Sources Sought Notice
Solicitation Number: 75N95024R00002
Title: NINDS Human Genetics Resource Center
Classification Code: A Research & Development
NAICS Code: 541715 -Research and Development in the Physical,
Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
Description: This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of qualified sources to perform a potential requirement.
This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. Small businesses are encouraged to respond.
Background: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has the stated mission to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease. To support and accelerate the discovery of genetic causes and risk factors for neurological disorders, particularly complex diseases with multiple phenotypes, NINDS conducts and funds longitudinal clinical research studies and trials. These studies have generated a collection of biological materials with associated de-identified phenotypic and clinical data from individuals affected by neurological disorders and from neurologically normal control individuals. The NINDS Human Genetics Center, also known as the NINDS DNA and Cell Line Repository ( the NINDS repository ) currently houses this collection of DNA samples, lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL), and accompanying genotypic, phenotypic, clinical and pedigree data. Established in 2002, the NINDS repository contains DNA samples and LCL from more than fifty-two thousand well-phenotyped unique individuals. As an invaluable shared resource for the scientific community, the NINDS repository receives, stores and distributes well characterized, high-quality human cell lines and DNA for use in biomedical research. It ensures that contributions from research participants are maximally utilized and decreases duplicative sampling efforts. It also ensures that a standardized, useful dataset of demographic, other phenotypic, and genotypic data is managed and curated to allow sharing publicly via related resources, such as the NIH Database of Genotype and Phenotype (dbGaP).
This contract re-competition builds upon this existing infrastructure of the NINDS repository and provides a state-of-the-art inventory system for the storage and distribution of the existing collection. The contract also receives, processes, stores, and catalogues biological samples from ongoing collections of the NINDS-approved studies to facilitate the goals and specific scientific aims of NINDS grantees and other scientists studying neurological disorders.
The objective of this requirement is to continue services without interruption, including the growth of the sample numbers in some disease areas, the maintenance and curation of samples and data in the existing collection and the distribution of samples and data to qualified investigators at academic, non-profit, and for-profit institutions throughout the United States and abroad.
To be deemed capable, a business must have a demonstrated track record of running a large established biobank; recognized expertise in human genetics and genomics, bioinformatics, cell culture, and molecular biology; and experience in managing a complex resource, including customer service and outreach. Specifically, a business must demonstrate the ability and related experience to: 1) Receive and process whole blood samples collected from affected subjects, their relatives, and controls for DNA extraction and lymphocyte isolation; 2) Manage and track administrative study documents, phenotypic and genotypic data; 3) Monitor human subject concerns compliance with federal and other human subject regulations, including a means of masking individual identities to ensure confidentiality; 4) Maintain flexibility to expand operations as needed to accomplish aims of related projects; 5) Provide rapidly, upon request, as well as routinely, cell lines and DNA samples as well as associated data to submitters and sample withdrawers; 6) Transfer the entire existing NINDS repository of DNA, cell lines and data to their organization in a manner that allows seamless access to the existing collection; 7) Provide adequate cold storage facilities and equipment for securing, processing, storing, tracking, cataloging, and distributing the existing collection of approximately 1.9 million aliquots of samples from over 52,000 individuals and associated complex phenotypic and genotypic data; 8) Develop a website, transfer the existing web-based system, and maintain and modify the website based on needs of the resource; 9) Develop, transfer, and maintain a database of all associated data and resources needed to manage the NINDS repository and associated user interface; and 10) Create informatics and data management solutions to allow easy usability of the collection and utilize informatics solutions to dovetail and federate with databases and data management tools used by related projects.
Capability statement /information sought: Companies that believe they possess the capabilities to provide the required products or services must provide clear and convincing documentation of their ability to meet each of the project requirements to the Contracting Officer. The capability statement must specifically address each of the project requirements separately. Information must be provided in sufficient detail of the respondents' (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and other management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information.
Capability statements must also include the Company Name, Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov, address, and point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc.) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code, and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements.
Respondents are also encouraged to provide a general overview of the respondent's opinions about the difficulty and/or feasibility of the potential requirement, and any other information regarding innovative ideas or concepts that may be applicable.
Submission Instructions: The information submitted must be in an outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirement and in the capability statement /information sought paragraphs stated herein. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required.
The response is limited to ten (10) page limit. The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, or references, if requested.
The response must include the respondents' technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone, and e-mail addresses.
All responses to this notice must be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist, Sneha Singh, at sneha.singh@nih.gov. Facsimile responses are NOT accepted.
The response must be received on or before November 1, 2023 at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time.
Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work.
Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a presolicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in www.sam.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.
Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).
