RFP_with_Attachments.pdf

- 1 -

SOLICITATION

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

1. Requisition or other Purchase Authority: Public Law 81-692, as amended

2. Request for Proposal (RFP) Number:

NIAID-DAIDS-NIHAI2012150

3. Issue Date:

June 12, 2013

4. Set Aside:

[X] No [ ] Yes See Part IV Section L

5. Title : Immunology Quality Assessment Program

6. ISSUED BY:

Office of Acquisitions Division of Extramural Activities National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health Department of Health and Human Services 6700-B Rockledge Drive, Room 3214, MSC 7612 Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7612 If using overnight delivery, use 20817

7. SUBMIT OFFERS TO:

See Part III, Section J, "Packaging and Delivery of the Proposal," ATTACHMENT 1 of this Solicitation.

8. Proposals for furnishing the supplies and/or services in THE SCHEDULE will be received at the place specified in, and in the number of copies specified in Attachment 1, "Packaging and Delivery of the Proposal," until 3:00 pm local time on September 12, 2013. Offers will be valid for 120 days unless a different period is specified by the offeror on the Attachment entitled, "Proposal Summary and Data Record, NIH 2043.

9. This solicitation requires delivery of proposals as stated in ATTACHMENT 1, "PACKAGING AND DELIVERY OF THE PROPOSAL." If proposals are required to be delivered to two different locations, the OFFICIAL POINT OF RECEIPT for determining TIMELY DELIVERY is the address provided for the OFFICE OF ACQUISITIONS.

IF YOUR PROPOSAL IS NOT RECEIVED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER OR HIS DESIGNEE AT THE PLACE AND TIME SPECIFIED FOR THE OFFICE OF ACQUISITIONS, THEN IT WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE AND HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH subparagraph (c)(3) of FAR Clause 52.215-1, Instructions to Offerors--Competitive Acquisition," LOCATED IN SECTION L.1. OF THIS SOLICITATION.

10. Offeror must be registered in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) prior to award of a contract. Offerors must access the CCR through The System for Award Management (SAM) at http://www.sam.gov

11. FOR INFORMATION CALL: Robert Corno

PHONE: 301-451-3691

e-MAIL: cornorj@niaid.nih.gov

COLLECT CALLS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Secondary Point of Contact:

John Manouelian, Contracting Officer

PHONE: 301-451-3694

e-MAIL: manouelj@mail.nih.gov

COLLECT CALLS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

We strongly suggest that any questions regarding the solicitation be submitted by 3:00 pm on 08/13/2013, so that we can provide timely responses before proposals are due.

RFP Number : NIAID-DAIDS-NIHAI2012150

- 2 -

RFP TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

SECTION D - PACKAGING, MARKING AND SHIPPING

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J - LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

SOLICITATION ATTACHMENTS

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL ATTACHMENTS

BUSINESS PROPOSAL ATTACHMENTS

INFORMATIONAL ATTACHMENTS

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

a. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS--COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION

b. NAICS CODE AND SIZE STANDARD

c. TYPE OF CONTRACT AND NUMBER OF AWARDS

d. LEVEL OF EFFORT

e. COMMITMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS

f. PROMOTING EFFICIENT SPENDING

g. COMMUNICATIONS PRIOR TO CONTRACT AWARD

h. RELEASE OF INFORMATION

i. PREPARATION COSTS

j. SERVICE OF PROTEST

2. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

a. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Contract Type and General Clauses

2. Authorized Official and Submission of Proposal

3. Proposal Summary and Data Record (NIH-2043)

4. Separation of Technical and Business Proposals

5. Alternate Proposals

6. Evaluation of Proposals

7. Potential Award Without Discussions

8. Use of the Metric System of Measurement

9. Privacy Act - Treatment of Proposal Information

10. Selection of Offerors

- 3 -

11. Institutional Responsibility Regarding Investigator Conflicts of Interest

12. Past Performance Information

13. Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference

b. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Technical Discussions

2. Other Considerations

3. Technical Evaluation

4. Human Subjects

Notice to Offerors of Requirements of 45 CFR Part 46, Protection of Human Subjects, HHSAR 270-4(a)

Instructions to Offerors Regarding Protection of Human Subjects

Required Education in the Protection of Human Research Participants

Inclusion of Women and Minorities in Research Involving Human Subjects

Inclusion of Children in Research Involving Human Subjects

Research Involving Human Fetal Tissue

Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules (including Human Gene Transfer Research)

Human Embryonic Germ Cell (HEGC) Research

Human Embryonic Stem Cell (HESC) Research

5. Obtaining and Disseminating Biomedical Research Resources

6. Information and Physical Access Security

7. Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility, HHSAR 352.239-73(a)

c. BUSINESS PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Basic Cost/Price Information

2. Proposal Cover Sheet

3. Information Other than Cost or Pricing Data

4. Requirements for Cost or Pricing Data or Information Other than Cost and Pricing Data

5. Salary Rate Limitation

6. Small Business Subcontracting Plan

7. Mentor Protege Program, HHSAR 352.219-70

8. HUBZone Small Business Concerns

9. Extent of Small Disadvantaged Business Participation

10. Total Compensation Plan

11. Other Administrative Data

12. Qualifications of the Offeror

13. Subcontractors

14. Proposer's Annual Financial Report

15. Travel Costs/Travel Policy

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

1. GENERAL

2. COST/PRICE EVALUATION

3. HUMAN SUBJECT EVALUATION

4. EVALUATION OF OPTIONS

5. EVALUATION OF DATA SHARING PLAN

6. TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

- 4 -

7. EVALUATION OF ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY- SECTION

8. PAST PERFORMANCE FACTOR

9. EXTENT OF SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS PARTICIPATION

- 5 -

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

THE INFORMATION SET FORTH IN SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM, HEREIN CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ANY OFFEROR INTERESTED IN RESPONDING TO THIS SOLICITATION.

