ISSUED BY:

National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Office of Acquisitions (OA)

DESCRIPTION:

This is a Sources Sought Notice (SSN) and is for information and planning purposes only. This notice shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The purpose of this SSN is to identify qualified business concerns, especially small businesses, that are interested in and capable of performing the work described herein, The NCI does not intend to award a contract based on responses received nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. Responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. The requirement’s suggested North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing) with a size standard of 1,000 Employees.

THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against NCI shall arise because of a response to this SSN or the NCI’s use of such information furnished in response to this notice.

RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS:
Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to the Contracting Officer, Miguel Diaz, at miguel.diaz@nih.gov no later than 12:00 P.M. EST on Friday, December 8, 2023 (12/08/2023). All information furnished must be in writing and must contain enough detail to allow the NCI to determine the respondents’ ability to meet the requirements described herein. A response should not exceed 10 single-sided pages including all attachments, charts, etc. (single space, 12-point font minimum) that clearly responds to the below questions. All proprietary information should be marked as such. Please reference notice number 75N91024SS6811966 for all correspondence.

Requested Information: Please provide the following information in your company’s response:

1. Company Name
2. Point of Contact (POC) (including telephone and email address)
3. Company’s System for Award Management Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
4. Socio-economic status (8(a), SDVOSB, VOSB, Woman-Owned, Other… etc.).
5. Information on any currently held government contracts to include:

• Contract Number
• Type of Contract
• Contracting Agency (GSA, SEWP, etc.)
• If you hold a current GSA schedule contract, specify which SINs are best suited for providing the services/items specified in the SOW.

6. Provide product information such as brochures, manuals, etc.

7. Provide any available pricing information.

8. Provide information pertaining to the origin of the equipment, and where it’s manufactured.

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 the 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 capability. 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 synopsis and solicitation may be published. However, responses to this notice will not be considered an adequate response to a solicitation(s).

TITLE

Brand Name or Equal: Attana automated sample-robot for Attana Cell 200/250 System

BACKGROUND

The Mass Spectrometry and Epitope Discovery Facility (MSEDF) at the Center for Immuno-Oncology (CIO), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), provides technical support for research involving graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and adoptive T cell immunotherapies. The facility provides expertise in using tandem mass spectrometry (MS) techniques to support translational preclinical/clinical research, and knowledge and experience in epitope discovery for use in the development of novel cancer immunotherapies. The facility also focusses on the generation, development, and testing of novel immunotherapies. As such, the MSEDF is focused on the identification of novel antibody sequences to generate chimeric antigen receptors, as well as novel T-cell receptors (TCRs) for adoptive therapy.

To provide this technical support, the MSEDF utilizes an Attana 200 Cell system (Serial Number: AC200-11009) to determine molecular interactions and for the identification of novel antibodies and derived molecules. The Attana 200 Cell system is equipped with an automated robot component for sample storage, handling, rinsing, and injection into the Attana 200 Cell system for analysis. The existing robot component is obsolete and shall be replaced with a new, upgraded version.

TYPE OF ORDER

This shall be a Firm Fixed-Price Purchase Order.

ORDER REQUIREMENTS

PRODUCT FEATURES/SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS

The following minimum product features/characteristics are required:

1. Must be fully compatible to and seamlessly integrate with the existing Attana 200 Cell system.
2. Must autonomously conduct all workflow steps with minimal or no user interaction.
3. Must produce consistent, repeatable workflows.
4. Must have a temperature-controlled sample storage unit.
5. Must be supported by software which is compatible with the Attana 200 Cell system.

The following products have been identified to fulfill these requirements:

Attana upgrade: automated sample-robot for Cell 200/250; includes 1-year warranty from installation day - Catalog Number 4100-1001

Attana sample storage, cooled (4°C – 40°C) - Catalog Number - 4100-1002

Attana software upgrade for new automation - Catalog Number 4100-1003

DELIVERY / INSTALLATION

Delivery shall be within fourteen (14) calendar days of the purchase order award. All shipping/handling (including FOB) and delivery/installation fees shall be included in the quote. Upon delivery, the Contractor shall notify the NCI Technical Point of Contact listed in the Purchase Order to schedule installation dates and times.

Installation shall occur within two (2) business days of delivery and shall be performed by, or under the direct supervision of, an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) certified technician. Equipment shall be delivered to and installed at the following address:

Bldg. 10

10 Center Dr.

Bethesda, MD 20892

TRAINING

The Contractor shall provide one (1) training session for NCI staff at the location of delivery. Training shall take place within two (2) business days of equipment installation and shall be facilitated by a factory-trained product specialist. Training shall include an overview of setup approaches, maintaining instrument settings, establishing operational voltages, and software usage for custom instrument configurations, as well as a demonstration of the performance. All training expenses, including materials and/or travel expenses, shall be included in the quoted price.

Attachments/Links