B SAM_Presol_Notice Intent to Sole Source.pdf

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

SOLICITATION/NOTICE NUMBER:

75N95023Q00028

TITLE:

Maintenance and Service Plan for the Avidity Science Indigo Reverse Osmosis (RO) System and Chlorine Injector System (CIS)

CLASSIFICATION CODE:

J066 - MAINT/REPAIR/REBUILD OF EQUIPMENT-INSTRUMENTS AND

LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

NAICS CODE:

811219 Other Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance

RESPONSE DATE:

11/25/2022

PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT:

Marlene Milgram, Contracting Officer NIDA Office of Acquisition, Contracts Management Branch Red Marlene.milgram@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.

The purpose of this requirement is to provide the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Animal Health Care Section (AHCS) with a comprehensive maintenance and service plan for the Avidity Science, LLC (Avidity) Indigo RO System and CIS.

The contractor shall provide to the government a comprehensive maintenance and service plan to maintain the Avidity Indigo RO System and CIS in fully functioning condition and at Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specifications for the entire period of performance. The plan will include, at minimum, the following components:

Maintenance and Emergency Visits. The maintenance and service plan shall include two (2) scheduled preventive maintenance visits (PM visits) per year. PM visits shall consist of one (1) annual service visit, and one (1) interim service visit. The maintenance and service plan shall also include unlimited emergency visits, as needed.

PM visits shall be performed at a mutually agreed upon time during Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00 am and 5:00 pm.

mailto:Marlene.milgram@nih.gov

Replacement Parts and Software Enhancements. All replacement parts (shipping included), and software upgrades and enhancements as required. Software enhancements shall be provided at no additional cost to the government. Software upgrades (when indicated) shall be provided to the government at a discounted cost.

Upon failure, software shall be replaced with the current version or equivalent and will not include upgrading to a new software product or functionality modifications.

This requirement is for a base performance period of 12 months with four (4) option years, which NIH intends to award on a sole-source basis to Avidity Science, LLC.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE and SET

ASIDE STATUS

The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 811210 (formerly NAICS coder 811219) with a Size Standard of $30.0 million.

This acquisition is NOT set aside for small businesses.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses of the Federal acquisition Regulations (FAR) in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2022- 08, dated 10/28/2022.

BACKGROUND, PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF REQUIREMENT

The Animal Health Care Section (AHCS) of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has a need for a Maintenance and Service Plan for the Avidity Science Indigo RO System and CIS for comprehensive service, emergency service, regularly scheduled preventive maintenance, software enhancements and parts replacement (as needed). The Avidity Science Indigo RO System and CIS were purchased from and installed by Avidity Science, LLC (formerly known as Edstrom Industries) in 2016 and 2021, respectively. Together, the Indigo RO System and CIS serve as the AHCS’s animal drinking water treatment system by ensuring the delivery of bacteria-free water to laboratory animals on a consistent basis.

The Animal Health Care Section (AHCS) is a component of NINDS and is tasked with providing veterinary care, management, and oversight responsibilities for two animal facilities at the NIH Main Campus. The Porter Neuroscience Research Center (PNRC) facility is located in Building 35/35A. In this unique research setting, principal investigators from nine (9) NIH institutes and centers collaborate on neuroscience research. The AHCS also operates a small, satellite animal facility called the Ambulatory Care Research Facility (ACRF), for NINDS investigators. The ACRF is located on the 5th floor of Building 10.

These animal facilities are key components to the important and ongoing neuroscience research conducted in their respective buildings. These facilities house rodents approved for use in many neuroscience-related research protocols and are known as the Shared Animal Facility (SAF).

The PNRC SAF contains approximately 62,885 gross square feet, of which there is approximately 26,367 square feet of animal holding space, and approximately 20,615 square feet of dedicated cage and water bottle processing space. The SAF has an overall capacity of ~23,000 rodent cages. The ACRF facility has an overall capacity of ~255 rodent cages.