ANY CONTRACT RESULTING FROM THIS SOLICITATION WILL INCLUDE IN ITS SECTION A - SOLICITATION/ CONTRACT FORM, ACCOUNTING, APPROPRIATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION APPLICABLE TO THE

CONTRACT AWARD.

THE CONTRACT SCHEDULE SET FORTH IN SECTIONS B THROUGH H, HEREIN, CONTAINS CONTRACTUAL INFORMATION PERTINENT TO THIS SOLICITATION. IT IS NOT AN EXACT REPRESENTATION OF THE CONTRACT DOCUMENT THAT WILL BE AWARDED AS A RESULT OF THIS SOLICITATION. THE CONTRACT COST OR PRICE AND OTHER CONTRACTUAL PROVISIONS PERTINENT TO THE OFFEROR (i.e., those relating to the organizational structure [e.g., Non-Profit, Commercial] and specific cost authorizations unique to the Offeror's proposal and requiring Contracting Officer Prior Approval) WILL BE DISCUSSED IN THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS AND WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE RESULTANT CONTRACT. THE ENCLOSED CONTRACT SCHEDULE IS

INTENDED TO PROVIDE THE OFFEROR WITH THE NECESSARY INFORMATION TO UNDERSTAND THE

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE RESULTANT CONTRACT.

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

ARTICLE B.1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES

The purpose of the contract is to provide support to evaluate the abilities of U.S. and non-U.S. laboratories (Labs) to accurately and reliably perform study-specified immunological tests and viable peripheral blood mono-nuclear cells (PBMC) freezing; advise and train lab staff when deficiencies are identified; and evaluate immunology-based novel technologies for implementation in multi-site NIAID clinical trials and host and maintain an electronic data management system and document library in support of contract activities.

ARTICLE B.2. ESTIMATED COST - OPTION

a. The estimated cost of the Base Period of this contract is $ .

b. The fixed fee for the Base Period of this contract is $_________. The fixed fee shall be paid in direct ratio to the level of effort expended; that is, the percent of fee paid shall be equal to the percent of total effort expended.

Payment shall be subject to the withholding provisions of the clauses ALLOWABLE COST AND PAYMENT and FIXED FEE reference in the General Clause Listing in Part II, ARTICLE I.1. of this contract.

c. The total amount of the contract, represented by the sum of the estimated cost plus the fixed fee for the Base Period is $_______.

d. If the Government exercises its options pursuant to the OPTION PROVISION Article in SECTION H of this contract, the Government's total estimated contract amount represented by the sum of the estimated cost plus the fixed fee will be increased as follows:

Estimated Cost

Fixed Fee

Estimated Cost Plus Fixed Fee

Base Period

Option Period(s):

Total [Base Period and Option(s)]

- 6 -

ARTICLE B.3. PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO DIRECT COSTS

This Article will prohibit or restrict the use of contract funds, unless otherwise approved by the Contracting Officer. The following is a list of items that may be included in the resultant contract as applicable. 1) Conferences & Meetings, 2) Food for Meals, Light Refreshments & Beverages, 3) Promotional Items, 4) Acquisition, by purchase or lease, of any interest in real property; 5) Special rearrangement or alteration of facilities; 6) Purchase or lease of any item of general purpose office furniture or office equipment regardless of dollar value; 7) Travel Costs including Foreign Travel; 8) Consultant Costs; 9) Subcontract Costs; 10) Patient Care Costs; 11) Accountable Government Property; 12) Printing costs; and 13) Research Funding.

ARTICLE B.4. ADVANCE UNDERSTANDINGS

Specific elements of cost, which normally require prior written approval of the Contracting Officer before incurrence of the cost (e.g., foreign travel, consultant fees, subcontracts) will be included in this Article if the Contracting Officer has granted his/her approval prior to contract award.

The following Advance Understandings will be included in any resultant contract:

1. Protection of Proprietary Data and Materials

Data and other information supplied by third-party providers or laboratories under this Contract or the COR, including information concerning third-party materials, shall be assumed to be confidential unless (a) specifically indentified as not confidential in writing by the COR; (b) is within the public domain before its receipt by the Contractor or thereafter becomes within the public domain other than as a result of disclosures by the Contractor; (c) is in the possession of the Contractor before its receipt by the Contractor; (d) is acquired by the Contractor from a third party not under an obligation of confidentiality; (e) is hereafter independently developed by the Contractor, without reference to the supplied information; or (f) the COR or the third-party expressly authorizes the Contractor to disclose.

