Amendment 2 CC4CARB.pdf

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AMENDMENT #2

RFP-NIAID-75N93019R00024

“CHEMISTRY CENTER FOR COMBATING ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA (CC4CARB)”

AMENDMENT No. 2

Amendment Number: Two (2)

Amendment Issue Date: January 29, 2020

Proposal Due Date: March 16, 2020 3:00PM EST (UNCHANGED)

Issued By:

Jonathan Bryan Contracting Officer Office of Acquisitions, DEA National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health 5601 Fishers Lane, Room 3D30

MSC 9821

Rockville, Maryland 20852-9821

Point of Contact:

Jonathan Bryan, Contracting Officer Email: jonathan.bryan@nih.gov.

Offerors must acknowledge receipt of the final posting of Amendment #2, on each copy of the proposal submitted. Failure to receive your acknowledgment of this Amendment may result in the rejection of your proposal.

The hour and date specified for receipt of proposals HAS NOT been extended.

PURPOSE OF SOLICITATION AMENDMENT:

The purpose of this amendment is to address questions regarding RFP 75N93019R00024.

Question 1: The BAA calls for the solicitation of the Chemical Library Design from external scientists. What is the incentive for an external group to put in the time for the library design and submit the designs to the Prime contractor for review and approval by NIAID and the synthesis of the libraries by the Prime contractor? How are the external scientists being paid for their effort?

Answer 1: It is expected that the main incentive for members of the scientific community to propose design ideas to the CC4CARB for synthesis is that (if selected) the center will provide the requestor samples of the final compounds free-of-charge. In addition, as mentioned in the SOW (Attachment 3, Section 3A), there is an opportunity for PIs of selected design projects to engage in with the CC4CARB contractor as a consultant and receive compensation for their contributions in providing input, feedback, and possibly redesign efforts during the synthesis of their proposed compounds:

mailto:jonathan.bryan@nih.gov.

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“The contractor shall: Manage selected design project awards, including establishing consultant agreements with external Principal Investigators (PIs) of awarded projects and coordination of interactions between design PI (Consultants) and Chemistry Center chemists, to deliver multiple compound library designs over the period of the individual design project. “

Question 2: From SOW: “The Government anticipates producing 20,000 rationally designed and structurally diverse compounds originating from >150 compound libraries over the period of the contract.”

Does this cover only the base period (12 months), the period of performance from the base period plus all term option periods [12 month-base period plus A1-A4 (5y) and A5-A7 (3y); total of eight years], or a different period of performance?

Answer 2: The cited estimate for the number of compounds anticipated is for the base period (12 months) plus four term options that replicate the base period activities (A1-A4) for a total of 5 years.

The additional term options (A5-A7) cover only those activities necessary for compound management and are intended to enable continued maintenance of the final compound library and distribution to requestors for up to an additional 3 years. The A5-A7 options do not include design or synthesis of new compounds.

Question 3: Should the solicitations of design ideas for new compound libraries and chemical series be structured such that they will generate the required number of compounds stated to be synthesized in the SOW for this RFP?

Answer 3: The number of compounds cited in the SOW is an estimate based on an average library size and number of libraries anticipated to likely be supported during a five-year period of performance (as outlined in the above response). It is expected that the final design ideas will vary with regard to targeted number of compounds, diversity and synthetic feasibility. The merits of each design idea should be considered in the review and prioritization of the designs that ultimately are submitted for COR approval for entering the synthesis queue. Achieving the specific target numbers cited in the SOW should not be the most important criteria but is provided as an indication of the scale and scope of chemistry effort that is anticipated.

Question 4: Will the contractor write and distribute the solicitations for proposed compound libraries?

Or will the solicitations be written and distributed by NIH? If so, then will the contractor be responsible for reviewing and selecting the libraries of choice?

Answer 4: As outlined in the SOW (Attachment 3, Section 3A), the contractor is responsible for developing and implementing “a plan for soliciting, reviewing and prioritizing proposals from the scientific community for the design of small-molecules …”. The NIAID COR will provide final approval of support for all design projects prior to initiation of synthesis efforts. However, the contractor is expected to establish a process, including formation and integration of a scientific advisory board, for receiving submissions of design ideas from the scientific community and prioritizing and recommending the most meritorious proposals to the COR for approval. Please note that the names of potential SAB members must NOT be included in the proposal, although a description of expected qualifications for

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SAB members and a description of the plans for engaging them in the library design review and selection process are required.

Question 5: Is the Contractor PI expected to serve on the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)? If not, will there be an internal review process in which the Contractor reviews the responses to the solicitations prior to being sent to the SAB for review?

Answer 5: Although the names of potential SAB members must NOT be included in the proposal, it is expected that a description of general qualifications for SAB members and a description of the plans for engaging them in the library design review and selection process are required. It is expected that the contractor shall work closely with the SAB to manage the review and prioritization of the design ideas, but it is up to the individual proposals whether the contract PI is a member of the SAB.

Question 6: Regarding compound synthesis requirements, is 13C NMR required on all final compounds?

Answer 6: 13C NMR data is not required for all final compounds. Adequate evidence to establish structural identity must accompany all new compounds to allow for the identification of the same compound by comparison of spectra data. When H NMR data does not provide sufficient basis of structural identification, 13C NMR is required to definitively confirm structural identity.