Maintenance Services for Biotage Systems

(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 75N95019Q00115 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; FAR Subpart 13.5-Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items; and FAR Part 12-Acquisition of Commercial Items, and is not 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), Office of Acquisition (OA), on behalf of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), intends to negotiate and award a purchase order without providing for full and open competition (including brand-name) to Biotage, Inc, located at 10430 Harris Oak Blvd, Ste C, Charlotte, NC 28269-7518 for preventive maintenance services performed on Biotage manufactured systems.

This acquisition is conducted as non-competitive for a commercial item or service and is conducted pursuant to FAR 13.106-1(b)(1).

(iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) Number 2019-01, with effective date January 22, 2019.

(iv) The associated NAICS code is 811219-Other Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance with associated small business size standard of $20.5 million. This requirement is solicited as full and open with no set-aside restrictions.

(v) This requirement is for the following general 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 to perform the Statement of Work described herein. General requirements include, but are not limited to, providing the following: A. Latest instrument software and hardware updates and factory recommended upgrades when applicable. B. Preventative Maintenance (PM) inspection visits, including one planned onsite PM visit per year. C. Software and Hardware technical telephone consulting support by factory trained engineers available during normal business hours. D. Unlimited on-site service visits when requested.

The manufacturer shall provide preventive maintenance and priority service for the microwave systems and peptide synthesizer, indicated with the following Item, Part Number, Serial Number and Period of Performance start and end date.

Base Year
Item Part No. Serial No. Start date End date
Alstra SER-IA-SA 00188 6/1/2019 5/31/2020
Initiator60+ SER-IP60-SA 13020 6/1/2019 5/31/2020
Initiator60+ SER-IP60-SA 12714 6/1/2019 5/31/2020
Initiator+ SER-IP-SA 12427 6/1/2019 5/31/2020
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 11676 6/1/2019 5/31/2020
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 11402 6/1/2019 5/31/2020
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 10405 6/1/2019 5/31/2020
Option Year One (1)
Alstra SER-IA-SA 00188 6/1/2020 5/31/2021
Initiator60+ SER-IP60-SA 13020 6/1/2020 5/31/2021
Initiator60+ SER-IP60-SA 12714 6/1/2020 5/31/2021
Initiator+ SER-IP-SA 12427 6/1/2020 5/31/2021
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 11676 6/1/2020 5/31/2021
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 11402 6/1/2020 5/31/2021
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 10405 6/1/2020 5/31/2021
V-10 Touch SER-V10T-SAP V101807652 10/12/2020 5/31/2021
V-10 LiqHndlr SER-V10LH-SA V101807652 10/12/2020 5/31/2021
Option Year Two (2)
Alstra SER-IA-SA 00188 6/1/2021 5/31/2022
Initiator60+ SER-IP60-SA 13020 6/1/2021 5/31/2022
Initiator60+ SER-IP60-SA 12714 6/1/2021 5/31/2022
Initiator+ SER-IP-SA 12427 6/1/2021 5/31/2022
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 11676 6/1/2021 5/31/2022
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 11402 6/1/2021 5/31/2022
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 10405 6/1/2021 5/31/2022
V-10 Touch SER-V10T-SAP V101807652 6/1/2021 5/31/2022
V-10 LiqHndlr SER-V10LH-SA V101807652 6/1/2021 5/31/2022
Option Year Three (3)
Alstra SER-IA-SA 00188 6/1/2022 5/31/2023
Initiator60+ SER-IP60-SA 13020 6/1/2022 5/31/2023
Initiator60+ SER-IP60-SA 12714 6/1/2022 5/31/2023
Initiator+ SER-IP-SA 12427 6/1/2022 5/31/2023
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 11676 6/1/2022 5/31/2023
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 11402 6/1/2022 5/31/2023
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 10405 6/1/2022 5/31/2023
V-10 Touch SER-V10T-SAP V101807652 6/1/2022 5/31/2023
V-10 LiqHndlr SER-V10LH-SA V101807652 6/1/2022 5/31/2023
Option Year Four (4)
Alstra SER-IA-SA 00188 6/1/2023 5/31/2024
Initiator60+ SER-IP60-SA 13020 6/1/2023 5/31/2024
Initiator60+ SER-IP60-SA 12714 6/1/2023 5/31/2024
Initiator+ SER-IP-SA 12427 6/1/2023 5/31/2024
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 11676 6/1/2023 5/31/2024
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 11402 6/1/2023 5/31/2024
Initiator60 EXP SER-IC60-SAP 10405 6/1/2023 5/31/2024
V-10 Touch SER-V10T-SAP V101807652 6/1/2023 5/31/2024
V-10 LiqHndlr SER-V10LH-SA V101807652 6/1/2023 5/31/2024

(vi) The goal of this procurement is for the NCATS Chemistry group to obtain contractor services by an authorized provider to procure maintenance service on existing government-owned laboratory equipment manufactured by and previously purchased from the subject contractor. The authorized provider shall perform a service agreement and preventive maintenance as described herein that must be carried out and performed by authorized Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) certified and current factory-trained technicians.

