NIH-NINDS-CSS-20-5703629.pdf

COMBINED SYNOPSIS / SOLICITATION COMPETITIVE

NIH-NINDS-CSS-20-5703629

TITLE: Maintenance and Repair Services for Automated Rodent Cage Bedding Handling System

Introductory Statement

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation;

quotations are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

The Government intends to make one award as a result of this solicitation. The Government may elect to discuss or obtain additional information and/or request revisions from one or more respondents at any point during the evaluation and source selection process, in accordance with FAR Part 13 procedures. The Government also reserves the right to evaluate quotes and award a Purchase Order without discussions as well as the right to make no award at all.

Solicitation Number and Authority

The solicitation number is NIH-NINDS-CSS-20-5703629 and the solicitation is issued as a Request for Quotations (RFQ).

This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the authority of the 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 expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.

Applicable Federal Acquisition Circular

The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2020-07, dated 08-31-2020.

NAICS Code and Small Business Standard

The associated NAICS code is 811219 (Other Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance) and the small business size standard is $22.0 million.

This acquisition is being conducted as a total small business set-aside.

Anticipated Contract Type

The Government intends to award a hybrid Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) and Time-and-Materials (T&M) Purchase Order.

Description of Requirement

Statement of Need and Purpose: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Animal Health Care Section (AHCS) requires maintenance and repair services for its Roe Vacuum Bedding Removal System (VBRS) and Roe Vacuum Bedding Dispensing System (VBDS). To be considered for award, a Quoter must be an original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-authorized service provider for this equipment.

Background Information: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation’s leading medical research agency and the primary Federal agency whose mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and apply that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.

The AHCS manages the Building 35 Shared Animal Facility (SAF) for the nine institutes and centers that house rodents used as research subjects in support of approved animal study protocols (ASPs). The AHCS staff follow recommended principles that are outlined in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (The Guide) to ensure that it provides for the animals' health and welfare in accordance with federal regulations.

Please refer to Attachment #1 - Statement of Work (SOW) for complete details and specifications.

Period and Place of Performance

Period of Performance: The anticipated period of performance is a one-year base period from the effective date of award and two (2) subsequent one-year option periods as follows:

Base Period: September 28, 2020 – September 27, 2021 Option Period One: September 28, 2021 – September 27, 2022 Option Period Two: September 28, 2022 – September 27, 2023

Place of Performance: All equipment is located at the at the AHCS Shared Animal Facility – 9000 Rockville Pike, 35 Convent Drive, Bldg. 35/35A, Bethesda, MD 20892.

Applicability of FAR Provision 52.212-1

The provision at FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The following instructions are included as an addendum.

Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of a Quoter’s capability of fulfilling the requirement. Responses will be evaluated for conformance to the solicitation instructions and SOW requirements.

Technical Response Requirements:

Quoters’ technical responses shall be no more than ten (10) single-sided pages in length. This page limit includes the following:

(i) Cover Page, if applicable

(ii) Executive Summary, if applicable

(iii) Table of Contents, if applicable

(iv) Technical Narrative, if applicable

(v) Price Narrative, if applicable

This page limit does NOT include:

(i) Authorized Service Provider Letter

(ii) Completed Price Schedule

(iii) Completed Representations and Certifications

(iv) Critical Spare Parts List

Quoter MUST include in its response a letter signed by the manufacturer, which verifies that it is an OEM-authorized service provider for this equipment. Any responses that do not include such a letter will be deemed technically UNACCEPTABLE and will NOT be considered for award.

Additional Required Information:

In addition to the previously discussed requirements, Quoter must include the following in the first page of its response:

1) Solicitation Number: NIH-NINDS-CSS-20-5703629

2) Quotation Number

3) Submission and Expiration Date of Quotation

4) Company’s Full Name and Address;

5) Company’s Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS) Number, Commercial And Government Entity

(CAGE) Code, and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); and

6) Name, Telephone Number, and Email Address of Person Authorized to Provide

Quotation

Please note that, to be considered for award, Quoters must also be actively registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), accessible at www.sam.gov, at the time of quotation submission.

