SOLICITATION NOTICE
J -- Electron Microscope Maintenance
- Notice Date
- 1/7/2011
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Rockledge Dr. Bethesda, MD, Office of Acquisitions, 6701 Rockledge Dr RKL2/6100 MSC 7902, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-7902
- ZIP Code
- 20892-7902
- Solicitation Number
- NHLBI-CSB-(AR)-2011-054-CRS
- Archive Date
- 1/28/2011
- Point of Contact
- Caitlin Savina,
- E-Mail Address
-
savinacr@nhlbi.nih.gov
(savinacr@nhlbi.nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Reference No.: NHLBI-CSB-(AR)-2011-054-CRS Title: Electron Microscope Maintenance THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS / SOLICITATION NOTICE. This is a combined synopsis / solicitation for commercial items, prepared in accordance with the format of FAR 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The reference solicitation number is: NHLBI-CSB-(AR)-2011-054-CRS This solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). This acquisition is being conducted under the procedures in accordance with FAR 13.3 Simplified Acquisition Methods, and FAR Part 13.5 Test Program for Certain Commercial Items. The resultant purchase order will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-048. The total contracted dollar amount, including options will not exceed $5 million. The procurement is being conducted on a competitive basis. The North American Classification System (NAICS) code applicable to this requirement is 334516 and the Size Standard is 500 Employees. It is anticipated that a fixed price type contract will be awarded. The FOB terms are "Destination" and Net 30. Period of performance: The proposed period of performance for this maintenance will consist of one (12) month basic contract period (April 1, 2011 - March 31, 2012) and will include four (4) options to renew for a twelve month period per year. In order to be considered for an award, an offeror must have completed the online electronic Representations and Certifications located at http://orca.bpn.gov/ in accordance with FAR 4.1201(a). By submission of an offer, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the CCR at www.ccr.gov/ prior to award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchase agreement resulting from this solicitation. NOTE: lack of registration in the CCR will make an offeror ineligible for award. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Office of Acquisitions (OA), on behalf of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) requires maintenance of Electron Microscopes. Background Information: Since its inception, the Laboratory of Structural Biology Research (LSBR) has specialized in detailed structural analysis of macromolecules, macromolecular complexes, and subcellular structures by computer-enhanced electron microscopy. The goal of these studies is to elucidate structure-function relationships at the molecular level with particular emphasis on (but not restricted to) systems that bear directly on the mission of NIAMS. This program was initiated in 1978 with the appointment of a tenure-track investigator (the Project Officer), and progressed to become a Section in 1984, and further to Laboratory status in 1990. A typical research project involves recording electron micrographs of the highest possible quality, subjecting them to digital image analysis to elicit the maximum amount of structural information, and interpretation, taking into account all pertinent complementary data. Over the years, the LSBR has performed ground-breaking studies on cytoskeletal filaments, virus particles and antigens, and complex enzymes among other important biomedical specimens. Cryo-electron microscopy - the technique of visualizing organic specimens suspended in vitreous ice - was introduced in the 1980s and has revolutionized what is achievable. The LSBR has been to the fore in these advances and in 1997 accomplished the landmark result of extending the resolution on isolated complexes below the 10Å limit for the first time. The results achieved depend both on the quality of the primary data (electron microscope images) and the scope of computer analysis. As for the former, keeping our electron microscopes operational and maintaining them in peak performing condition are essential to our work. Objectives Specifically, in order to keep the LSBR's electron microscopes operational and maintain them in peak performing condition, a maintenance contract that covers repair and routine maintenance is required. Microscopes include: Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) CM200 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) Tecnai 12 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) Tecnai F30 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) Service Provided Scheduled Maintenance: A minimum of two scheduled preventative maintenance visits for each covered instrument shall be provided during the term of the contract. The visits shall occur at reasonably spaced intervals. During the course of scheduled visits, ordinary repairs and adjustments arising from normal usage of the equipment shall be made. The contractor shall perform a compliance review of the equipment and shall clean and align the equipment, as necessary for the full functioning of the equipment. Scheduled visits shall be scheduled for mutually agreed upon dates and times. If both parties do not agree upon dates and times, the Government will designate a date and time. Unscheduled Maintenance: The Government may place corrective unscheduled maintenance (repair) service calls to the contractor at no additional cost in the event of equipment failures requiring immediate repair. The contractor shall respond to unscheduled maintenance calls within 48 hours of being notified of the need for repair by the Government. Telephone Support: The contractor shall provide telephone support for repair and maintenance of the equipment during NIH working hours M-F, (8:00 am - 5:00 pm), excluding federal holidays. Telephone support shall include response to questions about operating practices, applications use and service issues that can be diagnosed and resolved over the telephone. Replacement Parts and Components: The contractor shall ship new parts within twenty-four (24) hours after identifying the need for a replacement part for the equipment, subject to availability. The contractor may supply reconditioned parts that meet the manufacturer's specifications, at the option of the Government. Service Agreement Includes labor, travel, living expenses and parts coverage (including system software and /or software upgrades applicable to Customer's current configuration). Coverage includes all parts of the equipment unless specifically excluded under the paragraph "Parts Exclusion". Service availability is Monday through Friday, during Government normal business hours (8:00 am -5:00 pm), with a targeted response time of forty-eight (48) hours. Requesting Service Vendor shall supply a telephone number to their customer service center for use in requesting contractor service or advice regarding equipment. Parts Exclusion In the interest of reasonable cost, the following items may be excluded