Notice of Intent to sole source.pdf

12/29

PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS

INTRODUCTION

THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT)

SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A CONTRACT OR PURCHASE ORDER WITHOUT

PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME).

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Office of Acquisitions (OA) on behalf of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) intends to award a purchase order without providing for full and open competition to Optimal Systems, LLC for service of a scientist with experience in biomedical imaging and medical image analysis.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE

The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 541511 with a Size Standard of $34.0 million.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2025-01 effective 12 November 2024.

This acquisition is conducted under the procedures as prescribed in FAR Subpart 13.106-1(b).

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 1901 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

Background

Liver damage can be prevented and, in many cases, reversed if liver disease is treated in its early stages in which inflammation precedes fibrosis. Biopsy, while the gold standard is also hardly justifiable in early stages. Biomedical and Metabolic Imaging Branch proposes a project to target this dilemma by offering to develop a safe, non-invasive, and affordable alternative to biopsy to assess liver inflammation and provide adjusted quantification of liver stiffness. Tens of millions of liver disease patients may benefit from these techniques either for early disease assessment and treatment or following up treatment effects, or in longitudinal clinical pharmacological studies in which the effect of new medication can be followed in patients without intervention.

In order to accomplish the goals of this project, The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Biomedical and Metabolic Imaging Branch has a requirement to obtain services of a scientist with extensive expertise in biomedical imaging and medical image analysis with demonstrated understanding of, and ability to apply principles, concepts, practices and standards associated with biomedical imaging and medical image analysis.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this request is to procure the services of a scientist with specialized skills beyond what NIDDK current resources can provide in order to accomplish the goals of this project. The contractor shall work 40 hours per week.

CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS

The contractor is expected to deliver scientific data and results and implement the following:

• Develop and implement a 3-Dimensional (3D) Magnetic Resonance Elastography

(MRE) technique and algorithms to analyze 3D MRE liver.

• Develop and implement analysis algorithms optimized for liver tissue deformation imaging driven by inherent cardiac motion to measure liver tissue biomechanical properties.

• Develop and implement machine learning algorithms to estimate the levels of inflammation and accordingly correct the fibrosis stage using liver tissue biomechanical properties.

• Write well-designed, testable, efficient code.

• Interpret, analyze and present data; work in fast-paced, result oriented research environment.

• Contribute to project advancement by developing new methods or technologies and troubleshooting existing protocol.

• Write protocols and study reports, produce and maintain accurate records

• Prepare manuscripts for journal publications.

TASKS

The Contractor shall:

• Drive discovery and translational research aimed at developing and implementing a

3D MRE technique and algorithms to analyze 3D MRE liver. The Contractor shall create their own research plans with minimum support from the principal investigator. The Contractor shall run research plans independently. Weekly/as needed meetings will be held to discuss the work and provide directions for next steps.

• Define and implement critical studies needed to develop analysis algorithms optimized for liver tissue deformation imaging driven by inherent cardiac motion to measure liver tissue biomechanical properties. The Contractor’s progress will be monitored periodically through weekly/as needed meetings. In these meetings the Contractor will be provided with feedback and directions. (Deliverable 1).

• Develop and implement machine learning algorithms to estimate the levels of inflammation and accordingly correct the fibrosis stage using liver tissue biomechanical properties.

• Assist the Biomedical and Metabolic Imaging Branch in contributing to scientific literature and conferences by providing input and guidance to publication and presentation of research results. The Contractor shall assist with and provide guidance for contributing to manuscripts and abstracts for scientific publications.

• Assist with organizing data prior to scientific publication submission. The data will be reviewed and evaluated by the principal investigator in as-needed project meetings (Deliverable 1).

DELIVERABLES

Number Title/Description Due Deliverable 1 Weekly/ as needed Status meetings As requested by the COR, no more than 1 per week

PURCHASE ORDER TYPE

The anticipated purchase order will be a Firm Fixed Price.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The anticipated period of performance for this order is 2/2/2025 to 2/1/2026.

PAYMENT TERMS

Payment will be made monthly in arrears.

REVIEW AND ACCEPTANCE

The Project Officer or the Project Officer Supervisor will review and monitor the services provided to ensure services conform with contract requirements. For Services, invoices will be approved by the program officer and/or the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) according to payment terms above.

PROJECT OFFICER

The following Project Officer(s) will represent the Government for the purpose of this Purchase Order:

Project Officer: TBD

The Project Officer is responsible for: (1) monitoring the Contractor's technical progress, including the surveillance and assessment of performance and recommending to the Contracting Officer changes in requirements; (2) interpreting the statement of work and any other technical performance requirements; (3) performing technical evaluation as required; (4) performing technical inspections and acceptances required by this Purchase Order; and (5) assisting in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance.

The Contracting Officer is the only person with authority to act as agent of the Government under this Purchase Order. Only the Contracting Officer has authority to:

(1) direct or negotiate any changes in the statement of work; (2) modify or extend the period of performance; (3) change the delivery schedule; (4) authorize reimbursement to the Contractor any costs incurred during the performance of this Purchase Order; or

(5) otherwise change any terms and conditions of this Purchase Order.

CLOSING STATEMENT

This is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.”

A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement.

http://www.sam.gov/

All responses must be received by Monday December 23, 2024 12:00 P.M. EST.

Responses must be submitted via email to Ijada Fields, Contract Specialist at ijada.fields@nih.gov and Airron Wiggins, Contracting Officer at airron.wiggins@nih.gov.

“All responsible sources may submit a bid, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency.”

mailto:ijada.fields@nih.gov mailto:airron.wiggins@nih.gov