NIA 23-009768

Post Date/ Solicitation Issue Date

July 5, 2023 12:00 pm

Closing Response Date

July 12, 2023 5:00 pm

Proposed Award Date

July 14, 2023 12:00 pm

Project Title

Service Contract for the Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer

Contracting Office

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Small Business Size Standard

$34M

FPDS Classification Code

J066

Estimated Period of Performance

07/17/2023 to 07/16/2024

Competition Status

Non-Competitive

Single-Sole Source Determination

Statutory Authority: This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures, Subpart 13.106-1 (b) (1), Soliciting from a single source and is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures and at a dollar value less than the simplified acquisition threshold are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6—Competition Requirements.

This notice of proposed acquisition is posted as an intent to award a service contract on a non-competitive basis to Agilent Technologies, Inc. Maintenance for the Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer must be performed by Agilent OEM certified technicians. In order for the lab to maintain the integrity of the data that has already been generated and analyzed, it is imperative that the Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer remain operational. Renewal for the Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer will help the lab achieve research goals by having the all-inclusive repair for rapid problem resolution and with minimal disruptions. Preventative Maintenance ensures peak performance, and the real-time remote diagnostics and predictive support technology optimizes the instrument availability and workflow efficiency. Services must be performed by Agilent service representatives to avoid invalidating current warranties.

Background/Description of Requirement

This acquisition is being conducted under Federal Acquisition Regulations (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 purpose of this requirement is to procure preventative maintenance and repair services for the Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer which is owned and operated by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Immunology (LMBI) requires a service contract on this instrument for continuous functional running and preventative maintenance to ensure a long life for this machine.

Place of Performance:  The place of performance shall be the NIA site located at 251 Bayview Blvd., 8^th Floor., Rm. 08C009, Baltimore, MD 21224.

SCOPE OF WORK

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:  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:

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:  The contractor will service and perform preventative maintenance (PM) on the Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer, one (1) preventative maintenance per year, and service as needed throughout the contract year as specified below:

The contractor will provide all-inclusive repair for rapid problem resolution with minimal disruptions to lab operations. Yearly scheduled preventative maintenance to ensure peak performance. The coverage will include real-time remote diagnostics and predictive support technology with detailed asset reporting, to optimize instrument availability and workflow efficiency. Coverage will include travel and labor.  Any repair parts that are required will be covered under the cost of the service plan.  This will include parts that need replacing due to normal wear and tear and usage of the instrument.  Both technical hardware and software support are included. 

LEVEL OF EFFORT:

The service will be performed by a certified technician.  One onsite preventative maintenance (approximately 8 hours labor) will be included, as well as unlimited access to any additional support required as determined by the service technician throughout the year. The service agreement will cover the entire system and include:

•             Unlimited telephone support, hardware/software

•             All Repairs Performed by Agilent Certified Engineers

•             Travel to your facility

•             Labor

•             Agilent Certified Parts required for repairs

•             Consumables used during repairs

•             Annual preventative maintenance visit

•             Consumables used during preventive maintenance

•             Service Guarantee

GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:  The government will be responsible for providing access to the building and the room in which the instrument resides. The government will ensure that the instrument is decontaminated from any biological or chemical pollutants. The government will review and approve all services performed on the instrument and be sure that the instrument is in full working order after any service has been performed.

DELIVERY OR DELIVERABLES:  The contractor will provide unlimited telephone support, travel to the facility for repair when needed and for the annual maintenance visit. Also, the contractor will use certified parts during repair and the preventative maintenance visit.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS:  The contractor will provide a final report on all services performed on the instrument.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

TRAVEL:  The contractor is responsible for the cost of their own travel.

KEY PERSONNEL:  The contractor will provide certified technicians who can perform any service to the instrument.

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:
5. SAM UEI No:
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:

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 (Nov 2021) 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 (May 2022), is applicable to this solicitation. 
4. FAR Clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items (November 2021), 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 (October 2022) is applicable to this solicitation.

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. 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 incorporated 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)
4. NIH Invoice and Payment Provisions

All responses must be received by July 12, 2023 at 5 pm EST, and must reference announcement/ solicitation number NIA-23-009768. Responses may be submitted electronically to Carla Blalock (Carla.blalock@nih.gov). Fax responses will not be accepted.