Contact Points
MFL Center Tower
Baltimore, MD 21224
This notice of proposed acquisition is posted as an intent to award a FFP contract on a non-competitive basis to Johns Hopkins (Center for Cerebrospinal Fluid Disorders- JH Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center) for Neuropsychometric Evaluations using the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale on non-autopsy study participants in the BLSA, including scoring, rescoring, data entry and verification in addition to coordinating consensus case conferences for research diagnoses and neuropathology conferences for the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience (LBN).
This acquisition is being conducted under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13 - Simplified Acquisition Procedures, and FAR Part 12- Acquisition of Commercial Items, and the resultant contract award will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2023-04 dated June 2, 2023.
The required services are in support of the Consensus Conference Research Diagnoses of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Participants in the BLSA. It is anticipated that this will involve 5 to 10 evaluations per week with each evaluation taking 30 minutes to one hour. A second goal is the preparation of summary information for joint NIA-Johns Hopkins consensus case conferences for these study participants, including data entry of diagnoses. A third goal is to perform neuropsychological/neurological assessments using the standard Early Markers neuropsychological battery and a neurological examination on study participants in the BLSA, who are in between regular BLSA visits or will not be seen by the BLSA home visit program. It is anticipated that this will involve 10 evaluations over the course of the contract with each evaluation taking 3-4 hours. If the participant consents, the neurological examination will be videotaped for review by the neurologist. In addition, this procurement may involve home visits of selected study participants where these would otherwise not be completed.
The LBN’s overall goal is to identify early markers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cognitive impairment. LBN investigators perform cognitive and neuroimaging assessments in participants in the BLSA to investigate accelerated changes that are associated with cognitive decline and impairment and to identify predictors of cognitive impairment and cognitive resilience (maintenance of cognitive health). An important component of these investigations is the consensus diagnostic evaluation of participants within a research context. These consensus conferences utilize both participant and informant-based information on the cognitive health of participants, using the CDR, as well as summary medical, medication, neurological and neuropsychological assessment information on participants for evaluation by the case conference team, which includes both LBN and Johns Hopkins Staff.
Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to perform the Statement of Work below:
Specifically, the following are required to be performed at the NIA Research and Clinical Facilities or through home visits to participants:
- The contractor will perform 5 to 10 CDR scale evaluations per week on BLSA study participants, which will take 30 minutes to one hour each.
- The contractor will score and rescore the CDRs and enter and verify them in the xforms data entry system developed by the NIA.
- The contractor will prepare summary information for joint NIA-Johns Hopkins consensus case conferences for these study participants.
- The contractor will enter the consensus case conference results into an Excel spreadsheet and deliver it to the NIA Project Officer or representative after each case conference.
- The contractor will perform 5 to 10 home visit neuropsychological/neurological assessments on study participants (70 years and older) who either need to be seen in between their usual BLSA visits or who would otherwise not be seen by the BLSA home visit program.
- The contractor will score and rescore the neuropsychological assessments and enter and verify them in the xforms data entry system developed by the NIA.
- The contractor will review the videotapes of the neurological examination.
- The contractor will enter and verify the neurological examination in the xforms data entry system developed by the NIA.
The contractor will perform approximately 5-10 CDR scale evaluations per year performed by two psychometricians with a 10% effort each. The BLSA study participants evaluations will take between 30 minutes and 1 hour each.
GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
The Government will provide a list of study BLSA participants who have met the criteria for CDR administration and case conference review and a list and contact information for participants requiring home visits. All data provided to the consultant by the Government must be treated as confidential and not be disclosed to any third party.
NIA has an externally accessible website specifically to collect data. The contractor puts information into the website and NIA then uses this information for our research. The contractor has no access to NIA information. This is a one-way transfer of data.
DELIVERY OR DELIVERABLES
- Hard copies of CDR scales administered to BLSA participants.
- Weekly to biweekly summary reports for availability at research case conferences.
- Electronic files containing data on CDR scales and research diagnoses based on research case conferences.
- Electronic files containing data on neuropsychological assessments and neurological examinations collected during home visits.
