Amendment 1 - 4/10/2024: Replaced Draft SOW attachment with most updated versionIntroductionThis is a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) 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 qualified WOSB sources to perform a potential requirement.BackgroundNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has a unique dual mandate to conduct and support basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases and to respond rapidly to emerging public health threats.The Division of Clinical Research (DCR) is a program within NIAID. The DCR’s mission is to provide multi-disciplinary trans-NIAID services for facilitating clinical research and managing special projects as directed by NIAID leadership. New and expanding Congressional mandates, changing policies and
information technologies, expanding research programs, and NIAID’s leadership role in the global community have resulted in a critical requirement for NIAID to obtain strategic and program planning services.Project SummaryNIAID DCR has a requirement for professional strategy management, financial and program implementation/planning services to support the optimal functioning of the DCR in performing its mission. The required services include assisting DCR in the following areas: program deployment and implementation, strategy management and evaluation, financial management guidance and administration support, operations management support, acquisitions support, and related activities necessary to the conduct of NIAID DCR business. Please see Attachment 1 – Draft Statement of Work (SOW) for project requirements regarding these service areas and their respective deliverables.NIAID seeks a contractor with highly skilled personnel with the following capabilities:Expertise and understanding of multi-faceted budgetsExperience and knowledge base with federal government (policy and standard operating procedures regarding FAR, acquisitions, contract management, budget execution and management, strategy management, etc.)Good communication skills (both verbal and written) with external customers and partners and internal collaborators)Firm understanding of federal government process regarding budget, acquisitions, payroll, financial management services, etc.Experience working in an international or global setting with international partnersAbility to understand program needs and support development of budgets to optimize utilization and alignment of resources to advance program goals.Strong understanding of strategy management and resource alignment processes.NIAID anticipates a single award Labor Hour contract.Anticipated Period of PerformanceBase period: August 21, 2024 – August 20, 2025Option Period 1: August 21, 2025 – August 20, 2026Option Period 2: August 21, 2026 – August 20, 2027Capability Statement/Information SoughtIf your organization has the potential capacity to provide strategic and program planning services which meet the requirements and performance capabilities listed in the draft SOW, please provide the following information:Organization name, address, point of contact, email address, website address, telephone number, UEI numberBusiness size under NAICS 541611. Indicate if your company is designated as a certified WOSB through the WOSB Federal Contract Program
https://wosb.certify.sba.gov/ Tailored capability statement addressing the Draft SOW. Capability document shall be no more than ten (10) pages, not including staff resumes or personnel information.Information regarding: (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects similar in size, type, and complexity as set forth in the draft SOW; (d) examples of current or prior Government contracts, references, and other related information; and (e) corporate experience and management capability.Any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements.If your company customarily provides these services through a contract type other than Labor Hour, please explain.Provide the NAICS under which your company usually provides the requirements described in the draft SOW. Please provide rationale for your answer if different from 541611.Submission InstructionsInterested businesses who consider themselves qualified to provide the above listed products and services are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by April 24, 2024, at 3:00 PM EST. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice shall be emailed to
seth.schaffer@nih.gov.Disclaimer and Important NotesThis 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 pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.ConfidentialityNo 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).