Amend_3_BAA-NIAID-DMID-NIHAI2012149_100112_Final.pdf

AMENDMENT # 003, BAA-NIAID-DMID-NIHAI2012149 Page 1 of 3

AMENDMENT No. 003

BAA-NIAID-DMID-NIHAI2012149

“Development of Therapeutic Medical Countermeasures for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious ‘Diseases”

Solicitation Number: BAA-NIAID-DMID-NIHAI2012149

Amendment Number: Three (003)

Amendment Issue Date: October 1, 2012

Proposal Due Date: Monday October 22, 2012 3:30 PM Local Time

(UNCHANGED)

Issued By:

Kathy M. Fetterman Contract Specialist Office of Acquisitions, DEA National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Health 6700-B Rockledge Drive Room

3214, MSC 7612

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7612

Point of Contact:

Kathy M. Fetterman, Contract Specialist Email: fettermanka@niaid.nih.gov

The purpose of this amendment is as follows:

NOTICE:

The attached questions were provided by the Friday, September 21, 2012 deadline and the answers/responses regarding this BAA are attached.

The date specified for receipt of proposals, October 22, 2012 at 3:30 PM Local Time, remains unchanged.

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

mailto:fettermanka@niaid.nih.gov

AMENDMENT # 003, BAA-NIAID-DMID-NIHAI2012149 Page 2 of 3

BAA-NIAID-DMID-NIHAI2012149

Development of Therapeutic Medical Countermeasures for Biodefense and Emerging Diseases

Question 1: Reference III, General Proposal Instructions and Information, A. 2) B.2.a., – Refers to attachments found in Section J. Question: There is no Section J, Attachments in the solicitation. Can you please clarify if there should be a Section J, Attachments?

Response: Reference III, General Proposal Instructions and Information, B.2.a, is revised to read as follows: The first file must be a PDF of your Business Proposal, with all attachments, including an Attachment entitled “Breakdown of Proposed Estimated Costs (plus Fee) with Excel Spreadsheet.”

Question 2: Reference III, B., Formatting, Number of Copies, and Page Limitations – Specifies that paper copies of the technical and business proposals shall be unbound. Question: Is it acceptable to submit unbound pages of our proposal in a three ring binder?

Response: Yes.

Question 3: Reference IV, Uniform Cost Assumptions D., 2 – states “These reviews are anticipated to be held at the

Contractor’s facility and a location at or near Washington D.C. on an alternating-year basis. Question:

For the review held in Washington, D.C. is the Contractor responsible for locating and arranging for the meeting venue? If it is held at an area hotel would the Contractor be responsible for contracting with the hotel, the costs of which would be reimbursed under the contract?

Response: The Post Award Contract Initiation meeting (the kick-off meeting) will be held at the contractor site. The annual contract review meetings scheduled to be held in Washington DC will have the meeting logistics set up by NIAID officials at a government facility. The contractor is responsible for creating meeting agenda and coordinating with the program officers for meeting details. The contractor should budget travel expenses only for attending annual meetings not held at their site. The travel cost will be reimbursed under the contract.

Question 4: Reference VII, Business Proposal Instructions, 1) Certified Cost or Pricing Data – This section requires certified cost or pricing data to be provided with the Business Proposal and obtained from subcontractors.

Question: Can you please clarify why certified cost or pricing data is being requested when this BAA solicitation seems to meet the definition of a competitive procurement in accordance with FAR 6.102, thus eliminating the need for certified cost or pricing data?

Response: Under a Broad Agency Announcement, each proposal identifies/develops a unique statement of work

(SOW). Offerors submit proposals that are stand-alone documents, are unique, and are not compared to one another. Recommendations of the peer review panel and program staff are based on judgments not only about the technical merit of the proposed research but also about its relevance and potential contributions to the mission and programs of the awarding component. Therefore, certified cost or pricing data is being requested because adequate price competition for each unique SOW and technical approach is not anticipated.

Question 5: Reference VII, Business Proposal Instructions, 4) Extent of Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Participation Plan. Question: Can you please provide details about what should be included in the SDB Participation Plan provided in our proposal?

Response: Page 37 of the BAA identifies where the “Extent of SDB Participation Plan” needs to be provided in the proposal. Pages 44 – 45 identify the sub-factors that will be reviewed.

Question 6: [May offerors] include subcontracts to foreign sources?

AMENDMENT # 003, BAA-NIAID-DMID-NIHAI2012149 Page 3 of 3

Response: Proposed subcontractors (foreign or domestic) must be reviewed and recommended for approval by the Contracting Officer’s Representative as well as reviewed and approved by the Contracting Officer in accordance with FAR Part 44 – Subcontracting Policies and Procedures.

Question 7: The offeror can use a different sub-contractor post-award (for example if a more competitive proposal is identified) for a given task, assuming all facilities, assurance requirements etc are met and approved by the COR.

Response: Correct, but to change a subcontractor you must again be reviewed and recommended for approval by the Contracting Officer’s Representative as well as reviewed and approved by the Contracting Officer in accordance with FAR Part 44 – Subcontracting Policies and Procedures.

Question 8: Is a drug candidate that has demonstrated activity against different serotypes of Dengue when administered at or around the time of infection eligible for funding under this BAA if the proposed studies intend to examine its efficacy after delayed initiation of dosing to support a treatment indication?

Response: The drug candidate being developed must be intended for treatment purpose. Treatment efficacy data in a suitable animal model is required. In the event that no suitable model exists, the strength of available data with regard to efficacy will be determined at review.

Question 9: Should salaries for government employees be included if the proposed testing services are at a government facility or should only the budget for their supplies be included?

Response: The government employees must comply with the Intramural Scientist Collaboration on Extramural Funded Grants and Contracts Standard Operating Procedures and obtain the appropriate approvals. However, a government employee/scientist may be authorized to collaborate as on official duty as long as he/she is not compensated with a salary or sponsored travel from extramural funds. If the intent is to subcontract with another government agency, it must be done by another funding mechanism.

END OF AMENDMENT NO. 003, BAA-NIAID-DMID-NIHAI2012149