SOURCES SOUGHT
66 -- Animal Brain Section Lab Equipment
- Notice Date
- 7/21/2015
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 339112
— Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 4211 - MSC 9559, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20892
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-SBSS-15-632
- Archive Date
- 8/12/2015
- Point of Contact
- Matthew P. Antonini, Phone: 301-402-1678
- E-Mail Address
-
matthew.antonini@nih.gov
(matthew.antonini@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- INTRODUCTION: This is a Small Business Sources Sought 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 of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the 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. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. 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, conducting, supporting and making medical discoveries that improve people's health and save lives. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) incoming principal investigator will need lab equipment to conduct his research. The equipment will allow him to generate a large volume of animal brain sections for its research mission. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this acquisition is to provide equipment that will enable a continuing animal brain section research program. The equipment will generate a high output of slide-mounted sections per year. The sectioning must be done with high precision, yielding histologically perfect sections for in situ hybridization histochemistry and immunocytochemistry. The sectioning must be done at an exact thickness. The two-stage stereotaxic instrument will be critical for restraining animals during injection and patch clamping. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS: 1. One (1) Vibratome Semi and fully automated vibrating blade microtome for sectioning fresh and fixed tissues. Must include: •Capability of storing multiple individual sectioning parameters •Adaptability to a wide range of circumstances as demands change •Minimal vertical deflection of cutting blade. Shall include an optical device for minimizing the vertical deflection of blade •Rapid cutting speed of to allow high volume of sections •Dimensions no more than 600 mm x 250 mm x 250 mm-small enough for standard laboratory bench space •Weight no more than 140 pounds 2. One (1) Microtome Ergonomically-built sliding microtome designed to ensure smooth blade movement and accurate sectioning thickness. Must include: •Safety guard to protect users •Quick release clamps for specimen stages •Can section at 0.5 to 60 microns •Dimensions no more than 400 mm x 450 mm x 400 mm •Weight no more than 65 pounds •Compatible knives for paraffin and frozen sections 3. One (1) Recirculating Chiller Chiller used to keep mounting stages of microtomes and vibratomes frozen so that samples do not thaw during sectioning. Must include: •Temperature Range from -20°C to +40°C •Suitable for continuous operation •Temperature stability of ±0.5 °C •Must also include: buffer tray and accessories compatible with recirculating chiller. Must include tray, specimen disk, and all necessary tubes, clamps, hoses and couplings 4. Two (2) Sectioning Knives •For paraffin and frozen sections •Length from 16-22cm •Must be compatible with sectioning instruments in this purchase description 5. One (1) Computer-assisted Stereotaxic Instrument Allows for reproducible stereotaxic surgeries specifically on mice. •Allows for varied angle of injection or probing of small animal brains •Includes computer with software to keep track of electrode placement within brain •Dimensions no more than 300 mm x 400 mm x 30 mm •Ear Bar Cups Accessory-must include device for holding mice in proper alignment for stereotaxic surgery ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The expected delivery date shall be September 1, 2015. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE For the purpose of inspection and acceptance, all items shall be delivered to: Building 35 35 Convent Dr. Bethesda, MD 20892 CAPABILITY STATEMENT / INFORMATION SOUGHT: Respondents must provide clear and convincing documentation of their capability of providing the equipment specified in this notice. Respondents must provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code AND any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. Finally, respondents are also encouraged to provide a general overview of the respondent's opinions about the difficulty and/or feasibility of the potential requirement, and any information regarding innovative ideas or concepts that may be applicable. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: One (1) copy of the response is required and must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2" x 11" paper size, with 1" top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing. The information submitted must be must be in an outline format that addresses each element of the "PROJECT REQUIREMENTS" and each element of the "CAPABILITY STATEMENT / INFORMATION SOUGHT" paragraphs above. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required. The response is limited to five (5) page limit. The 5-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. All responses to this notice must be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist (Facsimile responses are NOT accepted.): Matthew Antonini Contract Specialist NIH/NIDA/SSSA matthew.antonini@nih.gov 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 presolicitation 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).
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NIDA-01/HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-SBSS-15-632/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Building 35, 35 Convent Dr., Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
- Zip Code: 20892
- Zip Code: 20892
- Record
- SN03805050-W 20150723/150721235729-b16c1a70ac19464bcf6a016b4692d9d8 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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