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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)/ SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (SSN)

National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Division of Translational Toxicology (DTT) and Intramural Research (DIR)

Management Services for Maintenance of a Data and Specimen Archives, Frozen Tissue Bank and Repository

Date: December 22, 2022

To: All Interested Vendors

Re: Request for Information (RFI) / Sources Sought Notice (SSN)

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION/SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) OR A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS (RFQ); NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED PURSANT TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

Description

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), in support of the Division of Translational Toxicology (DTT) and Division of Intramural Research (DIR), is conducting market research seeking information from commercial industry to assist in requirements planning for the tasks and services outlined herein.

The purpose of this RFI/SSN is to identify qualified contractors and gather information about interested parties who may meet the NIEHS DTT and DIR requirements.

• This RFI/SSN should not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Federal Government, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and/or the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).


• This RFI/SSN is intended and issued solely for information and planning purposes within the NIEHS DTT and DIR to facilitate the decision-making process. It DOES NOT constitute a Request for Proposals (RFP), Request for Quotations (RFQ) Invitation for Bid, or an announcement of a future solicitation at this time, nor does it restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. Any contract that might be awarded based on information received or derived from this market research will be the outcome of a competitive process. Unsolicited proposals and/or quotations will not be accepted.


• The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI/SSN or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of preparing submissions in response to this RFI/SSN and the Government’s use of such information.


• If a solicitation is released, it may be synopsized on the Sam.gov Opportunities module or GSA eBuy electronic system. It is the sole responsibility of potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this or future requirements.


• Response to this RFI/SSN is strictly voluntary and will not affect any firms’ ability to submit an offer if a solicitation is released.


• Not responding to this RFI/SSN does not preclude participation in any future RFQ/RFP issued.


• Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI/SSN will be solely at the expense of any interested party.

Purpose

This is a Request for Information/Sources Sought Notice only. This notice is to survey the market to provide information regarding the availability and capability of qualified sources and their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. The notice is specifically intended to provide source material to formulate a procurement strategy for obtaining services to manage and maintain a Data and Specimen Archives, Frozen Tissue Bank and Repository. Your responses to this RFI/SSN may guide the NIEHS in awarding a future contract for the services described at an undetermined time. There is no solicitation available at this time; no basis for claims against NIEHS shall arise as a result of this RFI, responses thereto or the use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement. The NIEHS invites all interested parties that have the resources, capabilities, and expertise to submit a written response to this RFI.

NAICS Code and Size Standard

In the event that a Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 493120 – Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage with a size standard of $36.5M is being considered.

Anticipated Period of Performance

The anticipated Period of Performance is five (5) years with an estimated start date of March 2024.

Background

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers composing the National Institutes of Health. The NIEHS is a multidisciplinary research institution with the primary mission of conducting research to discover how the environment influences the development and progression of human disease in order to promote healthier lives. NIEHS focuses on basic science, disease-oriented research, global environmental health, clinical research, and multidisciplinary training for researchers. The Division of Translational Toxicology (DTT), and Division of Intramural Research (DIR) are divisions within the NIEHS.

DTT is the principal component supporting the interagency National Toxicology Program (NTP) that evaluates environmental substances of public health concern utilizing tools of modern toxicology and molecular biology. The NTP is an interagency partnership of the Food and Drug Administration, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and NIEHS. The goals of the DTT are to collaborate with public stakeholders and global partners to identify public health issues, generate and communicate trusted scientific information to support decision making on environmental hazards of public health interest, lead the transformation of toxicology through the development and application of innovative tools and strategies, and educate and train the next generation of translational scientists to be innovative leaders in the field. The DIR comprises ten branches and laboratories conducting in-house research and training in a variety of health sciences that contribute to the understanding of the biological and chemical processes, the role of environmental agents in human disease and dysfunction, underlying mechanisms of environmentally-associated diseases, and intervention and prevention studies to reduce effects of exposures to environmental agents.

During the conduct of these studies, large volumes of data and specimens are generated that require short and long-term storage in a safe and secure facility under specific environmental conditions. The materials collected comprise a variety of hard copy and electronic records in a variety of formats, and biological and environmental samples; for example—

• Records: hard copy paper, electronic data media, Kodachrome slides; microfiche and digital image files;


• Biological samples: formalin fixed, wet-tissue and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks; histological glass slides; frozen tissues, blood and blood fractions, RNA and DNA, secreta and excreta, hair and nail;


• Environmental samples: Dust, water, soil, etc.

The NIEHS is considering pursuing a contract with an organization that could provide highly efficient and ongoing technical, professional and administrative services to operate a facility for management of this large collection of samples and records, under highly specific conditions in order to maintain their integrity and quality.

