SAM - Pre-Solicitation NICHD-23-029.pdf

NICHD-23-029

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 firm-fixed price purchase order to include option years without providing for full and open competition to AVIDITY SCIENCE, LLC for maintenance services on Avidity Science automated security access system equipment.

BACKGROUND

The NICHD Bldg 6B rodent facility as well as the satellite facility in Bldg 10 house medical research animals for the ongoing research being performed by the institute staff. In order for the facility to comply with all state and federal laws, a security system for the facility is required. This allows controlled access into the facility itself as well as with in each animal holding space, lab and procedural space. Due to the facility being a dedicated laboratory animal research facility, controlled access is required as per state and federal laws as well as to maintain the facilities accreditation with the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC). The current Avidity Science automated security access system is software/hardware that provides controlled access wherever its hardware is installed. Both of the NICHD facilities use control panels at the access points to the vivariums as well as each of the animal holding location, laboratory and procedural room spaces. This ensures that only personnel approved to enter may enter via the use of a personal PIN. The system does have optional functions to include environmental monitoring such as light, temperature, and humidity monitoring however only the door access and security features are used. Each door is controlled by a control panel located in the corridor where a user specific PIN is entered which then unlocks the door and grants access wherever the person has been granted unescorted access. We need preventive maintenance to ensure that all hardware is working properly as well as provide any software upgrades and patches as needed for the system to run efficiently.

JUSTIFICATION

The Avidity Science "Watch Dog" system is proprietary software program that is designed to monitor security access as well as environmental parameters. Other systems and or service providers are not interchangeable, nor do they have the legal access to oversee/maintain this system. This current system was installed throughout the entire facility years ago in an effort to meet all state, federal, and an accreditation requirement for an NIH laboratory animal research facility. For another service provider to be used at this time would require the full changeover of both software as well as all hardware equipment that has been hardwired into the infrastructure of the facility/building itself. This would be an extensively time-consuming change over, create a financial burden on the NICHD animal research program here at the 6B facility, and negatively impact our program and research goals. To our knowledge, Avidity Science is the only provider capable of providing the needed service as they are the creators of the current system, PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS and it is proprietary to them alone. Each part of the system from the hardware, routers, server, and the software itself is designed by Avidity Science for the sole purpose of running their system.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE

The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 811210 with a Size standards in millions of dollars: $30.0.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Circular (FAC) 2022-08 effective 10/28/2022. 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 and FAR Subpart 17.2 - Options.

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 6B Bethesda, MD 20892

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

The preventive maintenance contract needs to provide dedicated service to all hardware to include the access control panels as well as the computer server on site that runs the system. This service is needed due to all rooms being secured and requiring controlled access. In the event of an access control panel not working properly the room will fail in a secured state and may only be entered through the use of a standard key which are maintained by facility management only. The service contract needs to provide a 24-hour service turnaround to ensure prompt response to all system needs. It needs to allow for direct contact with the vendor for issues that may be able to be corrected over the phone or through a technician dialing in directly to the network. As with any computer system and associated hardware there are simply times where fuses burn out, wires become disconnected or communication between the server and door controls is lost due to a power surge.

Due to the fact that research occurs around the clock it is imperative that the system be working properly at all times. We are requesting one (1) 12-month base year and four (4) 12-month option years.

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 that includes management, technical data and cost information in sufficient detail and with convincing evidence that clearly demonstrates the capability to perform the required work. 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 12/2/2022 to jacob.balenson@nih.gov and shall include pre-solicitation # NICHD-23-029 in the subject line.

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