AN23--554 | S1 | Research | Synthesis and Testing for Antibiotic Resistance

AN AMENDMENT TO SOLICITATION 36C25923Q0583 POSTED ON JUNE 21, 2023.

The purpose of this amendment is as follows: Extend offer due date to allow extra time for responses to submitted questions. All offers are due June 30, 2023 at 10:00 AM MT. All offers will be emailed to Noaa Lanotte at Noaa.Lanotte@va.gov. All other items and conditions remain the same.

Request for Quote (RFQ) #: 36C25923Q0583

Synthesis and Testing of Chemical Compounds

Small Businesses

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The Government reserves the right to make no award from this solicitation.

* The deadline for all questions is 10:00am MT, 06/14/2023

All questions must be submitted in writing no later than the question cut-off date marked above. All questions will be answered officially through an amendment to the solicitation.

** Quotes are to be provided to Noaa.Lanotte@va.gov no later than 10:00am MT, 06/23/2023

Quotes shall not be hand carried. Faxed quotes shall not be accepted. Emailed quotes are the only method of submitted quotes (4MB email limit). The Government reserves the right to make award solely on initial Quotes received. Offerors bear the burden of ensuring that all portions of the offer (and any authorized amendments) reach the designated office before the deadline specified in the solicitation. This RFQ shall be completed in its entirety, and signed and dated, failure shall not be considered for award.

This is a Request for Quote (RFQ) and the solicitation number is 36C25923Q0583. The government anticipates awarding a firm-fixed price contract resulting from this solicitation.

This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2023-04 effective June 2, 2023

The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541714 with a small business size standard of 1000 Employees. This solicitation is a 100% set-aside for Small Businesses.

List of Line Items;

Period of Performance: July 7, 2023 January 6, 2024

CLIN

Description

Est. Qty

Unit

Unit Cost

Est. Total Cost

Supplies/Services

0001

Synthesis and Testing Services in accordance with the Statement of Work

1

JB

$ _________

$ _________

Estimated Total Cost

$ ____________

Description of Requirements for services to be performed

Statement of Work

Lead Optimization of a Novel Antibacterial Agent Targeting DksA in Gram-negative Pathogens

Task 1: Several [50-100] candidate compounds for synthesis will be designed in consultation with Dr. Vazquez-Torres laboratory by diversifying hit scaffolds with traditional medicinal chemistry approaches. Dr. Vazquez-Torres laboratory will computationally evaluate these compounds for fit and ideal molecular interactions by docking into the receptor DksA, and this information will be used to prioritize the top candidates for synthesis in Task 2.

Task 2: Synthesis of 23 analogs (determined in consultation with Dr. Vazquez-Torres laboratory) of lead compound #23 at 10-25 mg scale, following the general schemes 1-3 shown below.

Subtask 2.1: Modifications at the left-hand side (LHS): 11 compounds, harboring alternate 5-membered heteroaryl moieties.

Subtask 2.2: Modifications at the right-hand side (RHS): 6 compounds, introducing substitutions and heteroaryl moieties.

Subtask 2.3: Modifications in the linker region: 6 compounds, introducing heteroatoms in the linker or modifications of the amide bond.

Task 3: Primary microbiological profiling.

Subtask 3.1: The spectrum of activity of the compounds will be determined via testing of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using a panel of bacterial strains composed of mostly Gram-negative bacteria but also including some Gram-positives to monitor off-target activity.

Subtask 3.2: Plasma protein binding of active compounds will be assessed by MIC testing in the presence of human serum or albumin).

Subtask 3.3: Non-specific membrane lysis effects will be assessed via equine erythrocyte (hemolysis) assay.

Deliverables

10-25 mg of each compound in powder form

Documentation of structural identify

Primary microbiological data sheet

Estimated project duration: 4 months

52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors--Commercial Products and Commercial Services applies to this acquisition

ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

Any award made as a result of this solicitation will be made on an All or Nothing Basis.

State if quoted services are available and priced through offerors existing Government-wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract, or VA-wide Acquisition Contract.

If the acquisition is set-aside for SDVOSBs/VOSBs, their socioeconomic status must be SBA verified and visible in the SBA VetCert Database: https://veterans.certify.sba.gov/ at the time of quote submission AND award, or will be considered non-responsive, and will NOT be considered for award.

Offerors are warned against contacting any VA personnel other than the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist prior to placement of any award made resulting from this RFQ. If such contact occurs and found to be prejudicial to competing contactors, the offeror making such contact may be excluded from award considerations.

All proprietary information shall be clearly and properly marked. If the Offeror submits annexes, documentation, attachments or the like, not specifically required by this solicitation, such will count against the Offeror s page limitations unless otherwise indicated in the specific volume instructions below.

All information shall be confined to the appropriate file. The offeror shall confine submissions to essential matters, sufficient to define the quote and provide an adequate basis for evaluation. Offerors are responsible for including sufficient details, in a concise manner, to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of each quote.