Price Response Requirements:

Quoters shall complete Attachment #2 – Price Schedule. Quoters are only to fill out the highlighted cells; all other cells will then auto-populate. Quoters shall complete and return the Price Schedule in Excel (do not PDF). The Price Schedule shall NOT be combined or embedded with other materials.

Quoters should note that the Government anticipates annual funding in the estimated amount of 550 hours for “service technician hours – emergency repairs.” Quoters should also note that each period of performance includes a Not to Exceed (NTE) “Parts Lot” line item, which may be http://www.sam.gov/ used for replacement parts and critical spare parts up to the designated NTE amount.

Quoters MUST complete all of the following fields within Attachment 2 – Price Schedule (please note that the “quoted fixed unit price” includes any discounts that have been applied):

a) Preventive Maintenance Visits – commercial unit price AND quoted fixed unit price

b) Quarterly Training Sessions – commercial unit price AND quoted fixed unit price

c) Service Technician Hours - Emergency Repairs – commercial unit price AND quoted fixed unit price (as the Government will NOT reimburse any overtime, Quoter shall only include its standard rates)

Quoters must also submit with its response a “Critical Spare Parts List,” which (in accordance with the SOW definition) contains a list of parts/quantities that the Quoter recommends the Government have on-hand at its facility due to their critical nature.

Specifically, Quoters shall include the following information for each item:

a) Part/serial number

b) Part description

c) Estimated quantity

d) Commercial unit price

e) Quoted unit price

f) Any applicable fees, or Federal, State, or local taxes/duties

Th Government will use this information in assessing a Quoter’s understanding of the requirement and to evaluate the reasonableness of its pricing. Should the Government elect to purchase critical spare part(s), during the course of the contract, it will use the successful Quoter’s “Critical Spare Parts List” for reference.

Please note that all designated “option items” are Not-to-Exceed line items, which the Government may fund and exercise in any increment during each period of performance.

The Government is under no obligation to exercise any portion of any such line item.

Whether it elects to do so is entirely at its discretion and dependent upon its needs and the availability of funding.

Quoter shall complete the following fields within Attachment 2 – Price Schedule ONLY if they are applicable and not already included in its price for another line item:

a) Preventive Maintenance Visits – service charge

b) Quarterly Training Sessions – service charge

c) Service Technician Hours - Emergency Repairs – service charge

d) Software Revisions and Upgrades – commercial unit price, quoted fixed unit price, and service charge

e) Other Direct Costs (ODCs) – quantity, unit, commercial unit price, quoted fixed unit price, and service charge

Should a Quoter propose any ODC(s) for this contract, it must complete the appropriate cells in Attachment 2 – Price Schedule and document its rationale for the ODC(s) in a Price Narrative included with its response.

Salary Rate Limitation:

Quoters are advised that no NIH funds may be used to pay the direct annual salary of an individual through any contract awarded as a result of this solicitation at a rate in excess of the Executive Schedule, Level II* (direct salary is exclusive of Overhead, Fringe Benefits and General and Administrative expenses, also referred to as "indirect cost" or "facilities and administrative (F&A)costs"). Direct salary has the same meaning as the term "institutional base salary." An individual's direct salary (or institutional base salary) is the annual compensation that the Quoter pays for an individual's appointment whether that individual's time is spent on research, teaching, patient care or other activities. Direct salary (or institutional base salary) excludes any income that an individual may be permitted to earn outside of duties to the Quoter.

This does not preclude the Quoter from absorbing that portion of an employee's annual salary (plus the dollar amount for fringe benefits and associated indirect costs) that exceeds a rate of the Executive Schedule, Level II*. The Executive Schedule, Level II* annual salary rate limitation also applies to individuals proposed under subcontracts as well as consultants.

LINK TO EXECUTIVESCHEDULE RATES OF PAY:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/ (For current year rates, click on Salaries and Wages/Executive Schedule/Rates of Pay for the Executive Schedule. For prior year rates, click on Salaries and Wages/select Another Year at the top of the page/Executive Schedule/Rates of Pay for the Executive Schedule. Rates are effective January 1 of each calendar year unless otherwise noted.)

