Sources Sought 2023_23R00018 Final.pdf

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Sources Sought

Sources Sought Reference No: HHS-NIH-NIAID- 75N93023R00018

Agency/Office

Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, NIAID

Contracting Office Address

Office of Acquisitions

Division of Extramural Activities, NIAID

5601 Fishers Lane, Room 3D10, MSC 9821

Bethesda, MD 20892-9821

Type Support Services Sources Sought

Solicitation Number

HHS-NIH-NIAID- 75N93023R00018

Title Administrative, Logistical, Custodial and Facility Support Services for the Vaccine Research Center

Classification Code R707 – Support- Management: Contract/Procurement/Acquisition Support

NAICS Code 541990 - All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

Posted Date: May 16, 2023 Response Date: May 31, 2023

Primary Point of Contact Caitlyn O’Connor, Contract Specialist caitlyn.o’connor@nih.gov 240-669-5284

Secondary Point of Contact Rosemary Gomes, Contracting Officer/Team Lead rosemary.gomes@nih.gov 240-669-5374 mailto:caitlyn.o'connor@nih.gov mailto:rosemary.gomes@nih.gov

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Introduction This is a non-Research and Development (Non-R&D) Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources, including small and small disadvantaged businesses, to perform a potential non R&D service requirement.

Background The VRC was established to facilitate research in vaccine development and is dedicated to improving global human health through the rigorous pursuit of effective vaccines for human diseases including HIV, agents with bioterrorism potential, emerging infectious diseases and re-emerging infectious diseases (such as pandemic influenza and Ebola). The VRC is dedicated to translating the latest concepts in disease pathogenesis and immunology into new vaccine strategies and providing safe and effective means to prevent and control human diseases. The Administrative, Logistical, and Facility Support Services supports the NVITAL (now called the Vaccine Immunology Program) and the VPPL (Vaccine Production Program Laboratory), which are VRC laboratories that have programmatic needs requiring them to be housed off of NIH campus, including specialty space requirements for large-scale bioproduction suites. Off campus contractor administrative, logistical, and facility support services are required to support these laboratories. This project is a renewal of the ongoing contract (75N93020C00043), with Innovative Consulting & Management Services, LLC (ICMS) named as the incumbent.

Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of this Administrative, Logistical, Custodial and Facility Support Services for the Vaccine Research Center Sources Sought Notice is to discern whether or not there are other contractors, including small or small disadvantaged businesses, capable of and interested in performing the work described herein. The NIAID does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses received nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted.

As a result of this Sources Sought Notice, the NIAID may issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) if it deemed necessary and appropriate. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against NIAID shall arise as a result of a response to this Sources Sought Notice or the NIAID’s use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications of any subsequent requirement.

Project Requirements

The purpose of this contract is to provide administrative, logistical, custodial, and facility support to maintain the research laboratory and adjacent administrative space for combined use of VRC.

Specifically, the Contractor will be responsible for the following activities:

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1. Provide Facility manager and support personnel to maintain all necessary components of the operation of the facility core infrastructure needed to support the day-to-day needs of staff housed at the facility supporting the VRC;

2. Maintain the leased space for the current facilities located at 9 West Watkins Mill Road, Gaithersburg MD;

3. Establish and maintain a Facilities Management and Oversight Plan. The plan shall provide for continuity of operations for the laboratory in case of unforeseen interruption of facility utilities and a facility infrastructure support plan. The contractor shall also address a plan for 24/7 oversight and support to assure facility related issues are addressed immediately in order not to impact the work within the facility. (e.g. plumbing or electrical repairs, parking lot maintenance during inclement weather, etc.). The plan will be provided within 10 days of contract award;

4. Provide custodial services for all VRC leased areas, providing all management, tools, equipment and labor necessary to maintain a satisfactory facility condition and present a clean, neat, and professional appearance, in accordance with Good Laboratory Practice/Good Manufacturing Process (GLP/GMP) standards;

5. Provide a Quality Control Plan addressing their methods to ensure successful performance of the requirements of the Statement of Work (SOW);

6. Provide custodial services for all VRC leased areas, providing all management, tools, equipment and labor necessary to maintain a satisfactory facility condition and present a clean, neat, and professional appearance, in accordance with Good Laboratory Practice/Good Manufacturing Process (GLP/GMP) standards.