The NCATS Chemistry group requires a maintenance agreement for the Biotage microwave systems. This requirement will cover any service situations that arise on this highly-used and important equipment currently in use by the NCATS Chemistry teams, which will eliminate the amount of down time experienced from performance issues. The Biotage Initiator microwaves are integral pieces of equipment in the synthesis of small molecules as biological probes.

Specific Requirements: Due to the critical nature of the subject equipment the contractor must ensure the following:
a. Factory authorized Preventive Maintenance (PM) procedures and service visits must be followed and provided by currently certified factory trained technician personnel who are factory authorized engineers performing factory certified service and authorized to receive factory certified update training on Hardware and Software.
b. Factory-recommended service and replacement parts, excluding normal consumable parts, must be provided. Adequate supply of parts in stock and readily available to the service technicians or ability to obtain any required part or parts within 24 hours of the service technician assessment must be provided.
c. Contractor shall be required to provide written progress reports in achieving this statement of work during the period of performance. The original documentation shall be provided by the vendor to show they completed service on the instrument and should document technical progress with the POC.
d. Service shall include labor and parts coverage, extended coverage hours, on-site labor response, unlimited technical telephone response (call-back to schedule), patches for bug fixes for the existing software version, and preferred labor rate.
e. Contractor shall schedule and perform onsite preventive maintenance on the subject equipment from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
The government owns the subject scientific instrumentation. The field service technician will be required to notify the POC from NCATS for access to the building located at 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850.

DELIVERABLES
Documentation shall be provided by the vendor to show they completed the preventive service on the equipment and left with the COR or POC with service ticket that briefly details the work performed during the service visit to the POC for signature and a copy of the ticket is to be left with the POC. The reports will cover any problems encountered, problem resolution, unresolved problems, software updates, and any miscellaneous issues observed. A detailed written report of any service and\or preventative maintenance is to be submitted to the Contracting Officer's Representative, or a delegated entity, within 24 hours of service being performed.

TRAVEL
No travel cost will be reimbursed. All cost associated with travel time should be included within the provided service agreement quote.

CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS - KEY PERSONNEL
N/A

DATA RIGHTS
NCATS shall have unlimited rights to and ownership of all data including reports. In addition, it includes any additional deliverables required by contract change. The definition of "unlimited rights" is contained in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 27.401, "Definitions." FAR clause 52.227-14, "Rights in Data-General," is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this contract/order. Any data schemas will be the exclusive right of the government.
Publications and Publicity: The Contractor shall not write or publish articles of data produced as a result of the requirements of the SOW.
SECTION 508 - ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS
The contractor is responsible for any software patches to fix problems impacting instrument reliability and usage.

All electronic files submitted shall be compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Additional information about testing documents for Section 508 compliance, including guidance and specific checklists, by application, can be found at: http://www.hhs.gov/web/508/index.html under "Making Files Accessible."

Pursuant to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, all electronic and information technology (EIT) products and services developed, acquired, maintained, or used under this contract/order must comply with the "Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Provisions" set forth by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (also referred to as the "Access Board") in 36 CFR part 1194. Information about Section 508 provisions is available at http://www.section508.gov/. The complete text of Section 508 Final provisions can be accessed at http://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards.

(vii) The government owns the subject scientific instrumentation. The field service technician will be required to notify the POC from NCATS for access to the building located at 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850.

The Government anticipates award of a firm fixed-price purchase order for this acquisition, and the anticipated period of performance shall be effective for one base year from June 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020 including the option to exesrcise four (4) additional subsequent 12-month option years.

