Low Temperature Plasma-based Microtiter Plate Cleaning System

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

Solicitation Number: 75N95021Q00061

Title:  Low Temperature Plasma-based Microtiter Plate Cleaning System

Classification Code:  6640 Laboratory Equipment and Supplies

NAICS Code:  334516 Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, 1000

Description: 

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.

Purchase Description: 

The NCATS has a requirement for the following commercial item:

Low Temperature Plasma-based Microtiter Plate Cleaning System

Purpose and Objectives:

This announcement is part of market research for a requirement for a microtiter plate cleaning system, including 96-, 384- and 1536-well plates of any material (polypropylene, polystyrene and cyclic olefin polymer (COP)) in black clear bottom used for high content imaging, white solid tissue culture treated, compound storage plates, etc. The device sought must use a low temperature plasma-based technology to clean especially more difficult well contents such as adherent cells, parasites, compounds and other samples and assay materials, while reducing or eliminating the use of solvents and thereby reducing or eliminating the waste stream. We have successfully optimized a cleaning protocol using the IonField Systems MCS system to clean plates containing red blood cells/hemoglobin, parasites and 3 compounds in DMSO, which is one of the most challenging. We have also developed a protocol to clean our standard 1536-well COP tissue culture treated white solid bottom plates used extensively for cell viability assays which is one of our most common assays run. In addition, any device must be capable of integration into a robotic screening platform.

Anticipated period of performance: The expected acquisition will consist of purchase of one system during fiscal year 2021.

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 NCATS intends to post soon. Interested contractors are requested to respond in accordance with the following:

  1.  Please respond to this Sources Sought notice if you can provide a commercial item meeting the requirements outlined above.

  a. In the response, please cite your business size status.

  b. If you have an existing GSA Federal Supply Schedule or other GWAC (e.g. NITAAC or SEWP) contract, please include the contract details in your response.

  c. DISTRIBUTORS: You must provide proof that you are an authorized distributor.

  2. Please respond to this Sources Sought notice if you can provide supplies that may be determined EQUIVALENT to the products listed above. Please provide details on the proposed EQUIVALENT products such as manufacturer name, part number, and description, as well as your business size, contract vehicle information, and proof as an authorized distributor.

Please note that NCATS is particularly interested in small business sources. If your company is a small business and can provide potentially equivalent items, please respond to this notice. Provide (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.

Please note that if no responses to this notice are received from either authorized distributors or providers of potentially equivalent items, then this action will be sole-sourced to the provider cited above.

Please provide your 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 and outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirement 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 by e-mail to Stuart Kern, Contract Specialist, at stuart.kern@nih.gov.

Responses must be received on or before Thursday, February 4, at 11:00 a.m. 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 in Federal Business Opportunities. 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).