Annual maintenance agreement for the laboratory of molecular genetics

The National Institute of Health, Office of Acquisition and Logistics intends to negotiate on a sole source basis under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) soliciting from a single source, with Leica Microsystems Inc., located at 10 Parkway North, Suite 300, Deerfield, IL 60015.

The National Institutes of Health, The Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics (LMG)--Section on Human Genetics (SHG), has a need for biological research on hearing and deafness.  The purpose of this acquisition is to provide a yearly maintenance contract to keep the EM-FC7 unit in the laboratory operating within the GLP standards, to prevent problems and downtime, and to quickly repair the instrument should the need arise, minimizing the impact of broken instruments on the researchers who rely on them. 

TASKS/ SERVICES. The contractor shall:

Provide one preventative maintenance (PM) check per year to verify instrument is working within the manufacturer’s specifications, including all parts, components, or modules needed for the PM, excluding consumables at no extra charge.

Provide unlimited emergency repairs in the event of an instrument malfunction, including all parts, components, or modules needed for the emergency repair, excluding consumables, at no extra charge.

Provide any critical hardware and software upgrades that are needed at no extra charge.

Provide unlimited repairs during working hours (8 am – 5 pm) and a small overtime fee for emergency repairs that occur after hours, on holidays, or weekends.  Travel time and labor is included in the plan.

Provide unlimited access to the Applications and Technology Support Center during working hours.  This includes priority on all service calls and RemoteCare. 

Provide a 10% discount on non-contract related services such as training and non-critical hardware upgrades.

Quality Assurance

The contractor must develop its own Quality Assurance Plan (QASP) as part of its proposal for a performance-based effort.   The contractor’s QASP must be meet the minimum criteria established below.  The contractor must strive to meet past performance levels that were acceptable and improve on those that were less than optimal. 

Criteria for managing the ongoing maintenance of the instrument.  

1. Many manufacturers upgrade the software for their instruments periodically.  The contractor must be able to provide the lab with the latest software upgrades at no extra charge, regardless of whether or not the instrument is being repaired. The contractor also must be able to provide the lab with any necessary training on the upgraded software.
2. Most manufacturers require a re-instatement visit and charge for instruments that have a lapse in service contract coverage.  The contractor must pay any re-instatement fee charged by the manufacturer should the lab decide not to use the contractor at any time and go back to using the manufacturer directly.

1. Should the contractor cease to be able to fulfill its obligation to the lab during the contracting period, there must be a smooth transition without a lapse in coverage on the instrument between the contractor and the manufacturer.   The contractor would be responsible for any re-instatement fees and completing any necessary paperwork required for the transition.

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSE, PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS OR OTHER EXPERTISE REQUIRED.

The contractor must have:

• Experience working within an NIH research laboratory.

• Training directly from Leica Microsystems for the EM-FC7 system
• Current certification and authority from Leica Microsystems to work on the EM-FC7

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE.

Base year plus four option years

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE.

The work will be performed in the NIH-NIDCD-LMG-SHG, located on the NIH campus in Building 35A, Room 1F-336, Bethesda, MD 20892-3729

No solicitation package will be issued.  This notice is not a request for competitive quotations; however, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement.  Inquiries will only be accepted via e-mail to holleyv@od.nih.gov.  The government will consider responses received by 10:00AM, EST,  Tuesday, April 1, 2025.  Written responses to this synopsis shall contain sufficient documentation to establish a bona fide capability to fulfill the requirement.  A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.  Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement in the future.  This notice of intent is not a Request for Quotation (RFQ) nor is it a request for competition.  No telephone requests will be honored.