NIDA Technical Editorial Support Services RFQ | Page 1

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ)

FAR PART 12 - COMMERCIAL SERVICES

NIDA Technical Editorial Support Services

Solicitation Information Details

RFQ Number 7571PS26Q00082

Issuing Office National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NAICS Code 711510 – Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers

Set-Aside Status 100% Set-Aside for Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) concerns eligible under the WOSB Program

Contract Type Firm-Fixed-Price

Quote Due Date/Time Friday, August 7, 2026 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time

Questions Due Thursday, August 13, 2026 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time

Contracting Officer Samantha Dublin samantha.dublin@hhs.gov

Submission Method Electronic submission to samantha.dublin@hhs.gov

This draft requires Contracting Officer review and completion of bracketed fields before release.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM AND NOTICE

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

SECTION D - PACKAGING AND MARKING

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION J - ATTACHMENTS

SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

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SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM AND NOTICE

A.1 Combined Solicitation/Request for Quotation

This is a request for quotations for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Part 12, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. The Government intends to award a standalone contract using the procedures identified by the Contracting Officer in the final solicitation. This announcement constitutes the solicitation; quotations are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued unless amended.

The resulting award will be documented on Standard Form 1449 or another authorized award instrument.

The quotation shall remain valid for at least 90 calendar days after the quotation due date unless a different period is stated by the offeror and accepted by the Government.

A.2 Notice to Offerors

The Government is not responsible for costs incurred in preparing or submitting a quotation. Issuance of this RFQ does not obligate the Government to award a contract. The Government may reject any or all quotations, waive informalities, or cancel the solicitation when doing so is in the Government’s interest.

A.3 Total Small Business Set-Aside

This acquisition is a 100 percent total small business set-aside. Only quotations submitted by concerns that qualify as small business concerns under the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned to this solicitation will be considered for award. The set-aside is conducted in accordance with FAR 19.502-2 and FAR 52.219-6.

Offerors shall maintain their small business eligibility throughout the solicitation and award process and shall ensure that their representations, certifications, and size-status information in the System for Award Management are current and accurate. A quotation from an offeror that is not a small business concern for the NAICS code assigned to this solicitation will not be considered for award.

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES

B.1 Brief Description of Services

The Contractor shall provide technical editorial support to the NIDA Intramural Research Program (IRP), Office of the Clinical Director, including manuscript editing and submission support, letters of recommendation, clinical protocols, informed consent materials, standard operating procedures, regulatory-facing documents, and related editorial services.

B.2 Contract Type

The Government anticipates award of a firm-fixed-price contract for severable commercial services. Prices shall include all labor, supervision, equipment, software, supplies, overhead, general and administrative expenses, profit, and all other costs necessary to perform the requirements, except as otherwise expressly stated.

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B.3 Schedule of Services and Prices

Offerors shall complete all unit and extended prices. The estimated maximum level of effort is four hours per week (approximately 208 hours per 12-month period). This estimate is provided for pricing and workload planning and does not create a Government obligation to order or use a specific number of hours under a firm-fixed-price arrangement.

CLIN Period Unit Qty. Unit Price Extended Price

0001 Base Period: August 2026-August 2027 Month 12 $________ $________

1001 Option Period 1: August 2027-August 2028 Month 12 $________ $________

2001 Option Period 2: August 2028-August 2029 Month 12 $________ $________

3001 Option Period 3: August 2029-August 2030 Month 12 $________ $________

4001 Option Period 4: August 2030-August 2031 Month 12 $________ $________

TOTAL Base and all options $________

Option prices shall be firm and valid through the applicable option exercise period. The Government may evaluate the total price for the base period and all options for award purposes.

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 Objective

The objective is to increase the efficiency of NIDA IRP clinical and scientific personnel by obtaining specialized technical editorial support, thereby allowing Government medical staff to devote additional time to protocol development, medical oversight, clinical operations, patient safety, scientific rigor, and publication of ongoing clinical research.

C.2 General Requirements

The Contractor shall furnish all qualified personnel, management, materials, equipment, software, facilities, and other resources necessary to perform the work. Services shall be performed remotely at the Contractor’s worksite unless otherwise authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer.

C.3 Specific Tasks and Deliverables

• Meet agreed deadlines for manuscripts, publications, clinical protocols, and other assigned documents.

• Provide technical editorial services up to a maximum of four hours per week, coordinated with the

Government point of contact.

• Edit and manage scientific manuscripts, including journal selection support, formatting, cover letters, author guideline compliance, response-to-reviewer documents, and resubmissions.

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• Develop and edit letters of recommendation and other professional scientific correspondence.

• Edit clinical research protocols, informed consent materials, SOPs, and regulatory-facing documents.

• Apply relevant style guides, including AMA, APA, Chicago, ICMJE, and journal-specific requirements, as directed.

