Notice of Intent to Sole Source iChrom Solutions dba Spark Holland for the Procurement of CHRONECT Symbiosis UHPLC System_FY24

This is a notice of intent to award a sole-source purchase order and is not a request for competitive proposals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Laboratory Systems (DLS) in Atlanta, GA, hereby announces intent to solicit and enter into a contract with iChrom Solutions dba Spark Holland Inc.  located in Sicklerville, New Jersey, in accordance with FAR Subpart 6.3.

The Organic Analytical Toxicology Branch (OATB) currenlty uses the old version of Symbiosis Systems manufactured by iChrom Solutions. This system is used for the analysis of human serum and urine for exposure assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and universal pesticides. The iChrom Solutions Workstation CHRONECT Symbiosis UHPLC system with online SPE is used to measure the biomarkers in human samples for epidemiologic studies with improved sensitivity and advanced efficiency. The requirement is imperative as the current system is no longer supported, hence the request to procure new Symbiosis online SPE Systems that has supported software. This purchase will provide a timely response to aid use for PAH, PFAS, and universal pesticides analyses in OATB, since the current application has been successful for these analyses in various studies, including in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Response times are highly critical to the laboratory needs and an upgrade to the newer Symbiosis systems from the same manufacturer is needed to minimize downtime of high-throughput projects and meet project deadlines.

The Symbiosis system from iChrom Solutions is the only system fully compatible with OATB current systems and methods, and capable of exchanging the SPE cartridges in a way that is completely synchronized with the operation of mass spectrometer data collection. The exchange of cartridges is needed to ensure validity of the analytical results because of the complexity of complex biological matrices. The new Symbiosis online SPE system with supported software suits the particular need of the laboratory’s methods and cost efficient. iChrom Solutions/Spark Holland is the only organization that maintains consumables for the systems and components in the United States.

This is a notice of intent and is not a request for competitive quotes or proposals. Firms that believe they can meet the requirement are encouraged to identify their interest and capability and provide a substantive statement with descriptive literature and any other supporting information to the Contracting Specialist within five (5) days of publication of this notice or by September 22, 2024. All information received within five (5) days of publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government to determine if more than one firm can meet the Government's requirements and is capable of providing technically acceptable services. A determination not to compete the described requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Federal Government.  Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct a competitive procurement.  Any questions or responses must be in writing and directed to the Contract Specialist and via email at urv3@cdc.gov by 10:00AM EST on September 20, 2024.