Materials supplied by third-party providers or laboratories under this Contract will not be further distributed to others without the COR's or the third party's written consent.

2. Invoices - Cost and Personnel Reporting and Variances from the Negotiated Budget

a. The Contractor agrees to provide a detailed breakdown on invoices of the following cost categories:

1) Direct Labor - List individuals by name, title/position, hourly/annual rate, level of effort, and amount claimed.

2) Fringe Benefits - Cite rate and amount

3) Overhead - Cite rate and amount

4) Materials & Supplies - Include detailed breakdown when total amount is over $1,000.

5) Travel - Identify travelers, dates, destination, purpose of trip, and amount. Cite COA, if appropriate. List separately, domestic travel, general scientific meeting travel, and foreign travel.

6) Consultant Fees - Identify individuals and amounts.

7) Subcontracts - Attach subcontractor invoice(s).

8) Equipment - Cite authorization and amount.

9) G&A - Cite rate and amount.

10) Total Cost

11) Fixed Fee

12) Total CPFF

Monthly invoices must include the cumulative total expenses to date, adjusted (as applicable) to show any amounts suspended by the Government.

- 7 -

b. The Contractor agrees to immediately notify the Contracting Officer in writing if there is an anticipated overrun (any amount) or unexpended balance (greater than 10 percent) of the amount allotted to the contract, and the reasons for the variance. Also refer to the requirements of the Limitation of Funds and Limitation of Cost Clauses in the contract.

- 8 -

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

ARTICLE C.1. STATEMENT OF WORK

a. Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall be required to furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the Statement of Work, dated March 15, 2013, attached hereto and made a part of this Solicitation (See SECTION J - List of Attachments).

b. The applicable Privacy Act System of Records Number will be specified and shall be used in any design, development, or operation work to be performed under the resultant contract. Disposition of records shall be in accordance with SECTION C of the contract, and by direction of the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR).

ARTICLE C.2. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

All reports required herein shall be submitted in electronic format.

All electronic reports submitted shall be compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Additional information about testing documents for Section 508 compliance, including guidance and specific checklists, by application, can be found at: http://www.hhs.gov/web/508/index.html under "Making Files Accessible."

All paper/hardcopy documents/reports submitted under this contract shall be printed or copied, double-sided, on at least 30 percent post consumer fiber paper, whenever practicable, in accordance with FAR 4.302(b).

a. Technical Progress Reports

1. In addition to the required reports set forth elsewhere in this Schedule, the preparation and submission of regularly recurring Technical Progress Reports will be required in any contract resulting from this solicitation. These reports will require descriptive information about the activities undertaken during the reporting period and will require information about planned activities for future reporting periods. The frequency and specific content of these reports will be determined prior to contract award. [Note: Beginning May 25, 2008, the Contractor shall include the applicable PubMed Central or NIH Manuscript Submission reference number when citing publications that arise from its NIH funded research.

a. Tri-annual Progress Report (every 4 months)

This report shall include a description of the activities during the reporting period and the activities planned for the ensuing reporting period. The first reporting period consists of the first full four months of performance including any fractional part of the initial month and shall be due on the 30th of the month following the reporting period. Thereafter, the reporting period shall consist of four full calendar months. A Tri-annual Progress Report shall not be submitted when the Final Report is due.

The Contractor shall submit the following required information with the Tri-annual Progress Report:

1) Summary and highlights of activities related to preparation and distribution of proficiency testing panels to monitor Labs to perform immunological assays

2) Summary and highlights of activities related to review of Labs ability to perform immunological assays and viable PBMC freezing

- 9 -

3) Summary of assistance and training activiities, including visits to Labs

4) Summary of activities and results related to method evaluation studies

5) Summary of activities related to acquisition and characterization of quality control materials

6) Description of activities related to web enhancement and maintenance

7) Summary of subcontract activiites

8) Summary of meetings, teleconferneces and discussions with the COR, User Groups and Lab personnel regarding issues relevant to the conduct of the contracted work

9) Summary of facilities/equipment issues

10) Personnel report, which shall inlclude only the name, title, percent effort and responsibility of each individual wo is working on the contract and a summary of personnel changes occuring during the reporting interval

b. Annual Technical Progress Report for Clincal Research Study Populations

The Contractor shall submit information about the inclusion of women and members of monority groups and their subpopulations for each study being performed under this contract. The Contractor shall submit this information in the format indicated in the attachment entitled, "Inclusion Enrollment Report," which is set forth in Section J of the contract. The Contractor shall use this format, modified to indicate that it is a final report, for reporting purposes in the Final Report.

The first report shall be due July 31, 2014. Thereafter, the report shall be due on or before the 30th day following each reporting period. The final report shall be due on or before the expiration date of the contract.

In addition, the NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research, Amended, October, 2001 applies. If this contract is for Phase III clinical trials, see II.B of these guidelines. The Guidelines may be found at the following website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/ guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm

Include a description of the plans to conduct analyses, as appropriate, by sex/gender and/ or racial/ethnic groups in the clinical trial protocol as approved by the IRB, and provide a description of the progress in the conduct of these analyses, as appropriate, in the annual progress report and the final report. If the analysis reveals no subset differences, a brief statement to that effect, indicating the subsets analyzed, will suffice. The Government strongly encourages inclusion of the results of subset analysis in all publication submissions.

