SpecimenRepository_ Amendment3.pdf

AMENDMENT #3, RFP No. 75N93020R00006

Amendment No. 3

RFP No. 75N93020R00006 “NIAID Specimen Repository”

Solicitation Number:

Amendment Number:

Amendment Issue Date:

75N93020R00006

Three (3)

April 30, 2020

Response Date:

May 20, 2020 at 3:00 PM, Local Time (Unchanged)

Issued By: Michelle L. Scala Contracting Officer

OA/DEA/NIAID/NIH/DHHS

5601 Fishers Lane, Room 3D10, MSC 9821 Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9821

Points of Contact: PRIMARY:

kim.brookens@nih.gov Kim Brookens, Contracting Officer Phone: 301-761-5140

SECONDARY:

mscala@niaid.nih.gov Michelle L. Scala, Contracting Officer Phone: 240-669-5156

The purpose of this amendment is to answer a question from a potential offeror regarding the solicitation.

Offerors must acknowledge receipt of this amendment by identifying this amendment number and date of the amendment on each copy of the proposal submitted. Failure to receive your acknowledgement may result in the rejection of your proposal. Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged and in full force and effect.

mailto:kim.brookens@nih.gov mailto:anhughes@niaid.nih.gov

Questions from Potential Offerors:

Question 1:

Can you please let me know if it is possible to replace aging mechanical -80C freezers with LN2 tanks that also hold the temperature at -80C? The RFP allows for the purpose of replacement freezers, but I am wondering if the funds can be used for tanks as well?

There are long-term benefits of moving away from mechanical freezers in favor of tanks.

Response to Question 1:

The Offeror should consider all instructions in the RFP, but the following three sections are particularly relevant to the Offeror’s question regarding budgeting for freezers:

• Attachment 6: Additional Business Proposal Instructions and Uniform Cost Assumptions

• SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD, paragraph 1. GENERAL, and paragraph 2. COST/PRICE EVALUATION.

• SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS; 2.

Instructions to Offerors, paragraph a. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS, subparagraph 5.

Alternate Proposals.

The Offeror will need to decide how to budget for the proposal that puts together their best overall proposal for the solicitation. Below are excerpts from the above listed sections of the solicitation that are particularly relevant to the question, but please consider all instructions in the solicitation when putting together your proposal:

Attachment 6: Additional Business Proposal Instructions and Uniform Cost Assumptions, Section 3, Uniform Cost Assumptions, Paragraph a, Technical Cost Assumptions, subparagraph 5, Ongoing activities during the contract period of performance, paragraph b, Store specimens under optimal conditions to minimize loss, damage or contamination, 3rd paragraph which states:

“Offerors should estimate costs for service and maintenance for 204 -80°C mechanical freezers and 43 liquid nitrogen freezers according to manufacturer specifications.

Include the cost of providing the liquid nitrogen. Each mechanical freezer contains an average of 40 racks, and an average of 545 2” boxes of vials. Each 2” box can hold 81 1ml vials. Offerors should assume the purchase of 22 new -80°C mechanical freezers per year and 1 new liquid nitrogen freezers per year, as well as account for the cost of the associated space necessary to house the expanded freezer acquisitions. Freezers shall be purchased as needed to accommodate sample inventory received, to replace broken freezers, as well as to keep that age of the freezers under 20 years old. Offerors shall ensure 10% freezer backup space is available for the collection in case of freezer failure or irregular increases in collection volume.”

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD, paragraph 1. GENERAL, and paragraph 2. COST/PRICE EVALUATION.

1. GENERAL

“Selection of an offeror for contract award will be based on an evaluation of proposals against three factors. The factors in order of importance are: technical, cost, and past performance. Although technical factors are of paramount consideration in the award of the contract, past performance and cost/price are also important to the overall contract award decision. All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost. The Government intends to make an award(s) to that offeror whose proposal provides the best overall value to the Government.”

2. COST/PRICE EVALUATION

“Offeror(s) cost/price proposal 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 through adequate price competition, but may also be determined through cost and price analysis techniques as described in FAR 15.404.”

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS; 2. Instructions to Offerors, paragraph a. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS, subparagraph 5. Alternate Proposals.

5. Alternate Proposals “You may, at your discretion, submit alternate proposals, or proposals which deviate from the requirements; provided, that you also submit a proposal for performance of the work as specified in the statement of work. Such proposals may be considered if overall performance would be improved or not compromised and if they are in the best interests of the Government. Alternative proposals, or deviations from any requirements of this RFP, shall be clearly identified.”