*Note to Quoters: Quoters must adhere to the current Fiscal Year Executive Level II Salary Rate when preparing its response. All costs associated with any resultant contract award shall fully comply with the current Fiscal Year Executive Level II Salary rates.

Quoters are instructed to certify that its quoted labor rates comply with the Department of Health and Human Services Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) Clause 352.231-70 Salary Rate Limitation through completing Attachment #4 – Representations and Certifications.

Applicability of FAR Provision 52.212-2

The provision at FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation – Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The following evaluation factor information is provided as an addendum:

(a) The Government will evaluate quotations for conformance to the RFQ’s requirements. This evaluation will include verification that the Quoter has followed all instructions contained in the RFQ and a determination that the Quoter is responsible.

(b) The Government will award a purchase order to the Quoter with the lowest-evaluated price that meets or exceeds the Government’s non-cost acceptability standards. Quoter will be evaluated for technical acceptability based on its’ demonstration that it is an OEM-authorized service provider and that it capable of fulfilling the requirements described in the SOW.

(c) If a Quoter (1) fails or refuses to assent to any term, (2) proposes additional terms, or (3) fails to submit or omits material information required by this RFQ, then the Government may consider its quotation UNACCEPTABLE.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/

(d) The Government will evaluate quotations for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government will also evaluate all pricing elements for price reasonableness. It may determine that a quotation is unacceptable if any pricing elements are deemed unreasonable or if the option prices are significantly unbalanced.

Evaluation of option(s) does NOT obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

Finally, the Government must determine that the total quoted price is fair and reasonable, taking into consideration any price reductions offered by the Quoter.

Applicability of FAR Provision 52.212-3

The provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications – Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

The provision and representations and certifications is included in full text at Attachment #4 – Representations and Certifications. Quoter must submit a completed and signed version of this form with its response.

Applicability of FAR Clause 52.212-4

As this will be a hybrid FFP/T&M Purchase Order, both FAR Clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items (OCT 2018) and FAR Clause 52.212-4 – Commercial Items-Alternate I (JAN 2017) apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference.

Applicability of FAR Clause 52.212-5

The clause at 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (AUG 2020) apply to this acquisition

FAR 52.212-5 is included in full text at Attachment #3 - Additional Terms and Conditions.

Invoicing Requirements

The successful Quoter shall submit all invoices in accordance with Attachment 5 – Interim Invoice Instructions until notified that it is to begin using the procedures outlined in Attachment 6 – Standard Invoice Instructions. In accordance with the Prompt Payment Act (31 U.S.C. 3903), payment will be made no later than 30 days after a proper invoice is received.

Invoices shall be submitted no more than once per month and must adequately describe and support all labor and materials for which the successful Quoter is seeking reimbursement.

Applicability of Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS)

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

https://uscode.house.gov/browse.xhtml;jsessionid=114A3287C7B3359E597506A31FC855B3

QUESTIONS DUE: Any questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist, Evan Feely, at evan.feely@nih.gov by 05:00 PM Eastern Time on September 17, 2020. Fax responses will NOT be accepted.

QUOTATIONS DUE: To be considered for award, Quoter must submit all required materials by 05:00 PM Eastern Time on September 18, 2020 and reference solicitation number NIH- NINDS-CSS-20-5703629. Responses must be submitted electronically to Evan Feely, Contract Specialist, at evan.feely@nih.gov Fax responses will NOT be accepted.

All timely and responsive quotations that fully comply with the solicitation instructions and are submitted by responsible Quoters will be evaluated.

Attachment #1 – Statement of Work Attachment #2 – Price Schedule Attachment #3 – Additional Terms and Conditions Attachment #4 – Representations and Certifications Attachment #5 – Interim Invoice Instructions Attachment #6 – Standard Invoice Instructions

Important Dates

RFQ Attachments mailto:evan.feely@nih.gov mailto:evan.feely@nih.gov