In the final report, the Contractor shall include all final analyses of the data on sex/gender and race/ethnicity.

c. Final Report

This report is to include a summation of the work performed and the results obtained for the entire contract period of performance. This report shall be in sufficient detail to describe comprehensively the results achieved. The Final Report shall be submitted prior to the expiration of the contract. A Tri-annual Progress Report will not be required for the period when the Final Report is due.

- 10 -

b. Other Reports/Deliverables

1. Reporting of Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI)

All reports and documentation required by 45 CFR Part 94, Responsible Prospective Contractors including, but not limited to, the New FCOI Report, Annual FCOI Report, Revised FCOI Report, and the Mitigation Report, shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer in Electronic format. Thereafter, reports shall be due in accordance with the regulatory compliance requirements in 45 CFR Part 94.

45 CFR Part 94 is available at: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?

c=ecfr&rgn=div5&view=text&node=45:1.0.1.1.52&idno=45. See Part 94.5, Management and reporting of financial conflicts of interest for complete information on reporting requirements.

(Reference subparagraph g. of the INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY REGARDING INVESTIGATOR FINANCIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST Article in SECTION H of this contract.)

2. Human Subjects IRB Annual Report (Form OMB No. 0990-0263-formerly Optional Form 310)

3. Source Code and Object Code

Unless otherwise specified herein, the Contractor shall deliver to the Government, upon the expiration date of the contract, all source code and object code developed, modified, and/or enhanced under this contract.

4. Information Security and Physical Access Reporting Requirements

The Contractor shall submit the following reports as required by the INFORMATION AND PHYSICAL ACCESS SECURITY Article in SECTION H of this contract. Note: Each report listed below includes a reference to the appropriate subparagraph of this article.

a. Roster of Employees Requiring Suitability Investigations

The Contractor shall submit a roster, by name, position, e-mail address, phone number and responsibility, of all staff (including subcontractor staff) working under the contract who will develop, have the ability to access, or host and/or maintain a Federal information system(s). The roster shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), with a copy to the Contracting Officer (CO), within 14 calendar days of the effective date of the contract. (Reference subparagraph A.e. of the INFORMATION AND PHYSICAL ACCESS SECURITY Article in SECTION H of this contract.)

b. IT Security Plan (IT-SP)

In accordance with HHSAR Clause 352.239-72, Security Requirements For Federal Information Technology Resources, the contractor shall submit the IT-SP within thirty

(30) days after contract award. The IT-SP shall be consistent with, and further detail the approach to, IT security contained in the Contractor's bid or proposal that resulted in the award of this contract. The IT-SP shall describe the processes and procedures that the Contractor will follow to ensure appropriate security of IT resources that are developed, processed, or used under this contract. If the IT-SP only applies to a portion of the contract, the Contractor shall specify those parts of the contract to which the IT-SP applies.

- 11 -

The Contractor shall review and update the IT-SP in accordance with NIST SP 800-53A, Guide for Assessing the Security Controls in Federal Information Systems and Organizations, on an annual basis.

(Reference subparagraph D.c.1. of the INFORMATION AND PHYSICAL ACCESS SECURITY Article in SECTION H of this contract.)

c. IT Risk Assessment (IT-RA)

In accordance with HHSAR Clause 352.239-72, Security Requirements For Federal Information Technology Resources, the contractor shall submit the IT-RA within thirty

(30) days after contract award. The IT-RA shall be consistent, in form and content, with NIST SP 800-30, Risk Management Guide for Information Technology Systems, and any additions or augmentations described in the HHS-OCIO Information Systems Security and Privacy Policy.

The Contractor shall update the IT-RA on an annual basis.

(Reference subparagraph D.c.2. of the INFORMATION AND PHYSICAL ACCESS SECURITY Article in SECTION H of this contract.)

d. FIPS 199 Assessment

In accordance with HHSAR Clause 352.239-72, Security Requirements For Federal Information Technology Resources, the Contractor shall submit a FIPS 199 Assessment within thirty (30) days after contract award. The FIPS 199 Assessment shall be consistent with the cited NIST standard.

(Reference subparagraph D.c.3. of the INFORMATION AND PHYSICAL ACCESS SECURITY Article in SECITON H of this contract.

e. IT Security Certification and Accreditation (IT-SC&A)

In accordance with HHSAR Clause 352.239-72, Security Requirements For Federal Information Technology Resources, the Contractor shall submit written proof to the Contracting Officer that an IT-SC&A was performed within three (3) months after contract award.

The Contractor shall perform an annual security control assessment and provide to the Contracting Officer verification that the IT-SC&A remains valid.

(Reference subparagraph D.c.4. of the INFORMATION AND PHYSICAL ACCESS SECURITY Article in SECTION H of this contract.)

f. Reporting of New and Departing Employees

The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and Contracting Officer within five working days of staffing changes for positions that require suitability determinations as follows:

1. New Employees who have or will have access to HHS Information systems or data: Provide the name, position title, e-mail address, and phone number of the new employee. Provide the name, position title and suitability level held by the former incumbent. If the employee is filling a new position, provide

- 12 -a description of the position and the Government will determine the appropriate security level.

