Maintenance & Repair Service for Polymerase Chain Amplification (PCR)/Flow Cytometer Instruments

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

THIS IS A Sources Sought Notice ONLY. The U.S. Government desires to procure maintenance and repair (M&R) services for 11 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) instruments which includes Annual preventative maintenance (PM) and Calibration and recertification device services for three (3) ViiA7 thermal cyclers, six (6) QuantStudio 12K Flex OA thermal cyclers, and two (2) Absolute Q thermal cyclers. 

The U.S. Government currently intends to award a contract on a sole source basis but is seeking vendors that may be able to deliver the above stated services to support a competitive procurement.  Accordingly, the Mission Installation Contracting Command (MICC) Dugway Proving Ground (DPG) highly encourages all interested businesses (large and small) to respond to this sources sought notice.  Therefore, all businesses, including small businesses, in all socioeconomic categories (including, 8(a) Business Development Program, Small Disadvantage Business, Historically Underutilized Business Zone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, Women-Owned Small Business concerns), must describe their identifying capabilities in meeting the requirements at a fair market price. 

Request for Interested Service Providers for the following:

1. Maintenance and repair of three (3) ViiA7 thermal cyclers, six (6) QuantStudio12K Flex OA thermal cyclers and two (2) Absolute Q thermal cyclers, a total of 11 instruments, all manufactured by ThermoFisher Scientific and located at BioTesting Division (BTD), DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center (CBC), Dugway Proving Ground (DPG).
2. The contractor is expected to provide annual preventative maintenance (PM) visits for each year of the contract.  The contractor will also provide emergency repairs to contracted equipment within two (2) business days from the time a service call is placed.  All work is to be performed at DPG and in conjunction with ISO 17025 standards by a certified engineer.

Services in support of DPG’s BTD utilizes real-time, Quantitative Polymerase Chain Amplification (PCR) and flow cytometry for quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) of materials used to test biological defense systems. Further detail is provided in the Draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) attached to this announcement (Attachment 1).

The anticipated NAICS code(s) is 811210 (Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance) with a corresponding size standard of $34.0 Million.

This Sources Sought Announcement is a required component of a complete and systematic process to evaluate interested parties in order to minimize cost both to potentially interested parties and the Government.  Market research is being conducted to identify potential sources that may possess the expertise, capabilities, and experience to meet the requirements for servicing of the ThermoFisher Scientific manufactured instruments. 

IMPEDIMENT TO COMPETITION:  ThermoFisher Scientific is the Original Equipment      Manufacturer (OEM) of aforementioned instruments.  The Government does not own any software or any other releasable technical data in support of this requirement. As a result, all hardware and software within these PCR instruments are proprietary and ThermoFisher Scientific is the only contractor authorized to work on the equipment.  The contractor does not have any known distributors.

This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Quote (RFQ)/Invitation for Bid (IFB)/Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFQ, IFB or RFP in the future. This notice does not commit the U.S. Government to contract for any supply or service.  Further, the U.S. Government is not seeking quotes, bids or proposals at this time and will not accept unsolicited proposals in response to this source sought notice. The U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this notice. Submittals will not be returned to the responder. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future RFQ or IFB or RFP, if any is issued. A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.  However, if a competitive solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Governmentwide Point of Entry.  It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor the Governmentwide Point of Entry for additional information pertaining to this requirement. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

DPG is a remote site located approximately 90 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah and 40 highway miles over a mountain pass from the nearest town with services (Tooele, Utah). The Installation covers in excess of 800,000 acres, which sometimes requires the Contractor to function outdoors in isolated, high desert environments. Contractors may be required to travel up to 150 miles one-way from Salt Lake City, UT to reach some work sites.

1. Personnel and Facility Security Clearances: It is not anticipated that a Secret Facility Clearance will be required.
2. Service Contract Act will be included in contract.
3. Government Furnished Property plan: other than protective masks there is no Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) equipment anticipated for this contract.

SUBMISSION DETAILS (NO SITE VISIT)

1. MICC-DPG does intend to hold a site visit.
2. A Draft Solicitation will not be issued.

IN RESPONDING TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE PLEASE PROVIDE:

1. Limit the response to five (5) pages and include the following: Name of the firm, point of contact, phone number, email address, unique entity identifier (UEI) number, commercial activity/government entity (CAGE) code, identify business size (large business or a small business), and if applicable a statement regarding small business status (including small business type(s)/certifications(s) such as SDB, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, etc.) and the corresponding NAICS code.
2. Identify whether your firm has the technical capability to maintain, repair, calibrate and recertify the eleven (11) instruments listed above and restated herein as three (3) ViiA7 thermal cyclers, six (6) QuantStudio12K Flex OA thermal cyclers and two (2) Absolute Q thermal cyclers.
3. Identify whether your firm is interested in competing for this requirement as a prime contractor or not. Identify subcontracting, joint ventures or teaming arrangement that will be pursued, if any.
4. Information in sufficient detail regarding previous experience (indicate whether as a prime contractor or subcontractor) on similar requirements (include size, scope, complexity, timeframe, government or commercial), pertinent certifications, ISO 17025, etc., that will facilitate making a capability determination. Tailor the capability statement to meet this notice.
5. Information to help determine if the requirement service is commercially available, including pricing information, basis for the pricing information (e.g., market pricing, catalog pricing), delivery schedules, customary terms and conditions, warranties, etc.
6. Identify how the Army can best structure this contract requirement to facilitate competition by and among small business concerns.
7. Identify any condition or action that may be having the effect of unnecessarily restricting competition with respect to this acquisition. Please contact the MICC Advocate for Competition, Scott Kukes, at scott.d.kukes.civ@mail.mil or 210-466-3015, if you believe that this action is unreasonably restricting competition. Include the subject of the acquisition, this announcement, and the MICC POC information from the Sources Sought Notice. Provide the specific aspects that unreasonably restrict competition and the rationale for such conclusion.
8. Recommendations to improve the draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) to the identified service and the approach to acquiring the identified services.
9. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice shall be sent to the Contracting Officer Paul E. Frailey at paul.e.frailey.civ@army.mil and Amy M. Eilerts at amy.m.eilerts.civ@army.mil no later than 3 December 2024 by 4pm MST.

Attachment(s):

Attachment 1:  Draft Performance Work Statement