75N95023Q00224 Notice of Intent

Post Date/ Solicitation Issue Date

April 27, 2023 12:00 pm

Closing Response Date

May 8, 2023 4:00 pm

Proposed Award Date

June 8, 2023 12:00 pm

Project Title

Non-Competitive Notice of Intent to Sole Source- High throughput screens to identify genetic modulator of TDP-43 anisosome assembly

Contracting Office

National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

Small Business Size Standard

$19 million

FPDS Classification Code

6505- DRUGS AND BIOLOGICALS

Estimated Period of Performance

8 days from the date of receipt of the order

Competition Status

Non-Competitive

Single-Sole Source Determination

The determination by the Government to award a contract without providing for full and open competition is based upon the market research conducted. Specifically, Horizon Discovery Biosciences Limited is the only vendor in the marketplace that can provide the custom cherry-picky siRNA library and plates required by NCATS. Horizon is the only vendor who designs siRNA libraries in a manner that reduces off-target effects and provides robust RNAi screening results that have a dual-strand modification pattern in an effort to reduce off target effects.

Background/Description of Requirement

NOTICE OF INTENT to Sole Source

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER:  75N95023Q00224 

 

2. TITLE:  High throughput screens to identify genetic modulator of TDP-43 anisosome assembly.

 

3. CLASSIFICATION CODE: 6505- DRUGS AND BIOLOGICALS

NAICS CODE: 541380 - Testing Laboratories and Services

4. RESPONSE DATE:

May 8, 2023, at 4:00 PM ET

5. PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT:

Maggie Brant

Maggie.brant@nih.gov

Phone: 301.827.1771

6. DESCRIPTION:

INTRODUCTION

THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A CONTRACT WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME).

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with HORIZON DISCOVERY BIOSCIENCES LIMITED, 8100 Cambridge Research Park Beach Drive, CAMBRIDGE, CB25 9TL GBR for high throughput screens to identify genetic modulator of TDP-43 anisosome assembly. The anticipated award date is June 8, 2023. 

 

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE and SET ASIDE STATUS

The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 541380 - Testing Laboratories and Services with a Size Standard of $19 million.  

 

This acquisition is NOT set aside for small businesses, but rather is a sole source acquisition to Horizon Discovery Biosciences Limited.

 

 

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6—Competition Requirements. FAR Subpart 13.106-1 (b) Soliciting from a single source provides that: For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, Contracting officers may solicit from one source IF the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name OR industrial mobilization).

 

The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2023-02 dated March 16, 2023.

 

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES:

The purpose of this requirement is to procure high throughput screens to identify genetic modulator of TDP-43 anisosome assembly.

 

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.

 

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) is a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), whose mission it 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.

 

This service is needed to facilitate the RNAi screening program. This program is to provide intramural researchers with access to the equipment and expertise necessary to conduct large scale functional genomics screens.

 

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

 

NCATS is in need of a custom cherry-picked siRNA library and placed in 4 plates.

 

ESTIMATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

8 days from the date of receipt of the order

 

CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME) DETERMINATION

 

The determination by the Government to award a contract without providing for full and open competition is based upon the market research conducted. Specifically, Horizon Discovery Biosciences Limited is the only vendor in the marketplace that can provide the custom cherry-picky siRNA library and plates required by NCATS.  Horizon is the only vendor who designs siRNA libraries in a manner that reduces off-target effects and provides robust RNAi screening results that have a dual-strand modification pattern in an effort to reduce off target effects.

 

The intended source is:

 

Horizon Discovery Biosciences Limited

Building 8100

Cambridge Research Park

Waterbeach

Cambridge, CB25 9TL

United Kingdom

 

CLOSING STATEMENT

 

THIS SYNOPSIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice.

 

A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement.

 

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 Unique Entity ID (UEI), 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 the closing date and time of this announcement and must reference the solicitation number, 75N95023Q00224.  Responses must be submitted electronically to Maggie Brant, Contract Specialist, at maggie.brant@nih.gov.  U.S. Mail and fax responses will not be accepted.