• Provide requested products within five business days after receipt unless the Government establishes a different deadline based on complexity or urgency.

• Deliver products electronically in the file format specified by the Government.

• Submit a monthly progress report no later than the second Wednesday of each month, unless the

Government provides a revised due date.

C.4 Monthly Progress Report

At a minimum, each monthly report shall identify: (1) assignments received; (2) work completed and deliverables submitted; (3) status of open assignments; (4) deadlines met or at risk; (5) hours expended for workload visibility; (6) issues requiring Government attention; and (7) planned activities for the next reporting period.

C.5 Key Personnel Qualifications

The proposed lead writer/editor is key personnel and shall meet the following minimum qualifications:

Substitution after award requires prior written approval from the Contracting Officer.

• An advanced degree (Ph.D.) in neuroscience, addiction science, or a closely related field.

• At least 15 years of directly relevant addiction research experience, including addiction-related clinical research.

• Extensive knowledge of scientific journal publication standards and current editorial practices.

• Active membership in a major addiction- or neuroscience-related professional society.

• Demonstrated experience supporting journal submissions, including cover letters, author guidelines, response-to-reviewer documents, and resubmissions.

• Familiarity with AMA, APA, Chicago, ICMJE, and journal-specific style requirements.

• Experience editing clinical research protocols, informed consent materials, SOPs, or regulatory-facing documents.

• Experience in an editorial role for an addiction-related or neuroscience-related journal; editor-in-chief or comparable senior editorial experience is preferred.

• Experience serving on grant review committees.

• At least 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications in addiction-related topics, including at least 10 first-authored publications.

C.6 Quality Standards

Deliverables shall be accurate, clear, internally consistent, grammatically correct, appropriately formatted, and ready for Government review. Editorial changes shall preserve scientific meaning and shall be traceable through tracked changes, comments, or another method requested by the Government. The Contractor shall promptly correct deficiencies at no additional cost.

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SECTION D - PACKAGING AND MARKING

Not applicable to physical packaging. Electronic deliverables shall use descriptive file names, include version dates when requested, and be transmitted using Government-approved methods. Sensitive or unpublished materials shall not be transmitted through public file-sharing services unless expressly authorized.

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 Inspection and Acceptance

Inspection and acceptance will be performed by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or other authorized Government official at the destination. Acceptance will be based on compliance with the SOW, timeliness, technical and editorial quality, responsiveness to comments, and submission in the required format. FAR 52.212-4(a), Inspection/Acceptance, applies.

E.2 Reperformance

The Government may require correction or reperformance of nonconforming services at no increase in contract price.

Corrected deliverables shall be provided within the timeframe established by the COR, considering the nature and urgency of the deficiency.

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 Period of Performance

Period Anticipated Dates

Base Period August 2026-August 2027

Option Period 1 August 2027-August 2028

Option Period 2 August 2028-August 2029

Option Period 3 August 2029-August 2030

Option Period 4 August 2030-August 2031

Exact start and end dates will be established in the award. Options may be exercised only by written modification issued by the Contracting Officer.

F.2 Place of Performance

Contractor’s worksite/off-site. No access to Government facilities or Government information systems is anticipated.

F.3 Hours and Coordination

Work may be performed during the Contractor’s normal business hours, but the Contractor shall be reasonably available for coordination with NIDA personnel during normal Federal business hours in the Eastern Time Zone. Primary communications will be by email, telephone, and Microsoft Teams.

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F.4 Travel

Travel is not required or authorized. Travel costs are not reimbursable unless the Contracting Officer provides advance written authorization through a contract modification.

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 Contracting Officer

SAMANTHA DUBLIN

Contracting Officer Office of Mission Acquisition Solutions (OMAS) Professional Services Branch 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20852 Samantha.Dublin@hhs.gov

G.2 Contracting Officer’s Representative

[NAME, TITLE, OFFICE, EMAIL, PHONE - TO BE IDENTIFIED AT AWARD]

The COR may provide technical direction within the scope of the contract but may not change the contract’s terms, authorize additional work, extend the period of performance, or obligate funds. Only the Contracting Officer may modify the contract.

G.3 Invoicing

The Contractor shall submit invoices monthly in arrears through the invoicing system identified in the award. Each invoice shall include the contract number, CLIN, billing period, monthly fixed price, deliverables completed, and any other information required by the payment office. Payment terms are governed by FAR 52.212-4(i).

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 Non-Personal Services

This is a non-personal services contract. Contractor personnel shall be supervised solely by Contractor management.

Contractor employees shall not perform inherently governmental functions, including creating or modifying Federal policy, obligating Government funds, or supervising Federal employees.

H.2 Government-Furnished Property and Systems

The Government will not furnish equipment. The Contractor will not receive access to Government information systems or facilities unless the contract is modified in writing.

