Notice of Intent: MatLabs Renewal Software Licenses for the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), Division of Preclinical Innovation (DPI).

PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE OF INTENT NON-COMPETITIVE

SOLICITATION NUMBER

75N95022Q00096

TITLE

MatLabs Renewal Software Licenses for the National Center for Advancing Translational  Sciences (NCATS), Division of Preclinical Innovation (DPI).

CLASSIFICATION CODE

7B20 - IT AND TELECOM - HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTE (HARDWARE AND PERPETUAL LICENSE SOFTWARE)

NAICS CODE

511210 Software Publishers

RESPONSE DATE

February 8, 2022

PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT

Nick Niefeld

Contract Specialist

nick.niefeld@nih.gov

(301) 827-2094

DESCRIPTION

THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A CONTRACT WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME).

On behalf of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Office of Acquisition (OA) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Mathworks Inc to provide an Annual license to provide MATLAB software open source platform for machine learning to enable highly complex data analysis problems for one 12-month base period and one 12-month option periods.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE and SET ASIDE STATUS

The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 511210 Software Publisher with a Size Standard of $41.5M.

This acquisition is NOT set aside for small businesses, but rather is a sole-source acquisition to MathWorks Inc.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6—Competition Requirements. FAR Subpart 13.106-1 (b) Soliciting from a single source provides that: For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, Contracting Officers may solicit from one source IF the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name OR industrial mobilization).

The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2022-02 dated January 14, 2022.

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

BACKGROUND, PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation’s leading medical research agency and the primary Federal agency whose mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability, conducting, supporting and making medical discoveries that improve people’s health and save lives.

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) is a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which mission it is 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.

Furthermore the Division of Preclinical Innovation (DPI) plans, conducts and uses both internal and contract resources to advance collaborative research projects across the preclinical phases of the translational science spectrum. Specifically, this division:

- Plans, conducts and collaborates on research to develop new methods and technologies to enhance preclinical processes.

- Plans, conducts and collaborates on research to evaluate existing and developing approaches, technologies, and processes in the preclinical spectrum.

- Supports training programs relevant to preclinical phases of translational science.

- Allocates DPI resources to preclinical extramural and intramural investigators.

- Collaborates with other NIH Institutes and Centers and the scientists they support.

- Consults with stakeholders, including patients, industry and regulators.

As such, NCATS is in need of renewal licenses for the MathWorks MATLAB software package, which is used for the scientific analysis of fluorescence microscopy three-dimensional image stack data and Cloud Solutions. 

The MATLAB software package is augmented with the TensorFlow Python-friendly open source library for numerical computation that makes machine learning faster, scalable and easier.

ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The anticipated period of performance is one year from date of award and three option periods:

Base Year: March 1, 2022 through February 28, 2023 (12-months)

Option Year 1: March 1, 2023 through February 28, 2024 (12-months)

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

NCATS

9800 Medical Center Dr

Building B

Rockville, MD 20850

CONTRACT TYPE

A firm-fixed price type contract is planned for this acquisition, consistent with commercial practices.

CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME) DETERMINATION

The determination by the Government to award a contract without providing for full and open competition is based upon the market research conducted. Specifically, MathWorks Inc is the only vendor in the marketplace that can provide the products required by the NCATS.

The essential characteristics of the MATLAB software open source platform for machine learning is to provide upgrades to feature-enhanced future versions of the software product initially licensed, as well as corrective software updates and support as needed. Only this suggested source can furnish the requirements, to the exclusion of other sources.  MathWorks Inc is the only vendor capable of providing the MATLAB software open source platform for machine learning to ensure continuity of science.

Mathworks Inc has performed, under previous purchase order, the supply of software and support used by DPI. To ensure continuity of the database and availability, the software and support must remain exactly the same going forward due to the programs ongoing assays and studies.

The intended source is:

Company Name -                   The MathWorks, Inc.

Company Address -                3 Apple Hill Drive Natick, MA 01760-2098

Point of Contact -                    Tim Mathieu

Contact Phone -                      508-647-7016

Contact Email Address -        tmathieu@mathworks.com

CLOSING STATEMENT

This Notice of Intent to Award on a Sole-Source Basis is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice.

A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement.  

Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. All responses must provide evidence that they can provide the services that meets all of the requirements in this announcement.

All responses must be received by the closing date and time of this announcement and must reference the solicitation number, 75N95022Q00096. Responses must be submitted electronically to Nick Niefeld, Contract Specialist, at nick.niefeld@nih.gov. U.S. Mail and fax responses will not be accepted.