Renewal of subscription to a system design software

NOTICE OF INTENT to Sole Source

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER:  75N95024Q00410
2. TITLE:  Renewal of subscription to a system design software
3. CLASSIFICATION CODE:

7A20 – IT AND TELECOM - APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE

NAICS CODE: 513210 - Software Publishers

1. RESPONSE DATE:

July 18, 2024, at 12:00 PM ET

1. PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT:

Maggie Brant

Maggie.brant@nih.gov

Phone: 301.827.1771

1. DESCRIPTION:

INTRODUCTION

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

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with National Instruments to provide a renewal of license subscriptions.  National Instruments is the only data science company that currently offers this combination of features in their proprietary software and NCATS is using them currently in their facility. This is a renewal of an annual license subscription of proprietary software with 2 option years.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE and SET ASIDE STATUS

The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 513210 - Software Publishers with a Size Standard of $47 million.  

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6—Competition Requirements. FAR Subpart 13.106-1 (b) Soliciting from a single source provides that: For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, Contracting officers may solicit from one source IF the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name OR industrial mobilization).

The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2024-05 dated May 22, 2024.

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES:

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation’s leading medical research agency and the primary Federal agency whose mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability, conducting, supporting and making medical discoveries that improve people’s health and save lives. 

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) is a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which mission it is to catalyze the generation of innovative methods and technologies that will enhance the development, testing and implementation of diagnostics and therapeutics across a wide range of human diseases and conditions.

NCATS requires a 12 month license and 2 option years for software products that must perform custom algorithmic analysis of images from high content screening devices and compound plate quality control so they can maintain compliance and security. 

It must allow for integration with other software and third-party products and allow NCATS to provision, deploy, trigger, monitor, measure, track and ensure the security of many components used in their robotic high throughput screening system.

ESTIMATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

Base Period 7/30/2024 through 7/29/2025

Option Year 1 to be 7/30/25 through 7/29/26

Option Year 2 to be 7/30/26 through 7/29/27

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. Specifically, National Instruments Corporation is the only vendor in the marketplace that can provide the products required by the NCATS.

National Instruments is the only data science company that currently offers this combination of features in their proprietary software and NCATS is using them currently in their facility. This is a renewal of an annual license subscription of proprietary software.

The intended source is:

National Instruments Corporation

11500 N Mopac Expy

Austin, TX 78759-3504

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.

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. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. 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.

Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Unique Entity ID (UEI), 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.

All responses must be received by the closing date and time of this announcement and must reference the solicitation number, 75N95024Q00410. Responses must be submitted electronically to Maggie Brant, Contract Specialist, at maggie.brant@nih.gov.  U.S. Mail and fax responses will not be accepted.