SAM - Pre-Solicitation NICHD-22-225.pdf

NICHD-22-225

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.

The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD), intends to award a purchase order without providing for full and open competition to BERTHOLD TECHNOLOGIES USA LLC for Tristar3 Multimode Plate Reader equipment.

BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

In order to support our research goals, the lab needs a multimode plate reader that can monitor luminescence, absorbance, and fluorescence. The added ability to measure FRET between different fluorophores is also potentially useful for future experiments. We seek a plate reader with low background and high efficiency as well as high sensitivity to measure low signals. In order to use the instrument with multiple types of reagents, the plate reader should have 3 injector ports to automatically add reagents to the plates. Moreover, because syringe type injectors regularly clog, we seek an instrument with bellows type injectors. The plate reader should have optional temperature control so that we can perform experiments, as needed, at either below or above room temperature. Given the space limitations in the lab, we seek a plate reader with a small footprint that will not take up excessive lab bench space. Finally, the plate reader will need to come with user-friendly software that will enable us to easily program the instrument to perform the assay and to analyze the results.

JUSTIFICATION

To our knowledge, only the Berthold Tristar3 brand of multimode plate reader is able to satisfy all of the lab’s requirements because the instrument can read luminescence, absorbance, BRET, fluorescence, and FRET; operates in single photon-counting mode with pulse height discrimination that provides for low background and high efficiency with a spectral range from 340-680nm; is highly sensitive and can measure low levels of luminescence, absorbance, or fluorescence;

possesses an essential key feature of bellow type injectors, which is important to our research goals as based on use with bellow type injectors in the lab, they are more reliable and clog less often than alternative equipment; can accommodate a variety of plate sizes; has added features to prevent wasting of reagents; has low maintenance costs; will automatically prime and clean the injectors; has a much smaller footprint than related plate readers from other manufacturers; and the ICE software that comes with the instrument carries out all the calculations we need for analyzing the results of our experiments. Given these properties of the requested Berthold Tristar 3 multimode plate reader with sample injectors, this instrument uniquely fulfills our requirements while fitting within the small space that we have available in our laboratory. Based on our market research results, BERTHOLD TECHNOLOGIES USA LLC is the only source of the needed Tristar3 Multimode Plate Reader equipment.

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

NICHD-22-225

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE

The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 334516 with a Size standards in number of employees: 1000.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Circular (FAC) 2022-06 effective 05/26/2022. This acquisition is conducted under the procedures as prescribed in FAR subpart 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures at an amount not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold ($250,000) and FAR Subpart 12- Acquisition of Commercial Items.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of FAR 13.106(b)(1) Soliciting from a single source - For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold.

PLACE OF DELIVERY

NIH/NICHD

9000 Rockville Pike

BLDG 6

Bethesda, MD 20892

CLOSING STATEMENT

This synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability in response to this notice and may submit a capability statement, which shall be considered by the agency. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement.

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.

All respondents must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. All responses to this notice shall be submitted electronically by 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, on 8/16/2022 to jacob.balenson@nih.gov and shall include pre-solicitation # NICHD-22-225 in the subject line.

http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:jacob.balenson@nih.gov