NOI_Draft SOW.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

1.0 TITLE

I-Corps Program at the National Cancer Institute.

2.0 BACKGROUND

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Development Center's core objectives are to help investigators translate scientific discoveries into impactful healthcare solutions, manage early-stage product development across NCI, inspire and support a diverse entrepreneurial workforce, and highlight NCI's role in improving patient care and driving economic growth.

NCI SBIR requires the Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program which offers crucial support to researchers and innovators through its hands-on training program, focusing on customer discovery and business model development. This structured approach effectively evaluates the commercial potential of scientific research, laying the foundation for new ventures and contributing to robust economic growth. Since 2014, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has partnered with VentureWell to implement and assess the I-Corps program and foster the growth of the national biomedical innovation ecosystem.

The NCI SBIR Development Center aids the entrepreneurial community that aligns with the mission of the NCI in validating the health impacts of promising scientific discoveries and advancing them into healthcare products that improve patient outcomes and overall health.

Product development across the biomedical field requires NIH collaboration with universities, research institutions, small businesses, trade associations, angel investors, venture capitalists, and strategic partners. NCI SBIR leads initiatives to cultivate these relationships and expand opportunities for NCI innovators to enhance their product development efforts.

2.1 OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of this requirement is to obtain the I-Corps program at NCI. The goal is to provide a technical and administrative infrastructure for in-person, virtual, or hybrid events relevant to the I-Corps program and provide a Project manager, with responsibility for overall task management and communications.

3.0 SCOPE

Independently, and not as an Agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, materials, equipment, facilities, and qualified personnel not provided by the Government and specified herein, to perform the work outlined in the Statement of Work (SOW). The scope of work includes providing professional expertise and technical support in administrating the I-Corps at NCI Program.

The Contractor shall support the administration of the I-Corps at NCI Program through intensive training in business model development and customer validation to one cohort of teams selected by NCI with up to a maximum of 8 teams. Each training shall include a three day in-person kickoff workshop, six weeks of virtual training and coaching, and a two day in-person closing workshop. The cohorts shall be tentatively scheduled as follows (schedule and dates to be solidified between the Government and Contractor after award):

● I-Corps NCI Cohort begins August/September 2025 and ends September/October 2025

4.0 CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS/ AND PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS

4.1 I-Corps at NCI Cohort Support

The Contractor shall coordinate and provide the overall support for the I-Corps at NCI Program in conducting the following activities as it relates to each cohort:

● Provide consultants (faculty) for each cohort and a training assistant as necessary for training purposes.

● Secure a venue for space, including hotel rooms and audio-visual services.

Locations for the kick-off sessions are to be determined in consultation with the NCI Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

● Assist NCI in conducting phone interviews for team selection prior to each cohort.

● Provide logistical coordination and communications to the teams and consultants before, during, and after each cohort.

● As applicable, provide all required classroom materials to the teams including syllabus, access to online videos, access to online classrooms or lessons, and/or access to the course management software. All required materials shall be provided virtually (e.g.

Airtable, Zoom, etc.).

● Make travel arrangements and accommodations for all consultants (faculty) for both the kickoff and closing workshops for each cohort.

● Ensure and coordinate an Event Manager and Program Officer that will be on site for each cohort.

● Provide the platform for the 6-week online sessions along with two additional hosts (there are three sessions that run concurrently; one is managed by the TA, the other two by the other consultants). The Contractor shall utilize Zoom and Airtable as the applicable virtual platform.

● Conduct a pre-course intake survey, an evaluation of the kickoff workshop, and a final course evaluation. Upon completion of each survey and/or evaluation the contractor will provide NCI SBIR Development Center with the results in a timely manner.

Contractor staff will consult with NCI SBIR Development Center to review the survey results and assess the need, if any, to amend the survey instruments. These activities shall include but are not limited to the following:

● Roster prep/cleaning/searches for wrong or bounce back emails/new email searches (e.g., those who are with a new company), dealing with repeat participants.

● Administration of the survey, such as a 2-month fielding period, monitoring of response rates overall and by role and cohort, and one-on-one communications with participants. Make any needed edits of the survey instrument.

● Data outcomes report.

