Scientific Management and Support to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Repository and Genomics Resource (NRGR)

This is a Research and Development (R & D) Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. 

The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources to perform this potential Research & Development (R&D) requirement; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition; and (4) availability of domestic sources manufactured in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities and of a satisfactory quality. Small Businesses are encouraged to respond.

For equipment/supply requirements, responses must include the place of manufacturing (i.e., address if supply/equipment is a domestic end product and include country of manufacture). For equipment/supply requirements, small businesses must also address the size status of the manufacturer under the applicable NAICS code (i.e., address Non-Manufacturer Rule).

Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice.

This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition.  It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.  Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes.  No award will be made as a result of this notice.  The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.  This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only.

Background:  
The National Institute of Mental Health Repository and Genomics Resource (NRGR) is a centralized national biorepository funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  NRGR provides to the research community DNA, RNA, cell lines, and other biospecimens from large collections of individuals with psychiatric illness along with neurotypical controls. NRGR provides basic demographic and diagnostic data for all biospecimens and genotype, DNA sequence, and gene expression data associated with a subset of biospecimens.

Purpose and Objectives: 
The purpose of this acquisition is to obtain services to sustain, enhance, and enrich NRGR for genetic and cellular studies of psychiatric disorders to facilitate and accelerate the scientific understanding of the genetic risk architecture and basic biology underlying mental disorders. This effort is expected to involve a functionally integrated, multi-disciplinary team that will continue to manage broad sharing of biospecimens and data resources through a single, centralized, national resource to advance basic and translational research in the genetics of mental disorders.