7. Be responsible for on-site maintenance and management of the bulk gas tanks. Please note that the Government will supply the gas;

Provide a front desk at the entrance lobby. The front desk shall be staffed at all times during business hours by one full time employee that will check-in and checkout visitors and be the conduit to connect visitors to points of contact. In addition, they will manage and track all deliveries that arrive to the building including contacting the appropriate VRC personnel for pick-up. Maintain and deliver a monthly visitor log tracking all non-badged visitors.The NIAID intends to modify the existing ICMS contract to provide an increase to the required Level of Effort by approximately 1.625 FTEs for the period September 1, 2023 through February 28, 2024.

Anticipated Period of Performance The period of performance of the existing contract will be extended by 6 months. The increase in FTEs is anticipated to occur during the period September 1, 2023 through February 29, 2024.

Capability statement / information sought

Capability statements submitted as a result of this announcement should demonstrate the offeror’s qualification, expertise and experience, specifically providing evidence as to the capability to immediately perform this requirement. Capability statements should clearly convey information regarding the respondent’s capabilities, including: (1) staff expertise, including their availability, 5/10/2023 Page 4 of 5 experience and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of a similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capability to deliver comprehensive services of this scope and magnitude; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information.

Interested Contractors must submit a capability statement (five page limitation, excluding resumes) describing their company’s experience and ability to immediately perform this effort, which includes the following: (1) a summary list of similar work previously performed; (2) the professional qualifications and specific experience of staff who may be assigned to the requirement; (3) resumes for proposed key personnel, including the Principal Investigator/co-PI, which reflect education, and previous work relevant to the proposed requirement; (4) a general description of the facilities and other resources needed to perform the work; and (5) demonstrated ability to carry out the work. Capability Statements must not include links to internet web site addresses (URLs) or otherwise direct readers to alternate sources of information. Font size must be 10 to 12 points. Spacing must be no more than 15 characters per inch. Within a vertical inch, there must be no more than six lines of text. Print margins must be at least one-inch on each edge of the paper.

Each response should include the following Business Information:

a. UEI number

b. Company Name

c. Company Address

d. Company Points of Contact (both technical and administrative), including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers and Email addresses

e. Current GSA Schedule appropriate to this Sources Sought

f. Do you have a Government-approved accounting system? If so, please identify the agency that approved the system.

g. Type of Company (i.e., large business, non-profit, educational institute, small business, 8(a), woman owned, veteran owned, etc.), as validated via the System for Award Management (SAM). All offerors must be registered in the SAM, located at http://www.sam.gov/

Responses must be submitted no later than 3:00 PM (E.S.T.), May 31, 2023. Capability statements will not be returned and will not be accepted after the due date. These statements should be submitted electronically (via e-mail) to Caitlyn O’Connor, Contract Specialist, at caitlyn.o’connor@nih.gov and Rosemary Gomes, Contracting Officer/Team Lead, at rosemary.gomes@nih.gov. These statements should be submitted in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF); however, capability statements in Microsoft Word will also be accepted. The e-mail subject line must specify HHS-NIH-NIAID- 75N93023R00018. Facsimile responses will not be accepted.

Common Cut-off Date:

http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:rosemary.gomes@nih.gov

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Electronically submitted, tailored capability statements are due not later than 3:00 PM (E.S.T.), on May 31, 2023. CAPABILITY STATEMENTS WILL NOT BE RETURNED AND WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE

DUE DATE.

Disclaimer and Important Notes

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities.

However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

The Government will not entertain questions regarding this Market Research; however, general questions may be emailed to the following addresses:

Contract Specialist: Caitlyn O’Connor

Email address: caitlyn.o’connor@nih.gov

Contracting Officer/Team Lead: Rosemary Gomes

Email Address: Rosemary.Gomes@nih.gov

Confidentiality

No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response.

The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation.

mailto:Rosemary.Gomes@nih.gov