from the agreement: Adjustable apertures (including whenelt apertures) Air Compressors Anti-contamination devices Aperture holders Backscatter detector chips Bright-field detector Scintillators Binoculars Cameras (including Polaroid, 35mm) Cooling blades and cooling traps Cosmetic damage (including table tops) Cranes and lifting devices Dewar vessels Dark-field detector chips Desiccators Flat film holders and inserts Fluorescent viewing screens Lab6 filaments Fiber optics Lens housing Leaded glass (including Viewing windows) Manuals Lens housing Plate camera load boxes Plate camera unload boxes Speciment holders Specimen lading and sorting Devices Tools and tool kits Uninterruptible power Supplies Water chillers (except Zephyr) Wehnelt assemblies Optical Stacks (part of the camera or energy filter that includes the scintillator) At least one (1) FEG Tip/Gun exchange for each FEG microscope is covered per contract year. The contractor shall otherwise repair/replace all parts required for the operation of the equipment. Replacement Parts The contractor shall make reasonable commercial efforts to secure necessary replacement parts and components to perform the service obligations required herein. Compliance with Rules The contractor shall comply with all NIH rules and regulations regarding safety and security. The NIH Project Officer will make a copy of NIH rules and regulations available upon request by the contractor. The contractor shall conform to applicable Maryland state laws. Warranty All labor and replacement parts and components (excluding consumables) provided by the contractor shall be guaranteed for a period of ninety (90) days from the service visit completion date. The contractor shall use commercially reasonable efforts to perform the services in a manner that conforms with the warranty, or replacement parts and components. Independent Contractor The contractor shall be considered an independent contractor and not an agent of the Government. Confidential Information The contractor shall not disclose information the Government has deemed confidential. The Contractor MUST Have the Following: A. The chosen contractor's service engineers must be factory trained by the equipment manufacturer on how to maintain and repair the electron microscopes and have the necessary knowledge to service all aspects of these instruments, including hardware, software and proprietary components. B. The chosen contractor must have access to all instrument operation and repair information, including manuals, schematics and technical bulletins. C. The chosen contractor must have access to all replacement parts, including proprietary components. D. The chosen contractor's service engineers must be extremely familiar with the operation of the electron microscopes as well as familiar with equipment and software from third party electron microscopy component vendors which are embedded in or connected to the electron microscopes. This would include such items as CCD cameras, energy filters, and image acquisition and processing software such as DigitalMicrograph. Evaluation Factors for Award The Government intends to evaluate proposals and establish one contract without discussions. Therefore, the offeror's initial proposal should contain the best terms from a technical and price standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions, if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. The Government may reject any or all proposals if such action is in the public interest; accept an other than the lowest cost/priced proposal; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in proposals received. Selection of an offeror for contract award will be based on an evaluation of proposals against three factors. The factors in order of importance are: technical, cost, and past performance. Although technical factors are of paramount consideration in the award of the contract, past performance and cost/price are also important to the overall contract award decision. All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost/price. The government intends to make an award to that offeror whose proposal provides the best overall value to the Government. Technical Evaluation Criteria 1. The chosen contractor must have an understanding of techniques used in the lab such as cryo-microscopy and cryo-electron tomography. (33 points) 2. The chosen contractor must have years of experience maintaining and repairing electron microscopes manufactured by FEI (and Philips Electron Optics). (34 points) 3. The chosen contractor must be able to produce on request references from long term and satisfied customers whose laboratories undertake demanding and cutting edge electron microscopy research similar to the work of the LSBR. (33 points) Cost Considerations Cost/price is a selection factor. All evaluation factors other than cost/price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost/price, but not to the exclusion of consideration of cost or price. The closer offerors are determined to be in technical merit, the greater the importance of cost or price in making an award. If offerors' proposals are evaluated as technically comparable, then cost/price will become an important consideration. A best value determination will be made. Past Performance Past performance is not included in the technical evaluation criteria; however, it will be evaluated to determine the contractor's responsibility. FAR provisions and clauses that apply to this acquisition are: FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (JUN 2008); FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation - Commercial Items (JAN 1999); FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items (AUG 2009); FAR 212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items (JUN 2010); FAR 52-212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders - Commercial Items (JUL 2010) is included with the following additional clauses: FAR 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer - Central Contractor Registration (OCT2003); and FAR 52.204-7, Central Contractor Registration (APR2008). Interested vendors capable of furnishing the government with the requirement specified in this synopsis should submit their quotation to the below address. Quotations will be due seven (7) calendar days from the publication date of this synopsis or by January 13, 2010 8:00am, Eastern Standard Time. The quotation must reference Solicitation Number NHLBI-CSB-(AR)-2011-054-CRS. All responsible sources may submit a proposal, which if timely received, shall be considered by the agency. Quotations must be submitted in writing to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 6701 Rockledge Blvd., Room Suite 6150B, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, Attention: Caitlin Savina, Emails will be accepted at savinacr@nhlbi.nih.gov.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NHLBI/NHLBI-CSB-(AR)-2011-054-CRS/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
- Record
- SN02356458-W 20110109/110107234237-9532aa42cd8f9176b0e6a0443524b295 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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