Dietary Services for NIA Clinical Unit Participants

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SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

1. Solicitation Number:  75N95024Q00030

1. Title:  Dietary Services for NIA Clinical Unit Participants

1. Classification Code:  R499

1. NAICS Code:  722514

1. Description:  Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets
    

This is a Sources Sought Notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement.

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:  The National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. The Intramural Research Program (IRP) of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) provides a stimulating setting for a comprehensive effort to understand aging through multidisciplinary investigator-initiated research, in this regard.

One of the IRP's program activities includes the Clinical Research Core (CRC) part of the NIA Clinical Unit within the Office of the Scientific Director.  The CRC seeks to elucidate normative values and separate normal aging findings from disease states. The CRC’s goal is to prolong disease-free states with age. The CRC serves as an infrastructure to facilitate the creation and development of therapeutic targets for the treatment of age-related disease across the Intramural Research Program.  The CRC performs research in various protocol studies that have direct clinical applications to aging and disease states.  Participants in the various protocols may spend one or more days in the Clinical Unit and are provided with meals.

Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of this acquisition is to contract meal services for the patients taking part in National Institute on Aging (NIA) clinical research studies at Harbor Hospital. This is a follow-on requirement to contract number 75N95019C00008 which expires on January 5, 2024. To ensure continuity of research, uninterrupted dietary services are required, and a new contract must be sourced for a start date of January 6, 2024.

Project requirements:

Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall be required to furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the tasks as specified herein.  Specifically, the contractor shall:

• NIA research participants will be provided with fresh, temperature-appropriate meals (three meals per day, seven days per week).
• Meals will be provided to participants either in on-site cafeteria or coffee shop, in which participants may get meals themselves, or contractor shall provide patient meals for those participants who require them and deliver them to the NIA Clinical Unit located at 3001 S. Hanover Street, Fifth Floor, Harbor Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21225. 
• For meals provided in on-site cafeteria or coffee shop, meal vouchers valued up to $15.00 per meal will be provided.
• All meals will be prepared in the incumbent’s production kitchen. 
• For meals transported to the NIA Clinical Unit, NIA’s research staff will take possession of the trays and place the meal trays in the NIA designated refrigerator.
• All transported items will be transported in appropriate containers.  While meals are in its sole possession, the incumbent will implement temperature controls to meet regulatory compliance. 
• The incumbent will be responsible for removing trays and equipment from the NIA Clinical Unit and cleaning all transported items after meals have been consumed.
• Floor stocks, nourishments and commercial nutritional supplements may be required.
• Dietetic and related nutrition consulting services may be required to assist the research staff in developing the nutritional component of their research protocols.
• Meals for special functions or catering may be required.

Anticipated period of performance:

• Base period:  January 6, 2024 through January 5, 2025
• Option Period 1:  January 6, 2025 through January 5, 2026
• Option Period 2: January 6, 2026 through January 5, 2027
• Option Period 3: January 6, 2027 through January 5, 2028
• Option Period 4:  January 6, 2028 through January 5, 2029.

Requested Response:

The intent of this sources sought notice is to define the procurement strategy (e.g. set-aside, sole source, unrestricted) for a solicitation that is intended to be posted soon. Interested contractors are requested to respond by (1) identifying how their proposed product meets or exceeds the project requirements listed above; and (2) providing product literature, white papers, or capability statements that demonstrate their bona fide ability to supply such an item within the time frame described above.

In addition, please state your business size status and whether you are the manufacturer or authorized distributor of the item you propose.

Please note that NCATS is particularly interested in small business sources. If you are a small business, please state the type of small business (small business; HUBZone; service-disabled, veteran-owned; 8(a); veteran-owned; woman-owned; or small disadvantaged businesses) and your 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.

The respondent must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc.), pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements.

The information submitted must be 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 must include the respondents’ technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses.

All responses to this notice must be submitted electronically to the Contracting Officer.  Facsimile responses are NOT accepted.

The response must be submitted to Kevin Alvarez, Contracting Officer, at e-mail address kevin.alvarez@nih.gov.

The response must be received on or beforeNovember 22, 2023, 9:00am, Eastern Time.

Disclaimer and Important Notes:  This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in 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 a review of the responses received, a presolicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published at SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

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).