2. Departing Employees: 1) Provide the name, position title, and security clearance level held by or pending for the individual; and 2) Perform and document the actions identified in the "Employee Separation Checklist", attached in Section J, ATTACHMENTS of this contract, when a Contractor/Subcontractor employee terminates work under this contract. All documentation shall be made available to the COR and/or Contracting Officer upon request.

(Reference subparagraph E.2.a-c. of the INFORMATION AND PHYSICAL ACCESS SECURITY Article in SECTION H of this contract.)

g. Contractor - Employee Non-Disclosure Agreement(s) The contractor shall complete and submit a signed and witnessed "Commitment to Protect Non-Public Information

- Contractor Agreement" form for each contractor and subcontractor employee who may have access to non-public Department information under this contract. This form is located at: https://ocio.nih.gov/aboutus/publicinfosecurity/acquisition/Documents/ Nondisclosure.pdf .

(Reference subparagraph E.3.d. of the INFORMATION AND PHYSICAL ACCESS SECURITY Article in SECTION H of this contract.)

h. Vulnerability Scanning Reports

The Contractor shall report the results of the required monthly special vulnerability scans no later than 10 days following the end of each reporting period. If required monthly, this report may be included as part of the Technical Progress Report. Otherwise, this report shall be submitted under separate cover on a monthly basis.

(Reference subparagraph E.5. of the INFORMATION AND PHYSICAL ACCESS SECURITY Article in SECTION H of this contract.)

5. Section 508 Annual Report

The contractor shall submit an annual Section 508 report in accordance with the schedule set forth in the ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY Article in SECTION H of this contract. The Section 508 Report Template and Instructions for completing the report are available at: http://www.hhs.gov/od under "Vendor Information and Documents."

6. Other Reports and Deliverables Required by the Statement of Work

Item Deliverables SOW Reference Recipient Delivery Schedule

1. Initial Transition

Plan SOW Section 3.F.1.b One electronic

Copy to the CO and COR

Within 10 business days of the effective date of the contract

2. Annual Utilization Report

Article C.3. One electronic Copy to the CO and COR

Due on/before the 30th day of the month following each anniversary date of the contract

3. Lab-Specific Immunology PT Performance Report

SOW Section 3.A.1.f 1 elec. copy to COR for each Lab 1 elec. copy to COR for Others as specified by the

COR

Within 5 business days after completion of the statistical analysis and determination of level of performance

- 13 -

Item Deliverables SOW Reference Recipient Delivery Schedule

4. Immunology

PT Cumulative Performance Report

SOW Section 3.A.1.g and 3.A.2.d

1 elec. copy to

COR

1 elec. copy to COR for Others as specified by the

COR

After each PT round

5. Lab-Specific

PBMC PT

Performance Report

SOW Section 3.A.3.d 1 elec. copy to COR for each Lab 1 elec. copy to COR for Others as specified by the

COR

Prior to receipt of the next round of PT samples

6. PBMC PT

Cumulative Performance Report

SOW Section 3.A.3.e 1 elec. copy to

COR

1 elec. copy to COR for Others as specified by the

COR

After each PT round

7. Lab Visit Report

SOW Section 3.A.4.f 1 elec. copy to COR for each visited Lab 1 elec. copy to COR for Others as specified by the

COR

Within 10 business days of visit completion

8. Method Evaluation Report

SOW Section 3.B.1.c.6

1 elec. copy to COR for each participating Lab 1 elec. copy to COR for Others as specified by the

COR

Within 3 weeks of obtaining evaluation results

9. Method Evaluation Manuscript Materials

SOW Section 3.E.3.a 1 elec. copy to COR for each participating Lab 1 elec. copy to COR for Others as specified by the

COR

Within three months of the conclusion of each evaluation

10. Presentations and Training Materials

SOW Section 3.E.3.b 1 elec. copy to

COR

Others as specified by the

COR

At least 3 business days prior to presentation

11. Draft Final Transition Plan

SOW Section 3.F.2.a 1 elec. copy to the CO and COR

6 months prior to the completion date of the contract

12. Final Transition Plan

SOW Section 3.F.2.b 1 elec. copy to the CO and COR

2 months prior to the completion date of the contract

c. Report Submission

Technical Reports and Other Deliverables listed above shall be delivered to the following addresses as specified below:

- 14 -

Deliver to: Deliverable Item No. Number of Copies:

Contracting Officer's Representative PRDB, Vaccine Research Program, Division of AIDS National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health, DHHS 6700B Rockledge Drive, Room 5135, MSC 7624

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7624

See paragraph b.6. above. See above.

Contracting Officer Office of Acquisitions, Division of Extramural Activities National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health, DHHS 6700B Rockledge Drive, Room 3214, MSC 7612

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7612

See paragraph b.6. above. See above.

