Technical_Eval_Criteria_-_Bioinformatics.docx

NIH/OD/OLAO/OA

TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

GENERAL

The major evaluation factors for this solicitation include technical (which encompasses experience, technical approach, corporate and human resources, quality control and past performance factors) and cost/price factors. Although technical factors are of paramount consideration in the award of the contract, cost/price is also important to the overall contract award decision. All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. In any case, the Government reserves the right to make award(s) to that offeror whose proposal provides the best overall value to the Government.

Offerors are advised that award will be made to that offeror whose proposal provides the combination of features that offers the best or greatest overall value to the Government. The Government is more concerned with obtaining performance capability superiority rather than lowest overall cost. However, the Government will not make an award at a significantly higher overall cost to the Government to achieve only slightly superior performance. Overall cost to the Government may become the ultimate factor for award of a contract as proposals become more equal based on other factors.

The evaluation will be based on the demonstrated capabilities of the prospective Contractors in relation to the needs of the project as set forth in the RFP. The merits of each proposal will be evaluated carefully. Each proposal must document the feasibility of successful implementation of requirements of the RFP. Offerors must submit information sufficient to evaluate their proposals based on the detailed criteria below.

TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

The criteria below are listed in the order of relative importance with weights assigned for evaluation purposes.

A. Personnel Qualifications/Experience 50 points Adequacy and feasibility of the proposed professional staff to conduct the services and meet research goals and objectives; including:

· Ph.D. in computational biology with an emphasis in aggregation of taste receptor

· Experience analyzing ectopic, peripheral taste and olfactory receptors as well as analyzing psychophysics data

· Expertise in FMRI data analysis

· Expertise in big data analysis and bioinformatic interpretation

· Contribution to the publication of at least 2 manuscripts in peer reviewed journals is required.

· Experience in the field of genomics; preferably related to similar research conducted within the DIR/NINR.

B. Past Performance 40 points

· Experience working in the fields of structural bioinformatics and proteomics and genomics.

C. Technical Approach to Performance Requirements 10 points

Adequacy and feasibility to establish and maintain sensitivity and accuracy:

· Able to train personnel on bioinformatics of next generation sequencing

· Able to assemble genomes, annotate genes and proteins and carry out Pathway analysis and Gene Ontology

· Able to customize bioinformatics analysis for DNA-seq, RNA-seq, and CHIP-seq

TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE 100 points

COST/PRICE FACTORS

Offeror(s) cost/price proposal will be evaluated for reasonableness. For a price to be reasonable, it must represent a price to the government that a prudent person would pay when consideration is given to prices in the market. Normally, price reasonableness is established through adequate price competition, but may also be determined through cost and price analysis techniques as described in FAR 15.404. The Offeror shall submit firm fixed prices for all items listed in Section B (including options).

EVALUATION OF OPTIONS

It is anticipated that any contract awarded from this solicitation will contain option provision(s) and periods(s) In accordance with FAR clause 52.217-5 Evaluation of Options, (July 1990) the Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by addition the total price for all options to the total price of the basic requirement, except when it is determined in accordance with FAR 17.206(b) not to be in the Government’s best interests. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s)

SELECTION FOR AWARD

Offeror should be aware that the Government shall perform a “best value analysis” and the selection for award shall be made to the Offeror whose proposal is most advantageous to the Government, taking into consideration the technical factors listed above and the total proposed price across all contract periods.