AHCS facilities are accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC). One of the criteria for maintaining accreditation, and to reduce experimental variables in study protocols, is the ability of AHCS facilities to effectively and efficiently produce contaminant-free drinking water for the research animals to consume ad libitum. In the PNRC SAF, the AHCS uses an animal drinking water treatment system called the Indigo Reverse Osmosis (RO) System (manufactured by Avidity Science, LLC). The Indigo RO System delivers a consistent, bacteria-free animal drinking water supply. The AHCS uses the CIS in the ACRF facility for the same purpose. The AHCS uses an Avidity Chlorine Injector Station (CIS) for rodents housed in the ACRF facility for the same purpose.

The Avidity Indigo RO system produces drinking water through RO specifically for the research animals. This system injects a low-level of free chlorine (post-RO processing) which protects the animal drinking water from bacterial growth during 1) water make-up and storage, 2) through the header piping that delivers the water to the bottle filling stations, and 3) in the water bottles that are in use on active animal cages. The Building 35/35A SAF is, therefore, dependent upon the continuous operation of the Avidity Indigo RO system.

The ACRF facility uses the Avidity Science CIS to ensure animal drinking water on active animal cages is free from bacterial growth. This system continuously adds a predetermined amount of chlorine by volume to filtered domestic cold water. Through this process, bacterial growth is effectively eliminated during the water bottle make-up process through end of use through the injection of free chlorine into domestic cold water.

These systems must work each and every day with minimal downtime in order to meet the facilities’ animal drinking water requirements and to ensure the facilities remain compliant with animal welfare regulations. If either system is not functional due to breakdown, lack of OEM-authorized preventive maintenance, or lack of spare parts, there is the potential for placing animal welfare and experimental protocols at risk.

The estimated period of performance is December 1, 2022 -November 30, 2023.

SINGLE-SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION

This acquisition is conducted as non-competitive under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c) under provisions of the statutory authority of FAR Subpart 6.302-1 – only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

The Avidity Indigo RO System and the Avidity Chlorine Injector Station were specifically designed to produce bacteria-free animal drinking water that is suitable to meet the strict drinking water requirements for rodents utilized in biomedical research. These systems must operate with minimal downtime in order to meet the continuous demand for animal drinking water and ensure compliance with animal welfare regulations. Avidity Science, LLC is the only vendor capable of providing these services as the system controls involve the use of proprietary software owned by Avidity. Additionally, Avidity is the only vendor that has OEM-trained and certified technicians capable of maintaining and upgrading as needed this sophisticated system. Finally, Avidity has not granted authority to any third party to perform maintenance services on the Indigo RO System or the CIS.

As there is no reasonably available alternative for maintaining the aforementioned equipment, and only one vendor is authorized to perform such maintenance services, IDL provider, the Government intends to issue an award on a sole-source basis to the following contractor:

Avidity Science, LLC 819 Bakke Avenue Waterford, WI 53185

Contract Type:

A firm-fixed price contract for one base year and four options years is planned for this acquisition, consistent with commercial practices.

CLOSING STATEMENT

This synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice. An interested Offeror must be able to successfully demonstrate its capability to independently, and not as an agent of the Government perform the requirements described above.

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 must include sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capabilities and experience of providing the service described above.

Interested parties shall proved a description of experience and capability, described the proposed technical approach and include any other information or factors that may be considered. Such factors may include: past performance; special features or equipment required for effective program performance. The price quote shall include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, delivery days after contract award, delivery terms, F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), product or catalog number(s).

In addition the SAM Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.

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. 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.

http://www.sam.gov/

All responses must be received by November 25, 2022, 5:00 PM Eastern Time and must reference number 75N95023Q00028.

Responses must be submitted electronically to Marlene Milgram, Contracting Officer, at marlene.milgram@nih.gov and must reference the solicitation number 75N95023Q00028 in the subject line of the electronic submission. Mailed and faxed responses are not accepted.

mailto:marlene.milgram@nih.gov

All responses must be received by November 25, 2022, 5:00 PM Eastern Time and must reference number 75N95023Q00028.