ARTICLE C.3. INVENTION REPORTING REQUIREMENT

All reports and documentation required by FAR Clause 52.227-11, Patent Rights-Ownership by the Contractorincluding, but not limited to, the invention disclosure report, the confirmatory license, and the Government support certification, shall be directed to the Division of Extramural Inventions and Technology Resources (DEITR),OPERA, OER, NIH, 6705 Rockledge Drive,Suite 310, MSC 7980, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7980 (Telephone: 301-435-1986). In addition, one copy of an annual utilization report, and a copy of the final invention statement, shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer. The final invention statement (see FAR 27.303(b)(2)(ii)) shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer on the expiration date of the contract.

The first annual utilization report shall be due on or before July 15, 2015. Thereafter, reports shall be due on or before the 15th Calendar day following the reporting period.The final invention statement (see FAR 27.303(b)(2)(ii)) shall be submitted on the expiration date of the contract. All reports shall be sent to the following address:

Contracting Officer Office of Acquisitions, DEA National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, DHHS 6700B Rockledge Drive, Room 3214, MSC 7612 Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7612

If no invention is disclosed or no activity has occurred on a previously disclosed invention during the applicable reporting period, a negative report shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer at the address listed above.

To assist contractors in complying with invention reporting requirements of the clause, the NIH has developed "Interagency Edison," an electronic invention reporting system. Use of Interagency Edison is encouraged as it streamlines the reporting process and greatly reduces paperwork. Access to the system is through a secure interactive Web site to ensure that all information submitted is protected. Interagency Edison and information relating to the capabilities of the system can be obtained from the Web ( http://www.iedison.gov), or by contacting the Extramural Inventions and Technology Resources Branch, OPERA, NIH.

- 15 -

SECTION D - PACKAGING, MARKING AND SHIPPING

All deliverables required under this contract shall be packaged, marked and shipped in accordance with Government specifications. At a minimum, all deliverables shall be marked with the contract number and Contractor name. The Contractor shall guarantee that all required materials shall be delivered in immediate usable and acceptable condition.

- 16 -

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

a. The Contracting Officer or the duly authorized representative will perform inspection and acceptance of materials and services to be provided.

b. For the purpose of this SECTION, the Contracting Officer's Representative designated in ARTICLE G.1.,is the authorized representative of the Contracting Officer.

c. Inspection and acceptance will be performed at:

Division of AIDS National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Deseases National Institutes of Health Department of Health and Human Services 6700B Rockledge Drive Bethesda, Maryland 20892

Acceptance may be presumed unless otherwise indicated in writing by the Contracting Officer or the duly authorized representative within 30 days of receipt.

d. This contract incorporates the following clause by reference, with the same force and effect as if it were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make its full text available.

FAR Clause 52.246-8, Inspection of Research and Development - Cost-Reimbursement (May 2001).

- 17 -

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

ARTICLE F.1. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

a. The period of performance of this contract shall be from June 30, 2014 through June 29, 2015.

b. If the Government exercises its options pursuant to the OPTION PROVISION Article in Section H of this contract, the period of performance will be increased as listed below:

c.

Options Period of Performance

Option 1 (Year 2) June 30, 2015 through June 29, 2016 Option 2 (Year 3) June 30, 2016 through June 29, 2017 Option 3 (Year 4) June 30, 2017 through June 29, 2018 Option 4 (Year 5) June 30, 2018 through June 29, 2019 Option 5 (Year 6) June 30, 2019 through June 29, 2020 Option 6 (Year 7) June 30, 2020 through June 29, 2021

ARTICLE F.2. LEVEL OF EFFORT

a. During the period of performance of this contract, the Contractor shall provide direct labor hours. The labor hours include vacation, holiday, and sick leave. These labor hours include subcontractor labor hours. It is estimated that the labor hours are constituted as specified below and will be expended approximately as follows:

Labor Hours

Labor Category

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7

Professional Other Professional

Support Totals

b. The Contractor shall have satisfied the requirement herein if not less than 90% nor more than 110% of the total labor hours specified herein are furnished.

c. In the event fewer hours than the minimum specified number of direct labor hours in the total categories are used by the Contractor in accomplishing the prescribed work and the Government has not invoked its rights under FAR Clause 52.249-6, TERMINATION (Cost-Reimbursement) incorporated in this contract, these parties agree that the fee will be adjusted based solely upon the quantity of hours by which the number of direct labor hours furnished is less than the number of direct labor hours specified in this ARTICLE. The resulting adjustment shall be evidenced by a contract modification.

- 18 -

ARTICLE F.3. CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE, FAR 52.252-2 (FEBRUARY

1998)

This contract incorporates the following clause(s) by reference, with the same force and effect as if it were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make its full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address: http://www.acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) CLAUSE:

52.242-15, Stop Work Order (August 1989)

Alternate I (April 1984) is applicable to this contract.

52.247-35, F.o.b. Destination Within Consignees Premises (April 1984).

- 19 -

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

ARTICLE G.1. CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

The following Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) will represent the Government for the purpose of this contract:

To be specified prior to award

The COR 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 contract; 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 contract. 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 for any costs incurred during the performance of this contract; or (5) otherwise change any terms and conditions of this contract.

The Government may unilaterally change its COR designation.

