This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE strictly for market research purposes. THIS IS NOT A FORMAL REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ) AND DOES NOT COMMIT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY (NIST) TO AWARD A CONTRACT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE

NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS EXIST AT THIS TIME

The purpose of this notice is for planning purposes only and to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of qualified business sources.

Your response to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method.

NIST does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this notice, or otherwise pay for information requested. No entitlement or payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by NIST will arise as a result of submission of responses to this notice and NIST’s use of such information.

NIST is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large and small businesses and non-profit and educational organizations that have the capability to provide Quo Data GmbH PROLab software licenses and the PROLab_HUB web-based tool capable of collecting, evaluating, and distributing data obtained as part of interlaboratory comparisons (ILCs), interlaboratory studies (ILSs), and quality assurance programs (QAPs).

The small business size standard for the applicable NAICS code of 513210 (Software Publishers) is $47.0M.

REQUIREMENT:

PROLab is a software used for planning, organizing, performing, and analyzing interlaboratory studies. It is used for both proficiency tests (PT) assessing the performance of laboratories (according to ISO 13528) and collaborative studies for the validation of analytical methods.

1. Full site licenses of PROLab for twenty (20) users

2. Access to the PROLab_Hub web service for up to 5,000 participants

3. PROLab and/or PROLab_Hub topical training that may include but is not limited to:

a. the conducting of interlaboratory comparisons and evaluating the resulting data
b. the evaluation of sample homogeneity, stability, and/or characterization data
c. the evaluation of measurement uncertainty
d. method validation

4. Customization for both PROLab and PROLab_Hub that may include but is not limited to:

a. Customize PROLab to generate a table overview of all participants and samples throughout an entire QAP.
b. Customize PROLab to accommodate workflows for ILSs and QAPs specific to rapid DNA testing and/or ambient ionization mass spectrometry.
c. Customize PROLab to allow the Kernel Density Estimator (KDE) to compare multiple analysis methods and/or method classes.
d. Customize PROLab to adjust the data plotting order for homogeneity trend diagrams.
e. Customize PROLab_HUB to allow upload of multiple files for each laboratory, to include laboratory-specific and round-specific files.
f. Customize PROLab_HUB to include a data import template to streamline data entry for large studies/programs.
g. Customize PROLab_HUB to include a portal for data review by the administrator and/or a participant.

Interested parties shall describe the capabilities of their organization as these relate to the requirements described above.

In order for a vendor to clearly convey their capability to fulfill the above-identified need, they MUST SUBMIT the following information:

1. Capabilities Statement discussing core competencies.
2. Description of the organization’s capabilities as these relate to the licensing, web access and services described in this notice.
3. A description of the organization’s previous experience providing the licensing, web access and services described in this notice.
4. Indication of whether the licensing, web access and services described in this notice are currently offered via the organization’s GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts, Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs), or other existing Governmentwide contract vehicles; and, if so, the contract number(s) for those vehicles.
5. Any published pricing.
6. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider in finalizing its market research.
7. Current socioeconomic status of the organization including applicable North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes.
8. Indication of whether the organization currently has active registration including on-line representations and certifications at the System for Award Management (www.sam.gov) website. Contractors must have a valid, current registration to be considered for award.
9. If any element(s) of this Sources Sought Notice is/are considered a hindrance to competition, respondent shall include that information with its response, discussing how their solution differs from the stated requirements defined herein.

All information provided will become property of NIST and will not be returned.

This Sources Sought Notice is for informational and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. This is not a solicitation for proposals and no contract will be awarded from this announcement.

After the results of this market research activity are received and analyzed, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a contract.

No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement and any follow-up information requests. Respondents will not be notified of the results of their capability statement assessment but may be contacted for additional information.

The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this Sources Sought Notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to provide the licenses/web service and perform the training/customization 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.

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

All capability statements and information requested above must be submitted via e-mail to randy.schroyer@nist.gov. Responses must be submitted not later than the response date for this Sources Sought Notice. Responses shall be limited to fifteen (15) pages, including attachments.

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