Service/Maintenance agreement for the COPAS FP500 system in ADST.

NOTICE OF INTENT to Sole Source

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: 75N95024Q00352

1. TITLE:  Service/Maintenance agreement for the COPAS FP500 system in ADST

1. CLASSIFICATION CODE:

J066 – Maintenance/Repair/Rebuild of Equipment – Instruments and Laboratory Equipment

NAICS CODE: 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing

1. RESPONSE DATE:

June 19, 2024, at 4:00 PM ET

1. PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT:

Giuliana Faller

giuliana.faller@nih.gov

Phone: 301.480.9789

1. DESCRIPTION:

INTRODUCTION

THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A CONTRACT WITHOUT PROVIDING 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 Union Biometrica to provide a service and maintenance agreement for Service/Maintenance agreement for the COPAS FP500, S/N U19-0435-076 in the Assay Development and Screening Technology Lab (ADST).

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

The intended procurement is classified under NAICS 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing with a Size Standard of 1000 employees.  

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) 2023-04 dated June 2, 2023.

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.

We currently have a project that has identified a selective potent inhibitor of a protein target in a parasitic nematode and we are investigating its bioavailability and MOA in the model organism, C. elegans. Future medicinal chemistry for this project will require testing analogs of the inhibitor in this worm model. In addition, future projects in our group, as well as the center use the biosorter for testing small molecules and NPEs in the C. elegans model for a number of different phenotypic and viability assays, including one of our most recent disease foundation supported project that uses C. elegans as a model for peroxisome assembly and function.  The COPAS Biosorter System is used at least once a week every week and needs to stay current on it's maintenance to remain fully functional. 

The COPAS platform is designed for the measurement of objects ranging in size from 20-1500 microns. This system features a fixed, specially engineered fluidic path, flow cell and optics to provide maximum speed, accuracy, resolution, and throughput.

ESTIMATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

Base Year 07/29/2024 – 07/28/2025

Option Year 1 (2025) - 07/29/2025 – 07/28/2026

Option Year 2 (2026) - 07/29/2026 – 07/28/2027

Option Year 3 (2027) - 07/29/2027 – 07/28/2028

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, Union Biometrica is the only vendor in the marketplace that can provide the services required by the NCATS.

Union Biometrica is the only source authorized by the OEM to provide the parts, supplies, and services for these systems (COPAS), as they hold exclusive proprietary rights to these patented products. Because of the significant investment by NCATS in the purchase of this equipment, using an OEM-Authorized Service Provider is essential for maintaining the integrity of the system.

The intended source is:

Union Biometrica

84 October Hill Road, Holliston MA, 017461

 (508) 893-3115

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, 75N95024Q00352. Responses must be submitted electronically to Giuliana Faller, Contract Specialist, at giuliana.faller@nih.gov.  U.S. Mail and fax responses will not be accepted.