● Follow-up requests.

● Interviewing a select number of former participants and summary of results

(includes communication, setup time, light transcription, analysis, and summary).

● Obtaining base-level data on businesses created by teams attending I-Corps @NCI workshops to include address, website, business status, and date of incorporation if applicable.

4.2 Technical and Logistical Support

The Contractor shall provide support in planning and administering all the technical and logistical aspects of the I-Corps at NCI Program. The Contractor is responsible for the following:

● Coordinating, contacting, inviting, and making arrangements for instructors and/or consultants (faculty) for in-person events. Any travel shall be the responsibility of the contractor and shall not be covered by this contract.

● Determining the appropriate I-Corps at NIH event location and venue for any in-person events.

● Determining and executing a virtual platform for virtual sessions to include technical assistance pre, during, and post event.

● Providing I-Corp at NCI materials that support participant learning during the event.

● Developing and administering an evaluation of participants assessment of the I-Corp at NCI cohort. Upon completion, the Contractor shall provide all evaluation data, to include a summary with the positive and negative data and recommendations to mitigate the negatives based on the evaluation data to the government no later than 30 calendar days after the end of each cohort.

5.0 PURCHASE ORDER RESTRICTIONS

5.1 PROHIBITION AGAINST PERSONAL SERVICES

The Contractor shall not perform personal services under this contract. Contractor personnel are employees of the Contractor or its subcontractors and are under the administrative control and supervision of the Contractor. If at any time the Contractor believes that any Government action or communication has been given that would create a personal service relationship between the Government and any Contractor employee, the Contractor shall promptly notify the Contracting Officer of this communication or action. The Contractor shall not perform any inherently-governmental functions under this contract. No Contractor employee shall represent or give the appearance that he/she is a Government employee, agent or representative. No Contractor employee shall state orally or in writing at any time that he or she is acting on behalf of the Government. The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that all employees assigned to this contract understand and are committed to following these requirements.

5.2 FOOD SERVICES

Per the HHS Policy on the Use of Appropriated Funds for Food, no food or drink will be provided by the Government or its agent at each meeting, nor will any appropriated funds be used to pay for meeting participant’s food or drink. There is no meeting registration fee and participants will be solely responsible to pay for their food and drink.

6.0 TYPE OF ORDER

This is a firm fixed price Purchase Order.

7.0 PRICING

TBD at Award.

8.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance shall consist of one (1) 12-month base period, plus two (4), 12-month option periods as follow:

Base Period: January 20, 2025 to January 19, 2026 Option Period 1: January 20, 2026 to January 19, 2027 Option Period 2: January 20, 2027 to January 19, 2028

9.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Services shall be performed onsite and virtually, as specified herein. While performing services remotely, all NIH/NCI IT security requirements shall be followed by the Contractor staff. Onsite services shall be performed at the location approved by the COR.

10.0 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

Pursuant to FAR clause 52.212-4, all work described in the SOW to be delivered under this purchase order is subject to final inspection and acceptance by an authorized representative of the Government. The authorized representative of the Government is the NCI Contracting Officer Representative (COR) who is responsible for inspection and acceptance of all services, materials, or supplies to be provided by the Contractor. All services performed under this purchase order shall be coordinated with the following TPOC:

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hhs.gov%2Fgrants%2Fcontracts%2Fcontract-policies-regulations%2Fspending-on-food%2Findex.html&data=05%7C01%7Celizabeth.tucker%40nih.gov%7C6e6f7c8a0c854f77488408dacbfb49b7%7C14b77578977342d58507251ca2dc2b06%7C0%7C0%7C638046577371697157%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2BNGnNmse2k0wNY08egwAaFfMEvu6beV%2BwdrnG4H9JiE%3D&reserved=0

Name: TBD Email: TBD Phone: TBD

11.0 REPORT(S)/DELIVERABLES AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE

The Contractor shall submit all required report(s)/deliverables in accordance with the following schedule.

