This is a Sources Sought Notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement. 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 National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a mission to catalyze the generation of innovative methods and technologies that will enhance the development, testing and implementation of diagnostics and therapeutics across a wide range of human diseases and conditions. To this end, the Division of Pre-Clinical Innovation (DPI) maintains a library of >400,000 compounds, which is used in high-throughput biological screening assays focusing on various protein targets and disease states. DPI medicinal chemists are synthesizing thousands of compounds each year to add to the NCATS collection. Increasingly, these compounds contain chiral centers that significantly affects the 3D structure and how the compounds interact with a target. The determination of stereochemistry within a compound is critical for the development of small molecule therapeutics as structure is highly involved in a drug’s activity. Polarimetry is an analytical technique, which measures the optical activity of chiral compounds in a sensitive and non-destructive manner as plane polarized light is passed through them. NCATS chemists heavily rely the use of the lab's polarimeter for determining identity and enantiomeric purity of these compounds. NCATS is interested in purchasing a polarimeter and accessories. Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of this procurement is the acquisition of a polarimeter and accessories. Project requirements: Generic Name of Product: Modular Circular Polarimeter Brand Name of Product: Anton-Paar MCP 5500 FAR 52.211-6, Brand Name or Equal (Aug 1999) is applicable to this Sources Sought Notice. Salient Characteristics: For measurements of optical rotation, specific rotation, concentration Polarimeter hardware: 1. 183355 - MCP 5500 MODULAR CIRCULAR POLARIMETER a. Unique LED light source technology for all wavelength in the range from 325 - 880 nm, with averaged life time between 50,000 and 100,000 hours b. High efficient built-in Peltier temperature control from 10-45 °C , temperature accuracy of ±0.03 °C c. Optcal rotation resolution of up to 0.0001° d. High accuracy of <0.0020 °OR over the entire measuring range of +/- 89.9 e. Automatic, wireless identification of the sample cell and quartz control plate by Toolmaster function, patented US 8,908,179 B2 f. Multi-wavelengths option for up to 8 different wavelengths in the UV, VIS and NIR range (optional) g. Built-in camera for sample filling observation by FillingCheck (standard) h. Full compliance to national and international pharmacopöias: (i)21 CFR Part 11, (ii) GMP, GLP, and GAMP 5, and (iii) OIML 2. 104139 - POLARIMETER TUBE, HASTELLOY, 100 mm, TOOLMASTER WL, LÜR, VOL. 0.7 ml 3. 104137 - POLARIMETER TUBE, HASTELLOY, 100 mm, TOOLMASTER WL, LÜR, VOL. 2 ml 4. 108248 - POLARIMETER TUBE, HASTELLOY B3, 50 mm, TOOLMASTER WL, LÜR, VOL. 0.35 ml 5. 104461 - QUARTZ CONTROL PLATE, 50 °Z / 17 °OR, TOOLMASTER WIRELESS 6. 183325 - MW OPTION 3 589+ (KIT 3 UV/VIS/NIR) 7. 186166 - INTERFERENCE FILTER INCL. LED 880 nm 8. 186167 - INTERFERENCE FILTER INCL. LED 405 nm 9. 186164 - INTERFERENCE FILTER INCL. LED 365 nm Anticipated period of performance: One-time delivery to ship within 4 – 8 weeks after receipt of order Requested Response: The intent of this sources sought notice is to define the procurement strategy (e.g. set-aside, sole source, unrestricted) for a solicitation that is intended to be posted soon. Interested contractors are requested to respond by (1) identifying how their proposed product meets or exceeds the project requirements listed above; and (2) providing product literature, white papers, or capability statements that demonstrate their bona fide ability to supply such an item within the time frame described above. In addition, please state your business size status and whether you are the manufacturer or authorized distributor of the item you propose. Please note that NCATS is particularly interested in small business sources. If you are a small business, please state the type of small business (small business; HUBZone; service-disabled, veteran-owned; 8(a); veteran-owned; woman-owned; or small disadvantaged businesses) and your 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. The respondent must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc.), pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. The information submitted must be in an outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirements 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 must include the respondents’ technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. All responses to this notice must be submitted electronically to the Contracting Officer. Facsimile responses are NOT accepted. The response must be submitted to Scott Bredow, Contracting Officer, at e-mail address
[email protected]. The response must be received on or before April 17, 2020 at 3:00pm , 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 at beta.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).