PARTEK FLOW FLOATING LICENSE SOFTWARE PACKAGE, RENEWAL YEAR BASE WITH 2 OPTIONS

Pre-Solicitation Notice – Notice of Intent to award on a Single Source Basis

Title: Notice of Intent to Award a Single Source Purchase Order for the Renewal of One (1) Floating License for a computational Partek Flow Software Package for Large Scale Statistical Analysis and Data Mining – base year with 2 options.

Notice Number: NOI_PCA-NIAMS-06946

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

Contracting Office: HHS – Office of Mission Acquisition Solutions

Product Service Code (PSC): OC code 6632 / PCS Code 10 (Analysis Instruments, Medical Laboratory Use)

NAICS Code: 513210 (Software Publishers)

Place of Performance: NIH/NIAMS, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 50, Bethesda, MD  20892

Set Aside: Not Applicable (Single Source)

Response Date: 05/26/2026 1:00 PM MST

Description

This is a Notice of Intent to negotiate on a sole source basis for a firm-fixed-price purchase order to Illumina, Inc. 5200 Illumina Way, San Diego, CA  92122-4616

NIH/NIAMS has a requirement for renewal of one (1) Floating License for a computational Partek Flow Software Package for Large Scale Statistical Analysis and Data Mining. The requirement being sought covers a base year plus two (2) subsequent option years.

Base Year: 08/10/2026 – 08/09/2027

Option Year 1: 08/10/2027 – 08/09/2028

Option Year 2: 08/10/2028 – 08/09/2029

Requirement Details:

Partek Flow is an advanced platform for large-scale genomics data analysis. Its Enterprise Edition supports a wide range of applications, including bulk RNA-seq, DNA-seq, ChIP-seq/ATAC-seq, microarray, and metagenomics. Add-on modules for single-cell and spatial data analysis are essential to meet the needs of multiple NIAMS Intramural Research Program (IRP) projects. Notably, recently developed tools for spatial single-cell RNA-seq analysis provide enhanced statistical and exploratory capabilities, significantly expanding the platform’s single-cell omics functionality. These add-ons are a critical complement to the Enterprise Edition and provide substantial value to the Biodata Mining and Discovery Section (BDMS) and other NIAMS IRP researchers.

Justification for Sole Source:

Proprietary Technology:  Partek Inc., now part of Illumina, is the sole developer and distributor of Partek Flow and its associated add-on tools, making it the only source for this software package. Licensing for the Partek Flow Toolkit includes ongoing feature enhancements and implementation of new functionalities throughout the license period. The platform offers advanced computational tools for analyzing complex genomics datasets, including CITE-seq, single-cell gene expression, ATAC-seq, and spatial transcriptomics. These capabilities are essential to the research conducted by BDMS (Biodata Mining and Discovery Section) within the NIAMS Intermural Research Program.

Continuity of Service and Patient Data:  BDMS initially acquired Partek Flow within the past five years to support high-throughput sequencing data analysis and has since integrated it as a core component of its bioinformatics workflows. Its use has enabled efficient processing, integration, and analysis of diverse and complex datasets, significantly enhanced research productivity and supporting reproducible, high-quality results.

Avoidance of Unacceptable Risk and Cost: Continued access to Partek Flow is critical to avoid disruption to ongoing projects and to maintain essential analytical capabilities for BDMS and other NIAMS IRP researchers. The platform is also widely adopted across NIH institutes, including NCI, NIDDK, NIAID, NCATS, and NIEHS, underscoring its reliability and value within the broader research community.

This is a Notice of Intent, not a request for quotation (RFQ). A solicitation document will not be issued, and quotations will not be requested. This notice is not a request for competitive quotes. However, all responsible sources who believe they can meet the requirement as stated herein may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Submission Instructions:

Interested parties must identify their interest and prove their capability to respond to this requirement by the response date. All responses should be submitted electronically to the primary point of contact listed below. The response should include sufficient technical information to allow for a Government review and determination of capability.

Primary Point of Contact:

Dana Monroe

Contract Specialist

Office of Mission Acquisition Solutions (OMAS) 

Office of Acquisitions (OA) | Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources (ASFR)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

dana.monroe@hhs.gov 

12.201-1, Simplified procedures

12.205 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.

41 USC 1901: Simplified acquisition procedures

52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services

17.203 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.