BLACKROCK NEUROTECH OMNETICS ARRAY (BRAND NAME OR EQUAL)

Description:

This notice is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items using Simplified Acquisition Procedures. This acquisition will be made in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6 “Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and solicitation for commercial Items,” as applicable, and as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation (a written solicitation will not be issued) and quotes are being requested. The Solicitation number is 75N98B25Q00001 and the solicitation is issued as a Request for Quotes (RFQ).

This acquisition will be awarded under FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP). The solicitation documents and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2021-04 January 19, 2021.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334417, Electronic Connector Manufacturing, with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees. The requirement is being competed as a total small business set-aside.

The National Eye Institute (NEI) has a requirement for a Blackrock Neurotech Omnetics Array (Brand Name or Equal). The vendor shall provide the following item(s) in the quantities specified below.

• Omnetics Array Configuration (x2):
• Wire bundle length: 8 cm
• Electrodes on the X axis: 10
• Electrodes on the Y axis: 10
• Wire bundle exists on: X
• Wire bundle type: standard
• Integrated references: Ref wire should exit wire bundle from the Array edge.
• Length of integrated ref: 1 cm

Background:

The Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research investigates the brain circuits that accomplish higher-order vision, including visual attention, perception, cognition and decision-making. To investigate these visual brain circuits, scientists in the laboratory employ a range of modern techniques, including experiments in non-human primates using MRI-guided multi-contact microelectrode recordings, optogenetics, pharmacologic manipulations, microstimulation, tract tracing, and computational modeling.

These items allow us to make high-channel electrophysiological recordings simultaneously across many sites in the visual cortex and are specifically designed for use in our experimental animals and setups. This order is crucial for replicating existing results obtained from physiological studies of the visual cortex. Failure to obtain these items will prevent the lab from testing the reproducibility of our current findings, and possibly result in the loss of animals that have been prepared for these experimental tests.

General Requirements:

a. Only quotes for the Blackrock Neurotech Omnetics Array (Brand Name or Equal) device are being solicited and will be considered.

b. Vendors must provide their shipping lead time and any applicable delivery costs on their quote.

Provision 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998)

This RFQ incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available.  Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this address:  www.acquisition.gov/far

Provision 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items (Nov 2021) is incorporated by reference.

Provision 52.212-2 Evaluation – Commercial Items (Nov 2021) is incorporated by reference.

The provision 52.212-2 incorporated above is completed as follows.  Quotes received in response to this RFQ will be evaluated using the lowest-priced-technically-acceptable (LPTA) methodology.  To be determined “Technically Acceptable” the offeror must provide the item listed under item 5. above. 

Provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications – Commercial Items (Nov 2021) applies to this acquisition.

Clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items (Nov 2021), applies to this acquisition and no addenda to the clause are included.

Clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Items (Jan 2022), applies to this acquisition.

Clause at 52.204-19 Incorporation by Reference of Representations and Certifications (Dec 2014)

HHSAR 352.222-70, Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (Dec 2015)

Questions are due no later than 3:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, September 9th, 2025.  Send questions via email to Alexander Beraud, alexander.beraud@nih.gov.

Quotes are due no later than 3:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, September 11th, 2025.  Send quotes via email in pdf format to Alexander Beraud, alexander.beraud@nih.gov.

Period of Performance: 09/17/2025 – 09/16/2026.

Place of Performance: NIH, 49 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States. FOB: Destination

By submission of an offer, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation (www.sam.gov).

Copies of the above-referenced provisions and clauses are available from http://www.acquisition.gov & http: //www.hhs.gov/regulation/index.html or, upon request, either by telephone or fax.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED RFQ FOR ALL RELEVANT DETAILS