Submission of quote shall include the following volumes: (I) - Technical Proposal and (II) Price

Volume I - Technical Proposal

The offeror shall submit a technical proposal, that describes the means and methods of successfully performing all work detailed in the SOW to include the personnel being proposed to perform the work.

Volume II Price

Price - The offeror shall complete the pricing schedule provided in Section (v) above: Price/Cost Schedule.

(End of Addendum to 52.212-1)

52.212-2, Evaluation--Commercial Products and Commercial Services

ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-2 EVALUATION COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES:

Evaluation Approach. The Government will evaluate quotations using the comparative evaluation process outlined in FAR 13.106-2(b)(3), where quotations will be compared to one another to determine which provides the best benefit to the Government. The Government reserves the right to consider a quotation other than the lowest price that provides additional benefit(s). Quotations may exceed minimum requirements of the solicitation. The Government reserves the right to select a quotation that provides benefit to the Government that exceeds the minimum requirements of the solicitation but is not required to do so. Each response must meet the minimum requirements of the solicitation. The Government is not requesting or accepting alternate quotations. The evaluation will consider the following:

Factor 1: Technical Proposal

The offer shall be evaluated on the conformance to the requirements listed in the Statement of Work. The offeror shall submit a technical proposal, that describes the means and methods of successfully performing all work detailed in the SOW to include the personnel being proposed to perform the work.

Factor 2. Price: The Government will evaluate the price by adding the total of all line item prices. The Government may use various price analysis techniques and procedures to make a price reasonableness determination. Offers that do not meet or exceed the technical capability or quality of the item offered to the Government requirement shall not be selected regardless of price.

(End of Addendum to 52.212-2)

52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition. Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM) website located at https://www.sam.gov/portal in accordance with FAR 52.212-3, Offerors Representations and Certifications Commercial Items. If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required. Offerors must be registered in SAM at time of offer submission.

52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition

52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders -- Commercial Products and Services (Mar 2023), applies to this acquisition

FAR 52.212-5 applies to this acquisition with the following FAR clauses incorporated by reference;

FAR 52.204-10

Reporting Executive Compensation & First-Tier Subcontract Awards (JUN 2020)

FAR 52.204-16

Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (AUG 2020)

FAR 52.204-24

Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (OCT 2020)

FAR 52.209-6

Protecting the Government s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment (JUN 2020)

FAR 52.219-6

Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2020)

FAR 52.219-28

Post Award Small Business Program Representation (NOV 2020)

FAR 52.219-32

Orders Issued Directly Under Small Business Reserves (MAR 2020)

FAR 52.222-3

Convict Labor (JUN 2003)

FAR 52.222-21

Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (APR 2015)

FAR 52.222-26

Equal Opportunity (SEP 2016)

FAR 52.222-36

Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (JUN 2020)

FAR 52.222-41

Service Contract Labor Standards (AUG 2018)

FAR 52.222-42

Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (MAY 2014)

FAR 52.222-55

Minimum Wages for Contractor Workers Under Executive Order 14026 (JAN 2022)

FAR 52.222-62

Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706 (JAN 2022)

FAR 52.222-50

Combating Trafficking in Persons (OCT 2020)

FAR 52.223-18

Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (JUN 2020)

FAR 52.225-13

Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (JUN 2008)

FAR 52.232-33

Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer System for Award Management (Oct 2018)

Additional contract requirements or terms and conditions:

852.212-70, Provisions and Clauses Applicable to VA Acquisition of Commercial Items (Apr 2020)

VAAR 852.203-70

Commercial Advertising (MAY 2018)

VAAR 852.232-72

Electronic Submission of Payment Requests (NOV 2018)

852.252-70, Solicitation Provisions or Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Jan 2008)

The following provisions or clauses incorporated by reference in this solicitation must be completed by the offeror or prospective contractor and submitted with the quotation or offer. Copies of these provisions or clauses are available on the Internet at the web sites provided in the provision at FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference, or the clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference. Copies may also be obtained from the contracting officer.

http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html

https://www.acquisition.gov/vaar

The following FAR provisions are to be incorporated by reference:

FAR 52.204-7

System for Award Management (OCT 2018)

FAR 52.204-16

Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (AUG 2020)

The following VAAR provisions are to be incorporated by reference:

None

The following FAR clauses are incorporated by reference:

FAR 52.204-13

System for Award Management Maintenance (OCT 2018)

FAR 52.204-18

Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (AUG 2020)

FAR 52.223-6

Drug-Free Workplace (MAY 2001)

FAR 52.232-40

Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (MAR 2023)

The following VAAR clauses are to be incorporated by reference:

None

Date and Time offers are due to Noaa.Lanotte@va.gov by 10:00am MT, 06/23/2023.

Name and email of the individual to contact for information regarding the solicitation:

Noaa Lanotte, Contract Specialist

Noaa.Lanotte@va.gov