H.3 Security and Confidentiality

Work is unclassified. Materials provided to the Contractor are expected to be limited and de-identified and not to contain personally identifiable information. The Contractor shall protect all unpublished scientific, clinical, proprietary, predecisional, and other nonpublic information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, copying, or distribution. Access shall be limited to personnel with a need to know who are bound by confidentiality obligations.

The Contractor shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer and COR of any actual or suspected loss, compromise, or unauthorized disclosure of Government information and shall cooperate in mitigation and investigation activities.

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H.4 Data Rights and Publication Restrictions

All Government-furnished data and all deliverables first produced under the contract shall remain or become Government property to the extent provided in the contract. Government materials shall not be distributed outside the NIDA IRP clinical team or used for any purpose other than contract performance. The Contractor shall not publish, present, reuse, or disclose draft or final documents without prior written authorization from the Contracting Officer.

H.5 Organizational Conflicts of Interest

The Contractor shall disclose any actual or potential organizational or personal conflict of interest, including editorial, journal, peer-review, financial, or professional relationships that could impair objectivity or create an unfair competitive advantage. The Contractor shall not proceed with affected work until the Contracting Officer approves a mitigation plan or otherwise directs performance.

H.6 Key Personnel

The Contractor shall assign the individual proposed and evaluated as key personnel. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer promptly if substitution becomes necessary and shall provide a replacement with qualifications equal to or better than those of the individual being replaced. No substitution is effective without written Contracting Officer approval.

SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES

The following clauses apply. The Contracting Officer shall verify clause dates, prescriptions, deviations, and applicability immediately before issuance and award.

Clause Date Title 52.209-10 NOV 2015 Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations 52.222-90 APR 2026 Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors 52.222-50 FEB 2026 Combating Trafficking in Persons 52.226-8 MAY 2024 Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving 52.232-40 MAR 2023 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors 52.233-3 AUG 1996 Protest after Award 52.233-4 OCT 2004 Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim 52.240-91 DEC 2025 Security Prohibitions and Exclusions

Addendum to FAR 52.212-4: Sections C through H of this solicitation are incorporated as an addendum to FAR 52.212-

4. In the event of a conflict, the order of precedence in FAR 52.212-4(s) applies.

SECTION J – ATTACHMENTS

Attachment Title

J.1 Statement of Work - NIDA Technical Editorial Support Services

J.2 Pricing Schedule (Section B may be submitted as the pricing schedule)

SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS

FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies.

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Offerors shall ensure their System for Award Management (SAM) registration and electronic representations and certifications are current. An offeror shall submit the applicable completed paragraphs of FAR 52.212-3 only when required by the provision or when its SAM responses require update or supplementation.

The offeror shall provide its Unique Entity Identifier, CAGE code, legal business name, remittance address, point of contact, and socioeconomic status with its quotation.

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1 FAR 52.212-1

FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Sep 2023), is incorporated by reference. The following instructions are added to the provision.

L.2 Questions

Submit questions in writing to samantha.dublin@hhs.gov by Friday, August 7, 2026 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time.

Questions and Government responses may be provided to all prospective offerors without identifying the source. Oral explanations or instructions are not binding.

L.3 Submission

Submit quotations electronically to samantha.dublin@hhs.gov no later than Thursday, August 13, 2026 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time. The subject line shall state: “[RFQ NUMBER] - NIDA Technical Editorial Support Services.” Late submissions will be handled in accordance with FAR 52.212-1(f), as applicable.

L.4 Small Business Eligibility Documentation

The offeror shall identify itself as a small business concern under the NAICS code and size standard assigned to this solicitation and shall provide sufficient information for the Government to verify its eligibility. The offeror shall have an active registration in the System for Award Management and current representations and certifications. The Government may verify size status through SAM, SBA systems, or other authoritative sources.

L.5 Quotation Organization and Page Limit

The quotation shall contain two volumes. The combined technical volume shall not exceed four pages, excluding resumes and a table of contents. The pricing volume is not included in the technical page limit. Pages shall be 8.5 by 11 inches with at least 0.5-inch margins and a readable font of at least 10 points.

Volume Required Contents

Volume I - Technical

(1) Technical approach and understanding of the SOW; (2) approach to meeting five-business-day turnaround requirements and monthly reporting; (3) quality assurance and project management;

(4) confidentiality and conflict-of-interest procedures; (5) proposed key personnel resume(s); and

(6) relevant experience examples.

Volume II - Price Completed Section B pricing table for the base period and each option; any assumptions; and confirmation that prices include all costs necessary for performance.

L.6 Technical Content

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The technical quotation shall provide sufficient detail for the Government to evaluate the offeror against the factors in Section M. Mere restatement of the SOW is insufficient. Resumes shall clearly demonstrate minimum qualifications, publications, editorial roles, grant review experience, professional memberships, and relevant clinical research editing experience.