(viii) The provision at FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at these addresses: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html

(End of provision)

The following provisions apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference:
• FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Oct 2018)
• FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Jul 2016)
• FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (Oct 2018)
• FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (Oct 2018)
• FAR 52.222-48, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment-Certification (May 2014)
• HHSAR 352.239-73, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Notice (December 18, 2015)

The clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at these addresses:
https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html

(End of clause)

The following clauses apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference:
• FAR 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018)
• FAR 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Jul 2016)
• FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items (Oct 2018). Addendum to this FAR clause applies to this acquisition and is attached.
• FAR 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000). One base year and four (4) additional subsequent 12-month option years effective on June 1, 2019.

The provisions of FAR clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (OCT 2018) is applicable to this solicitation:
52.222-3 Convict Labor (June 2003)
52.222-19 Child Labor-Cooperation With Authorities and Remedies (Jan 2018)
52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Apr 2015)
52.222-26 Equal Opportunity (Sep 2016)
52.222-36 Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (Jul 2014)
52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons (Jan 2019)
52.223-18 Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (Aug 2011)
52.225-13 Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases (Jun 2008)
52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-- System for Award Management (Oct 2018)

The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are incorporated in full text:
• NIH Invoice and Payment Provisions (2/2014)

(ix) The provision at FAR clause 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered.

A tradeoff approach will be used to evaluate and select a contractor. Price will be considered in the evaluation and selection, but Price will not be rated. Price will be considered to be of lesser importance than technical factors. Quotations will be evaluated using adjective ratings and no numeric point system will be used. Excellent (Risk level: Very low); Good (Risk level: Low); Acceptable (Risk Level: Neutral); Marginal (Risk level: High); Unacceptable (Risk level: Very high).

Offerors' responses to this RFQ should address all contractor requirements contained in the statement of work in sufficient detail to demonstrate a clear understanding of the work objectives and compliance with requirements. Quotations will be evaluated based on the following Sub-factors, equally weighted:
a) Technical Approach:
Ability of the Offeror to understand the SOW and requirements, adequately describe the proposed approach, identify problems and potential challenges, and demonstrate how all contract requirements will be met. Offerors shall provide evidence of sufficient planning to show that the work will be accomplished and how it will be accomplished within time and other constraints specified in the SOW or as applicable. The Offeror shall utilize all available resources to include controlling the execution of assigned activities, tasks, sub-tasks, monitoring progress, status reporting, resolving critical issues and/or mitigating risks and fulfilling all delivery requirements.

b) Organizational Experience:
Offerors shall show documented evidence of personnel experience related to the subject requirement. Specific and specialized relevant experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and education of proposed personnel shall be clearly documented. The offeror must submit with their proposal a list of the last two (2) contracts completed during the past three (3) years and / or contracts awarded currently in process that are similar in nature to the work scope. Contracts listed may include those entered into by the Federal Government, agencies of state and local governments and commercial concerns. Newly formed entities without prior contracts should list contracts and subcontracts as required above for such key personnel. For each contract, subcontract, or reference include: (i) Name of Contracting Organization; (ii) Contract Number (for subcontracts, provide the prime contract number and the subcontract number); (iii) Contract Type; (iv) Total Contract Value; (v) Description of Requirement; (vi) North American Industry Classification System(NAICS) Code.

Cost: The Offeror(s) cost/price quotation will be evaluated for reasonableness and best value to the government. Basic cost and price information in the Offerors' quote must contain sufficient information to allow the Government to perform a basic analysis of the reasonableness of the Offeror to supply the required services and/or supply. For a price to be reasonable, it must represent a price to the government that a prudent person would pay when consideration is given to prices in the market. The Government intends to make an award(s) to that offeror whose proposal provides the best overall value to the Government. Discounts may be taken into account for this selection criterion, however the government reserves the right to make a selection decision with tradeoffs.

Price Quote: The Vendor shall submit a Fixed-price quote for the period of performance including unit pricing, total price proposed and all other relevant information and documentation that the item(s) quoted meets the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics as specified in this solicitation.
Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

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.

(x) The Offerors to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with its offer.

(xi) The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

(xii) The clause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and is incorporated by reference.

(xiii) The following additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions as determined by the contracting officer are necessary for this acquisition and consistent with customary commercial practices.
There are no additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions applicable to this acquisition.

(xiv) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement.

(xv) 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.

The Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), 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 quotations must be received no later than the closing date and time specified in the solicitation, and reference the subject solicitation number. Responses must be submitted electronically to Hunter.Tjugum@nih.gov.

Fax responses will not be accepted.

(xvi) The name and telephone number of the individual to contact for information regarding the solicitation: Hunter Tjugum, Contract Specialist, 301-827-5304, hunter.tjugum@nih.gov.

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