Ultrahigh throughput Sequencing system

INTRODUCTION
This is a Small Business Sources Sought (SBSS) 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; (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; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. 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 and type of qualified Small Business companies technically capable of meeting this potential 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. The notice is strictly for research and information purposes only.

The information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method including small business socio-economic set-aside possibilities and to determine the availability of qualified Small Business companies technically capable of meeting the Government's potential requirement. All Small Business companies with the capability and availability to perform the requirement under the applicable NAICS code are invited to submit a response to this notice.

NORTH AMERICAN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE
The NAICS code applicable to this requirement is 334516 Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing with size standard 1000 employees.

BACKGROUND
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. The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) is a translational science center whose mission 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. To establish and move stem cell technologies forward through a more centralized effort, NIH has launched the Stem Cell Translation Laboratory (SCTL) within the NCATS

One of the major SCTL goals is to perform deep characterization of a large number of human pluripotent stem cell lines in order to gain better understanding of the heterogeneity within the pluripotent phenotype, as part of the Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative. This effort requires an ultrahigh throughput Sequencing system for onboard cluster generation and sequencing which provides a powerful, high throughput genomics solution and empowers users to perform studies at the throughput and sample efficiency that meets their research objectives.

Purpose and Objectives
This Small Business Sources Sought notice seeks to determine eligible sources capable of achieving the essential features of this potential requirement, which is to obtain one (1) High-throughput Sequencing system and accessories on a BRAND-NAME-OR-EQUAL basis to the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 and accessories manufactured by Illumina, Inc located at 5200 Illumina Way, San Diego CA 92122. The NovaSeq 6000 provides simple, streamlined production-scale sequencing of genomes, exomes, transcriptomes, and numerous other library types. The system delivers a groundbreaking combination of throughput, speed, and flexibility to complete next-generation sequencing (NGS) projects. The Xp Flow Cell Dock is required when using the NovaSeq Xp workflow that allows SCTL to load sequencing libraries into individual flow cell lanes.

Project Requirements
Offerors submitting a response to this Small Business Sources Sought notice shall possess the ability to achieve the essential government features specified herein. Products offered must include those salient physical, functional, or other characteristics of the NovaSeq 6000 system and accessories that are manufactured by Illumina, Inc. deemed essential in meeting the government's needs. The NovaSeq 6000 Sequencing System will serve as the end point for all of the SCTL sequencing experiments, therefore, it is imperative that this system is compatible in all aspects (form, fit, and function) with existing systems presently installed. Specifically, the system must be compatible with the existing 10x Genomics Chromium Controller which is used for single-cell RNA sequencing and single-cell DNA copy number variant sequencing, as well as the existing Fluidigm C1 Single-Cell Auto-Prep System, which is a single-cell RNA sequencing system used by SCTL staff.

Specifically, the following are considered essential features of this potential requirement:
• Multiple flow cell configurations (independently run one or two flow cells at a time, individually start or stop runs, mix and match flow cell types) enable sequencing of ~80 Gb-6000 Gb per run, providing adjustable output based on project needs.
• Contains streamlined workflows, automated onboard cluster generation, including automated exclusion amplification (ExAmp) chemistry to ensure consistent, reproducible run performance.
• RFID-encoded consumables and load-and-go reagent cartridges for user-friendly experience; reliability of matching run configurations with proper flow cell and consumable kit minimizes potential incompatibilities.
• Highest Output: Up to 20 billion clusters and 6000 Gb of output per 2 × 150 bp run (dual NovaSeq S4 flow cell run).
• Instrument Throughput: Generate > 3000 Gb per day using a 2 × 150 bp dual NovaSeq S4 flow cell run; Tunable output using multiple flow cell configurations.
• Output Range: ~80 Gb-6000 Gb per run depending on flow cell type, number of flow cells, and read length options.
• Sequencing Flexibility: Ability to run one or two flow cells at a time, choose between four flow cell types, run different flow cell types simultaneously, start and stop flow cells independently, choose from multiple read length kit configurations for each flow cell type, and run any read length up to the maximum number of cycles per kit.
• Sequencing methods must include: whole-genome resequencing, targeted resequencing, whole-genome de novo sequencing, sequencing of bisulfite-treated DNA, RNA sequencing, genotyping by sequencing, nucleosome positioning and chromatin structure studies, ChIP-Seq, sequencing of ancient DNA samples, single-cell applications, linked long-read applications, and additional applications as developed.

Products offered must be essentially equal to the specified supply described in this solicitation, which specifically includes the following unit name and Illumina manufacturer Part Number:
NovaSeq Xp Flow Cell Dock; Item No.: 20021663
NovaSeq 6000 Sequencing System; Item No.: 20012850
In accordance with FAR Clause 52.217-9 OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT, the following option years are applicable to this potential requirement:
NovaSeq 6000 Gold Support Plan; Item No.: 20020011.

CAPABILITY STATEMENTS/INFORMATION SOUGHT
Interested parties are expected to review this notice to familiarize itself with the requirements of this project. Failure to do so will be at your firm's own risk.

Respondents must provide, as part of their response: (a) product, catalog, model, and/or part number(s); (b) product description; (c) all relevant information and documentation that the item(s) offered meets the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics as specified in this announcement; (d) quantity; (e) shipping, handling, and/or installation instructions, and/or any special delivery conditions after receipt of an order.

Respondents that believe that they are manufacturers or authorized re-sellers of the equipment specified in this announcement must provide, as part of their response: (a) product, catalog, model, and/or part number(s); (b) product description; (c) all relevant information and documentation that the item(s) offered meets the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics as specified in the purchase description; (d) quantity; (e) estimated price or cost; (f) shipping, handling, and/or installation charges; and delivery date after receipt of order.

The respondent must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc.) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements.

The information submitted must be in outline format that addresses each of the elements of this requirement. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required.
The response is limited to ten (10) pages. The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, or references, if requested.

The response must include the respondents' technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses.
Respondents must reference the subject announcement number on all correspondence related to this Small Business Sources Sought notice. The response must be submitted to Hunter Tjugum electronically, at hunter.tjugum@nih.gov, and be received prior to the closing date specified in this announcement.

CONCLUDING STATEMENTS
Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).

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