Background
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Laboratory of Neuropsychology investigates fundamental brain functions such as reward-motivated behaviors. We seek to understanding the circuitry responsible for evaluating options and making decisions. By expanding and refining genetic techniques first used in rodents, our group has developed new tools for nonhuman primates. This purchase will allow us to apply these new optogenetic tools. It will lead to a deeper understanding of the neural circuitry underlying reward, and provide new insights relevant to psychological health and disorders.
Purpose
The purpose of this purchase is to procure an optical stimulation array for implantation in nonhuman primates, along with the matching driver circuitry.
Project Requirements
See Attached Statement of Work for details.
Delivery Requirements/Period of Performance
Base Period: September 30, 2025 to September 29, 2026
Place of Performance
The place of performance shall be the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
Contract Type
The Government intends to issue a firm fixed price purchase order for this requirement. Invoicing shall be in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act and payment shall be made via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).
Response Format
Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror’s capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the salient characteristics of the product. The offeror must identify in their response where parts/equipment are manufactured.
The offeror must indicate in their response as to whether the brand-name or equal product proposed can or cannot meet the salient characteristics as stated in this combined solicitation synopsis.
In addition, the quote must provide their company name, Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), 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.”
TECHNICAL PROPOSAL
Offerors may provide up to 20, 8.5 by 11-inch pages (using no less than 10 font size) as their proposal to be evaluated by the Source Evaluation Panel. The technical submission will address the Statement of Work and be responsive to the attached evaluation factors. The 20-page technical submission limitation does not include and is in addition to the pages relating to relevant resume credentials and the price proposal. Technical submission pages in excess of this page limitation will not be considered.
COST/PRICE PROPOSAL
The cost/price proposal must be completed to include all costs related to the Statement of Work, including the hourly, daily and monthly rates, as appropriate, and all direct and indirect costs for the base and option years. The cost/price proposal shall be submitted in the Microsoft Excel format.
LEVEL OF EFFORT
The following is only an estimate. Offerors are advised to carefully review the requirement in deriving the level of effort they believe are necessary to provide their best value proposal. You are not bound to propose using the below assumptions. Rather, offerors are expected to provide the best solution citing the labor mix and quantity required to accomplish the tasks.
The following data as a basis for estimating the potential volume of referrals for each proposed site (adjust for your own circumstances, with justification):
-Assume an average of 900 autopsies/yr. will result in approximately 100 case referrals/year.
-Provide an estimate of the number of annual referrals that may meet the inclusion criteria in the Statement of Work and include this information as part of your Technical Proposal (explain how it was calculated).
As a basis for preparing cost proposals, the Government estimates the following level of effort to provide these services, per site:
-Up to 460 hrs. effort, per year, per site, to provide all contract services (i.e., referrals, extractions, and for other contract communications and administration);
-It is anticipated that this effort should accommodate a wide range of contract services and volumes of referrals and extractions.
-This estimate is not a requirement, and the offeror can propose differences, with justification.
EVALUATION
The provision at FAR clause 52.212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.
The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. See Evaluation Criteria attachment for details.
A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the
Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.
(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: (i) technical capability of the item offered to meet the Government requirement; (ii) price.
Technical are significantly more important than cost or price
(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).
(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.”
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The provision at FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at these addresses: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html
(End of provision)
The following provisions apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference:
- FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Nov 2024)
- FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020)
- FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (Sep 2023)
- FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (May 2024)
- FAR 52.222-52, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Certain Services-Certification (May 2014)
- HHSAR 352.239-73, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Notice (December 18, 2015)
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The clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at these addresses:
https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far
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https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html
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(End of clause)
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The following clauses apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference:
- FAR 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018)
- FAR 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020)
- FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items (Nov 2023). Addendum to this FAR clause applies to this acquisition and is attached.
- The clause at FAR 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000).
- HHSAR 352.222-70, Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (December 18, 2015)>
- HHSAR 352.239-74, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility (December 18, 2015)
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The clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at these addresses:
https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far
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https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html
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(End of clause)
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The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are attached in full text. Offerors MUST complete the provisions at 52.204-24 and 52.204-26 and submit completed copies as separate documents with their proposal.
- FAR 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021)
- FAR 52.204-25 Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment. (Nov 2021)
- FAR 52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation (Oct 2020)
- FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders--Commercial Items (Jan 2025)
- NIH Invoice and Payment Provisions (Feb 2021)
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The Offerors to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (Nov 2023), with its offer. If the offeror has completed FAR clause 52.212-3 at www.sam.gov, then the offeror does not need to provide a completed copy with its offer.
The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items (Nov 2023), applies to this acquisition. Addendum to this FAR clause applies to this acquisition and is attached.
The following additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions as determined by the contracting officer are necessary for this acquisition and consistent with customary commercial practices. There are no additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions applicable to this acquisition.
The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement.
Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror’s capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the technical evaluation criteria. The price proposal must include the labor categories, an estimate of the number of hours required for each labor category, fully loaded fixed hourly rate or each labor category, breakdown and rationale for other direct costs or materials, and the total amount.
The Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov, the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), 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.
CLOSING INFORMATION
All responses must be received by 11:00 AM EST, September 22, 2025 and reference number NIMH-25-004643. Responses may be submitted electronically to jeff.moore@nih.gov, and kelly.dempsey@nih.gov.
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Fax responses will not be accepted.
