e-Vape Self-Administration Inhalation Chamber System for Mice

COMBINED SYNOPSIS / SOLICITATION-COMPETITIVE Title: e-Vape Self-Administration Inhalation Chamber System for Mice. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; Quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation number is 75N95021 Q00405 and the solicitation is issued as request for quotation (RFQ) . This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures; and FAR Part 12—Acquisition of Commercial Items and is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. 3. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2021-06, dated 06-10-2021. 4. NAICS Code : The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 334519, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. The small business size standard is 500 employees. This requirement is a total small business set-aside . Only those socio-economic business concerns that meet the NAICS code size standard will be considered for the award. 5. Line Items: Through this procurement NIDA anticipates a single award, firm fixed price purchase order for the e-Vape self-administration inhalation chamber system for mice and component parts as described in Attachment 1 – Purchase Description . It is anticipated that the warranty and support services shall consist of a 12-month Base Period, which will begin upon receipt of the items. Below is a table that contains the line item number and description of the requirement for the anticipated award of the Base Period. Line No. 1 Description: One (1) e-Vape self-administration inhalation chamber system along with the following component parts: a. Four (4) self-administration chambers; b. Eight (8) lever press; c. 8 Behavioral conditioning cue-lights; with two (2) cue-lights per chamber d. 4 Vapor generators (one for each chamber); and e. 2 Hakko 25 (or equivalent) vacuum pumps with HEPA filters. Line No. 2 Description: Crating and Shipping Line No. 3 Description: Two Day Installation and Training 6. Project Requirement: A detailed description of the requirement and the salient characteristics is attached to this combined synopsis/solicitation, as Attachment #1 - Purchase Description . NIDA requires an e-Vape self-administration inhalation chamber system to study to investigate how inhaled drugs affect the reward brain system in mice, as well as aversion circuits. Chronic intravenous drug self-administration in rodents is a useful procedure for predicting the abuse liability of novel drugs in humans, for evaluating candidate treatments for drug abuse and dependence, and for studying the biological basis of addiction. Despite the technical challenge in achieving chronic self-administration behavior in the mouse species, researchers are increasingly using genetically engineered mice to investigate the role of specific genes in abuse- related effects of drugs. This technique, in combination with several genetically modified mice lines that the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Intramural Research Program (IRP) has in the lab will allow NIDA IRP to determine the role of critical brain regions and circuits in the neurobiology of addiction. However, intravenous self- administration is hard to achieve in mice and an approach in which the drug is inhaled is desirable, to mimic some features observed in human addicts. The e-Vape self-administration inhalation chamber system shall allow the mice to self-administer drugs by way of lever press. This Four chamber self-administration E-Vape system that can hold up to 40 mice or 12 rats. It shall include a touchscreen tablet that can run La Jolla Alcohol Research Inc. software, Med-Associates software, or Coleburn Software. It shall be sturdily built on wheels for easy movement across lab space. Chambers will be attached to sliding drawers for easy access. As part of the Technical Quote, the Offeror shall include the following: A. Technical Capability and Functionality – The Offeror shall describe the overall capability and functionality in relation to the General Requirement, Salient Characteristics, Quantity and Deliverables as described in the Purchase Description. B. Contract Management and Customer Support – The Offeror shall describe the level of customer service, particularly in the area of initial responsiveness and resolution of device and service problems. The Offeror shall also describe any applicable warranty, customer support process and its ability to provide end-to-end service; from installation, maintenance support, parts replacement, and approach to incident resolution on all supported products and services identified the Purchase Description. C. Speed of Delivery, Installation and Set-up – The Offeror shall describe its approach for completeness, feasibility, soundness and practicality of the proposed approach and work plan for delivery and installation of the device. D. Past Performance – The Offeror shall provide past performance information. Past performance information shall cover a minimum of 1 year in relevant services and deliveries of comparable systems. In each example the Offeror shall include a description of the system provided. Include the following information for each contract or subcontract listed: i. Name of Contracting Organization ii. Contract Number (for subcontracts, provide the prime contract number and the subcontract number) iii. Contract type iv. Total contract value v. Point of Contact name, telephone number, and email address 7. The dates for delivery and designated place and point of contract for delivery is identified in Attachment #1 - Purchase Description . 8. The provision at FAR clause 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. 9. The award resulting from this solicitation will be made to the responsible Offeror whose Quote is most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotations: Technical Criteria, Price, and Past Performance. A tradeoff process shall be used for this acquisition because it has been determined to be in the best interest of the Government to consider award to other than the lowest priced Offeror or other than the highest technically rated offeror. All evaluation factors and significant sub-factors are listed below in terms of their relative importance. Technical Factors and Past Performance when combined, are significantly more important than price. Evaluations will be based on the demonstrated capabilities of the prospective Offeror in relation to the needs of the project. The merits of each Quote will be evaluated carefully. Each Quote must document the feasibility of successful implementation of the requirements of this solicitation. The Offeror must submit information sufficient to evaluate its Quote based on the detailed factors listed below. A. Technical Evaluation Criteria 1. Technical Capability and Functionality NIDA shall evaluate the offeror’s technical approach for overall capability and functionality in relation to the General Requirement, Salient Characteristics, Quantity and Deliverables as described in the Purchase Description. 