS) is a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which mission it is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease for all people. Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a genetic disease that causes neurological disabilities such as paralysis, stiffening, and abnormal coordination. The cause of AHC is a mutation that reduces the speed of the cell’s electrical generator, sodium-potassium ATPase. It is not known how this actually leads to the neurological symptoms, so there are no specific treatments for AHC. For example, it is not known whether neurons in AHC fail to respond to electrical signals, respond too quickly or slowly to signals, or send excessive signals. Since it is not ethical to study brain tissue from patients with AHC, the NINDS has a genetically modified mouse line with the mutation and symptoms of AHC. Studying slices of brain tissue from these mice by patch-clamp will allow NINDS to determine what electrical brain abnormalities cause AHC. The most suitable method of stimulating neurons and assessing their electrical response is dynamic patch clamp, where an ultra-fast electronic amplifier processes the signal from a single neuron and automatically responds. As part of the Technical Quote, the Offeror should include a brief description of the following items: a. Technical Capability and Functionality – The Offeror should describe the overall capability and functionality in relation to the General Requirement, Salient Characteristics, Quantity and Deliverables as described in the Purchase Description. b. Contract Management and Customer Support – The Offeror should describe the level of customer service, particularly in the area of initial responsiveness and resolution of device and service problems. The Offeror shall also describe any applicable warranty, customer support process. c. Speed of Delivery, Installation and Set-up – The Offeror should describe its approach for completeness, feasibility, soundness and practicality of the proposed approach and work plan for delivery and installation of the device. d. Past Performance – The Offeror should provide past performance information. Past performance information shall cover a minimum of 1 year in relevant services and deliveries of comparable systems. In each example the Offeror shall include a description of the system provided. Include the following information for each contract or subcontract listed: i. Name of Contracting Organization ii. Contract Number (for subcontracts, provide the prime contract number and the subcontract number) iii. Contract type iv. Total contract value v. Point of Contact name, telephone number, and email address 7. The dates for delivery and designated place and point of contract for delivery is identified in Attachment #1 - Purchase Description. 8. The provision at FAR clause 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. 9. The award resulting from this solicitation will be made to the responsible Offeror whose Quote is most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotations: Technical Criteria, Price, and Past Performance. A tradeoff process shall be used for this acquisition because it has been determined to be in the best interest of the Government to consider award to other than the lowest priced Offeror or other than the highest technically rated offeror. All evaluation factors and significant sub-factors are listed below in terms of their relative importance. Technical Factors and Past Performance when combined, are significantly more important than price. Evaluations will be based on the demonstrated capabilities of the prospective Offeror in relation to the needs of the project. The merits of each Quote will be evaluated carefully. Each Quote must document the feasibility of successful implementation of the requirements of this solicitation. The Offeror must submit information sufficient to evaluate its Quote based on the detailed factors listed below. a. Technical Evaluation Criteria 1. Technical Capability and Functionality NINDS shall evaluate the offeror’s technical approach for overall capability and functionality in relation to the General Requirement, Salient Characteristics, Quantity and Deliverables as described in the Purchase Description. 2. Contract Management and Customer Support NINDS shall evaluate the offeror’s ability to provide a high level of customer service, particularly in the area of initial responsiveness and resolution of device and service problems. Specifically, the Government will evaluate the Offeror’s capability based on its description of any applicable warranty, customer support process. 3. Speed of Delivery, Installation and Set-up NIDA shall evaluate the offeror’s technical approach for completeness, feasibility, soundness and practicality of the proposed approach and work plan for accomplishing the requirements of the Purchase Description. 4. Past Performance The Offeror shall provide past performance information. Past performance information shall cover a minimum of 1 year in relevant services and deliveries of comparable systems. The Offeror shall provide at least one reference for any project identified under the experience factor that has a performance period within the past tee years. For each reference, the offeror shall provide: (1) Organization/contracting partner's name; (2) Point of contact's (POC) name and contact information: Current phone numbers. Valid email addresses; (3) Description that precisely explains: General scope of the contract. Specific requirements of the contract. Offerors will be evaluated based on information obtained from references provided by the offeror, other relevant past performance information obtained from other sources known to the Government, and any information supplied by the offeror concerning problems encountered on the identified contracts and corrective action taken. Furthermore, the Government will assess the relative risks associated with each offeror. Performance risks are those associated with an offeror's likelihood of success in performing the acquisition requirements as indicated by that offeror's record of past performance. The assessment of performance risk is not intended to be the product of a mechanical or mathematical analysis of an offeror's performance on a list of contracts but rather the product of subjective judgment by the Government after it considers all available and relevant information. b. Price Evaluation Offerors price quote will be evaluated for reasonableness. For a price to be reasonable, it must represent a price to the government that a prudent person would pay when consideration is given to prices in the market. Normally, price reasonableness is established tough adequate price competition, but may also be determined tough cost and price analysis techniques. Price evaluation will not be conducted on any Offeror determined to be technically unacceptable. 10. The Offeror is to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Items, with its offer. Offerors must include the representation at 52.204-24 if it is not in in their completed FAR Representations and Certifications. A copy of that representation is attached as Attachment 2 - Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment. 11. The FAR clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. 12. The FAR clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. 13. Additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary for this acquisition are supplemented by: Attachment 1 – Purchase Description Attachment 2 – Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment Attachment 3 – Invoice Instructions Attachment 4 – Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) Instructions Attachment 5 – 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items (OCT 2018) Attachment 6 – 52.212-5 Addendum 14. This is not a rated order under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS). The resultant purchase order will provide that HHS reserves the right to exercise priorities and allocations authority with respect to this contract, to include rating this order in accordance with 45 CFR Part 101, Subpart A—Health Resources Priorities and Allocations System. 15. The response to the combined synopsis/solicitation is due no later than July 22, 2022 at 1:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Offers submitted after the deadline may not be considered. The response should be submitted in a searchable electronic format to the Contract Specialist, Shaun Rostad at shaun.rostad@nih.gov. Electronic submittals must include the combined synopsis/solicitation 75N95022Q00215 and the Title in the Subject Line. In addition, the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), 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. Technical Quotes shall be submitted in accordance with the General Requirement identified in Section 6 of this combined synopsis/solicitation. Any Quote, modification, or revision that is received at the designated Government office after the exact date and time specified for receipt of quotations is “late” and may not be considered. Quotes received “late” may not be evaluated or considered for award and may be returned to the Offeror. If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that Quotes cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of Quotes by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation closing date, the time specified for receipt of Quotes will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal Government processes resume. The Government reserves the right to award without discussions if the Contracting Officer determines that the initial cost/prices are fair and reasonable and that discussions are not necessary. 16. Questions and requests for clarification should be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist, Shaun Rostad at shaun.rostad@nih.gov on or before 1:00 pm July 19, 2022. Any questions or request for clarification must include the combined synopsis/solicitation 75N95022Q00215 and the Title in the Subject Line.
