PB2003-101237 

1l lliillll l~llI lll lmm 

A GUIDE TO 

CONDUCTING BUSINESS 

WITH THE 

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 

SMALL BUSINESS OFFICE 

VISION 

The Nationallnstitutes of Health (NlH) Small Business Program's vision is to champion small business 

interests and opportunities within Federal government contracting. Strategies and efforts to promote such 

interests and opportunities include: 

Strategic Activities - planning, developing, and implementing Nlli.-wide socioeconomic 

program policies, procedures and practices; 

Organizational Guidance - advising the NIH staff and providing leadership and direction 

for the Nlli. socioeconomic program activities; 

Oversight Activities - maintaining continual reviews and evaluations of small business 

activity within the acquisition operations at the Nlli. Institutes and centers to ensure compliance with Federal, DHHS and the Nlli. acquisition regulations, directives and manuals; 

Outreach Activities - planning and conducting seminars, training and counsel for the Nlli. 

program and contracting personnel as well as for the business community; 

Maintaining Vender Resource Information -for small and large businesses, as well as, 

educational and non-profit organizations, etc., through e-Portals in Commerce (e-PIC), a 

Web-based source bbrary. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Executive Summary ........................................................................................ ii 

Introduction .................................................................................................... v 

Mission .......................................................................................................... 1 

Facts .............................................................................................................. 3 

The NIH Director ........................................................................................... 5 

Organization Chart .......................................................................................... 7 

Institutes and Centers ...................................................................................... 9 

Lectures, Tours and Exhibits ........................................................................... 17 

What the NIH Buys ........................................................................................ 19 

Small Business Program .................................................................................. 25 

Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Programs .......... 31 

Acquisition Program ....................................................................................... 35 

Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations Division of Logistics Services ..... 45 

Simplified Acquisitions .................................................................................... 47 

Electronic Commerce ..................................................................................... 57 

Contracting via the Internet ............................................................................. 59 

Electronic Payments ....................................................................................... 61 

Marketing at the NIH ..................................................................................... 63 

APPENDICES 

Appendix Subject 

A ........................................................ Offices of Public Liaison 

B ........................................................ Small Business Offices 

C ........................................................ SBIRISTTR Office 

D ........................................................ Contracting Offices 

E ....................................................... Competitive Service Centers 

F ....................................................... Senior Contracting Officers 

G ........................................................ Simplified Acquisition Contacts 

H ........................................................ Other Resources 

I ......................................................... Telephone and Service Directory 

J ......................................................... Acronyms 

K ....................................................... Map of NIH 
PROTECTED UNDER INTERNA TlONAL COPYRIGHT 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

REPRODUCED BY: Nl1$, U.S. Department of Commerce 

National Technical Information Service 

Spnngfield, Virginia 22161 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

It is the declared policy of the Federal Government to prxovide maximum practicable opportunities 

in its S200 billion acquisition program to small business owned by the disadvantaged. women. 

veterans. service-disabled veterans. and Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) 

concerns which are entities geographically located in economically distressed areas across the 

U.S. This important public policy is embraced by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and 

implemented through its own acquisition program. 

The NIH Small Business Office (SBO) is charged with advocating the interests of small business 

at the agency and directs an agency-wide program engaged in a variety of activities to meet 

Federal socioeconomic objectives. The NIH Small Business Program is designed to advocate the 

interests of small business at the agency as well as motivate and encourage contracting 

opportunities. both prime and subcontract. for those concerns. The SBO engages in a variety of 

business liaison efforts. including acquisition operations monitoring and support. training and 

other outreach activities. counseling and assistance. all of which are intended to ensure that small 

businesses are afforded a fair share of business opportunities at the NIH as well as to ensure that 

small businesses serve as strategic partners to the NIH as it crosses new frontiers of science and 

medicine. 

The SBO services are essentially delivered by Small Business Specialists to the twenty-seven 

NIH Institutes and Centers. Management of the program is delegated to Small Business 

Specialists appointed by the Head of the Agency. also referred to as Operating Division. Small 

Business Specialists are principal advisors to the agency for all small business matters and are 

responsible for planning and directing the operational small business program. 

