SSN_Buy American Waiver Process .docx

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SAM.gov

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

1. Solicitation Number: 75N95023Q00472

2. Title: Mouse head-fixation with locomotor navigation system

3. Classification Code: 6640 Laboratory equipment and supplies

4. NAICS Code: 334516 - Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing

5. Size Standard:1,000 employees

6. Description:

This is a 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 qualified business sources; whether they are small businesses or other than small businesses. For equipment/supply requirements, responses must include the place of manufacturing (i.e. address if supply/equipment is a domestic end product and include country of manufacture). For equipment/supply requirements, small businesses must also address the size status of the manufacturer under the applicable NAICS code (i.e. address Non-Manufacturer Rule).

Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only.

This is a 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 to perform a potential requirement.

This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement, to determine the method of acquisition, and availability of domestic sources manufactured in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities and of a satisfactory quality. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. Small businesses are encouraged to respond.

Purpose and Objectives: The Mobile HomeCage allows the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to conduct behavioral experiments while calcium signals, indicating neuronal activities, from the mouse brain are being recorded. To understand behavioral functions of neural activity, NIDA requires a behavioral device that fulfills two major needs. First, it is necessary to measure conditioned (operant and Pavlovian) behavioral responses and neural activities from the same subject at the same time. Second, the mouse must be able to produce behavioral responses while being head-fixed for the two-photon calcium-imaging recording

Generic Product Name: Mouse head-fixation with locomotor navigation system

Project requirements: A Capable Offeror must demonstrate its ability to provide the following brand name or equal items to the Government:

-Air dispenser with the built-on second generation sensor board

- Bridge and towers with adjustable horizontal and vertical positioning

- Head fixation: clamp (standard, Levelt, or Fus), standard neck and rotation block;

- 10 head plates for cranial surgery implantation -Ultra-lighweight round shaped carbon fiber cage with built-in magnets, O325X 70mm or O325 X 40MM, O290 X 70mm or O290 x 40 mm

- Hose for connecting to an air source, 12 mm diameter, 3m length.

- Grounding wire

- Electronic control unit (ECU V4)

- USB connector cable (3.1 Gen 1, Type A to C);

- Optosync probe for synchronization of imaging and tracking hardware.

- Locomotion tracking software (version 3.0 or above) available for download via Neurotar’s customer portal

· Bridge with two head fixations

· Set of towers with adjustable horizontal and vertical positioning.

· Three lightweight round-shaped carbon fiber cages, O180 X 70MM or O180 X 40MM

· 15 head plates for cranial window implantation

· Adjustable nozzle-holder (2)

· Disposable plastic nozzle tips (40)

· Tube Holders (6)

· PVC tube (2) 2m

· 3 mm wrench

A Capable Offerors must demonstrate its ability to provide a system with the following brand name or equal Salient Characteristics:

The behavioral instrument must be small enough to be incorporated into the two-photon microscope system. Specifically, the dimension of the behavioral instrument must be smaller than the following: 280 mm, the distance from the objectives focal point to the microscope frame; 168 mm, the distance from the objective’s focal point to the stage surface; and 42 mm, perfocal length of objective. In addition to (1) being compact, the behavioral instrument must be able to (2) head-restrain mice for neural recording, (3) allow the mouse to perform behavioral tasks (e.g., locomotion-based operant responses), and (4) deliver liquid solution to the mouth and airpuff to the eye, to reinforce behavioral responses.

In case domestic sources are available and capable of fulfilling the Government’s need, and a future solicitation is published, the Government will use evaluation preferences in accordance with FAR 25.

Capability statement /information sought. Companies that believe they possess the capabilities to provide the required products should submit documentation of their ability to meet each of the project requirements to the Contracting Officer. The capability statement must specifically address each of the project requirements separately. Additionally, the capability statement should include 1) the total number of employees, 2) the professional qualifications of personnel as it relates to the requirements outlined, 3) any contractor GSA Schedule contracts and/or other government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs) by which all of the requirements may be met, if applicable, and 4) any other information considered relevant to this program. Capability statements must also include the Company Name, Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov, Physical Address, and Point of Contact Information. The response must include the respondents’ technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses.

For equipment/supply requirements, responses must include the place of manufacturing (i.e. address if supply/equipment is a domestic end product and include country of manufacture). For equipment/supply requirements, small businesses must also address the size status of the manufacturer under the applicable NAICS code (i.e. address Non-Manufacturer Rule).

Interested companies are required to identify their type of business, applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code, and size standards in accordance with the Small Business Administration. The government requests that no proprietary or confidential business data be submitted in a response to this notice. However, responses that indicate the information therein is proprietary will be properly safeguarded for Government use only. Capability statements must include the name and telephone number of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss responses with Government representatives. Capability statements in response to this market survey that do not provide sufficient information for evaluation will be considered non-responsive. When submitting this information, please reference the solicitation notice number.

The information submitted must be in and outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirement and in the capability statement /information sought paragraphs stated herein. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required.

The response must be submitted to Andrew Varley Contracting Specialist, at e-mail address Andrew.Varley@nih.gov.

The response must be received on or before July 14, 2023, at 3:00 PM, Eastern Time.

“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 presolicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in www.sam.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

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(s).”