H.7 Award Notice.docx

This is an Award Notice documenting the completion of a single-source procurement for specialized research materials. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of the Director, Office of Acquisitions, awarded a purchase order to the University of Illinois Sponsored Programs Administration on September 25, 2026, for an amount of $60,900.00 (PO# 75N98026P01649). The requirement was for K101 and K110 pellets manufactured by the University of Illinois School of Chemical Sciences, located at 505 S. Mathews, Urbana, Illinois 61801. The procurement was conducted on a non-competitive, other-than-full-and-open competition basis in support of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

The University of Illinois was selected as the sole source supplier based on the unique and critical nature of the product. The K101 and K110 pellets are specifically engineered for slow-release delivery of study compounds over 90-day study periods, with exceptionally consistent release rates that have been tested and validated for NIDCD's ongoing research. The Government determined that introducing an alternative supplier would compromise the integrity of the study data due to the unmatched quality and performance characteristics of the University of Illinois product. Prior to award, interested vendors were given the opportunity to submit capabilities statements demonstrating their ability to meet the requirement's specifications, though no alternative source was ultimately selected.