NIH Small Business-Related Acquisition Programs under the NIH Office of the Director 

The NIH offers two small business support programs to cover the wide spectrum of contract and 

grant activities at the agency. Those programs are the Small Business Acquisition or Contracts 

Program and the Small Business Innoyation Research and Technology Transfer Programs. 

The Small Business Program is designed to maximize acquisition opportunities for small 

business. Descriptions of the cohorts are as follows: 

• The small business set-aside is a mechanism by which acquisitions (contracts and 

purchases) are resened for the exclusive participation of small business concerns. 

• The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small business set-aside is a 

mechanism by which acquisitions are reserved for exclusive participation by small firms 

located in HUB Zone-designated geographic areas that have been targeted for economic 

stimulation. 

• The very small business set-aside program is a pilot program for targeted geographic 

areas enabling very small entities to experience set-aside preferences in competition. 

• The small disadvantage business (SBD) preference program utilizes various procurement 

mechanisms to afford "bidding" or "evaluation" preferences and/or adjustments for SBD 

firms. certified by the Small Business Administration. 

Small business as used throughout this guide is intended to include small disadvantaged businesses. small 

woman-owned businesses. small veteran and service-disabled veteran-O\vned businesses and those small 

businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones rHUBZone). 

11 
• The Federal woman, veteran, and service-disabled veteran-owned small business programs 

mandate contract goaling at the prime and subcontract level to support Federal socioeconomic 

initiatives targeting these types of businesses. 

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Technology Transfer Programs (STTR) are designed 

to support, through contracts and grants, commercialization of subject research projects (SBIR) and to 

facilitate cooperative research and development-with potential for commercialization between small 

business concerns and U.S. non-profit research institutions (STTR). 

Small business program activities are generally carried out through acquisitions (contracts) and or grants. 

Contracts, cooperative agreements and grants are methods by which the NIH supports or acquires scientific investigations and developmental efforts performed by other organizations as well as serving as the 

means to acquire everything from paper clips, construction, complex products and services necessary to 

agency operations. A contract is a legal instrument that is used to reflect a relationship between the 

Federal Government and recipient whenever the principal purpose of the transaction is to acquire goods or 

services for the direct benefit or use of the Government. Grants and cooperative agreements are financial 

assistance mechanisms whereby money and/or direct assistance is provided to carry out approved activities-grants anticipate no substantial programmatic involvement, where cooperative agreements anticipate 

significant programmatic involvement. Comprehensive information about the NIH Grants and Funding 

Opportunities are posted at http://grantsl.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm . 

Methods of Contracting 

There are two basic methods of contracting utilized throughout the Government, sealed bidding and negotiation. Negotiation is a procedure that includes the receipt of proposals from offerors, permits discussion, 

and usually affords offerors an opportunity to revise their offers before award of a contract. Sealed 

bidding procedures are used whenever the supplies or services required can be described in precise terms. 

Sealed bidding procedures are more appropriate for the acquisition of construction and standard commercial goods and services. 

The acquisition program includes activities under the Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations, the 

Division of Logistics Services (DLS) which is responsible for providing the NIH Community with a variety 

of stock items to include laboratory, chemical and administrative items at discounted prices. 

Simplified Acquisition Categories include: micro purchases, simplified acquisitions, and commercial items. 

Micro Purchases are for acquiring goods and services not exceeding $2,500, exempt from the Buy American Act, and not set-aside for small businesses. Simplified Acquisitions involve purchases between $2,500 

and $100,000. These acquisitions are reserved for small businesses and purchasing agents are usually 

required to solicit a reasonable number of sources to promote competition. Commercial item acquisitions 

allow for procurement of supplies and services up to $5,000,000, using simplified instead of complex 

acquisition procedures. 

