NHLBI_BDC_Limited Sources Justification_Redacted.pdf

The NHLBI stimulates basic discoveries about the causes of disease, enables the translation of basic discoveries into clinical practice, fosters training and mentoring of emerging scientists and physicians, and communicates research advances to the public. It creates and supports a robust, collaborative research infrastructure in partnership with private and public organizations.

Starting in 2017, the NHLBI funded a consortium in parallel with the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase Consortium (DCPPC) to pursue the advancement of the goals of the DCPPC with an extended focus on heart, lung, blood and sleep research. When the DCPPC came to an end in 2019, the NHLBI funded consortium continued the work to develop what became the NHLBI BioData Catalyst (BDC). This program has shown some significant success but has been costly and complex to manage – in part because of its roots in the DCPPC. NHLBI is interested in an external assessment of the status of the Program, the architecture of the systems, the usability of the BDC for end users, and how improvements can be made to the Program and systems to better serve NHLBI and the scientific community.

NHLBI requires an external assessment of the status of the Program, the architecture of the systems, the usability of the BDC for end users, and how improvements can be made to the Program and systems to better serve NHLBI and the scientific community.

The subject requirement is an assessment of the BioData Catalyst (BDC). A related assessment is currently being conducted for NHLBI data storage under 75N97020A00012/75N92021F00026 by the contractor BioTeam Inc. to assess the data storage strategic path of the Institute. These two projects are interrelated due to the necessity to strategically align storage and system architecture for the Institute.

(i) Incumbent Contractor:

The BioTeam, Inc.

7 Derosier Drive Middleton, MA 01949-2494 BPA/Order Number: 75N97020A00012/75N92021F00026

(ii) Period of Performance:

Base Period: December 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021 -

Option Period 1: June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2022 -

(iii) Amount obligated to date:

(iv) The initial award was competed under applicable Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures under NIH Mission Alignment (MA) Blanket Purchase Agreement in 2020.

3. Description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value).

a. Project title. NHLBI BioData Catalyst Assessment

b. Project description. See Statement of Work attached.

• Requirement type.

❑ Support services (non-research & development)

❑ Supplies/equipment

Information technology (IT)

❑ Other (specify): ____________________

• Type of action.

❑ New requirement Follow-on

❑ Other (specify):

• Proposed contract/order type.

Firm-fixed-price

❑ Time and materials ❑ Indefinite delivery (specify whether indefinite quantity, definite quantity, or requirements): ___________

❑ Other (specify): ___________

• Acquisition identification number. Solicitation # 75N92021Q0057

c. Total estimated dollar value and performance/delivery period.

Base Period: February 8, 2021 through August 7, 2021 - $495,000.00

4. Identification of the justification rationale [see 8.405-6(a) and (b)] and, if applicable, a demonstration of the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

a. Acquisition authority.

X This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple Award Schedule Program. Consideration of schedule contractors will be restricted to fewer than the number required by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C).

❑ This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple Award Schedule Program. Consideration of schedule contractors will be restricted only to the item peculiar to one manufacturer as provided in FAR 8.405-6(a)(2).

b. Demonstration of the proposed contractor(s) unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

• Name and address of the proposed contractor(s).

The BioTeam, Inc.

7 Derosier Drive Middleton, MA 01949-2494

• Nature of the acquisition and proposed contractor(s) unique qualifications.

The purpose of this acquisition is to issue a six (6) month logical follow-on task order to continue ongoing storage assessment efforts within the Institute.

The proposed contractor is the contractor currently responsible an ongoing architecture and storage assessment effort within the Institute.

In the interest of economy and efficiency, this work is a logical follow-

on. The current team is well established with the processes and teams that are required to support the requirements in the SOW.

Bringing on a new team will not only delay the assessment of NHLBI’s current data architecture, but introduce risk in schedule and cost as a new team will need duplicate storage assessment efforts and risk potential losses of knowledge transfer gained in the current assessment effort.

Contracting with a new team would also require a contract/order with a much longer period of performance to account for the learning curve, increasing both cost and the ability to get information to our end-users in a timely manner. Costs that would be incurred for a new contractor include cost for transition in/out, onboarding, and ramp-up a new contractor team.

5. Determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

By placing an order against a schedule contract using the procedures in FAR 8.405, the ordering activity CO has concluded that the order represents the best value (see FAR 2.101) and results in the lowest overall cost alternative (considering price, special features, administrative costs, etc.) to meet the Government’s needs. Furthermore, additional discounts will be sought before placing an order in accordance with FAR 8.405-4.

In accordance with 8.405-2(d), Evaluation, the price evaluation will be conducted by the CO and Project Officer by considering the level of effort and the mix of labor proposed to perform the work is appropriate, and by determining that the total price is reasonable. The resultant contract will be a firm-fixed price effort using institutional knowledge of the work to be performed and information for previous similar efforts to negotiate a fair and reasonable price. The Government will rely on labor categories and rates consistent with the Contractor’s Federal Supply Schedule with additional discounts to be requested.