Dietary Services for NIA Clinical Unit Participants

NON-COMPETITIVE

COMBINED SYNOPSIS / SOLICITATION

Title:   Dietary Services for NIA Clinical Unit Participants

 (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; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

(ii)        The solicitation number is 75N95024Q00077 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; and FAR Part 12—Acquisition of Commercial Items, and is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.

THIS IS A NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) COMBINED SYNOPSIS SOLICITATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT OR PURCHASE ORDER WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME). 

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), NIDA Office of Acquisitions – National Institute on Aging (NIA) Section, on behalf of the NIA intends to negotiate and award a purchase order without providing for full and open competition (Including brand-name) to Sodexo Management Inc., 9801 Washingtonian Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878-5355, for the purchase of meal services for NIA Clinical Unit participants. The anticipated award date is 1/2/2024.

This acquisition is non-competive due to the need to adhere to NIA Institutional Review Board approved protocols, which state that meal services for Clinical Research Core (CRC) patients take place at the same location as the CRC to ensure patient safety. The NIA CRC has been located on the 5th floor of the MedStar Harbor Hospital since 2004 and remains located at this facility under a leasing agreement that runs through 2038. Sodexo is contracted by MedStar to provide on-site dietary/meal services to the Harbor Hospital facility. For these reasons, only Sodexo can meet the Government’s requirement.

(iii)       The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2023-06, dated 12/04/2023.

(iv)       The associated NAICS code 722514 and the small business size standard is $34M. This requirement has no set-aside restrictions.

(v)        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 Year 1: January 6, 2025 through January 5, 2026
• Option Year 2: January 6, 2026 through January 5, 2027
• Option Year 3: January 6, 2027 through January 5, 2028
• Option Year 4: January 6, 2028 through January 5, 2029

(vi)       Delivery Location:

Medstar Harbor Hospital

3001 S Hanover St.

Baltimore, MD 21225

(vii)      The provision at FAR clause 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition.

(viii)     The provision at FAR clause 52.212-2, Evaluation – Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition. 

(a) The award resulting from this solicitation will be made to the responsible offeror whose proposal is most advantageous to the Government, Technical Capability, Past Peformance and other factors considered.

(b) 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.

(ix)       Offerors are to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Products and Commercial Services, with its offer. If the offeror has completed FAR clause 52.212-3 at www.sam.gov, then the offeror does not need to provide a completed copy with its offer.

(x)        The FAR clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition.  

The following FAR provisions or clauses are incorporated by reference:

52.204-7, System for Award Management (Oct 2018)

52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018)

52.204-16, Commercial and Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020)

52.204-18, Commercial and Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020)

52.204-24, Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services of Equipment (Nov 2021)

HHSAR 352.222-70, Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (December 18, 2015).

52.212-4(g), Invoice, is supplemented by the NIH Invoice and Payment Instructions (4/2022).

(xi)       FAR clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders–Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition

(xii)      HHS reserves the right to exercise priorities and allocations authority with respect to this contract, to include rating this order in accordance with 45 CFR Part 101, Subpart A - Health Resources Priorities and Allocations System.

(xiii)     The offeror must complete and return FAR 52.204-24 and FAR 52.204-26 with its offer.

(xiv)     Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror’s capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the technical evaluation criteria. The price proposal must include the labor categories, an estimate of the number of hours required for each labor category, fully loaded fixed hourly rate or each labor category, breakdown and rationale for other direct costs or materials, and the total amount.

In addition the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), 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 responses must be received by December 27, 2023, 9:00 am, Eastern Standard Time and reference number 75N95024Q00077. Responses shall be submitted electronically to Kevin Alvarez, Contracting Officer, kevin.alvarez@nih.gov.

Fax responses will not be accepted.

(xv)      The name of the individual to contact for information regarding the solicitation:

Kevin Alvarez, Contracting Officer, kevin.alvarez@nih.gov.