Mandatory Requirement

The facility must be located within a 25-miles of the campus of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, to enable timely and economical transfer of labile biological and environmental samples, and to limit the time spent by personnel traveling between NIEHS and the Archives and Repository.

Desired Capabilities/Project Needs

Specific requirements include the following tasks:

• Provide space to house a data and specimen Archives, Frozen Tissue Bank, and Repository facility to manage records and samples such as those listed above from past, present and future DTT and DIR research programs. Currently the collection of ~5 million samples are stored in ambient rooms and ~175 cold-storage units. Estimated space needed including support office and laboratory space is approximately 40,000 sq ft. The facility should allow for expansion to additional storage space as required.


• Provide primary storage areas such that the different types of materials that require different storage conditions are physically separated from each other, protected with fire doors and walls, and equipped with a primary automatic fire suppression system with a backup sprinkler system.


• Provide technical, professional and administrative support personnel to operate, manage and maintain the collection and facility.


• Store data and samples under optimal conditions to minimize loss and damage, and maintain quality. Maintain and operate government furnished cold-storage equipment and all other associated equipment necessary to appropriately store all materials in a range of optimal storage temperatures including climate-controlled ambient, 4°C (±10°C), -20°C (±10°C), -80°C (±10°C) or -196°C (liquid nitrogen vapor phase; ±20°C). This function shall include the appropriate backup systems to safeguard the integrity of the stored materials.


• Provide high quality, secure, integrated computerized inventory and data management systems to allow detailed tracking (receipt, storage, retrieval, distribution, and disposal) of the stored of samples and materials. Provide controlled and limited web-based access to the authorized users of the inventory systems.


• Provide space to house and maintain an Imaging Sciences Laboratory to acquire and store digital images of histopathological lesions from DTT and DIR studies using Government furnished imaging equipment (high-resolution whole-slide and digital telepathology scanners, conventional photomicroscopes) and associated computer hardware and software.


• Manage and maintain an existing image intense, Web-accessible database for archiving and managing the access, review, and downloading of an exceptionally broad range of digital image modalities and file formats including whole-slide image (WSI), JPEG, TIFF, DICOM, PNG, and PPT. This function will include providing high-speed, network connectivity with the appropriate band width for access to the image database.


• Manage and support user access to the digital and conventional histological images, whole-slide image scans, data sets, and collateral documents from multiple sites with commonly used personal computers and modes of Internet access.


• Provide professional and technical pathology support personnel with the appropriate qualifications and expertise to perform a variety of pathology-related functions associated with storage of the materials including necropsy and tissue collection, histology, histopathology evaluations and reviews issues etc.


• Provide personnel on-site at NIEHS to staff and support a central distribution/transfer point for coordinating the flow of materials and data from DTT in-house studies to and from the DTT Archives.


• The facility will not receive or store radioactive materials or materials requiring Biosafety Level greater than BSL-2.

Attachments:

Attachment 1 – Draft Statement of Work AARC

RFI Response Instructions:

All interested parties are requested to submit a response containing the following information:

Your firm’s capability to provide the requested services, including pathology services.

Brief description of past experience providing similar services.

Information on new technology or components that might provide additional benefit.

Provide a list of potential problems/risks that may be encountered during the project, including ideas or suggestions about how such problems/risks should be addressed in a solicitation.

Identify any portion(s) of a future procurement using these services for which fixed price contracting could be utilized and provide rationale.

Provide any other feedback on contract type. You may suggest contract pricing strategies for the tasks referenced in the table above. For example, if a task could be priced on a fixed unit rate basis, please indicate that in your response.

Indicate your firm’s small business size for the suggested NAICS code. If a different NAICS code is more appropriate, please provide the code and the supporting rationale.

Your company information shall include the following:

Unique Entity ID (UEI):

Company Name:

Company Address (including point of contact, phone number and email address)

Business Type/Size of company, Classification code, NAICS code

Responses should be typed in 10 to 12-point font, submitted in Adobe PDF format and shall not exceed fifteen (15) standard size 8.5 x 11 inch pages. Standard product brochures will NOT be considered a sufficient response to this sources sought synopsis.

Responses shall be submitted via e-mail on or before 3:00 p.m. Eastern time, January 23, 2023, to sue.mckenzie@nih.gov.

Proprietary information, if any, shall be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information.

Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

NIEHS will not meet or hold discussions with potential interested parties.

Summary

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) / SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (SSN) ONLY to identify sources that can provide the services described herein. The information provided in the RFI/SSN is subject to change and is not binding on the Government.

NIEHS has not made a commitment to procure any of the equipment, commodities, and services listed herein, and release of this RFI/SSN shall not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

Attachments/Links