Various categories of Simplified Acquisitions are accomplished through a variety of vehicles, to include the 

General Service Administration Schedule Contract Program and the NIH Blanket Purchase Agreements 

(BPA). These types of contract vehicles are available to Federal agencies for placing delivery orders 

against the scheduled program and purchase orders against the BPA for products and services. These are 

agreements between the Government and a vendor to provide supplies and/or services to the Government 

usually at negotiated prices and discounts. 

III 
Other Government initiatives for acquisitions include the Electronic CommercelElectronic Data Interchange (ECIEDI) Systems and purchasing through the Internet. The ECIEDI initiative was intended to 

decrease turnaround time, cost of processing orders, and the cost of procured goods and services, while 

increasing opportunities for small and minority businesses to compete in the Federal marketplace. The 

Internet serves the Government as the new digital business platform for the global marketplace. 

NIH Marketing 

Knowing your customer and product/service market potential is critical to implementing a tailored marketing plan and strategy at the NIH. Business owners interested in reaching the NIH customer need to 

understand the cultural environment of the agency as well as what considerations motivate their buying: 

product/service, scientific and technical merit, price, business reputation and experience. There are 

numerous ways to gather information about the NIH customer. The NIH Web site http://www.nih.gov 

contains a vast amount of information and links to an array of other Web sites. 

Small Business Office Monthly Seminar 

The NIH SBO sponsors and delivers a monthly seminar, "Conducting Business with the NIH." The 

seminar provides a half-day comprehensive overview of the agency and its mission objectives, supporting 

acquisition and small business programs, as well as prime and subcontracting business opportunities. 

More information can be obtained at http://sbo.od.nih.gov . 

Points of Contact 

National Institutes of Health 

Small Business Office 

6100 Executive Boulevard 

Room 6D05, MSC 7540 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7540 

Telephone: 301.496.9639 

Fax: 301.480.2506 

E-mail: sbmail@od.nih.gov 

Web site: http://sbo.od.nih.gov 

IV 

INTRODUCTION 

One of the primary objectives and policies of the NIH is to stimulate competition in the acqujsition arena to 

the fullest extent consistent with quality, efficiency, and economy. The NIH's policy also provides that small, 

disadvantaged, woman, Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone), veteran and serviceclisabled veteran-owned concerns receive a farr and equitable share of prime and subcontract dollars 

awarded by the agency and its major prime contractors. Through its partnerships with industry, the NIH 

strives for scientific progress in health research and preventive health care. 

This publication has been prepared to acquaint indjviduals and businesses with the mission of the NIH as 

well as its acqujsition and small business programs. Further, it js intended to assist individuals and businesses develop a better understandjng of the NIH as a potential client and navigate the acquisition arena to 

cliscover business opportunhies. 

v 

MISSION 

Founded in 1887, the NIH today is one of the world's foremost medical research centers, and the Federal 

focal point for medical research in the U.S. The NIH, comprised of27 separate institutes and centers, is 

one of the health agencies under the Public Health Service which, in tum, is part of the U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services. 

Simply described, the goal of the Nllf research is to acquire new knowledge to help prevent, detect, 

diagnose, and treat disease and disability, from the rarest genetic disorder to the common cold. The NIH's 

mission is to discover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. Nllf works toward that 

mission by: conducting research in its own laboratories; supporting the research of non-Federal scientists in 

universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad; helping 

in the training of research investigators; and fostering communication of medical and health sciences information. For additional information, visithltJl://www.nih.gov. 

FACTS 

The National Institutes of Health 

is one of the Operating Divisions (OPDIV) in the U.S. Department of 

Health & Human Services. 

is composed of 27 separate institutes and centers. 

has more than 7S buildings on a 322 - acre campus in Bethesda, Maryland, has a satellite campus in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, 

and laboratories at various locations throughout the U.S. 

3 
has approximately 18,000 of its own employees and numerous contractor employees. 

has a budget which has grown from about $300 in 1887 to $23.1 billion 

in 2002. 

