NIH Tetramer Core Facility

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases seeks a contractor to operate and manage the NIH Tetramer Core Facility, a centralized production and distribution center for soluble MHC-peptide multimeric reagents used in immunological research, with proposals due June 22, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Amendment #1, issued May 22, 2026, clarifies that the 1.65 FTE allocation for subcontractors and consultants is flexible and non-prescriptive; subcontractors and consultants are optional and not required, and offerors may determine their use at their discretion. Offerors must acknowledge receipt of Amendment #1 on each proposal copy or face rejection.

The contract is cost-reimbursement, level-of-effort for a 12-month base period beginning March 21, 2027, with six one-year options extending total performance to seven years. The Government requires 9 full-time equivalents annually, distributed across a Principal Investigator (0.35 FTE), Technical Director (1.0 FTE), Facilities/Project Manager (1.0 FTE), Senior Scientists (3.0 FTE combined), and Research Technician II (2.0 FTE). The contractor must establish production capabilities for custom and premade MHC class I, class II, and non-classical tetrameric reagents; implement quality control and Research Resource Identifier assignment; operate an integrated web-based request and tracking system with role-based access; and maintain an 18-month storage protocol. The estimated annual workload is 500 requests per month (45% MHC Class I, 35% MHC Class II, 20% innate-like T cell reagents), with production timelines from 7–14 days for premade reagents to six months for custom reagents. Uniform cost assumptions include 2,500 domestic and 400 international shipments annually, one contract initiation meeting in Bethesda, Maryland, and two hybrid workshops over the seven-year period.

The NAICS code is 541714, Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology), with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees. No set-aside applies. Evaluation weighs technical approach at 50 percent, scientific and technical personnel at 20 percent, project management at 20 percent, and facilities/equipment/resources at 10 percent, with past performance and cost realism also considered. Contact: Zachary Fetters, Contracting Officer, or Ashley Kinderdine, Contracting Officer.