Celldiscoverer 7 for Live Cell Imaging with LSM 900 including Airyscan 2

This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible.  An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice.

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.

Background and Objectives:  

The National Institute on Aging, the iPSC Neurodegenerative Disease Initiative (iNDI)

plans to measure how neurodegeneration-related mutations alter protein networks of disease-relevant iPSC-derived cells. Due to the volume of tissue culturing that is needed in establishing an iPSC cell repository, we require a scope that and accurately and quickly scan cells growing in a multiplate format. The Celldiscoverer 7 uses machine learning to recognize the sample format loaded into the microscope and then automatically detects and measures the sample carrier properties in order to facilitate experimental setup and correct acquisition optics, capturing the highest quality of images possible through both glass and plastic substrates.

Project Requirements:

Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed.

Specifications: At the minimum, the Government’s salient characteristics are: 

• Must provide a laser scanning confocal microscope with super resolution live cell imaging functions with up to 3 separate fluorophorescence channels, which can be collected simultaneously
• Must provide multiple labels which can be separated with spectral imaging and liner unmixing in 1 nm increments
• Must provide ability to rapidly switch between widefield and confocal imaging modalities, including the ability to seamlessly integrate widefield and confocal modes
• Must provide full environmental control (temperature, CO2, humidity)
• Must provide confocal fluorescence excitation at multiple laser lines 405 nm, 488 nm, 561 nm, and 640 nm, or equivalents (+ 10 nm)
• Must provide AxioCam 712 camera for widefield fluorescence and brightfield with specification including: image diagonal 17.5 mm, equivalent to 1.1" sensor format (14.1 mm × 10.4 mm), pixel array, 4096 (H) × 3008 (V) = 12 megapixel and pixel size 3.45 μm × 3.45 μm
• Must provide colibri LED wide-field excitation for 385, 420, 470, 520, 650, 590, and 625 nm, or equivalents (+ 10 nm); and corresponding excitation and emission filters
• Must provide transmitted light capabilities with phase, oblique, or differential interference contrast
• Must provide 3x confocal GaAsP detectors including Airyscan 2.
• Must provide multiple objective magnifications that fill the range of 2.5x to 100x magnification
• Must be capable of high-resolution imaging with water and/or oil immersion objective lenses.
• Must be compatible with standard slides, plates, chambered coverglass slides, round petri/culture dishes, or custom configurations of sample arrays
• Must provide system workstation software with ZEN 3.4. Software and hardware-based autofocus methods for maximum flexibility.
• Must provide offline processing workstation
• Must provide anti-vibration table
• Must provide shipping, installation and training.
• Must provide a 1 year "Protect Premium" warranty

Anticipated Delivery Date:  Delivery date of 6 months after receipt of purchase order.  Manufacturer warranty for one calendar year beginning date of receipt.

Capability Statement:
Small business concerns that believe they possess the capabilities to provide the required services 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 by which all of the requirements may be met, if applicable, and 4) any other information considered relevant to this program. Small businesses must also provide their Company Name, DUNS number, Physical Address, and Point of Contact Information.

Interested small businesses are required to identify their type of business, applicable North American Industry Classification System 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, reference the solicitation notice number.

One (1) copy of the response is required and must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2” x 11” paper size, with 1” top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing.

The information submitted must be in an outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirements 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 is limited to ten (10) pages.  The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, or references, if requested.

All capability statements sent in response to this Small Business Sources Sought Notice must be submitted to Fred Ettehadieh, Contracting Officer, by email at fred.ettehadieh@nih.gov before the closing date and time of this announcement. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered. Facsimile responses are not acceptable.

Disclaimer and Important Notes:

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in the response.  No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your 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 review of the responses received, pre-solicitation and solicitation notices may be published in Federal Business Opportunities.  However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.  The solicitation release date is pending. 

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).