, invests more than 81 percent of the tax dollars entrusted to it through 

grants and contracts supporting research and training in more than 

1,700 research institutions throughout the U.S. and abroad. These 

grants and contracts comprise the NIH Extramural Research Program. 

invests approximately 11 percent of its budget to Intramural Research 

Programs, more than 2,000 projects conducted mainly in its own laboratories. 

allocates 8 percent of the budget for both intramural and extramural 

research support costs. 

4 
The NIH Director 

Dr. Elias Adam Zerhouni 

Elias Adam Zerhouni, M.D., was named the new Director of the NIH on May 20, 2002. Dr. Zerhouni is a 

well-respected leader in the field of radiology and medicine. He brings impressive clinical, scientific and 

administrative experience to his new role at the $23 billion Federal agency. 

Dr. Zerhouni was most recently executive vice dean of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, chair 

of the Russell H. Morgan department of radiology and radiological science, and Martin Donner professor of 

radiology and professor of biomedical engineering. Before that, he was vice dean for research at Johns 

Hopkins. Since 2000, he has been a member of the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine. 

He has served on the National Cancer Institute's board of scientific advisors since 1998. In 1988, he was a 

consultant to the World Health Organization, and in 1985 he was a consultant to the White House under 

President Ronald Reagan. 

During his tenure at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Zerhouni developed a comprehensive strategic plan for research 

and helped reorganize the school's academic leadership. He also led efforts to restructure the school of 

medicine's clinical practice association. Working with elected officials, Dr. Zerhouni planned a major 

biotechnology research park and urban revitalization project near the Johns Hopkins medical campus. He 

also helped obtain for Johns Hopkins researchers such resources as the University's first microarray core 

facility, a center on informatics. Recently, he led a successful effort to establish the Institute for Cell engineering at Johns Hopkins, to take advantage of the emerging fields of proteomics and stem cell research. 

Before leaving Johns Hopkins, Dr. Zerhouni was a principal investigator on three NIH grants and coinvestigator on two others. He has authored or co-authored 157 publications and 11 book chapters. He 

also holds, singularly and jointly, a total of eight patents. His research accomplishments include developing 

computed tomography densitometry techniques that can determine whether nodules found on the lung are 

benign or malignant. He developed a method of high resolution CT for both anatomic and physiologic 

studies on the lungs. He also pioneered a way of assessing heart function via magnetic resonance imaging 

(MRI). As Chair of Radiology at Johns Hopkins, he established with community radiologists a company 

specializing in the delivery of outpatients, high-tech imaging services that subsequently was acquired by the 

American Radiology Services Corporation. Another company he helped establish, Surgi-Visio, Inc., has 

licensed novel, image-guided clinical technology from his laboratories. While at Johns Hopkins he also 

engaged in a collaborative effort with General Electronic to develop innovative high-speed MRI technology. 

Dr. Zerhouni was born in Nedroma, Algeria, one of eight children. He came to the United States at age 24, 

having earned his medical degree at the University of Algiers School of Medicine in 1975. He completed 

his residency in diagnostics radiology at Johns Hopkins in 1978 as chief resident. He was made assistant 

professor there in 1979 and associate professor in 1985. Between 1981 and 1985 he worked in the 

department of radiology at Eastern Virginia Medical School and its affiliated DePaul Hospital. Dr. Zerhouni 

was appointed full professor in 1992 and then became chairman of the radiology department in January 

1996. He became a naturalized United States citizen in 1990. 

5 

--.J 

National Institutes of Health 

Office of the Director Program Offices: 

Office of Research on Women's Health 

Office of A illS Rese'lfch r-- Immediate Office ofthl' Director J---

Office of the lJirecttlr Staff 

()ffil'C ()f Extramural Rc:-.carch 

Office of Intramural Research 

( )fficc or Management 

()flit:c of Sl'iCIKT Policy 

Office of Budget 

()ITi<:c of ('ommunications an

Office of Behavioral and Social Scicllcc~ H.cscan:h Office of Equal Opportunity 

Office of Program Coordinati

Office of Disea~c Prevention 

I 

National Cancer 

Institute 

J 

National In:>.titllte of 

HitHncdical Imaging and 

Bioengineering 

I 

National Institute 

of Mental Health 

I 

National Eye 

Institute 

I 

National Institute oj Child 

lIealth and lIuman 

I)cvelopment 

I 

National Institute of 

Neurological Disorder ... 

