Brand Name or Equal - Automated Single Cell Sequencing and Workflow System

Brand-name or Equal –Automated Single Cell Sequencing and Workflow System

 (i)        This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

(ii)        The solicitation number is 75N95020Q00188 and the solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ).

This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures; FAR Subpart 13.5— Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items; and FAR Part 12—Acquisition of Commercial Items, and is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. 

(iii)       The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) Number 2020-07, with an effective date of 07-02-2020.

(iv)       The associated NAICS code 334516and the small business size standard is 1,000.   This requirement is a small business set-aside.

(v)        This requirement is for the following brand-name or equal item:

            Manufacturer: 10x Genomics, Inc.

Item Number: 1

Manufacturer Part Number: 1000171

Quantity: 1

Unit:  each

Description: Chromium Connect System with 12 Month Warranty

Item Number: 2

Manufacturer Part Number: 1000173

Quantity: 1

Unit:  each

Description: Chromium Connect Assurance Plan, 12 Month

Item Number: 3

Manufacturer Part Number: 1000146

Quantity: 1

Unit:  each

Description: Chromium Connect Next GEM Chip G Automated Single Cell Kit 16rxns

Item Number: 4

Manufacturer Part Number: 1000147

Quantity: 1

Unit:  each

Description: Chromium Next GEM Automated Single Cell 3’ Library & Gel Bead Kit v 3.1 4rxns

Item Number: 5

Manufacturer Part Number: 1000213

Quantity: 1

Unit:  each

Description: Single Index Kit T Set A

Item Number: 6

Manufacturer Part Number: not applicable

Quantity: 1

Unit:  charge

Description: Shipping and Handling to Baltimore, Maryland 21224

(vi)       Generic name of product:Automated single cell sequencing and workflow system. Performance/functional specifications of product: Product must be able to prepare consistent single cell gene expression libraries with a high capacity automated single cell sequencer. Salient characteristics:

• The instrument must be able to perform precise and efficient microfluidics allow 100-80,000+ cells to be recovered in droplets in each <18-minute run with a low doublet rate, facilitating the profiling of precious and rare cell populations. After sequencing, downstream bioinformatics tools use the cellular barcodes to group transcripts that originated from the same cell, revealing the transcriptome and/or the feature information of each individual cell.
• The instrument must be able to generate consistent and reproducible single cell gene expression libraries across experiments and across users and shorten hands-on time to less than an hour.
• The instrument must be able to single cell transcriptional profiling of up to millions of single cells and partitioned into gel beads in emulsion where transcripts are tagged with cell specific barcodes for downstream processing and cDNA library preparation.
• This automated system must be able to run the assay which enables simultaneous assessment of gene expression and feature profiling (e.g. cell surface proteins, guide RNA), enabling enhanced phenotypic profiling in thousands of individual cells.
• The instrument must be able to perform single cell partitioning for immune profiling analysis.
• The instrument must be able to examine the cellular context of the adaptive immune response and immune repertoires of hundreds to tens of thousands of T and B cells in human or mouse on a cell-by-cell basis.
• The instrument must be able to generate sequences for downstream bioinformatics tools use the cellular barcodes to group transcripts that originated from the same cell, revealing the transcriptome and/or the full-length T- or B-cell receptor sequences and additional cell feature information of each individual cell.
• The instrument must be able to do single nuclei partitioning for epigenome analysis, which allows for a transposase accessible chromatin (ATAC) workflow. Single nuclei are first treated in bulk with transposase enzyme to preferentially insert sequencing adaptors into accessible DNA regions, and then are partitioned into gel beads in emulsion in the automation system.
• The instrument must generate barcoded library fragments that can easily be traced back to the open chromatin landscape for each nucleus from which they originated using intuitive bioinformatics tools.

(vii)      The Government anticipates award of a firm fixed-price purchase order for this acquisition, and the anticipated delivery date is within 4-6 weeks after receipt of order (ARO). Delivery will be f.o.b. destination. The place of delivery and acceptance will be NIH-National Institute on Aging, 251 Bayview Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21224.

(viii)     The provision at FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at these addresses:  https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far   https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html   

(End of provision)

The following provisions apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference:

• FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Oct 2018)
• FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Jul 2016)
• FAR 52.211-6, Brand Name or Equal (Aug 1999)
• FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (Mar 2020)
• FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (Mar 2020)
• FAR 52.225-2, Buy American Certificate (May 2014)
• FAR 52.225-4, Buy American-Free Trade Agreements-Israel Trade Act Certificate (May 2014)
   
• HHSAR 352.239-73, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Notice (December 18, 2015)
   
  The clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at these addresses:
  https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far     https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html  
   
  (End of clause)
  
  The following clauses apply to this acquisition and 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 (Jul 2016)
• FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items (Oct 2018) Addendum to this FAR clause applies to this acquisition and is attached.
   
  The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are attached in full text:
• FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders--Commercial Items (Mar 2020)
• NIH Invoice and Payment Provisions (2/2014)

(ix)       The Government will evaluate quotations or offers in accordance with FAR 13.106-2 and award a purchase order from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose quotation conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotes:

a. Technical capability of the item offered to meet the Government requirement;

b. Price; and

c. Past performance [see FAR 13.106-2(b)(3)].

Technical and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price.

 A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(x)        The Offeror is to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with its offer.

(xi)       The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. Addendum to this FAR clause applies to this acquisition and is attached.

(xii)      Theclause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and is attached in full text.

(xiii)     The following additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions as determined by the contracting officer are necessary for this acquisition and consistent with customary commercial practices. There are no additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions applicable to this acquisition.

(xiv)     The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement.

(xv)      Responses to this solicitation must include sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capabilities of providing the product or service. The price quote shall include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, delivery days after contract award, delivery terms, prompt payment discount terms, F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), product or catalog number(s), product description, and any other information or factors that may be considered in the award decision. Such factors may include: past performance, special features required for effective program performance, trade-in considerations, probable life of the item selected as compared with that of a comparable item, warranty considerations, maintenance availability, and environmental and energy efficiency considerations.

Respondents proposing on an equal product of the brand-name product specified in this announcement must provide, as part of their response: (a) product, catalog, model, and/or part number(s); (b) product description; (c) all relevant information and documentation that the item(s) offered meets the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics as specified in the purchase description; quantity; estimated price or cost; shipping, handling, and/or installation charges; and delivery date after receipt of order. 

The Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.

All quotations must be received by2:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on Tuesday, August 04, 2020, and reference Solicitation Number 75N95020Q00188.Responses must be submitted electronically to Renee Dougherty, Contracting Officer, at dougherr@nih.gov.

Fax responses will not be accepted.

(xvi)     The name and telephone number of the individual to contact for information regarding the solicitation: Renee Dougherty, Contracting Officer, 301-827-8453, dougherr@nih.gov