ARTICLE G.2. KEY PERSONNEL, HHSAR 352.242-70 (January 2006)

The key personnel specified in this contract are considered to be essential to work performance. At least 30 days prior to diverting any of the specified individuals to other programs or contracts (or as soon as possible, if an individual must be replaced, for example, as a result of leaving the employ of the Contractor), the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer and shall submit comprehensive justification for the diversion or replacement request (including proposed substitutions for key personnel) to permit evaluation by the Government of the impact on performance under this contract. The Contractor shall not divert or otherwise replace any key personnel without the written consent of the Contracting Officer. The Government may modify the contract to add or delete key personnel at the request of the Contractor or Government.

(End of Clause)

The following individual(s) is/are considered to be essential to the work being performed hereunder:

Name Title To be specified prior to award

ARTICLE G.3. INVOICE SUBMISSION/CONTRACT FINANCING REQUEST AND CONTRACT

FINANCIAL REPORT

a. Invoice/Financing Request Instructions and Contract Financial Reporting for NIH Cost-Reimbursement Type Contracts NIH(RC)-4 are attached and made part of this contract. The Contractor shall follow the attached instructions and submission procedures specified below to meet the requirements of a "proper invoice" pursuant to FAR Subpart 32.9, Prompt Payment.

1. Payment requests shall be submitted to the offices identified below. Do not submit supporting documentation (e.g., receipts, time sheets, vendor invoices, etc.) with your payment request unless specified elsewhere in the contract or requested by the Contracting Officer.

- 20 -

a. The original invoice shall be submitted to the following designated billing office:

National Institutes of Health Office of Financial Management Commercial Accounts 2115 East Jefferson Street, Room 4B-432, MSC 8500 Bethesda, MD 20892-8500

b. One copy of the invoice shall be submitted to the following approving official:

Contracting Officer Office of Acquisitions, Division of Extramural Activities national Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Health, DHHS 6700B Rockledge Drive, Room 3214 MSC 7612 Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7612

E-Mail:NIAIDOAInvoices@niaid.nih.gov

The Contractor shall submit an electronic copy of the payment request to the approving official instead of a paper copy. The payment request shall be transmitted as an attachment via e-mail to the address listed above in one of the following formats: MSWord, MS Excel, or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Only one payment request shall be submitted per e-mail and the subject line of the e-mail shall include the Contractor's name, contract number, and unique invoice number.

[Note: The original payment request must still be submitted in hard copy and mailed to the designated billing office to meet the requirements of a "proper invoice."]

2. In addition to the requirements specified in FAR 32.905 for a proper invoice, the Contractor shall include the following information on the face page of all payment requests:

a. Name of the Office of Acquisitions. The Office of Acquisitions for this contract is National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) .

b. Central Point of Distribution. For the purpose of this contract, the Central Point of Distribution is NIAIDOAInvoices@niaid.nih.gov .

c. Federal Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). If the Contractor does not have a valid TIN, it shall identify the Vendor Identification Number (VIN) on the payment request. The VIN is the number that appears after the Contractor's name on the face page of the contract. [Note: A VIN is assigned to new contracts awarded on or after June 4, 2007, and any existing contract modified to include the VIN number.] If the Contractor has neither a TIN, DUNS, or VIN, contact the Contracting Officer.

d. DUNS or DUNS+4 Number. The DUNS number must identify the Contractor's name and address exactly as stated in the contract and as registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. If the Contractor does not have a valid DUNS number, it shall identify the Vendor Identification Number (VIN) on the payment request. The VIN is the number that appears after the Contractor's name on the face page of the contract. [Note: A VIN is assigned to new contracts awarded on or after June 4, 2007, and any existing contract modified to include the VIN number.] If the Contractor has neither a TIN, DUNS, or VIN, contact the Contracting Officer.

e. Invoice Matching Option. This contract requires a two-way match.

- 21 -

f. Unique Invoice Number. Each payment request must be identified by a unique invoice number, which can only be used one time regardless of the number of contracts or orders held by an organization.

g. The Contract Title is: Immunology Quality Assessment Program.

b. Inquiries regarding payment of invoices shall be directed to the designated billing office, (301) 496-6452.

c. The Contractor shall include the following certification on every invoice for reimbursable costs incurred with Fiscal Year funds subject to HHSAR Clause 352.231-70, Salary Rate Limitation in SECTION I of this contract.

For billing purposes, certified invoices are required for the billing period during which the applicable Fiscal Year funds were initially charged through the final billing period utilizing the applicable Fiscal Year funds:

"I hereby certify that the salaries charged in this invoice are in compliance with HHSAR Clause 352.231-70, Salary Rate Limitation in SECTION I of the above referenced contract."

ARTICLE G.4. PROVIDING ACCELERATED PAYMENT TO SMALL BUSINESS

SUBCONTRACTORS

a. The Government encourages the contractor to pay small business subcontractors along an accelerated timetable to the maximum extent practicable. The Government recommends payment to small business subcontractors within 15 days of receipt of proper documentation.

b. Include the substance of this article, include this paragraph (b), in all subcontracts with small business concerns.

c. This policy does not modify the application or operation of the Prompt Payment.

ARTICLE G.5. INDIRECT COST RATES

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) (48 CFR Chapter 1) Clause 52.216-7 (d)(2), Allowable Cost and Payment incorporated by reference in this contract in PART II, SECTION I, the cognizant Contracting Officer representative responsible for negotiating provisional and/or final indirect cost rates is identified as follows:

Director, Division of Financial Advisory Services Office of Acquisition Management and Policy National Institutes of Health

6011 EXECUTIVE BLVD, ROOM 549C, MSC-7663

BETHESDA MD 20892-7663

These rates are hereby incorporated without further action of the Contracting Officer.