and Stroke 

I 

National Heart. Lung. 

and Blood Institute 

I 

National In~titlJte 011 

Deafness and Other 

Communication 

Disorders 

I 

National Institute of 

Nur:>.ing Research 

I 

National 11uman 

(rCllmllC Kcscan:h 

Institute 

I 

National Institute of 

I )ental and ('raniof;u..'ial 

Research 

I 

National Lihrary of 

Medicine 

I 

National Institute Oil 

Aging 

I 

National Institute of 

Diahcte:>. and Digestivc 

and Kidney Disea,es 

I 

John E. Fogarty 

Illternati(lIlal ('enter It)r 

Advanced Study in the 

Health Science, 

~ 

Office of Legislative Poliq 

(Hike of ('ol1llllunily l.iaisoll 

Executive ()fficc 

()fficc ()f the ()Illhudsman/('tr

I 

National Institute on 

Alcohol Ahuse and 

Alcoholism 

I 

National Institute 

on Drug Ahuse 

I 

National Center for 

( 'ompleTllcntary and 

Alternative Medicine 

Natio

Aller

Disea

Natio

Envir

Scien

Natio

Mino

I Iealt

Clinical Center ('enter for Infonnation 

Technoit)gy 

Center it)r Scientific 

Review 

INSTITUTES AND CENTERS 

The following summarizes the missions of the twenty-seven (27) NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs): 

Office of the Director ~ 

"'_<S" 

The Office of the Director (OD) is the central office at NIH for its 27 rcs. The OD is responsible for 

setting policy for NIH and for planning, managing, and coordinating the programs and activities of all the 

NIH components. OD's program offices include the Office of AIDS Research and the Office ofResearch on Women's Health, among others. For additional information, visit 

http://www.nih.gov/icdlod . 

National Cancer Institute ~ ~ 

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) leads a national effort to reduce the burden of cancer morbidity 

and mortality. Its goal is to stimulate and support scientific discovery and its application to achieve a 

future when all cancers are uncommon and easily treated. Through basic and clinical biomedical research and training, NCI conducts and SUpp0l1S programs to understand the causes of cancer; prevent, 

detect, diagnose, treat, and control cancer; and disseminate information to the practitioner, patient, and 

public. For additional information, visit hnp://www.nci.nih.gov/. 

National Eye Institute CI:) 

The National Eye Institute (NEI) conducts and supports research that helps prevent and treat eye 

diseases and other disorders of vision. This research leads to sigbt-saving treatments, reduces visual 

impairment and blindness, and improves the quality oflife for people of all ages. NEI supported research has advanced our knowledge of how the eye functions in health and disease. 

For additional information, visit hnp://www.nei.nih.gov/. 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) provides leadership for a national program in 

diseases of the heart, blood vessels,lung, and blood; blood resources; and sleep disorders. Since 

October 1997, the NHLB I has also had administrative responsibility for the NIH Woman's Health 

Initiative. The Institute plans, conducts, fosters, and supports an integrated and coordinated program of 

basic research, clinical investigations and trials, observational studies, and demonstration and education 

projects. For additional information, visitht1;p://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/index.htm. 

9 
National Human Genome Research Institute A 

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) supports the NIH component of the Human 

Genome Project, a worldwide research effon designed to analyze the Sllucture of human DNA and determine the location of the estimated 30.000 to 40.000 human genes. The NHGRI Intramural Research 

Program develops and implements technology for understanding. diagnosing, and u'eating genetic diseases. 

For additional infonnation. visit http://www.nh~ri.nih.~ov/ . 

National Institute on Aging ..... 

