SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- National Children's Study - Laboratories Performing Environmental Analyses
- Notice Date
- 4/17/2007
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541380
— Testing Laboratories
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Contracts Management Branch 6100 Executive Blvd., Suite 7A07, MSC7510, Bethesda, MD, 20892-7510, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- SS-NICHD-2008-09
- Response Due
- 5/4/2007
- Archive Date
- 5/19/2007
- Description
- THIS NOTICE IS FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AND DOES NOT COMMIT THE GOVERNMENT TO AWARD A CONTRACT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. THIS NOTICE IS FOR RESPONSE BY SMALL BUSINESS ONLY. NO SOLICITATION IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. BASED ON CAPABILITY STATEMENTS RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUCEMENT, THIS ACQUISITION MAY BE SOLICITED AS A 100% SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE. ALL SMALL BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS (SB, SDB, WOSB, HUBZone, VOSB, AND SDVOSB) ARE ENCOURAGED TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE. THE NAICS CODE IS 541380 WITH A SIZE STANDARD OF $11 MILLION LIMIT ANNUAL RECEIPTS. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)/NIH seeks capability statements from interested and qualified potential sources to provide laboratory services for the National Children's Study. The support services being sought are related to the analysis of specified chemicals and microbiological agents in environmental samples of soil, dust, air, water, and food that will be collected throughout the study (as described below). NICHD is seeking information on the capabilities of SMALL (SB, SDB, WOSB, HUBZone, VOSB, and SDVOSB) BUSINESS organizations interested in providing these services. Background The Children?s Health Act of 2000 authorized the NICHD and a consortium of other Federal Agencies to ??plan, develop, and implement a prospective cohort study, from birth to adulthood, to ...incorporate behavioral, emotional, educational, and contextual consequences to enable a complete assessment of the physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial environmental influences of children's well-being.? That study is now known as the National Children's Study (NCS). Investigators in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)--including the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)--and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as other Federal agencies, have been planning and have begun to implement this study. The NCS will study the complex relationship between health and the environment through long-term follow-up of approximately 100,000 children and their families across the United States. Study planners have identified the following child health areas as priorities for the NCS: pregnancy outcomes, neurodevelopment and behavior, injury, asthma, obesity, and physical development. As a result of the many study hypotheses being considered for the NCS, as well as the anticipation that other hypotheses will emerge during the course of the Study and afterward, several million environmental samples will be collected over the life of the project. Environmental samples to be analyzed may include, but are not limited to: soil, dust wipes, vacuumed dust, particulate matter and gaseous air pollutants collected onto filters and passive samplers, tap water, and food samples. Many of these samples are expected to require immediate analysis. However, depending upon stability and Study needs, other samples will be stored between 6 and -80 ?C in the NCS Biological and Environmental Sample Repository (NICHD Contract). These samples will be withdrawn over time and sent to laboratories for analysis as required.It is expected that 90% of all environmental samples collected will be analyzed within one year after collection. In addition, the laboratory may be requested to package and ship unused portions of samples or prepared samples (ampulated vials of sample digestate or extract) to the NCS Repository. Laboratories must be able to provide results of analysis, quality control data, and raw data in an electronic data delivery format to be specified by the Government. Plans for sample collection and analysis for the Study are evolving. At present, the specific types of environmental analyses required along with the analytes of interest within the first 5 years of collection are listed in Table 1. A contract is anticipated to be used for the National Children?s Study Environmental Laboratories. Organizations that submit capability statements in response to this notice will need to stipulate which item numbers they propose to analyze. Capability statements will be evaluated separately against the following technical areas of experience and expertise for each facility (specific physical location/address where specified sample(s) will be analyzed): a) Laboratory Facility Experience and Expertise. Provide names of projects (for government experience: contract number, contract officer and technical representative; for non-government experience: contact name, address and phone number), distinguishing previous experience from current projects. Response must include number of samples as well as duration and description of services provided, in sufficient detail to demonstrate: i. Extensive experience by the facility in analyzing the types and volumes of samples as listed in Table 1. ii. Experience in receiving and processing the types of samples as listed in Table 1. iii. Experience in repackaging and shipping unused portions and prepared samples according to federal, state and local regulations. iv. Experience in handling special environmental sample types. v. Capability for an electronic information system to document receipt, process, analysis, and disposal or shipment of samples. vi. Capability to support and adhere to standard electronic data delivery formats, such as the EPA Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) or the Environmental Standards Data Council (EDSC) Environmental Sampling, Analysis Results (ESAR). Specify the standard(s) currently utilized at the facility. vii. Personnel with demonstrated ability and experience to manage a large long-term project. viii. Personnel with demonstrated expertise in computerized sample and data management. ix. Participation in appropriate quality assurance and quality control programs. Include the names of external proficiency, performance, or accreditation programs the facility participates in, the dates of participation, and the status of performance for the last two years. b) Facilities: i. Provide a brief description of the facilities and demonstrate the laboratory facility?s capability to perform the analyses on the environmental matrices and the analysis(es). ii. Capability to handle emergency situations, such as equipment or computer system failure. c) Service Capabilities: Demonstrate the capability to provide services in the following areas for a study of the size and breadth of the NCS: i. Accessibility: a. Ability to host site visit audits for pre-award, post-award or other QC purposes. b. Facilities open and staffed to receive samples 365 days per year with appropriate and sufficient staff available for emergencies. In addition to the above information, the organization may submit any additional information for each submitted facility capability statement that they believe is pertinent, in particular, the analytical methods used for listed measures and recommended alternatives that are technically equivalent yet provide potential cost savings, and experience in method development and research, e.g., pesticide method development. Do not submit facility manuals or protocols. Interested organizations that believe they possess the capabilities necessary to undertake this project must submit two (2) original signed hard copies of their capability statement addressing the areas above. Respondents may submit their capability statements via e-mail in addition to the two hard copies. Any proprietary information should be so marked. Written capability statements should be received by the Contracting Officer no later than 4:00PM local time on May 4, 2007. Capability statements must identify the business status of the organization (small business, 8 (a), SDB, WOSB, HUBZone, VOSB, SDVOSB). NO COLLECT CALLS WILL BE ACCEPTED. See NUMBER NOTE 25. Responses are to be submitted separately for each facility at which analyses will be performed. Each response should be no more than 25 pages, including any attachments. Clearly indicate the facility location/address and the measure(s) which would be analyzed by that specific facility on the top of the first page of each response. Limit information presented to the facility and measures(s) indicated on the response. Each facility will be evaluated independently. INQUIRIES Lisa K. Coleman Contracts Specialist National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 6100 Executive Boulevard, Suite 7A07, MSC 7510 Bethesda MD 20892-7510 Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service) Telephone: 301-402-8552 Fax: 301-402-3676 E-mail: licoleman@niddk.nih.gov OR Ross Kelley Contracting Officer National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 6100 Executive Boulevard, Suite 7A07, MSC 7510 Bethesda MD 20892-7510 Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service) Telephone: 301-435-6960 Fax: 301-402-3676 E-mail: rk17a@@nih.gov
- Record
- SN01274785-W 20070419/070417220303 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |