Renewal of Preventative Maintenance Services for Sartorius iQue3 VBR Screener Plus High Throughput Flow Cytometer

PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE **NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

NOI-NIAID-25-2260116

NAICS – 811210

This is a Notice of Intent, not a request for proposal. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) intends to negotiate on an other than full and open competition basis with Sartorius Corporation to procure an annual renewal of preventative maintenance services for the NIAID-owned Sartorius iQue3 VBR Screener Plus High Throughput Flow Cytometer located in Bethesda, MD.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Antibody Biology Unit (ABU) of the Laboratory of Immunogenetics (LIG), in furtherance of its mission to advance knowledge of human B cells and isolation of monoclonal antibodies for therapeutic purposes, requires the iQue Screener Plus high throughput flow cytometer to be operational at all times. It is currently being used to research, identify, and develop potent therapeutic monoclonal antibodies against influenza and other diseases. The iQue Screener Plus is required for screening irreplaceable human clinical patient samples, a necessary step in developing therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. In addition to being an integral part of the monoclonal antibody therapeutics workflow, the iQue Screener Plus was a significant investment; therefore, continuous OEM maintenance and on-call OEM service technicians are imperative to the instrument’s operation. The instrument needs continuous maintenance and OEM parts replacement to keep it operational. As the sole manufacturer of the iQue Screener Plus, Sartorius is the only brand qualified to service the instrument due to its complexity and significant investment. It is an instrument that performs an integral step in the development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies by screening invaluable human clinical patient samples, therefore, it is imperative to have an OEM service technician on call to answer questions and/or come on site to swiftly repair the instrument.

The statutory authority for this sole source requirement is 41 U.S.C. 1901 (a) (1) as implemented by FAR 13.106-1 only one responsible source and no other supply of service will satisfy agency requirements. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. All responsible sources that could provide comparable services may submit a capability statement. All required documents must be submitted via the NIAID electronic Simplified Acquisition Submission System (eSASS) website at https://esass.nih.gov by May 5, 2025 at 5:00 pm ET. All vendors must register in the eSASS system to submit their documentation. Instructions on how to register /submit documents are included on the website. All responses received by the closing date of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.