The National Institute on Aging (NLA) leads a national program of research on the biomedical, social, and 

behavioral aspects of the aging process: the prevention of age-related diseases and disabilities; and the 

promotion of a better quality oflife for all older Americans. For additional infonnation, visit 

http ://www nia.nih.~m / . 

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism N IAAA 

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NlAAA) conducts resem'ch focused on improving 

the u'eatment mld prevention of alcoholism and alcohol-related problems to reduce the enormous health, 

social. and economic consequences of this disease. For additional infomlation, visit 

http://w\\.niaaa.nih.gov/ . 

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 

The National Institute of Allergy and I.nfectious Diseases (NlAlD) research sUives to understand, treat, and 

ultimately prevent the myriad infectious. immunologic, and aUergic diseases that threaten millions of human 

lives. For additional infonnation, visit http://www.niaid.nih.gov/defaull.htlll . 

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases 1....\ 

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NlAMS) suppons research into 

the causes, u'eatment, and prevention of rulhritis and Illusculoskeletal and skin diseases. the training of basic 

and clinical scientists to carry out this resem·ch. and the dissemination of infonnation on research progress in 

these diseases. For additional infomlation, visit http://www.niams.nih.gm/ . 

JO 
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering 

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineeling (NIBm) improves health by promoting fundamental discovelies, design and development, and translation and assessment of technological capabilities in 

biomedical imaging and bioengineeling, enabled by relevant areas of information science, physics, chemistry, 

mathematics, matelials science, and computer sciences. For additional infonnation, visit 

bttp://www.nibib.nih.gov/ . 

• 

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development IiiThe National Institute ofCbild Health and Human Development (NICHO) research on fertility, pregnancy, 

growth, development, and medical rehabilitation stlives to ensure that every child is born healthy and wanted 

and grows up free from disease and disability. For additional information, visit bttp://www.nichd.nih.gov/ . 

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders tt, )~ 

The National Institutes on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NlDCD) conducts and supports 

biomedical research and research training on normal mechanisms as well as diseases and disorders of 

hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language that affect 46 million Amelicans. For additional 

information, visit ht1;p://www.nidcd.nih.gov/ . 

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research tt> 

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NlDCR) provides leadership for a national 

research program designed to understand, treat, and ultimately prevent the infectious and inherited craniofacial-oral-dental diseases and disorders that compromise millions of human lives. For additional information, 

visit httl'://www.nidr.nih.gov/ . 

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (y) 

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) conducts and supports 

basic and applied research and provides leadership for a national program in diabetes, endocrinology, and 

metabolic diseases; digestive diseases and nutlition; and kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases. Several of these diseases are among the leading causes of disability and death; all seriously affect the quality of 

life of those who have them. For additional information, visit hqp://www.niddk.nih.gov/ . 

11 
National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA 

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) leads the nation in bringing the power of science to bear 

on drug abuse and addiction through suppon and conduct of research across a broad range of disciplines and rapid and effective dissemination of results of that research to improve drug abuse and addiction prevention, treatment, and policy. For additional information, visit hltp://www.nida.nih.gov/ . 

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 

.A 

. 

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NTEHS).located in Research Triangle Park, 

NOM Carolina, reduces the burden of human illness and dysfunction from environmental causes by, 

defining how environmental exposures. genetic susceptibility, and age interact to affect an individual's 

health. For additional information, visit http://www.niehs.nih.gov/. 

National Institute of General Medical Sciences G 

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) suppons basic biomedical research that is 

not targeted to specific diseases. NIGMS funds studies on genes, proteins, and cells, as well as on 

fundamental processes like communication within and between cells, how our bodies use energy, and 

how we respond to medicines. The results of this research increase our understanding of life and lay the 

foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. For additional infonnation, visit 

hllp://www.nigms.nih.gov/. 

