Request for Quotation.pdf

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION 1333ND24QNB640476

Specialized Upright Microscope Platform

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 12.6 – Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested, and a separate written solicitation document will not be issued. This solicitation is being issued under the authority of FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures.

This solicitation is a Request for Quotations (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2024-05, effective 5/22/2024.

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. The small business size standard is 1,000 employees. This request will be a Brand Name Only acquisition.

The goal of the gene therapy manufacturing innovations in measurement sciences (IMS) project, within the Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, Material Measurement Laboratory, is to develop light scattering microscopy methods to characterize gene delivery particles. Emerging gene therapy treatments use gene delivery nanoparticles, such as viral vectors and non-viral carriers, to cure intractable diseases. These manufactured particles suffer heterogeneity issues that hinder treatment efficacy and safety.

This project aims to develop light-scattering microscopy methods to enable rapid, multi-attribute measurements of individual gene therapy nanoparticles’ physical characteristics. Such measurements will speed the development of new gene therapy treatments and improve their efficacy and safety. The group requires an electrophysiological-style upright microscope to further its mission requirements.

Responsible quoters shall provide pricing for the following brand name electrophysiological-style upright microscope. All equipment must be new. Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award.

This is a Brand Name Only procurement:

Instrument Model# Olympus electrophysiological-style upright microscopy platform

BX51W1

The IMS project will need to build a custom multispectral light scattering imaging system, that can be compared with traditional microscopy modes of reflection fluorescence and bright field microscopy. IMS requires a new Olympus electrophysiological-style upright microscopy platform that is ready to use for traditional modes of microscopy (fluorescence and bright field) and has a large breadboard stage for attachment of an end-user customized prism-based light scatter illumination system. IMS requires that the XY movement of the sample come from the large breadboard stage and the Z movement and focus must come from the microscope objective heat/turret. In contrast, all other brands of electrophysiological-style microscopes have fixed breadboard stages and all XYZ movement comes from the microscope body.

DELIVERY

The instrument must be delivered within 90 calendar days of award. The instrument will be shipped F.O.B Destination Shipping to:

The National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) 100 Bureau Drive, Building 227, Room 251 Gaithersburg, MD 20899

FOB DESTINATION MEANS: The Contractor shall pack and mark the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the purchase order, be responsible for loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt and acceptance of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the purchase order; and pay all charges to the specified point of delivery.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The Government intends to award a purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Quoter whose quotation, conforming to the solicitation is the lowest priced, technically acceptable quotation.

Technically acceptable means that the Contractor provides an Olympus electrophysiological-style upright microscopy platform, meeting the specifications within requirements document, and the requirements of the line item. If a contractor does not indicate how its proposed system meets certain requirements, NIST will determine it does not.

NIST intends to evaluate quotes and issues a contract based on the initial quotes received. Therefore, the Contractor’s initial quote should contain the Contractor’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint. NIST Reserves the right to request revised quotes from, or negotiate final contract terms with, one or more, but not all, Contractors, if later determined by the Contracting Office to be necessary.

Quoter’s must address each specification in the requirements document, and clearly demonstrate that the commercial items quoted meet each specification.

REQUIRED SUBMISSIONS

Contractors shall submit the following:

1. For the purpose of evaluating Technical Capability – Documentation including system requirements that confirms the Contractor has demonstrated the ability to deliver the requirements of the Olympus electrophysiological-style upright microscopy platform.

Contractors must include a copy of the quoted systems manufactured specifications.

2. All equipment must be New. Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award. Contractors shall provide a Firm-Fixed price quotation for the following line item:

• Line Item 0001, Firm Fixed Price: Delivery of One (1) Olympus electrophysiological-style upright microscopy platform, meeting all specifications in accordance with the statement of requirements document, inclusive of F.O.B Destination, Installation, Training, & Warranty $__________________total firm-fixed price.

3. A complete version of all required solicitation provisions (see attached provisions/clauses document – required submissions highlighted in blue.

4. If the Contractor objects to any of the terms and conditions contained in this solicitation, the contract shall state, “The terms and conditions in this solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following.”

[Contractor shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s)].

It is the sole responsibility of the contractor to identify in their quote any exceptions to the terms and conditions of the solicitation. If the contractor does not include such a statement, the submission of a quotation in response to this solicitation will be regarded as the contractor’s acceptance of the Government’s terms and conditions for inclusion into the resultant purchase order.

5. Quoter’s shall provide an active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) for the System for Award Management (SAM) registration. Quoter’s must have an active registration at www.SAM.gov to submit a quotation.

Please note that this procurement IS NOT being conducted under the GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) program or another Government-Wide Area Contract (GWAC).

If a contractor submits a quotation based upon an FSS or GWAC contract, the Government will accept the quoted price. However, the terms and conditions stated herein will be included in any resultant Purchase Order, not the terms and conditions of the contractor’s FSS or GWAC contract, and the statement required above shall be included in the quotation;

DUE DATE FOR QUOTATIONS

E-mail quotations are required. All quotations must be submitted via e-mail to Tish Walker, Contract Specialist at latish.walker@nist.gov Submission must be received not later than 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on 8/12/2024. A quotation shall be considered received when it is received in the electronic inbox of Tish Walker, not later than the date and time identified herein.

All questions regarding this notice must be submitted via e-mail to latish.walker@nist.gov one week prior to the expiration of the solicitation. Questions submitted after this date may not be addressed by the Government prior to the quotation submission deadline.

PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES:

The clauses and provisions applicable to this solicitation can be found under Applicable Clauses & Provisions. The full text of a FAR provision or clause may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov/far. The full text of a CAR provision or clause may be accessed electronically at http://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/acquistion_management/policy/.

ATTACHMENTS:

The following attachments apply to this solicitation:

1. Statement of Requirements

2. Applicable Clauses & Provisions http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:latish.walker@nist.gov mailto:latish.walker@nist.gov http://www.acquisition.gov/far http://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/acquistion_management/policy/