NOTICE OF INTENT to Sole Source SOLICITATION NUMBER: NINDS-23-011090-NOI TITLE: NINDS University of Virginia Darden School of Business Executive MBA Program CLASSIFICATION CODE: R -- Professional, administrative, and management support services NAICS CODE: 923110 - Administration of Education Programs RESPONSE DATE: 7/24/23 PRIMARY POINTS OF CONTACT: Kyle Miller
[email protected] Christine Frate
[email protected] DESCRIPTION: INTRODUCTION THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A CONTRACT WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME). The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) intends to negotiate on a sole source bases with UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA DARDEN SCHOOL FOUNDATION for an education related to their MBA program. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE and SET ASIDE STATUS The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 923110 - Administration of Education Programs. REGULATORY AUTHORITY This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6—Competition Requirements. FAR Subpart 13.106-1 (b) Soliciting from a single source provides that: For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, Contracting officers may solicit from one source IF the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name OR industrial mobilization). The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2023-04 dated June 02, 2022. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation’s leading medical research agency and the primary Federal agency whose mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability, conducting, supporting and making medical discoveries that improve people’s health and save lives. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) conducts, fosters, coordinates and guides research on the causes, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders and stroke, and supports basic research in related scientific areas. The University of Virginia has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) since 1904 with the Darden School of Business Administration also accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and is consistently regarded as one of the top schools in the country. The Executive MBA program offers a unique blend of live, online classes hosted in a face-to-face virtual classroom, with the curriculum designed and taught by the distinguished faculty of UVA Darden School of Business. The core curriculum and electives of an MBA cover a wide range of topics including accounting for managers, business ethics, decision analysis, financial management and policies, global economies and markets, leadership communication, leading organizations, marketing, operations management and strategic thinking and action. Focus areas in Data Analytics and Technology, Entrepreneurship, ESG and Social Impact, Finance, Leadership, Marketing and Strategy are available and offer the opportunity to learn more about critical topics that surround the NINDS mission. The program also includes a global residency designed to be immersive, and programming includes a mix of company visits, talks with industry leaders, meetings with executives, cultural excursions and more. In support of this mission, Jordan is now interested in taking the next step in his career development by receiving a formal education and training in business administration. These skills would supplement his on-the-job development, and better position him to lead strategic efforts that optimize organizational, budgetary, policy, and communication initiatives. He sees completion of this MBA degree as a wonderful opportunity to apply this new expertise to many of the areas he now covers and expand his ability to accelerate the pace of neuroscience research by strengthening the partnerships between science and administration CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME) DETERMINATION The determination by the Government to award a contract without providing for full and open competition is based upon the market research conducted. The Darden School of Business already has been enrolled and this is to setup a program to repay part of the costs of enrollment as part of an employee agreement. University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business is the only vendor in the marketplace that can provide the services required by NIMH. The intended source is: UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA DARDEN SCHOOL FOUNDATION 100 DARDEN BLVD CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22903-1760 CLOSING STATEMENT THIS SYNOPSIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Unique Entity Identifier ID (UEI), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. All responses must be received by the closing date and time of this announcement and must reference the solicitation number, NINDS-23-011090-NOI. Responses must be submitted electronically to Kyle Miller, Contract Specialist, at
[email protected] and Christine Frate, Contracting Officer, at
[email protected]. U.S. Mail and fax responses will not be accepted.