Procurement of an AUTOMATED PERIFUSION SYSTEM WITH PNEUMATIC MANIFOLD

INTRODUCTION
THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A CONTRACT OR PURCHASE ORDER WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME).

The National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Office of Acquisitions (OA) on behalf of the on behalf of the National Institute of Digestive, Diabetes & Kidney Diseases intends to award a purchase order without providing for full and open competition (Including brand-name) to BIOREP TECHNOLOGIES INC for the purchase of an AUTOMATED 
PERIFUSION SYSTEM WITH PNEUMATIC MANIFOLD, including 1-DAY ON-SITE SETUP AND TRAINING.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE
The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 334516 with a Size Standard of 1,000.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY
The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2021-05 effective March 5, 2021.

This acquisition is conducted under the procedures as prescribed in FAR subpart 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures at an amount not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold ($250,000).

STATUTORY AUTHORITY
This acquisition is conducted under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c) under provisions of the statutory authority of FAR Subpart 6.302- FAR 6.302-1—Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1).

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
Within 90 Days of Award

Place of Performance
National Institutes of Health 
National Institute of Digestive, Diabetes & Kidney Diseases 
Genomics Building, AZ
Genomics Building
445 N. 5th Street
Phoenix AZ 85004
 

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) conducts and supports research on many of the most serious diseases affecting public health. The Institute supports much of the clinical research on the diseases of internal medicine and related subspecialty fields, as well as many basic science disciplines. 

The Institute's Division of Intramural Research encompasses the broad spectrum of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, inborn errors of metabolism, endocrine disorders, mineral metabolism, digestive and liver diseases, nutrition, urology and renal disease, and hematology. Basic research studies include biochemistry, biophysics, nutrition, pathology, histochemistry, bioorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, chemical and molecular biology, and pharmacology. 

NIDDK extramural research is organized into 4 divisions: Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases; Digestive Diseases and Nutrition; Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases; and Extramural Activities.  The Institute supports basic and clinical research through investigator-initiated grants, program project and center grants, and career development and training awards. The Institute also supports research and development projects and large-scale clinical trials through contracts.
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PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) has a requirement for a patent-pending microfluidic manifold which allows the selection from 12 different inputs and deliver a pre-selected solution to a specific perifusion chamber. The system is capable to generate continuous gradients to stimulate the sample inside the perifusion chamber. The Biorep Technologies perifusion  system can accommodate up to twelve perifusion chambers in parallel. The detailed characterization and quantification of the kinetics of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by normal pancreatic islets is of considerable interest for characterizing b-cell dysfunction, assessing the quality of isolated islets, and improving the design of artificial pancreas devices. We would be able to perform dynamic evaluation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by human islets at high temporal resolution (every minute) in response to different glucose steps using an automated multichannel perifusion instrument..  

SALIENT / REQUIRED FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS

Specifically, the NIDDK requires the following tasks:

TASKS AREAS

Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the contractor shall provide the following:

Task Area 1 – Inside delivery at 445 N 5th Street, 2nd floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Task Area 2 – Set up and 1 Day Onsite Training

CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME) DETERMINATION

The determination by the Government to award a contract without providing for full and open competition is based upon the market research conducted as prescribed in FAR Part 10—Market Research.  Only one source is available: Per FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) the Contracting Officer has determined BIOREP TECHNOLOGIES INC to be the only reasonable available source to provide an AUTOMATED PERIFUSION SYSTEM WITH PNEUMATIC MANIFOLD, including 1-DAY ON-SITE SETUP AND TRAINING.   

This acquisition was pursued on a sole source basis centered on BIOREP TECHNOLOGIES INC being the sole supplier and in possession of a pending patent for this unique perifusion system. This system represents a unique capability that cannot be replicated in another product/service.  Therefore, the procurement of an AUTOMATED PERIFUSION SYSTEM WITH PNEUMATIC MANIFOLD, including 1-DAY ON-SITE SETUP AND TRAINING system is necessary for continued analysis support. Failure to procure these deliverables from BIOREP TECHNOLOGIES INC would result in a significant loss of research.

CLOSING STATEMENT
This synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: descriptive literature, delivery timeframe, warranties and/or other information that demonstrates that the offer meets all the foregoing requirements, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.”

A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement.

All responses to this notice shall be submitted electronically by 9:00 am Eastern Standard Time, on Friday, May 28, 2021 to the Contracting Officer, Amber Harris, at amber.harris@nih.gov.

Assessment of Capability
Lowest Price Technically Acceptable