36C24819Q0966-001.docx

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in 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. Solicitation number 36C24819Q0966 is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). This document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular FAC Number: 2019-03, Effective Date: July 12, 2019. This procurement is set-aside based on an order of priority as established in 38 U.S.C. 8127.

The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code for this acquisition is 334516, size standard 1000 Employees.

This solicitation is set aside 100% for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business.

BRAND NAME OR EQUAL: Fear conditioning and PhenoTyper systems Manufacturer: Noldus

Price Schedule

ETHOVISION AND MULTIPLE ARENA MODULE

ETHOVISION XT TRIAL AND HARDWARE CONTROL

MONCHROME GIGE CAMERA

FEAR CONDITIONING CHAMBER, MOUSE

DESTOP COMPUTER

PHENOTYPER WITH COGNITION WALL

ONSITE TRAINING

GRAND TOTAL

DELIVERY SCHEDULE

13000 BRUCE B. DOWNS

Research

TAMPA, FL 33612

FOB: Destination

STATEMENT OF NEED

GENERAL: James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, Research and Development Services, 13000 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, Florida 33612, has a requirement for additional behavioral testing equipment.

BACKGROUND: The James A Haley research department conducts studies of aging and traumatic brain injury for prevention and treatment of veterans. The consequences of Aging and Traumatic Brian Injury (TBI), are highly prevalent in the veteran population.

PURPOSE: The equipment will enhance the ability of the researcher to measure small changes in brain function relating to learning and memory during aging and following traumatic brain injury.

SCOPE: James A Haley is requesting contractors provide brand name or equal equipment that meets or exceed the physical, functional and performance of the listed salient characteristics in this section. The equipment feature is essential to the technical requirements to meet the need of the government.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: Equipment must have the physical characteristics to enable the government to perform the capabilities:

A. Ethovision XT Base and Multiple arena Module software (x2) B. Ethovision XT Trial and hardware Control Module and I/O box (x2) C. Monochrome GigE camera D. Fear Conditioning chamber Mouse (x2) E. Phenotyper with cognition wall setup mouse (x4) F. Desktop computer (x2) FUNCTIONAL AND PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS: Equipment must provide the following functional and performance capability to ensure the false reading or results from the equipment during prevention of test:

fear conditioning system features

· Automatic detection of freezing - even in total darkness

· Specific sizes for rats or mice

· Ability to alter the color and texture of the cage walls and floor

· Multiple cage set-up technical specifications

· Touch-screen controller

· Sound, in the range 100Hz-40KHz; 1-150dB or white noise.

· Shock: constant current (from 0.1 to 2.9 mA in 0.1 mA steps). The shock can be controlled via external operation (via 5V TTL signals)

· Light Phenotyper home cage features

· Full integration of the test environment and video equipment

· IR-sensitive camera, light filter, and IR light sources ensure robust recording regardless of ambient light conditions in the laboratory

· Built-in acoustic and visual light stimuli can be used to elicit behavioral responses, such as anxiety-related and operant behavior

· White spot light can be turned on inside PhenoTyper to create a light gradient, for instance, to assess light-dark preferences

· Food and drink station and a shelter to allow an animal to live inside the PhenoTyper home cage for days in a row

· Extendable with different add-ons including the cognition wall

· Compatible with EthoVision XT and The Observer® XT

USB-IO box features

· 12 TTL control connections representing 24 TTL output lines and 24 TTL input lines

· 12 Special Device Interface connections

Computers:

features

· Processor: Intel Core i7-8700K, 6 Core, 12MB Cache, 3.7GHz, 4.7Ghz Turbo w/ UHD Graphics 630 processor

· Graphics card: NVIDIA Quadro P400

· Memory: 8GB 2x4GB DDR4 2666MHz non-ECC memory

· Hard drive configuration: 3.5-inch 1TB 7200rpm SATA hard drive

· Hard drive: M.2 256GB PCIe NVMe Class 40 solid state hard drive

· Optical drive: 8x DVD+/-RW 9.5mm optical drive

SOFTWARE

Ethovision Software modules for measuring and recording behavior from the chambers features

· Automated detection settings. Based on your video file or live feed, default detection settings are suggested.

· Step by step tool for creating arena definitions.

· Center body point detection.

· Instant and automatic detection: Based on your video feed, the software suggests a set of detection settings.

· “Activity detection” (in addition to video tracking): pinpoints pixel changes in the arena for each frame, ideal for identifying freezing behavior. Even in low contrast lighting, activity detection still works.

· Batch acquisition allows you to acquire the tracks from many videos all at once.

· Simultaneous live tracking and MPEG-4 encoding (requires appropriate hardware) allows integrated visualization of acquired tracks and the stored video file.

· Built-in analysis of all parameters; trial and group statistics presented in tables and graphs.

ethovision xt – multiple arenas module add on to software features

· Up to 100 arenas can be tracked simultaneously.

· EthoVision XT automatically starts and stops tracking when user-defined conditions are met. With the Multiple Arenas Module, these conditions work for each arena separately

ETHOVISION XT-TRIAL AND HARDWARE CONTROLE MODULE

features

· External equipment can be controlled based on the behavior of the animal.

