Establishing a Biorepository of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences (DTHHS), intends to compete and award a contract, in accordance with FAR Part 15, to provide technical assistance support to establish an ongoing biorepository of specimens from persons with ALS enrolled in the National ALS Registry. Because little is known about the role genetics plays in ALS, ATSDR conducted a pilot study to determine the feasibility of establishing a biorepository of samples from persons with ALS. Samples from approximately 330 patients have been collected, including blood, urine, hair, and nails samples, as well as post-mortem specimens from up to 30 patients, such as whole brains, spinal cords, and cerebrospinal fluid. While there are other biorepositories currently in existence that contain specimens from persons with ALS, these biorepositories are often limited and target select groups (e.g., military veterans with ALS). Additionally, these biorepositories do not necessarily collect epidemiological/risk factor data from the patients who contribute specimens (e.g., occupational, residential, and military history). Submission of specimens for this biorepository would be open to all persons with ALS enrolled in the congressionally mandated National ALS Registry. The ability to connect the biological material to information about risk factors and data about medical treatment will make the biorepository unique and especially valuable to ALS researchers. The resultant contract will be a Fixed Price Performance Based Service Contract to include one 12-month Base Period and four 12-month Option Periods.

This requirement is anticipated to be a 100% Small Business Set-aside competition under North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code of 541712 with a small business size standard of 500 employees.

The date specified for receipt of offers will be approximately 30 days after the solicitation issue date, on or about July 17, 2015. Further instructions will follow in the Request for Proposal. Solicitation No. 2015-N-17148 will only be made available on the Internet at http://www.fbo.gov on or about June 16, 2015. Requests for Proposals in hard copy form will not be available. Telephone requests will not be honored. Interested parties are responsible for checking the website regularly for release of the RFP and for other procurement-related matters.