DELIVERABLE NAME FORMAT DUE DATE

Schedule orientation meeting with NCI

POC

Teleconference and email

1 month after award

Confirm hotel, venue, instructors and teaching assistants

Teleconference and email

2 months after award

Create/distribute course material and 3-day kick-off workshop

In person and virtual Date agreed upon during orientation

Initiate 6-week classes Virtual Date agreed upon during orientation

2-day closeout workshop and final course survey

In person and virtual Date agreed upon during orientation

Schedules Email to COR Date to be mutually agreed upon after award

Cohort Agendas Due no later than 3 weeks in advance of each cohort

Curriculum Date to be mutually agreed upon after award.

Participant Assessment Evaluation data, to include a summary with the positive and negative data and

30 calendar days of each cohort completion.

recommendations to mitigate the negatives based on the evaluation data

12.0 PAYMENT

NCI shall provide a minimum of 12 teams; each team is responsible for payment to the contractor in the amount of $27,000 for participation in the training. In the event that NCI SBIR Development Center is unable to provide 8 teams per cohort, the contractor will invoice NCI SBIR Development Center $27,000 for each team short of the 8-team maximum.

The following clause is applicable to all Purchase Orders, Task or Delivery Orders, and Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) Calls: Prompt Payment (Jan 2017) FAR 52.232-25. Highlights of this clause and NIH implementation requirements follow:

I. Invoice Requirements A. An invoice is the Contractor's bill or written request for payment under the contract for supplies delivered or services performed. A proper invoice is an "Original" which must include the items listed in subdivisions 1 through 12, below, in addition to the requirements of FAR 32.9. If the invoice does not comply with these requirements, the Contractor will be notified of the defect within 7 days after the date the designated billing office received the invoice (3 days for meat, meat food products, or fish, and 5 days for perishable agricultural commodities, dairy products, edible fats, or oils) with a statement of the reasons why it is not a proper invoice. (See exceptions under II., below.) Untimely notification will be considered in the computation of any interest penalty owed the Contractor.

1. Vendor/Contractor: Name, Address, Point of Contact for the invoice (Name, title, telephone number, e-mail and mailing address of point of contact).

2. Remit-to address (Name and complete mailing address to send payment).

3. Remittance name must match exactly with name on original order/contract. If the Remittance name differs from the Legal Business Name, then both names must appear on the invoice.

4. Invoice date.

5. Unique invoice #s for all invoices per vendor regardless of site.

6. NBS document number formats must be included for awards created in the NBS: Contract Number; Purchase Order Number; Task or Delivery Order Number and Source Award Number (e.g., Indefinite Delivery Contract number; General Services Administration number);

or, BPA Call Number and BPA Parent Award Number.

7. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) which is in the System for Award Management (SAM) and replaces the Dun & Bradstreet Data

Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number.

8. Federal Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). In those rare cases where a contractor does not have a UEI number or TIN, a Vendor Identification Number (VIN) must be referenced on the invoice.

The VIN is the number that appears after the contractor’s name on the face page of the award document.

9. Identify that payment is to be made using a three-way match.

10. Description of supplies/services that match the description on the award, by line billed.

11. Freight or delivery charge must be billed as shown on the award. If it is included in the item price do not bill it separately. If identified in the award as a separate line item, it must be billed separately.

12. Quantity, Unit of Measure, Unit Price, Extended Price of supplies delivered or services performed, as applicable, and that match the line items specified in the award.

NOTE: If your invoice must differ from the line items on the award, please contact the Contracting Officer before submitting the invoice. A modification to the order or contract may be needed before the invoice can be submitted and paid.

Shipping costs will be reimbursed only if authorized by the Contract/Purchase Order. If authorized, shipping costs must be itemized. Where shipping costs exceed $100, the invoice must be supported by a bill of lading or a paid carrier's receipt.

B. NIH is using a phased transition approach from the NIH Office of Financial Management (OFM) Electronic Invoice Submission instructions to the Department of Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). This award will transition to IPP in the future. It is the Contractor/Vendor’s responsibility to periodically check the OALM IPP website and be prepared to transition to IPP on the designated transition date.