L.7 Relevant Experience

Provide up to three examples of recent and relevant work performed within the past five years. For each example, identify the customer, scope, period of performance, approximate value or level of effort, point of contact information when available, and the degree of similarity to this requirement. The Government may consider information from any available source.

L.8 Assumptions and Exceptions

Clearly identify all assumptions, conditions, or exceptions. Silence constitutes agreement with the solicitation.

Exceptions may make a quotation ineligible for award if they materially alter the Government’s requirements.

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 Basis for Award

The Government intends to make a single award to the responsible offeror whose quotation conforms to the solicitation and represents the best value to the Government, price and other factors considered. The Government may award without discussions but reserves the right to conduct exchanges if determined necessary.

Technical factors, when combined, are more important than price. As quotations become more equal in technical merit, price becomes more important. The Government will evaluate price for completeness and reasonableness and may evaluate the total price for the base period and all options.

M.2 Technical Evaluation Factors

Factor Weight Evaluation Considerations

1. Qualifications of Proposed Key Personnel 40%

Extent to which the proposed individual meets or exceeds the education, addiction research, publication, editorial leadership, grant review, society membership, and scientific authorship requirements.

2. Relevant Experience 40%

Depth, recency, and similarity of experience editing addiction-related scientific manuscripts, journal submissions, clinical protocols, informed consent materials, SOPs, regulatory documents, and other high-level scientific products.

3. Technical Approach / Understanding of the SOW 20%

Understanding of the requirement; soundness and feasibility of the approach;

ability to meet deadlines and five-business-day turnaround; quality assurance;

project management and responsiveness; knowledge of applicable editorial standards; confidentiality and conflict-of-interest controls.

TOTAL 100%

M.3 Price Evaluation

The Government will evaluate the base-period and option-period prices for completeness and reasonableness. The

NIDA Technical Editorial Support Services RFQ | Page 11 evaluated price may include the total of all CLINs and options and, if FAR 52.217-8 is included, an amount calculated in accordance with the solicitation’s evaluation methodology. The Government may use price analysis techniques authorized by the FAR.

M.4 Responsibility and Eligibility

Before award, the apparent successful offeror must be determined responsible and eligible for award, including active SAM registration, absence of exclusions, compliance with applicable representations and certifications, and verified status as a WOSB or EDWOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program for the NAICS code assigned to this solicitation. A concern that is not eligible for this WOSB set-aside will not be considered for award.

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ATTACHMENT J.1 - STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

NIDA Technical Editorial Support Services

GENERAL INFORMATION

Title of Project:

Technical editorial support services for the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Intramural Research Program

(IRP)

Statement of Need and Purpose:

NIDA IRP’s Clinical Director and his team require support in maintaining publication workflow and review, developing and editing letters of recommendation, as well as editing clinical protocols and other editing-related tasks to create efficiencies. The contractor will provide technical editorial support services including manuscript editing and management, letters of recommendation, clinical protocols, and other editing-related services.

Background Information and Objective:

The Office of the Clinical Director at NIDA IRP is looking to free up 500 hours of labor that can be redirected to more mission critical jobs such as, developing protocols, medical oversight for existing protocols, managerial oversight of clinical operations, and maintaining the rigorous standards and responsibilities required for human subjects research as it relates to patient safety and scientific rigor. The goal of the writer/editor will be to allow medical staff more time in clinical to handle the increase medical need of the program, while providing more publications related to the on-going clinical research.

SCOPE OF WORK

General Requirements:

The contractor shall provide technical editorial support services and shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities to meet the requirements for NIDA IRP.

Specific Requirements:

• Meet all the deadlines for manuscripts, publications, and protocols

• Provide editorial services for a maximum of four (4) hours per week

• Submit monthly progress reports no later than the second Wednesday of each month (due date may change based on needs) o Monthly reports will consist of

• Provide requested products within five (5) business days from the date of request

• Provide deliverables via electronic copy in a format specified by the requestor

Key Personnel Requirements:

Due to the nature and complexity of the work completed by the clinical team at NIDA IRP, the contractor is required to meet the following qualifications:

• Advanced degree (PhD) in the field of neuroscience or addiction related fields

• 15-25 years of experience directly related to addiction research, including addition-related clinical research

• Extensive knowledge of journal publication standards

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• Needs to be an active member of a major addiction neuroscience-related society

• Experience supporting journal submissions, including cover letters, author guidelines, response-to-reviewer documents, and resubmissions

• Familiarity with major style guides, such as AMA, APA, Chicago, ICMJE, or journal-specific requirements

• Experience editing clinical research protocols, informed consent materials, SOPs, or regulatory-facing documents

• Experience in an editorial role within additional-related journals, including being Chief Editor for a journal.

• Experience in serving in committees for grant review

• A minimum of 30 successful published peer-reviewed scientific papers in addiction-related topics, including at least 10 first-authored papers