75N95023Q00581 - SB Sources Sought Notice.pdf

Document Type: Sources Sought Notice

Solicitation No. 75N95023Q00581

Project Title: Brand name or equal: Leica TP1020 Tissue Processor & Embedding Center

Classification Code: 6640 – Laboratory Equipment and Supplies

NAICS Code: 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing

Contracting Office Address:

NIDA Section, Contracts Management Branch Red Office of Acquisition, NIDA C/O NIH Mail Center

NIDA 3WFN MSC 6023

16071 Industrial Drive – Dock 11 Gaithersburg, MD 20877 (20892 for USPS)

DESCRIPTION:

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is seeking Capability Statements from Small Business organizations under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 334516, that are able to provide brand name or equal: Leica TP1020 Automatic Benchtop Tissue Processor, Semi-Enclosed & HistoCore Arcadia Embedding Center.

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:

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal focal point for health research. Its mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and apply that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.

The NINDS, which is an Institute within the NIH, seeks to reduce the burden of neurological disease through supporting and conducting basic, translational, and clinical research on the healthy and diseased nervous system, fostering the training of investigators in the basic and clinical neurosciences, and seeking better understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of neurological disorders.

The NPU is procuring a tissue processor and an embedder so it can process tissue within the Surgical Neurology Branch. With this equipment it will be able to take any tissue from time of collection and/or fixation and perform tissue processing for downstream histological staining and imaging. Overall, this equipment will allow the NPU to perform full histological services, which encompass tissue acquisition and all the steps on along the way for tissue processing and staining for histomorphological analysis.

REQUIREMENT: One Tissue Processor & Embedding Center

NINDS requires a brand name or equal Leica TP1020 Automatic Benchtop Tissue Processor, Semi- Enclosed & HistoCore Arcadia Embedding Center with the following properties and characteristics:

Salient Characteristics:

Essential features of the Tissue Processor & Embedding Center must include:

Tissue Processor

• Must be compact desktop model for taking up less lab space

• Must include standard tissue basket capacity is 100 cassettes to support variable workloads

• Reagent container must have the capacity of1.8 liters

• Must include delayed start time for flexible schedules (delayed start time of up to 9 days)

• Must include at least 9 programmable configurations to provide the lab with flexibility to meet individual requirements of research and clinical labs

• Must include semi-enclosed processor, which reduces exposure to hazardous fumes and does not require an additional fume hood

• Must include tissue infiltration under vacuum, which allows for substantially improved infiltration of tissue in a shorter time

• Independent cooling module with large working surface for high tissue block capacity must be included

• Must have an LCD control touch screen for simple programming

Embedding Center

• Must include modular unit, which allows flexibility of work space configuration

• Must include independent heating module for precise thermal control and ease of paraffin dispensing

• Modular unit must allow for flexibility of work space configuration

• Must include LCD control touch screen for simple programming

• Must include independent heating module for precise thermal control and ease of paraffin dispensing

• Must include independent cooling module with large working surface for high tissue block capacity

Anticipated Delivery Date:

The equipment shall be delivered within 30 days after contractor receipt of order.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Companies that believe they possess the capabilities to provide the required product should submit documentation of their ability to meet each of the requirements to the Contracting Officer. The capability statement must specifically address each of the 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 and/or other government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs) by which all of the requirements may be met, if applicable, and 4) any other information considered relevant to this program. Capability statements must also include the Company Name, Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov, Physical Address, and Point of Contact Information. The response must include the respondents’ technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses.

Interested companies are required to identify their type of business, applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 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.

The established NAICS code is 334516. Respondents must provide clear and convincing documentation of their capability of providing the products and support services specified in this notice. Also, information must be provided in sufficient details of the respondents’ (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, formal and other training; (b) capability to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) compliance with requirements: Vendors must identify and demonstrate specifically how they will meet the requirements listed above.

Any other specific and relevant information about this particular area of procurement that would improve our consideration and evaluation of the information presented is desirable. Documentation may include, but not be limited to, contracts both Government and commercial the organization performed, references, i.e., names, titles, telephone numbers and any other information serving to document the organizations capability, e.g., awards, commendations, etc.

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 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, Shivani Patel at Shivani.patel@nih.gov, NO LATER THAN 12:00 p.m. EST on August 4, 2023. 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 mailto:Shivani.patel@nih.gov 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 on SAM.gov. 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).

POINTS OF CONTACT:

Primary Point of Contact:

Shivani Patel Contract Specialist shivani.patel@nih.gov Phone: 301-594-0527

Secondary Point of Contact:

Evan Feely Contracting Officer evan.feely@nih.gov Phone: 301- 827-5301 mailto:Rob.Bailey@nih.gov mailto:evan.feely@nih.gov