Until the Contractor/Vendor has transitioned to IPP as specified on the OALM IPP websitehttps://oalm.od.nih.gov/IPP>, the Contractor/Vendor must follow step-by-step instructions as stated in the NIH/OFM Electronic Invoicing Instructions for NIH Contractors/Vendors, which is included as an attachment and is on the website at https://oamp.od.nih.gov/DGS/DGS-workform-information/attachment-files Questions concerning the transition to IPP should be directed to NIH-IPPinvoicing@mail.nih.gov. Questions concerning this award should be directed to the NIH Contracting Officer.

If this award is a parent indefinite delivery award or a Blanket Purchase https://oalm.od.nih.gov/IPP https://oalm.od.nih.gov/IPP https://oalm.od.nih.gov/IPP https://oamp.od.nih.gov/DGS/DGS-workform-information/attachment-files https://oamp.od.nih.gov/DGS/DGS-workform-information/attachment-files https://oamp.od.nih.gov/DGS/DGS-workform-information/attachment-files https://oamp.od.nih.gov/DGS/DGS-workform-information/attachment-files mailto:NIH-IPPinvoicing@mail.nih.gov

Agreement Set-Up, then HHSAR 352.232-71 applies to all task/delivery orders or Blanket Purchase Agreement calls issued under this award.

The Contractor shall submit a copy of the electronic invoice to the following NCI COR:

Name- TBD at Award Email Address- TBD at Award

For inquiries regarding the status of invoices, contact OFM Customer Service via email at ofm_customer_service@incontactemail.com or via phone at 301-496-6088. To send your inquiries via other available communication methods refer to the OFM Customer Service website at https://ofm.od.nih.gov/Pages/Customer-Service.aspx.

Note: The OFM Customer Service is open Eastern Standard Time Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is closed between 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

II. Invoice Payment

A. Except as indicated in paragraph B., below, the due date for making invoice payments by the designated payment office shall be the later of the following two events:

1. The 30th day after the designated billing office has received a proper invoice.

2. The 30th day after Government acceptance of supplies delivered or services performed.

B. The due date for making invoice payments for meat and meat food products, perishable agricultural commodities, dairy products, and edible fats or oils, shall be in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act, as amended.

III. Interest Penalties

A. An interest penalty shall be paid automatically, if payment is not made by the due date and the conditions listed below are met, if applicable.

1. A proper invoice was received by the designated billing office.

2. A receiving report or other Government documentation authorizing payment was processed and there was no disagreement over quantity, quality, or contractor compliance with a term or condition.

3. In the case of a final invoice for any balance of funds due the contractor for supplies delivered or services performed, the amount was not subject to further settlement actions between the Government and the Contractor.

B. Determination of interest and penalties due will be made in accordance with the provisions of the Prompt Payment Act, as mailto:ofm_customer_service@incontactemail.com https://ofm.od.nih.gov/Pages/Customer-Service.aspx amended, the Contract Disputes Act, and regulations issued by the Office of Management and Budget.

IV. PROVIDING ACCELERATED PAYMENT TO SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTORS,

FAR 52.232-40 (March 2023)

(a) Upon receipt of accelerated payments from the Government, the Contractor shall make accelerated payments to its small business subcontractors under this contract, to the maximum extent practicable and prior to when such payment is otherwise required under the applicable contract or subcontract, after receipt of a proper invoice and all other required documentation from the small business subcontractor.

(b) The acceleration of payments under this clause does not provide any new rights under the Prompt Payment Act.

(c) Include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (c), in all subcontracts with small business concerns, including subcontracts with small business concerns for the acquisition of commercial products or commercial services.

V. HHSAR 352.232-71 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests (February 2, 2022)

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause— Payment request means a bill, voucher, invoice, or request for contract financing payment with associated supporting documentation. The payment request must comply with the requirements identified in FAR 32.905(b), ‘‘Content of Invoices’’ and the applicable Payment clause included in this contract.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this clause, the Contractor shall submit payment requests electronically using the Department of Treasury Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) or successor system. Information regarding IPP, including IPP Customer Support contact information, is available at www.ipp.gov or any successor site.

(c) The Contractor may submit payment requests using other than IPP only when the Contracting Officer authorizes alternate procedures in writing in accordance with HHS procedures.

(d) If alternate payment procedures are authorized, the Contractor shall include a copy of the Contracting Officer’s written authorization with each payment request.

http://www.ipp.gov/