Description: 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; (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition; and (4) availability of domestic sources manufactured in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities and of a satisfactory quality. 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 may submitted 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. NCATS is one of 27 Institutes and Centers at the NIH and its mission is to catalyze the generation of innovative methods and technologies that will enhance the development, testing and implementation of diagnostics and therapeutics across a wide range of human diseases and conditions. The 3-D Tissue Bioprinting program’s primary focus is the development of “disease-relevant tissue models” to reduce the predictability gap between results from current 2-D cell-based assays and results from testing in humans. The program team focuses on many different treatment methods and aims to overcome translational barriers toward the development of urgently needed treatments for unmet medical needs. The work that various groups at NCATS (ASPIRE, 3DTBL & Automation) require extensive prototyping and iterative testing. NCATS currently generates a lot of plastic waste from failed/ modified 3D prints. Recycling them will be a green solution to deal with the waste. This will be saving a lot of time and money on new filament orders. Also, with the recycling system, NCATS can create its own specialty filaments by mixing various polymers with metal powders or composites. Being able to create its own specialty filaments would be a useful thing as the systems NCATS design have different requirements as per the project. Some need them to be chemically compatible to the solvents, whereas some need mechanical strength. The versatility afforded to NCATS by the 3DEVO recycling system for 3D waste (Brand-name or equal) will be invaluable in the future. Thus, without acquisition of the 3DEVO recycling system for 3D waste (Brand-name or equal), the NCATS 3DTBL will be unable to recycle 3D prints and create specialty filaments. Purpose and Objectives: 3D Tissue Bioprinting Lab (3DTBL) at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) seeks to purchase a 3DEVO recycling system for 3D waste (Brand-name or equal) in order to recycle 3D prints and create specialty filaments. Project Requirements: For reference purposes, the Recycling and Re-Use System for plastic waste from 3D printing that meet the need of this requirement is the 3DEVO recycling system for 3D waste. See the attached Purchase Description for the complete list of brand-name items, descriptions, and salient characteristics. Contract Type and Anticipated Period of Performance / Delivery Date: The Government anticipates awarding a firm fixed-price purchase order under a future solicitation. The anticipated delivery date is eight (8) weeks after receipt of order. In case domestic sources are available and capable of fulfilling the Government’s need, and a future solicitation is published, the Government will use evaluation preferences in accordance with FAR 25. Capability statement /information sought. Respondents must provide clear and convincing documentation of their capability of providing the products specified in this sources sought notice. Moreover, interested vendors must provide a capability statement for: the difficulty and/or feasibility of the potential requirement or proposed acquisition, possible solutions and approaches that may currently exist in the marketplace, and information regarding innovative ideas or concepts; and information regarding respondents’: (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information. written capability statements should demonstrate organization’s capability to provide the brand-name or equal items listed in the Project Requirements section above. If the entity believes to be an authorized resellers of the brand-name product specified in this announcement or it desires to offer an equal product, the entity’s capability statement must include: (a) product, catalog, model, and/or part number(s); (b) product description; (c) all relevant information and documentation that the item(s) offered meets the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics as specified in the Project Requirements section above; and country of manufacture of the product. The respondent must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, GSA Schedule (if any), and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc., pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. 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 in and outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirement and in the capability statement /information sought paragraphs stated herein. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required. The response is limited to ten (10) pages. The 10-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. Responses must be received by 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on March 22, 2022 , and reference Sources Sought Number 75N95022Q00140. Responses must be submitted by email to Renato Gomes, Contract Specialist,
[email protected]. “ 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).”