2. Contract Management and Customer Support NIDA shall evaluate the offeror’s ability to provide a high level of customer service, particularly in the area of initial responsiveness and resolution of device and service problems. Specifically, the Government will evaluate the Offeror’s capability based on its description of any applicable warranty, customer support process and its ability to provide end-to-end service; from installation, maintenance support, parts replacement, and approach to incident resolution on all supported products and services identified the Purchase Description. 3. Speed of Delivery, Installation and Set-up NIDA shall evaluate the offeror’s technical approach for completeness, feasibility, soundness and practicality of the proposed approach and work plan for accomplishing the requirements of the statement of work. 4. Past Performance The Offeror shall provide past performance information. Past performance information shall cover a minimum of 1 year in relevant services and deliveries of comparable systems. The Offeror shall provide at least one reference for any project identified under the experience factor that has a performance period within the past three years. For each reference, the offeror shall provide: (1) Organization/contracting partner's name; (2) Point of contact's (POC) name and contact information: Current phone numbers. Valid email addresses; (3) Description that precisely explains: General scope of the contract. Specific requirements of the contract. Offerors will be evaluated based on information obtained from references provided by the offeror, other relevant past performance information obtained from other sources known to the Government, and any information supplied by the offeror concerning problems encountered on the identified contracts and corrective action taken. Furthermore, the Government will assess the relative risks associated with each offeror. Performance risks are those associated with an offeror's likelihood of success in performing the acquisition requirements as indicated by that offeror's record of past performance. The assessment of performance risk is not intended to be the product of a mechanical or mathematical analysis of an offeror's performance on a list of contracts but rather the product of subjective judgment by the Government after it considers all available and relevant information. B. Price Evaluation Offerors price quote will be evaluated for reasonableness. For a price to be reasonable, it must represent a price to the government that a prudent person would pay when consideration is given to prices in the market. Normally, price reasonableness is established through adequate price competition, but may also be determined through cost and price analysis techniques. Price evaluation will not be conducted on any Offeror determined to be technically unacceptable. 10. The Offeror is to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Items, with its offer. Offerors must include the representation at 52.204-24 if it is not in in their completed FAR Representations and Certifications. A copy of that representation is attached as Attachment 2 - Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment. 11. The FAR clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. 12. The FAR clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. 13. Additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary for this acquisition are supplemented by: Attachment 1 – Purchase Description Attachment 2 – Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment Attachment 3 – Invoice Instructions Attachment 4 – 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items (OCT 2018) Attachment 5 – 52.212-5 Addendum 14. This is not a rated order under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS). The resultant purchase order will provide that HHS reserves the right to exercise priorities and allocations authority with respect to this contract, to include rating this order in accordance with 45 CFR Part 101, Subpart A—Health Resources Priorities and Allocations System. 15. The response to the combined synopsis/solicitation is due no later than September 8, 2021 at 1:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time (EST) . Offers submitted after the deadline may not be considered. The response should be submitted in a searchable electronic format to the Contract Specialist, Shaun Rostad at [email protected]. Electronic submittals must include the combined synopsis/solicitation 75N95021Q00405 and the Title in the Subject Line. In addition, the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. Technical Quotes shall be submitted in accordance with the General Requirement identified in Section 6 of this combined synopsis/solicitation. Any Quote, modification, or revision that is received at the designated Government office after the exact date and time specified for receipt of quotations is “late” and may not be considered. Quotes received “late” may not be evaluated or considered for award and may be returned to the Offeror. If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that Quotes cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of Quotes by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation closing date, the time specified for receipt of Quotes will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal Government processes resume. The Government reserves the right to award without discussions if the Contracting Officer determines that the initial cost/prices are fair and reasonable and that discussions are not necessary. 16. Questions and requests for clarification should be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist, Shaun Rostad at [email protected] on or before 5:00 pm September 3, 2021 . Any questions or request for clarification must include the combined synopsis/solicitation 75N95021Q00405 and the Title in the Subject Line.