75N95022Q00215 Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Institute on Drug Abuse
7/15/22, 9:06 AM Digital Patch Clamp Rig and Amplifier System
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) are seeking Capability Statements from Small Business organizations with the demonstrated capability of providing equipment to support the NINDS with acquiring an electrophysiology rig for ultra-fast dynamic patch clamp measurements in brain slices to investigate how alternating hemiplegia of childhood affects electrical signaling in mouse brains. This is a 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 business sources; (2) the availability of capable 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. The established NAICS code is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. The U.S. Small Business Administration establishes a size standard for 334516 as 1,000 employees or less. BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND OBJECTIVE: Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a genetic disease that causes neurological disabilities such as paralysis, stiffening, and abnormal coordination. The cause of AHC is a mutation that reduces the speed of the cell’s electrical generator, sodium-potassium ATPase. It is not known how this actually leads to the neurological symptoms, so there are no specific treatments for AHC. For example, it is not known whether neurons in AHC fail to respond to electrical signals, respond too quickly or slowly to signals, or send excessive signals. Since it is not ethical to study brain tissue from patients with AHC, the NINDS has a genetically modified mouse line with the mutation and symptoms of AHC. Studying slices of brain tissue from these mice by patch-clamp will allow NINDS to determine what electrical brain abnormalities cause AHC. The most suitable method of stimulating neurons and assessing their electrical response is dynamic patch clamp, where an ultra-fast electronic amplifier processes the signal from a single neuron and automatically responds. GENERIC NAME OF PRODUCT: Ultra-fast dynamic patch clamp electrophysiology rig for mouse brain slices. PURCHASE DESCRIPTION: NINDS is seeking a vendor capable of providing an ultra-fast dynamic patch clamp electrophysiology rig for mouse brain slices to study electrical abnormalities in mouse brains to enable NINDS to better understand the cause of alternating hemiplegia of childhood. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Ultra-fast dynamic patch clamp electrophysiology rig system for mouse brain slices that consists of an amplifier, multimicromanipulator, microscope, and perfusion system. All components are integrated into a single system for software control and to reduce electrical noise. The amplifier is compact and fits into a single rack unit to minimize electrical noise. The rig is capable of performing measurements from tissue slices and from cell cultures. Additional salient characteristics include: a. One (1) amplifier unit integrated with computer interface and able to perform single-channel and whole-cell patch clamp in both tissue slices and cell culture. b. The amplifier is capable of dynamic clamp such as with SutterPatch software or equivalent. c. One (1) multi-micromanipulator system with computer control, tee-axis movement, and mounting system able to accommodate a pipette holder. d. One (1) microscope system with software-controlled integration that coordinates movement with the multi-micromanipulator. e. One (1) perfusion system. The perfusion system can be controlled by patch clamp software and includes analog event marking. The perfusion system is capable of inline heating and spill sensing. Vendors shall also deliver and install the system on site and provide set-up and training to NINDS after installation. Vendor will also provide a One (1) year commercial warranty. INSTRUCTIONS: All capability statements must also include the following: 1) company name and address; 2) point of contact; 3) phone/fax/email; 4) NAICS Code(s); 5) business size and status; 6) capability information in response to the requirement and qualifications identified in this notice; and 7) type of small business your organization classifies itself as (i.e.: Women-Owned, HUBZone, etc.). Each capability statement must include the respondent’s Unique Entity Identifier number, organization name, and address. Each response should include the technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses. The capability statement should clearly identify the size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, Non-Profit, Other Than Small Business, etc.), pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. One (1) copy of the response is required and must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2” x 11” paper size, with 1” top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing. The information submitted must be in an outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirement and in the capability statement paragraphs stated herein. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required. Any business concerns that believe they possess the capability necessary to successfully undertake the work described above must SUBMIT CAPABILITY STATEMENTS ELECTRONICALLY to the Contract Specialist, Shaun Rostad at Shaun.Rostad@nih.gov, NO LATER THAN 3:00 p.m. EST on May 6, 2022. The Subject line for the submission should include this Sources Sought Number and organization name. NIDA will not accept paper or faxed capability statements. THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. This notice is for information and planning purposes only and does not commit the Government to any contractual agreement. 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 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 a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. 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).
75N95022Q00215 Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Institute on Drug Abuse
4/27/22, 9:13 AM