B. NOTICE OF INTENT to Sole Source.pdf

NOTICE OF INTENT to Sole Source

SOLICITATION NUMBER:

RFQ 75N95025Q00107

TITLE:

Imaris 10.2 for Neuroscientists (FL)

CLASSIFICATION CODE:

DA10 IT and Telecom – Business Application/Application Development Software as A Service

NAICS CODE: 541519 Other Computer Related Services

RESPONSE DATE:

December 30, 2024

PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT:

Shayna Simpson, Contract Specialist NINDS Contracts Management Branch, NIDA Shayna.Simpson@nih.gov

DESCRIPTION:

THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD ON A SOLE

SOURCE BASIS. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE/PROPOSALS.

On behalf of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the Office of Acquisitions Contracts Management Branch Red, NINDS Section of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), intends to solicit on a sole-source basis by a request for quotation to Oxford Instruments Andor Technology Inc. for the IMARIS 10.2 (FL) for Neuroscientists Software on or around December 30, 2024 with an award issued on or around January 15, 2025. The purpose of this acquisition is to acquire IMARIS for Neuroscientist (FL) offers a range of advanced features designed for 3D and 4D microscopy image analysis. The FL package consists of node-locked licenses for IMARIS and a variety of modules, which is ideal for researchers who want to visualize, detect and study relationships between various objects to include filaments, dendritic spines, points and surfaces.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE and SET ASIDE STATUS The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 541519 Other Computer Related Services with a Size Standard of $30M.

mailto:Shayna.Simpson@nih.gov

This acquisition is NOT set aside for small businesses, but rather is a sole-source acquisition to Oxford Instruments Andor Technology Inc.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Subpart 13.106-1 (b) Soliciting from a single source.

BACKGROUND, PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF REQUIREMENT

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes (NINDS) supports research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of neurological disorders and stroke. The NINDS is a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducting research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of neurological disorders and stroke. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease. The lab would hire outside assistance from various cellular analysis companies such as, Pathomics, to facilitate their cellular analysis. This costs the lab a lot of funding as well as time due to the slow return from these companies. The return on investment was not and will continue to not be as positive as doing the analysis ourselves here with the use of our own software. We currently have access to several confocal devices and are only lacking in the need for software to perform cellular analysis. The DTAP lab has been investigating the BTB of high grade gliomas in young adults for several years now with many publications detailing various targets and pathways for potential therapeutics. For the past year, recent studies have increased to form a better understanding of the neighboring neuronal immune cells involved in the production of the BTB. With a better understanding of the cellular interactions between glioma tumor cells and neuronal immune cells, targeted therapies can be developed in relation to specific cell types and their specific genes expressed. It is critical that we not only test drug delivery and development in the rat experimental model but also collect tissue for further investigation of the cellular interactions.

Temporospatial cues such as location and morphology are also crucial and beneficial factors to investigating immune-stained tissue. The IMARIS software will allow for us to analyze and quantify our findings thus leading to high impact journal publications. To continue to support cutting-edge research performed by the NIH scientific community, it is essential to acquire this software.

CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION

(INCLUDING BRAND-NAME) DETERMINATION

Oxford Instruments Andor Technology Inc., is the only contractor authorized and capable of providing the IMARIS 10.2 (FL) for Neuroscientists Software. IMARIS is the only software that allows fluorescence detection, numerical, special, and comprehensive 3D and 4D visualization capabilities, advanced image segmentation, and quantitative analysis tools. IMARIS supports a broad range of imaging technologies and is renowned for its intuitive interface, powerful data handling, and exceptional customer support, making it a top choice for complex imaging workflows and large-scale data analysis.

Oxford Instruments/Andor Technology Inc. is the sole producer, original equipment manufacturer, and exclusive distributor of the IAMRIS software. Oxford Instruments/Andor Technology does not authorize other contractors third party vendors to produce the IAMRIS; however they do permit third party vendors to distribute the IAMRIS software. Use of any other similar software would jeopardize the continuity of the NINDS ongoing laboratory experiments and reproducibility of results. Non-functional equipment, inappropriately calibrated equipment, or equipment with incorrect parts, software updates, or other unsupported service provided by a non-authorized vendor, would void data standardization and cause irreparably damage to NIH research data.

Oxford Instruments/Andor Technology Inc. is the only source authorized by the OEM to provide IMARIS 10.2 (FL) for Neuroscientists Software.

In accordance with FAR part 10, extensive market research was conducted to reach this determination. Specifically, contact with knowledgeable individuals both in industry and Government, as well as reviews of available product literature, revealed no other sources. A review of the GSA Advantage, Dynamic Small Business Search, and previous Government acquisitions returned no results that meet all requirements. Oxford Instruments Andor Technology Inc. is the only OEM-authorized provider for this equipment. Therefore, only Oxford Instruments Andor Technology Inc., is found to be capable of meeting the needs of this requirement.

The intended source is:

Oxford Instruments Andor Technology Inc.

300 Baker Avenue, Suite 150 Concord, MA 01742

Salient characteristics:

Electronic software; Key capabilities include high-quality 3D visualization, image segmentation, and quantification of complex datasets. It supports advanced tracking of dynamic objects over time for 4D analysis, as well as multi-channel imaging and volumetric rendering. IMARIS also provides robust statistical analysis tools, customizable visualization options, and the ability to handle large datasets efficiently.

This software will provide researchers with the ability to detect and study relationships between various objects.

Delivery:

Delivery shall be 14 Day After ARO

Place of Performance:

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Developmental Therapeutics and Pharmacology 35 Convent Drive Bldg. 35A, GF125 Bethesda, MD 20892

Contract Type:

A firm-fixed price type contract with option periods is planned for this acquisition, consistent with commercial practices.

CLOSING STATEMENT

THIS NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD ON A SOLE-SOURCE BASIS IS NOT A

REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice.

A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement.

Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. All responses must provide evidence that they can provide equipment that meets all of the requirements in this announcement.

All responses must be received by the closing date and time of this announcement and must reference the solicitation number, RFQ 75N95025Q00107. Responses must be submitted electronically to Shayna Simpson, Contract Specialist, Contracts Management Branch – Red, NINDS Section, NIDA, at Shayna.Simpson@nih.gov. U.S. Mail and Fax responses will not be accepted.

http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:Shayna.Simpson@nih.gov