Data Rights:
The National Institute on Aging shall have unlimited rights to and ownership of all deliverables provided under this contract including reports, recommendations, briefings, work plans and all other deliverables. This includes the deliverables provided under the basic contract and any optional task deliverables exercised by the contracting officer. In addition, it includes any additional deliverables required by contract change. The definition of “unlimited rights” is contained in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 27.401, “Definitions.” FAR clause 52.227-14, “Rights in Data-General,” is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this contract/order.
Confidentiality of Information:
The Contractor must guarantee strict confidentiality of the information/data that is provided by the NIA or by any other participant on a project to which the consultant is assigned. The NIA has determined that the information/data that the consultant will be provided during the performance of the consulting contract is of a sensitive nature.
The Contractor may only disclose the information/data generated as specified in the BLSA NIH Intramural IRB Protocol Number: 03-AG-0325.Contractor agrees that it will not use the Confidential Information for any purpose except as set forth within this SOW unless such time as such Confidential Information becomes public information.
Contract Type:
A Firm Fixed Price type order award not exceeding the Simplified Acquisition Threshold is anticipated to be awarded resulting from this requirement.
Summary Statement: The Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), certification of country of ownership, 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.”
Quoter Terms and Conditions (To be completed by the Offeror):
1. Period of Performance OR Delivery Date After Receipt of Order:
2. Shipping Point (F.O.B. OR Destination):
3. Payment Discount Terms:
4. NIH BPA Number, if applicable:
5. SAM UEI Number:
6. Name of Company:
7. Street Address, City, State, Zip code:
8. Name of Person Authorized to Provide Quote:
9. Telephone Number and Email Address of Person Authorized to Provide Quote:
For equipment/parts/supply requirements under this requirement, if applicable, responses must include: the place of manufacturing (i.e., address if supply/equipment is a domestic end product and include country of manufacture).
ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS, PROVISIONS, AND REPRESENTATIONS
The FAR Clauses are incorporated by reference and are provided in full text at https://www.acquisition.gov/:
1. FAR Provision 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (Mar 2023) is applicable to this solicitation.
2. FAR Provision 52.212.2 Evaluation-Commercial Items (Nov 2021) is applicable to this solicitation. The Government will evaluate quotations or offers in accordance with FAR 13.106-2 and award a purchase order from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose quote conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotes: Technical capability of the item offered to meet the Government requirement; Price; and Past performance [see FAR 13.106-2(b)(3)]
3. FAR Provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items (Dec 2022), is applicable to this solicitation.
4. FAR Clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items (Dec 2022) is applicable to this solicitation.
5. FAR clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (June 2023) is applicable to this solicitation.
6. FAR Clause 52.227-14, Rights in Data-General (May 2014)
In addition, the following FAR provisions and clauses are applicable to this solicitation and incorporated by reference:
1. 52.204-7 System for Award Management (Oct 2018),
2. 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018),
3. FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020),
4. 52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020),
5. HHSAR 352.239-73, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Notice (December 18, 2015).
6. FAR 52.204-27, Prohibition on a ByteDance Covered Application (Jun 2023)
The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are available as an attachment. Offerors MUST complete the provision at 52.204-24 and 52.204-26 and submit completed copies as separate documents with their quotation.
1. FAR 52.204-24, Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021)
2. FAR 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021)
3. FAR 52.204-26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services Representation (Oct 2020) 3. NIH Invoice and Payment Provisions
4. NIH Invoice and Payment Provisions
All responses must be received by August 19, 2023, at 11AM and must reference announcement/solicitation number NIA 23-008767. Responses may be submitted electronically to Randall Carter at Randall.carter@nih.gov Fax responses will not be accepted.
All responsible sources may submit response which, if timely received, must be considered by the agency.”
Interested parties may identify in writing their interest and capability in response to this requirement. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.
All responses must be received by closing date and must reference the announcement. Responses may be submitted electronically to the attention of the contract specialist. Fax responses will not be accepted.
All responsible sources may submit a bid, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency.