NIH Tetramer Core Facility

Background
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) supports research related to the basic understanding of microbiology and immunology leading to the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and medical diagnostics for the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of infectious and immune-mediated diseases. As part of this mission, NIAID requires continued operation of the NIH Tetramer Core Facility (TCF). The TCF is a centralized resource producing and distributing custom MHC multimer reagents for the biomedical research community. These reagents enable the sensitive and specific detection of antigen-specific T cells across a range of diseases, including autoimmunity, cancer, and infectious diseases. MHC multimers are powerful tools for the rapid, highly sensitive quantitation of antigen-specific T cells from blood or tissue samples. Traditional reagents are comprised of four identical biotinylated MHC molecules, each loaded with an antigen-specific peptide/ligand, tetramerized using a streptavidin-linked fluorophore (i.e., tetramers). Current production methods may also generate higher-order multimers, either as a byproduct of the multimerization process or through approaches specifically designed to produce MHC multimers with higher valency. 

The TCF is an essential resource for the biomedical research community, enabling precise characterization of antigen-specific T cell populations. It plays a key role in research aligned with DHHS priorities, including the study and treatment of chronic and complex diseases, such as food allergies, autoimmune diseases, cancer, narcolepsy, organ transplantation, and Alzheimer’s Disease. These efforts are central to advancing DHHS’ mission to enhance health outcomes, improve quality of life, and reduce the burden of disease through scientific innovation.

The NIH Tetramer Core Facility contract was initially awarded in 1999. The current contract is held by Emory University (Atlanta, GA) under contract number 75N93020D00005.

Purpose and Objectives
The NIH Tetramer Core Facility Contractor is responsible for the synthesis and distribution of soluble MHC-peptide tetramer and related reagents to the broader scientific community. Such reagents include, but are not limited to: mouse, non-human primate, human, and other mammalian MHC class I monomers and tetramers; custom and premade mouse, non-human primate, human, and other mammalian class II tetramers; non-classical MHC TL, Qa-1, and mammalian CD1 monomers and tetramers; CD1d and other MHC ligands; and fluorophores for tetramer detection.

Project requirements
The major functions to be carried out by the Contractor are: 

A. Provide a tetramer production facility
B. Provide a distribution, tracking, and reporting system of reagents produced
C. Design a NIH Tetramer Core Facility website and provide related maintenance
D. Provide Tetramer Core Facility program management

It is estimated that 9 Full-time Equivalents (FTEs) are required to conduct these functions. 

While the NIH Tetramer Core Facility is responsible for providing ligands for all premade reagents, the client is responsible for supplying ligands for custom MHC Class I and II monomer and tetramer production.

Anticipated Period of Performance:
The Government anticipates awarding one (1) cost-reimbursement, term (Level of Effort) type contract to fulfill the technical requirements. The period of performance will be for one (1) year Base Period plus six (6) one-year options (terms that may be exercised by the Government unilaterally) beginning on or about March 21, 2027. The level of effort required for this effort is estimated to be nine (9) Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) per year for the Base Period and nine (9) FTEs for each option period (Options 1-6). 

Options 1 through 6 to Extend the Term of the Contract: The Government may exercise options to extend the period of the contract beyond the base period (Year 1), annually, for a total contract period of up to 7 years. The scope and types of activities as outlined for Year 1 of the contract would be continued for each succeeding annual contract period up to 7 total years.

Any responsible offeror may submit a proposal which will be considered by the Agency. This RFP will be available electronically on/about April 15, 2026, and may be accessed through SAM.gov. This notice does not commit the Government to award a contract. No collect calls will be accepted. No facsimile transmissions will be accepted.

For this solicitation, the NIAID requires proposals to be submitted online via the NIAID electronic Contract Proposal Submission (eCPS) website. Submission of proposals by facsimile or e-mail is not acceptable. For directions on using eCPS, go to the website https://ecps.nih.gov and then click on "How to Submit."