ARTICLE G.6. GOVERNMENT PROPERTY

If this RFP will result in the acquisition or use of Government Property provided by the contracting agency or if the Contracting Officer authorizes in the preaward negotiation process, the acquisition of property (other than real property), this ARTICLE will include applicable provisions and incorporate the HHS Publication, entitled, "HHS Contracting Guide for Contract of Government Property," which can be found at:

http://www.hhs.gov/hhsmanuals/logisticsmanual/Appendix Q_HHS Contracting Guide.pdf.

- 22 -

ARTICLE G.7. POST AWARD EVALUATION OF CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE

a. Contractor Performance Evaluations

Interim and final evaluations of Contractor performance will be prepared on this contract in accordance with FAR Subpart 42.15. The final performance evaluation will be prepared at the time of completion of work. In addition to the final evaluation, interim evaluations will be prepared on an annual basis.

Interim and final evaluations will be provided to the Contractor as soon as practicable after completion of the evaluation. The Contractor will be permitted thirty days to review the document and to submit additional information or a rebutting statement. If agreement cannot be reached between the parties, the matter will be referred to an individual one level above the Contracting Officer, whose decision will be final.

Copies of the evaluations, Contractor responses, and review comments, if any, will be retained as part of the contract file, and may be used to support future award decisions.

b. Electronic Access to Contractor Performance Evaluations

Contractors may access evaluations through a secure Web site for review and comment at the following address: http://www.cpars.gov

- 23 -

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

ARTICLE H.1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS, HHSAR 352.270-4(b) (January 2006)

a. The Contractor agrees that the rights and welfare of human subjects involved in research under this contract shall be protected in accordance with 45 CFR Part 46 and with the Contractor's current Assurance of Compliance on file with the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP), Department of Health and Human Services. The Contractor further agrees to provide certification at least annually that the Institutional Review Board has reviewed and approved the procedures, which involve human subjects in accordance with 45 CFR Part 46 and the Assurance of Compliance.

b. The Contractor shall bear full responsibility for the performance of all work and services involving the use of human subjects under this contract and shall ensure that work is conducted in a proper manner and as safely as is feasible. The parties hereto agree that the Contractor retains the right to control and direct the performance of all work under this contract. The Contractor shall not deem anything in this contract to constitute the Contractor or any subcontractor, agent or employee of the Contractor, or any other person, organization, institution, or group of any kind whatsoever, as the agent or employee of the Government. The Contractor agrees that it has entered into this contract and will discharge its obligations, duties, and undertakings and the work pursuant thereto, whether requiring professional judgment or otherwise, as an independent contractor without imputing liability on the part of the Government for the acts of the Contractor or its employees.

c. If at any time during the performance of this contract, the Contracting Officer determines, in consultation with OHRP that the Contractor is not in compliance with any of the requirements and/or standards stated in paragraphs (a) and (b) above, the Contracting Officer may immediately suspend, in whole or in part, work and further payments under this contract until the Contractor corrects the noncompliance. The Contracting Officer may communicate the notice of suspension by telephone with confirmation in writing. If the Contractor fails to complete corrective action within the period of time designated in the Contracting Officer's written notice of suspension, the Contracting Officer may, after consultation with OHRP, terminate this contract in whole or in part, and the Contractor's name may be removed from the list of those contractors with approved Human Subject Assurances.

(End of clause)

ARTICLE H.2. REQUIRED EDUCATION IN THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RESEARCH

PARTICIPANTS

NIH policy requires education on the protection of human subject participants for all investigators receiving NIH contract awards for research involving human subjects. For a complete description of the NIH Policy announcement on required education in the protection of human subject participants, the Contractor should access the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts Announcement dated June 5, 2000 at the following website:

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.

The information below is a summary of the NIH Policy Announcement:

The Contractor shall maintain the following information: (1) a list of the names and titles of the principal investigator and any other individuals working under the contract who are responsible for the design and/or conduct of the research; (2) the title of the education program(s) in the protection of human subjects that has been completed for each named personnel and; (3) a one sentence description of the educational program(s) listed in (2) above. This requirement extends to investigators and all individuals responsible for the design and/or conduct of the research who are working as subcontractors or consultants under the contract.

Prior to any substitution of the Principal Investigator or any other individuals responsible for the design and/or conduct of the research under the contract, the Contractor shall provide the following written information to the Contracting

- 24 -

Officer: the title of the education program and a one sentence description of the program that has been completed by the replacement.

ARTICLE H.3. HUMAN MATERIALS

The acquisition and supply of all human specimen material (including fetal material) used under this contract shall be obtained by the Contractor in full compliance with applicable State and Local laws and the provisions of the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act in the United States, and no undue inducements, monetary or otherwise, will be offered to any person to influence their donation of human material.

ARTICLE H.4. HUMAN MATERIALS (ASSURANCE OF OHRP COMPLIANCE)

The acquisition and supply of all human specimen…