Custom Radiosynthesis of PET Ligands and Use of PET Facility

Active

Contract Opportunity

This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations.

The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses and; (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition.

Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice.

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.

BACKGROUND:

The NIDA IRP Neuroimaging Research Branch (NRB) neuroscientists’ research requires in vivo imaging of the brain and its molecular processes in a way that parallels human imaging research. The purpose of this acquisition is to acquire a service contract to support the NIDA-IRP Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES:

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a non-invasive imaging technique that enables picomolar detection (i.e. the highest sensitivity among all non-invasive imaging modalities available) of molecular processes in a living animal. PET compound radiosynthesis requires dedicated instrumentation and skillset which the NIDA-IRP does not have.

The objective of this contract is to: 1) prepare custom radiosynthesis of specific derivatives either with F18 or C11 on a weekly basis, 2) obtain an estimated 300 rats and/or mice (per contract year), 3) house said animals for the duration of the studies and 4) allow NIDA researchers to have access (approximately 50 hours total per year) to a small animal PET scanner to perform imaging of radiotracer distribution and occupancy in the rodent brain. The custom radiotracers will be utilized in ongoing experiments of NRB’s Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit. The objective is to synthesize several radiotracer derivatives, labeled with either F18, C11 or another radioisotope that will bind various targets. There is a specific need to have these PET tracers synthesized in close vicinity to NIDA-IRP so that we can have them available for immediate use in PET imaging experiments. Due to their half-life (most commonly used radiotracers: 110 minutes for F18- and 20 min for C11-labeled PET tracers) NIDA needs a facility to be within 2 miles of the NIDA-IRP so that the PET tracers can be quickly transported for immediate use. The NIDA-IRP address is 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21224.

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:

Task 1: The Contractor shall prepare radiosynthesis, including custom radiosynthesis, of specific derivatives using either C11 or F18 or other radioisotopes, as requested by the Government.

Task 2: The Contractor shall supply animals (e.g. mice or rats) to NIDA Researchers to use in the experiments.

Task 3: The Contractor shall provide food and housing of the small animals for the duration of each experiment. It is estimated that animals will need housing for up to approximately 3 weeks.

Task 4: The Contractor shall provide NIDA researchers with access to a small animal PET scanner to perform imaging of radiotracer distribution and occupancy in the rodent brain.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:

Specifically, the Contractor shall:

For Task 1:

• Prepare routine and custom radiosynthesis compounds in accordance with the type, amount and required date of delivery of radiochemical specified in the Government’s request. The Government will give a lead time of at least 2-3 weeks estimated per request.


• Notify the Government when the synthesized ligands are available for use within five minutes of completing synthesis.

For Task 2:

• Provide the Government with rats or mice as specified by the Government (an estimated 300 animals per contract year) for use in experiments.

For Task 3:

• Provide housing to each animal for approximately up to 3 weeks. Animals will be requested by the Government by the amount, which will vary by experiment, and will be specified at the time of the request.

For Task 4:

• Provide NIDA researchers with access to a small animal PET scanner during the period of performance (an estimated 50 hours required per contract year).


• Provide all electronic data files produced from the PET scans to the Government within twenty-four hours after scanning is complete.

KEY PERSONNEL:

A radiochemist is required for the synthesis of radiotracers.

MANDATORY CRITERIA:

• Interested vendor’s facility shall be within a 2-mile radius of the NIDA IRP Facility located at:

251 Bayview Blvd., Suite 200,

Baltimore, MD 21224

• Animal Welfare: The Offeror must demonstrate its understanding and compliance with the NIH Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The Offeror shall submit evidence that its proposal was reviewed and approved by the Institution’s Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

Anticipated period of performance: It is anticipated that this contract will consist of a 12-month Base Period, with two (2) additional 12-month Option Periods. The contract will also include additional option quantities. This period of performance will allow for the greatest flexibility given the program needs and funding availability.

Instructions:

Interested small business organizations shall demonstrate and document in the submitted capability statement extensive experience in the technical areas listed above. Furthermore, organizations should include relevant and specific information on each of the following qualifications:

1) Experience: An outline of previous similar projects, specifically the techniques employed in the areas described above.

2) Personnel: Name, professional qualifications of personnel with specific experience in the work requested and knowledge of, and experience in, the field of drug addiction research.

3) Facilities and Tools: Availability and description of the facilities, tools, and equipment required to conduct this type of work.

The Government will assess the appropriateness of professional and technical personnel classifications. The Government will consider any other specific and relevant information about this particular announcement that would improve our evaluation of respondents. Organizations should demonstrate capability to administer and coordinate interrelated tasks in an effective and timely manner. Documentation may include, but is not limited to, contracts in which the organization performed equivalent tasks (Government and commercial); references, i.e., names, titles, telephone numbers and any other information serving to document the organizations capability; and awards or commendations.

The established NAICS code is 541690 Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services. The U.S. Small Business Administration establishes a size standard for 541690 of 19,000,000 or less in annual revenue.

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: This notice is for information and planning purposes only and does not commit the Government to any contractual agreement. The Government does not intend to award a contract based on responses under this announcement nor otherwise pay for preparing any information sent for the Government's use.

Companies that believe they possess the capabilities to provide the required services should submit 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. Additionally, the capability statement should include 1) the total number of employees, 2) the professional qualifications of personnel as it relates to the requirements outlined, 3) any contractor GSA Schedule contracts and/or other government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs) by which all of the requirements may be met, if applicable, and 4) any other information considered relevant to this program. Capability statements must also include the Company Name, Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov, Physical Address, and Point of Contact Information. The response must include the respondents’ technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses.

Interested companies are required to identify their type of business, applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code, and size standards in accordance with the Small Business Administration. The government requests that no proprietary or confidential business data be submitted in a response to this notice. However, responses that indicate the information therein is proprietary will be properly safeguarded for Government use only. Capability statements must include the name and telephone number of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss responses with Government representatives. Capability statements in response to this market survey that do not provide sufficient information for evaluation will be considered non-responsive. When submitting this information, please reference the solicitation notice number.

One (1) copy of the response is required and must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2” x 11” paper size, with 1” top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing.

The information submitted must be in and 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.

All responses to this notice must be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer. Facsimile responses are NOT accepted.

The response must be submitted to Shaun Rostad, Contract Specialist at e-mail address Shaun.rostad@nih.gov.

The response must be received on or before April 29, 2024 at 1:00 PM 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).

Attachments/Links