D_CSS_75N95021Q00105.pdf

COMPETITIVE

COMBINED SYNOPSIS / SOLICITATION

Title: Long-Read Sequencing to Detect Genomic and Epigenetic Features of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

(i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

(ii) The solicitation number is 75N95021Q00105 and the solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ).

This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures;

FAR Subpart 13.5—Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items; and FAR Part 12—Acquisition of Commercial Items, and is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.

(iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) Number 2021-05, with effective date March 10, 2021.

(iv) The associated NAICS code 541990 and the small business size standard is $16.5 million. No set-aside restriction is applicable.

(v) Background and Objectives: NIH/CARD will generate long-read sequencing data from roughly 4000 patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), and healthy subjects. This project will produce roughly 8000 terabytes of data, so the government will need a Contractor to develop pipelines for storing, analyzing, and harmonizing these large data sets on cloud-based computing platforms. The Contractor shall then use these datasets to identify DNA methylation changes and single nucleotide variants, both of which have been linked to normal aging and neurodegenerative diseases. The government will then use this service provided by the Contractor to evaluate how the epigenetic and genomic landscape in challenging regions contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

(vi) Project Requirements: Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to perform the Statement of Work attached to this solicitation.

(vii) The Government anticipates award of a firm fixed-price purchase order for this acquisition with an anticipated period of performance of one (1) year from the date of award with an optional six (6) month period.

(viii) The provision at FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb

1998), applies to this acquisition. This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text.

Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at these addresses:

https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html

(End of provision)

The following provisions apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference:

• FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Oct 2018)

• FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020)

• FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (Jun 2020)

• FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (Aug

2020)

• HHSAR 352.239-73, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Notice

(December 18, 2015)

The clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at these addresses:

(End of clause)

The following clauses apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference:

• FAR 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018)

• FAR 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug

2020)

• FAR 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contract for Certain Telecommunications and Video

Surveillance Services or Equipment (Oct 2020)

• FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items (Oct 2018).

Addendum to this FAR clause applies to this acquisition and is attached.

https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html

• HHSAR 352.222-70, Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (December 18, 2015)

The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are attached in full text. Offerors MUST complete the provisions at 52.204-24 and 52.204-26 and submit completed copies as separate documents with their proposal.

• FAR 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Oct 2020)

• FAR 52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services- Representation (Oct 2020)

• FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (Jan 2021)

• NIH Invoice Instructions

(ix) The provision at FAR clause 52.212-2, Evaluation – Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: Factor 1. Technical Approach; Factor 2. Key Personnel, Factor

3. Past Performance, 4. Price. Evaluation Criteria is attached to this solicitation.

Technical approach, key personnel, and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced.

Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(x) The Offerors are to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with its offer.

(xi) The clause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and is attached in full text.

(xii) There are no additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions applicable to this acquisition.

(xiii) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement.

(xiv) Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror’s capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the technical evaluation criteria. The price proposal must include the labor categories, an estimate of the number of hours required for each labor category, fully loaded fixed hourly rate or each labor category, breakdown and rationale for other direct costs or materials, and the total amount.

The Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), 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.

All quotations from responsible sources must be received by 3:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight/Standard Time, on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 and reference Solicitation Number 75N95021Q00105. Responses must be submitted electronically (by email) to Scott Bredow, Contracting Officer, at scott.bredow@nih.gov.

Fax responses will not be accepted.

(xv) The name and telephone number of the individual to contact for information regarding the solicitation is the following:

Scott Bredow 301-480-7503 http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:scott.bredow@nih.gov