Brand Name or Equal for the chameleon® Cryo-EM Sample Prep Instrument, Accessories, and Installation

FedBizOps Synopsis

Document Type:  Combined Synopsis/Solicitation

Solicitation Number: RFQ-NIAID-25--2252181

Posted Date:   January 16, 2025

Response Date:  January 27, 2025

Set Aside: no

NAICS Code:  334516

Classification Code:  6640

Contracting Office Address:

Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases/AMOB, 5601 Fishers Lane, Rockville MD 20852

Title: Brand Name or Equal for the chameleon® Cryo-EM Sample Prep Instrument, Accessories, and Installation

Primary Point of Contact:  Leah.Hinson@nih.gov

Description:

This notice is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items using Simplified Acquisition Procedures. This acquisition will be made in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6 “Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and solicitation for commercial Items,” as applicable, and as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation (a written solicitation will not be issued) and quotes are being requested. The Solicitation number is RFQ-NIAID-25-2252181 and the solicitation is issued as a Request for Quotes (RFQ).

This acquisition will be processed under FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP). The solicitation documents and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2025-01 November 12, 2024.  

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, with a size standard of 1000 employees. The requirement is being competed with a brand name restriction, and without a small business set-aside.

Project Description:

The Structural Biology Core (SBC), Virology Laboratory (VL), Vaccine Research Center (VRC), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH) uses a structure-based approach for developing antibody therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, including but not limited to COVID-19, HIV-1, malaria, flu, and RSV. The structural analysis of pathogen proteins, antibodies, and vaccines is essential to current and future SBC research. It requires high-resolution cryo-EM data attainable only with high-quality samples. The choice of the available equipment on the market is limited by a niche nature of Cryo-EM equipment manufacturing. The Chameleon Cryo-EM Sample Preparation Instrument is a unique tool that employs blot-free technology for sample 

preparation. Its self-wicking grids enable rapid, on-the-fly sample dispensing, minimizing the adverse effects of protein exposure to the air-water interface. This approach effectively addresses issues such as preferred orientation, aggregation, and denaturation. The instrument offers several key advantages, including the ability to dispense nanomolar sample volumes, automated grid handling, camera-assisted screening, experimental condition tracking and recording, and the development of automated workflows. Currently, no alternative equipment on the market utilizes blot-free technology. To meet the specialized needs of SBC VRC, we propose the acquisition of the Chameleon Cryo-EM Sample Preparation Instrument.

NIAID has a requirement for a brand name or equal of the Chameleon-Cryon-EM Sample Prep instrument manufactured by SPT Labtech LTD in The United Kingdom. 

The brand name and part numbers for the products/services are provided in full detail below.

To be considered for award, vendors quoting “equal” product/services, including “equal” products/services of the brand-name manufacturer, must meet the following minimum requirements/specifications:

Description of Need:

1.Chameleon-Cryon-EM Sample Prep  (See Quote)- Part # 3247-00001 QTY 1

    Minimum Sample Volume: 5μL

    Minimum Dispense Volume: 6nL

    Batch Capacity: 8 Grids

    Sample Temperature Control: 4°C to 40°C

    Minimum Dispense-to-Plunge Time: 54 msec

    Liquid Nitrogen Level Monitoring

    Liquid Ethane Temperature Control

    Integrated Semi-Automated Characterization and

    Plunge Speed Tuning

    Integrated Closed Loop Glow Discharge Module

    Integrated Post-Dispense QC System

    Session Tracking and Reporting Datapack

    Includes the following accessories:

    chameleon® Cryogen Bowl Assembly -Part #3247-70786, QTY1

    Ethane Condensing Kit-Part # 3247-70562, QTY 1

    chameleon® in-built Desktop PC Controller (win 10) with chameleon® Software, QTY 1

    License & Comms Installed- Part# 3247-70799, QTY 1

    chameleon® Consumables Starter Pack- Part # 4150-40008, QTY 1

    Installation- Part # SLA-INS-029, QTY 1

    Vision lite- chameleon ® Applications Support Package- Part# SLA-TRA-031, QTY 1

          

2. Shipping and handling. QTY 1

Delivery: 30 Days ARO

Place of Performance: NIH, VRC, VL, Building 40, 40 Convent Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.  FOB: Destination

If providing an equal product(s)/services(s), please supply descriptive data for evaluation purposes to determine the validity of how it is an EQUAL. The following FAR provision applies to this a solicitation FAR 52.211-6 Brand Name or Equal (Aug 1999):

    (a) If an item in this solicitation is identified as "brand name or equal," the purchase description reflects the characteristics and level of quality that will satisfy the Government’s needs. The salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics that "equal" products must meet are specified in the solicitation.

      (b) To be considered for award, offers of "equal" products, including "equal" products of the brand name manufacturer, must-

           (1) Meet the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristic specified in this solicitation;

           (2) Clearly identify the item by-

                (i) Brand name, if any; and

                (ii) Make or model number;

           (3) Include descriptive literature such as illustrations, drawings, or a clear reference to

                 previously furnished descriptive data or information available to the Contracting

                Officer; and

           (4) Clearly describe any modifications the offeror plans to make in a product to make it

                 conform to the solicitation requirements. Mark any descriptive material to clearly

                 show the modifications.

      (c) The Contracting Officer will evaluate "equal" products on the basis of information

            furnished by the offeror or identified in the offer and reasonably available to the

            Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer is not responsible for locating or

            obtaining any information not identified in the offer.

      (d) Unless the offeror clearly indicates in its offer that the product being offered is an

            "equal" product, the offeror shall provide the brand name product referenced in the

             solicitation.

                                                                                  (End of provision)

The government intends to award a firm fixed price purchase order to the responsible contractor as a result of this RFQ that will include the terms and conditions set forth herein.  The award will be based on the following: technical capability to meet the requirements and price.

By submitting a quote in response to this solicitation, vendor is accepting the following terms and conditions:

The following FAR provisions apply to this acquisition:

FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items (SEP 2023)

FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items (MAY 2024)

FAR 52.204-7 System for Award Management (OCT 2018)

(Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications on-line at http://www.sam.gov/ in accordance with FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items (Please ensure FAR 52.209-2 -- Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations--Representation. (Nov 2015) is updated in your SAM record)

FAR 52.203-18 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements – Representation (JAN 2017)

FAR 52.204–26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation

(OCT 2020) *** Must complete representation if attached to this solicitation- see attachment 52.204-26

The following FAR contract clauses apply to this acquisition:

FAR 52-212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items (NOV 2023)

FAR 52-212.5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders Commercial Items (MAY 2024)

*The applicable subparagraphs of FAR52.212-5 are included in the attachment to this posting.

FAR 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (MAR 2023)

FAR 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (OCT 2018)

FAR 52.204-25 Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (NOV 2021)

HHSAR 352.222-70, Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (DEC 2015)

52.252-2 -- Clauses Incorporated by Reference. (FEB 1998)

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 this address:  http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm

By submission of an offer, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation (www.sam.gov).

Copies of the above-referenced provisions and clauses are available from http://www.acquisition.gov/far/loadmainre.html & http: //www.hhs.gov/regulation/index.html or, upon request, either by telephone or fax.

Submission shall be received no later than January 27, 2025 @ 10:00 AM EST

All quotations and required documents must be submitted via the NIAID electronic Simplified Acquisition Submission System (eSASS) website at https://esass.nih.gov. All vendors must register in the eSASS system to submit a quotation. Instructions on how to register / submit quotes are included on the website. Late submissions shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(f). All responsible sources may submit an offer that will be considered by this Agency.