The U.S. Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground, Natick Contracting Division, has a requirement for an Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Dx Real Time PCR Instrument with Laptop. The Government intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Life Technologies Corporation, operating as an Other Than Small Business located in Carlsbad, CA under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)-Soliciting from a single source, only one source reasonable available. This Real Time PCR platform is required for use with US CDC Influenza detection protocol. Research involving human use requires specific, detailed standard operation procedures (SOPs) to be developed and approved by Naval Medical Research Center and the Cambodian National Ethics Committee for Health Research Institutional Review Boards (IRB). These protocols support ongoing multi-year studies (4 to 6 years on average) and were adapted from scientific literature and historical experiments. The standard operating procedures that specify the exact brand and model of equipment to be used in human research are listed in the following protocols; N2.2012.000I, N2-2005.0004, and N2.2012.0007. As part of these approved protocols the specific equipment and manufacturer is specified and must remain the same due to manufacturer to manufacturer variations in formulations. In addition, Life Technologies Corporation is the only vendor who produces and sells the needed PCR System that matches the requirement. A change in vendors would require re-development of equipment and re-certification/compliance with DON-HRPP and IRB regulations. This would result in a significant disruption and would be highly cost prohibitive for the Government. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 334516. The Federal Supply Class Code is 6640 and the Small Business Size Standard is 500. This is not a Small Business Set-Aside. All responsible sources may submit a bid, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. The Government anticipates awarding one (1) Firm Fixed Price Contract. All questions must be directed to Mr. Shawn Haubner, Acquisition Specialist, via email at
[email protected]. The closing date of this notice is September 1, 2014.