CELL BANK VIALING AUTOMATION INSTRUMENT

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. THIS IS NOT A FORMAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) OR REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ) AND DOES NOT COMMIT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY (NIST) TO AWARD A CONTRACT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE The purpose of this notice is to assist the government in determining if there are any domestic sources manufacturing/producing a cell bank vialing automation instrument. NIST does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this notice or otherwise pay for information requested.

No entitlement or payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by NIST will arise as a result of the submission of responses to this notice and NIST’s use of such information. There will be no question-and-answer period associated with this Sources Sought Notice.

NIST is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large and small businesses, capable of providing a domestically manufactured cell bank vialing automation instrument that can rapidly fill hundreds of automation-compatible 1 to 2 mL cryovials while operating within a government owned general purpose biological safety cabinet (BSC), defined here as: • Class II, type A2 BSC • Max. sash opening of 24” or less for instrument placement • Max. interior workspace load capacity of 175 lbs. or less • Max. interior workspace usable dimensions o 54” or less width (perpendicular to operator) o 24” or less depth o 30” or less height Cell Bank Vialing Automation Instrument Technical Specifications: • The instrument shall be new and not refurbished • The instrument shall be compatible with 110V/60 Hz electrical supply • The instrument shall be configured as a 48-way filling system dispensing to six (6) vials simultaneously and accepting 1.4 to 2.0 mL nom. volume cryovials in pre-formatted 48-vial racks • The instrument shall dispense in settable volumes in the range of at least 0.5 mL to 2.0 mL and with settable increments of 0.005 mL or less and with per vial dispense accuracy of at least 0.1 mL • The instrument shall complete one 48-vial filling cycle, defined as rack loading, decapping, dispensing, recapping, and all necessary motion with 3 minutes or less • The instrument shall be supplied with o One (1) reusable, steam sterilizable, large dispensing reservoir having a usable volume of at least 750 mL o One (1) reusable, steam sterilizable, small dispensing reservoir having a usable volume of at least 250 mL o One (1) reusable, stem sterilizable priming vessel allowing simultaneous priming of all six (6) filling channels o One (1) mini-stacker trolley or other instrument-specific device(s) for end-user transfer of the instrument into and out of the BSC o All pump tube sets and OEM instrument specific startup consumables o Electronic or hardcopy format of operation and maintenance manual o 1-yr. warranty The small business size standard for the applicable NAICS code of 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing) is 1,000 employees. In order for an interested responsible source to clearly convey their capability to fulfill the above-identified need, they MUST SUBMIT the following information:

1. Company name, address, unique entity ID (UEI), CAGE Code, Point of Contact (PoC) information.

2. Brief narrative providing evidence of the ability to provide a domestically manufactured cell bank vialing automation instrument.

3. Description of the company’s previous experience providing domestically manufactured cell bank vialing automation instruments.

4. If the company is not the manufacturer, provide information of the company’s size status as an authorized reseller of the intended end product.

5. Description of the performance capabilities of the end product being recommended to meet the Government’s requirement.

6. Any published pricing 7. Discussion of the company’s standard terms and conditions for the instrument being recommended, that may include typical delivery time, FoB shipping terms, warranty terms, extended warranty service, routine set-up and testing protocols, installation, and training. 8. Current socioeconomic status of your company including applicable North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes.

9. An indication of whether your company currently has active registration, including completed on-line representations and certifications (FAR Report), at the System for Award Management (www.sam.gov) website.

10. Indication of whether the instrument described in this Notice is currently available via a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract, a Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), or other Governmentwide contract vehicle, and if so the applicable contract number(s) 11. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider. 12. Is more than 60% of the cell bank vialing automation instrument manufactured domestically? If not, where is the instrument manufactured?

No telephone requests will be honored. All information provided will become property of NIST and will not be returned. The synopsis is for informational purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. This is not a solicitation for proposals and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement and any follow-up information requests.

Respondents will not be notified of the results of the Government’s assessment of their submittal for this Notice but may be contacted for additional information. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate.

Any organization responding to this Sources Sought Notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s ability to provide domestically manufactured microwave digestion systems and filling stations. 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.

Any proprietary, classified, or sensitive information should be presented as an addendum to the non-restricted/non-proprietary information. All information requested above must be submitted via e-mail to randy.schroyer@nist.gov. Responses must be submitted not later than the response date for this Sources Sought Notice. Responses shall be limited to 10 pages, excluding any attachments.