B01 - RFI Sources Sought.pdf

Subject: Biorepository Defragmentation and Inventory Consolidation at Diagnostics and Countermeasures Branch (DCB), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR)

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) OR A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS (RFQ);

IT IS STRICTLY A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI). NEITHER UNSOLICITED PROPOSALS

NOR ANY OTHER KINDS OF OFFERS WILL BE CONSIDERED IN RESPONSE TO THIS RFI. NO

CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED PURSUANT TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

1.0 DISCLAIMER: This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Neither unsolicited proposals nor any other kind of offers will be considered in response to this RFI. Responses to this notice are not offers and will not be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. At this time, questions concerning the composition and requirements for a future RFP will not be entertained.

2.0 SUBJECT: The first mission focus of DCB was development, optimization, and deployment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) screening, confirmation, clinical (viral load), and therapeutic (resistance genotyping) monitoring technologies for Soldiers and their Beneficiaries. As the environment of pathogens is dynamic and evolving, DCB has since evolved into a world class leader in the development of diagnostic countermeasures for prevalent and emerging (P&E) pathogens. This mission is currently executed through five Branch sections inclusive of a Biorepository.

3.0 BACKGROUND: The DCB Biorepository supports WRAIR, U.S. Army, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program (IDCRP), DoD, external USG Agency, and sponsored clinical trials, and research studies. The work unit receives, processes, stores, and/or transships biospecimens to and from both US and global collaborators; maintains an inventory of over 2.1 million specimens in 38 liquid nitrogen (LN2) freezers and 31 mechanical freezers. The biospecimen collection dates to 1989 and were/are acquired through IRB approved clinical research trials / studies of P&E pathogens of U.S. Military and US National interest, e.g Phase I, first in human, Phase II/III HIV, Ebola, MERs-CoV, Zika, Yellow Fever, and SARS-CoV-2 in addition transshipments from WRAIR’s outside the continental US clinical trial sites.

The purpose of this requirement is to acquire comprehensive inventory, consolidation/defragmentation, and audit repository services for U.S. government biospecimen/biosample collections archived within liquid nitrogen freezer units at 13 Taft Court, Rockville, MD.

4.0 RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS: Respondents should address the following in their capabilities statement:

Contractor will provide onsite staff and required equipment to perform comprehensive inventory and defragmentation of government biospecimen/sample collections though reconciliation and consolidation of biosample aliquots, update of liquid nitrogen freezer (LN2) inventories; provision of inventories in a format compatible with in house biospecimen management system.

The Contractor shall provide:

• Personnel trained to conduct freezer reconciliation, consolidation, defragmentation process

• Personnel sufficient to conduct Project Management oversight of work

• Equipment required to conduct work

• Accurate, reconciled inventory manifest of LNs freezers

Provide inventory manifest in a format compatible with DCB in house electronic specimen management system

5.0 CONTACT INFORMATION: Any and all questions related to this RFI shall be directed to Mr.

Nathaniel Reus at nathaniel.a.reus.civ@mail.mil. All information regarding Capabilities Statements or any other proprietary information relative to this RFI shall be submitted via email to nathaniel.a.reus.civ@mail.mil no later than 2:00 p.m. E.S.T. on 21 August 2021.