Notice of Intent to Sole Source: Maintenance Service for two (2) SONY MA900 Cell Sorters

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Center for Cancer Research (CCR) requires preventative maintenance and emergency services for two (2) SONY MA900 Cell Sorters to maintain optimal performance of this equipment. The Office of Acquisitions (OA) plans to procure, on a sole source basis, maintenance services for these specialized cell sorters from: Sony Biotechnology, Inc. (1730 North 1st Street, 2NW San Jose, CA. 95112) The response close date of this notice for this requirement is in accordance with FAR 5.203(a)(1). This acquisition will be processed under FAR Part 12 and will be made pursuant to the authority in FAR 13.106-1(b)(2) and, in accordance with FAR 13.501, is exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 811210 Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance; and the small business size standard is $30 million. This acquisition is to acquire maintenance services for the following Government-owned devices: SONY MA900 Cell Sorter (Serial# 0714074 / Part# LE-MA900FP) SONY MA900 Cell Sorter (Serial# 0714176 / Part# LE-MA900FP) Sony Biotechnology, Inc. is the manufacturer and distributor of the MA900 cell sorter system. The manufacturer does not license third party technicians, and spare or replacement parts for this instrument can only be obtained from the original manufacturer. Thus, no other company or 3rd party provider has trained personnel to work with this complex system or access to any potential required parts that might need replacing over time. In addition, the MA900 has a specialized operating system that only service engineers at Sony Biotechnology, Inc. are authorized to handle. Sony Biotechnology, Inc. owns the proprietary software needed to provide the required support on the cell sorter system. No other vendor has trained personnel to handle the software that works in conjunction with the Sony MA900 Cell Sorter system. In the event a non-authorized contractor tries to repair and damages the cell sorter, the manufacturer will not take responsibility to repair it. Because of the high degree of sensitivity and specificity of the components integrated into the system, as well as the software interfaced with this system, only factory-trained service engineers from Sony Biotechnology, Inc. can perform maintenance and repair on this instrument, as well as obtaining the necessary parts for replacement as needed. This cell sorter systems requires regular maintenance for proper continuous function. Only the manufacturer is capable of providing the maintenance and parts required because Sony does not license third party technicians. Therefore, Sony Biotechnology, Inc. is the only provider that can meet the Governments needs at this time. This notice is not a request for competitive quotation. However, if any interested party, especially small businesses, believes it can meet the above requirement, it may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the agency. The statement of capabilities and any other information furnished must be in writing and must contain material in sufficient detail to allow the NCI to determine if the party can perform the requirement. Responses must be received no later than 12:00PM EST, January 6, 2023. All responses and questions must be in writing and emailed to Lena Lee, Contract Specialist, via electronic mail at lena.lee@nih.gov. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. No collect calls will be accepted. In order to receive an award, Contractors must be registered and have valid, current Entity Record, including current Representations and Certifications, in the System for Award Management (SAM) through SAM.gov. Reference: 75N91023Q00013 on all correspondence. ***Please reference the attached Statement of Work for more details pertaining to the nature of the work to be performed.*** 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 the information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. 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)