Waters BioAccord Annual Service Plan

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT AND NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS

This notice is published in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 5.101(a)(1) requiring the dissemination of information regarding proposed contract actions. This is a Notice of Intent to award a sole source, firm-fixed price purchase order under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), as implemented by FAR 13.106-1(b)(2) and 13.501(a) - Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Service Will Satisfy Agency Requirements and is not a request for competitive proposals.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Waters Technologies Corp, 34 Maple Street, Milford, MA 01757-3604

Research programs in the Laboratory of Viral Diseases (LVD) explore fundamental aspects of cell and molecular biology, viral pathogenesis, and viral immunology within the context of a diverse group of medically important viruses that includes human/simian immunodeficiency viruses, poxviruses, herpesviruses, papillomaviruses, coronaviruses, influenza viruses, alphaviruses, and flaviviruses. The goals of these research programs are to create knowledge that increases a basic biological understanding of these pathogens and their interactions with their hosts and to generate new strategies for preventing and treating viral diseases.

This procurement is required by the Emerging Virus Immunity Unit at the LVD. The Waters BioAccord is an instrument used to detect glycans present on antibodies isolated from human and animal samples, which impact the function of the immune system and alter viral infection and disease outcomes. The BioAccord needs regular maintenance by skilled technicians knowledgeable about the specialized components to maintain optimal function. Only Waters Corporation, the manufacturer of the BioAccord, can provide certified maintenance, upgrades, and firmware/software updates to this instrument. Failure to maintain this equipment in good working condition can lead to suboptimal or compromised outputs, negating the studies it supports and requiring experiments be repeated. Malfunction of the equipment outside of a service contract means the equipment will be out of service for a longer time while a service call is arranged. The human and animal samples analyzed on the Waters BioAccord are time sensitive and any extended delays in use will result in loss of samples and the need to repeat the entire experiment. Poor functioning or failure of this equipment leads to loss of experiments and is a waste of research animal’s lives, in addition to incurring extra costs to the LVD for supplies used in said experiments. Service calls outside of a service contract incur higher costs to the LVD. Many of the parts for this instrument are manufactured directly by Waters and cannot be alternatively sourced. Likewise, all instrument upgrades and software updates are only available from Waters and can only be deployed by the company’s certified technicians, making this service plan the only option on the market capable of meeting the government’s needs. Waters Technologies Corp is the manufacturer of the BioAccord system and the only know company that can provide the required maintenance and service.

Description of the supplies/services to be purchased

• BioAccord System - Annual Service Plan


• Coverage Period: 07/01/2025 to 06/30/2026


• One Preventive Maintenance visit. Including labor, travel, and repairs throughout the contract period.

• Parts must be Waters original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Waters parts are packaged under proprietary critical clean conditions.


• Service must be provided by Waters certified engineers to ensure technical expertise on instrumentation, informatics and chemistry.


• Vendor must be able to provide remote diagnostics.


• Vendor must be able to provide instrument and software upgrades.


• Place of Performance: NIH Bethesda campus, Building 33, room 3W10C.

The North American Industry Classification (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. This will be the only notice of the Government's intent to solicit, negotiate, and award to one source to satisfy this requirement. The Government plans to award a contract for this requirement within 30 days of this notice.

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. While this synopsis does not constitute a solicitation, interested vendors may identify their interest and capability to satisfy this requirement. The Government understands that Waters Technologies Corporation is the only vendor who can provide the requested services for NIAID. However, firms that believe they can provide the capability required to fully meet the Government's requirement may submit a capabilities statement, including past performance, in writing to the identified point of contact within 10 days after publication of this notice. 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. Such documentation shall be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for any information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate.

The statutory authority for this sole source requirement is 41 U.S.C.1901 (e) (2) as implemented by FAR 13.106-1 only one responsible source and no other supply of service will satisfy agency requirements. All responsible sources that could provide comparable services may submit a capability statement that will be considered by email (subject line to reference NIAID-2261580) to Linda Smith at Linda.Smith2@nih.gov by 11:00 am eastern standard time, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. All responses received by the closing date of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.