· The reaction of the animal can be recorded and the relation between the manipulation and reaction can be analyzed

Contractor must be responsible for the complete software system integration and installation to the current VA system to include all fees, permits, and work required to accomplish the installation. Requirements include: Software Microsoft 10.0. The computers will not be connected to the internet or intranet and will only be used to run the equipment.

TRAINING: Contractor is to provide a one-time training at installation of equipment. Government will not require additional training.

WARRANTY OF EQUIPMENT: Government requirement for standard manufacturer industry warranty term. Government does not accept extended warranty, which requires advance payment.

DELIVERY SCHEDULE: All items to be delivered and or installed within 30 days of purchase order processing and order placement.

The following Clauses applies to this acquisition:

The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and no additional addenda to the clause included

The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

· 52.225-13

The clause at VAAR 852.219-10 VA NOTICE OF TOTAL SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (JUL 2016)(DEVIATION)

The clause at VAAR 852.232-72 ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF PAYMENT REQUESTS (NOV 2018)

The clause at VAAR 852.237-70 CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES (APR 1984)

The clause at VAAR 852.246-71 REJECTED GOODS (OCT 2018)

The clause at VAAR 852.273-70 LATE OFFERS (JAN 2003)

The clause at VAAR 852.211.70 Equipment Operation and Maintenance Manuals, applies to this acquisition.

The following Provisions applies to this acquisition:

The provision at 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Oct 2016) The provision at 52.211-6, BRAND NAME OR EQUAL

The provision at 52.212-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL ITEMS Provisions that are incorporated by reference (by Citation Number, Title, and Date), have 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 following provisions are incorporated into 52.212-1 as an addendum to this solicitation:

Gray Market Prevention Language

(a) Gray market items are Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) goods sold through unauthorized channels in direct competition with authorized distributors. This procurement is for new OEM medical supplies, medical equipment and/or services contracts for maintenance of medical equipment (i.e. replacement parts) for VA Medical Centers. No remanufactures or gray market items will be acceptable.

(b) Vendor shall be an OEM, authorized dealer, authorized distributor or authorized reseller for the proposed medical supplies, medical equipment and/or services contracts for maintenance of medical equipment (i.e. replacement parts), verified by an authorization letter or other documents from the OEM, such that the OEM’s warranty and service are provided and maintained by the OEM. All software licensing, warranty and service associated with the medical supplies, medical equipment and/or services contracts for maintenance of medical equipment shall be in accordance with the OEM terms and conditions.

(c) The delivery of gray market items to the VA in the fulfillment of an order/award constitutes a breach of contract. Accordingly, the VA reserves the right enforce any of its contractual remedies. This includes termination of the contract or, solely at the VA’s election, allowing the Vendor to replace, at no cost to the Government, any remanufactured or gray market item(s) delivered to a VA medical facility upon discovery of such items.

The provision at 52.212-2 EVALUATION—COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014)

(a) The comparative evaluation will be performed in accordance with FAR 13.106-2(b)(3). 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.

The Government will award a Firm-Fixed Price contract to the responsible quoter using a comparative evaluation. The comparative evaluation will be performed in accordance with FAR 13.106-2(b)(3). The government reserves the right to select a quotation that provides benefit to the government that exceeds the minimum but is not required to do so. Quoters are advised that quotation may exceed the requirements, but the government is not requesting or accepting alternate quotes; each response must respond to the solicitation requirement, stated in the RFQ.

The government will apply the following comparative evaluation process as the basis for award:

Assess the direct comparison of one quote with another using a uniform and fair approach to determine which quote provides the government what it needs, where and when in accordance with the SON and RFQ.

Once one quotation is found acceptable, it is compared to the remaining ones, and the “best” one is chosen for the best value to the government.

The Government may rely on internal documentation including the Contract Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). and contracting officer’s knowledge of and previous experience with supply or service being acquired for determining Past Performance. If no record of past performance is found in FAPIS or PPIRS, the contract shall not receive a favorable or unfavorable rating but shall receive a rating of neutral.

Price shall be submitted using the enclosed Price Schedule.

Information not contained in a vendor’s quote will not be considered during the evaluation. The Government intends to make award selection without clarification but may determine after evaluating submitted quotes that the elements stated in FAR 13.106-2(b) for evaluation procedures are necessary and conduct them as appropriate. The Government reserves the right to make no award if no quotes meet the requirements of this solicitation.

The provision at 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items. The Offeror shall complete only paragraph (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certification electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM) website located at https://www.sam.gov/portal

All quoters categorized as Veteran concern must be certified as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) in VetBiz/VIP: https://www.vip.vetbiz.gov/ prior to award. All quoters must have an active and complete registration in SAM: https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/ prior to award.

The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) and assigned rating is not applicable.

Any questions concerning this solicitation shall be submitted to Calixte Saintil via email: Calixte.Saintil@va.gov, no later than July 23, 2019. All quotes shall be submitted to Calixte Saintil & Frank Lloyd via email: Calixte.Saintil@va.gov /Frank.Lloyd@va.gov not later than July 24, 2019, 3:00 PM, EST.