National Institute of Mental Health NI~ II 

Na"Q03i loslilule 01 Menial Healt" 

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) provides national leadership dedicated to understanding, treating, and preventing mental illnesses through basic research on the brain and behavior. and 

through clinical, epidemiological, and services research. For additional infonnation, visit http:// 

www.nilllh.nih.gov/ . 

v 

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (/ 

~---

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) suppons and conducts research, 

both basic and clinical, on the nomml and diseased nervous system, fosters the training of investigators in 

the basic and clinical neurosciences, and seeks better understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of neurological disorders. For additional infomlation, visit http://www.ninds.nih.gov/ . 

12 
National Institute of Nursing Research ~· ~i~r.~'lr 

The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) supports clinical and basic research to establish a 

scientific basis for the care of individuals across the life span--from the management of patients during 

iUness and recovery to the reduction of risks for disease and disability; the promotion of healthy 

lifestyles; the promotion of quality of life in those with chronic illness; and the care for individuals at the 

end of life. This research may also include families within a community context, and it also focuses on 

the special needs of at-risk and under-served populations, with an emphasis on health disparities. For 

additional information, visitht1;p://www.nih.gov/ninr/ . 

National Library of Medicine 

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) collects, organizes, and makes available biomedical science 

information to investigators, educators, and practitioners and carries out programs designed to 

strengthen medical library services in the United States. Its electronic databases, including MEDLINE 

and MEDLINEplus are used extensively throughout the world by both health professionals and the 

pUblic. For additional information, visit ht1;p://www.nlm.nih.gov/ . 

Center for Information Technology ~ 

The Center for Wormation Technology (CIT) incorporates the power of modem computers into the 

biomedical programs and administrative procedures of the Nlli by focusing on three primary activities: 

conducting computational biosciences research, developing computer systems, and providing computer facilities. For additional information, visithttp://www.cit.nih.gov/. 

Center for Scientific Review CSR <. , - ... - ... -

The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) is the focal point at the Nlli for the conduct of initial peer 

review and the foundation of the Nlli grant and award process. The Center carries out peer review 

of the majority of research and research training applications submitted to the Nlli. In addition, the 

Center serves as the central receipt point for all such Public Health Service (PHS) applications and 

makes referrals to scientific review groups for scientific and technical merit review of applications and 

to funding components for potential award. To this end, the Center develops and implements innovative and flexible ways to conduct referral and review for aU aspects of science. For additional information, visitht1;p://www.csr.nih.gov/ . 

13 
John E. Fogarty International Center for Advanced Study in the Health . ' 

Sciences 

The John E. Fogalty International Center for Advanced Study in the Health Sciences (FIC) promotes 

and SUPPOl1S scientific research and training internationally to reduce disparities in global health. For 

additional infOimation, visit http://www.nih.gov/fic/ . 

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine NlAM 

The National Center for Complemental'y alld Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is dedicated to exploring complementary alld alternative medical (CAM) practices in the context of rigorous science; 

training CAM reseal'chers and disseminating authoritative infornlation. For additional infonnation, visit 

hnp://www.nccaln.nih.gov/ , 

0 , 

National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities 

The National Center on Minority Health and Health Dispalities (NCMHD) promotes minority health 

and leads, coordinates, SUPPOl1S, and assesses theNrH effol1 to reduce and ultimately eliminate health 

dispaI'ities. In this effort NCMHD conducts and SUPPOl1S basic, clinical, social, and behavioral 

research, promotes reseal'ch infrastructure and training, fosters emerging progralns, disseminates 

infollllation, and reaches out to minority and other health disparity communities. For additional 

infonnation, visit hm>://www.ncmhd,nih.gov/ , 

National Center for Research Resources . 

The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) serves as a "catalyst for discovery" by creating 

and providing critical reseal'ch technologies and shal'ed resources. This infras!llIcture underpins 

biomedical research and enables advances that improve the health of our Nation 's citizens. NCRR's 

support is concentrated in four areas: biomedical technology, clinical reseal'ch, compal,ative medicine. 

and research infrastructure. For additional infollnation, visit http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/ . 

14 
Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center qQ 

The Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center (CC) is the clinical research facility of the Nationallnstitutes 

of Health. As a national resource, it provides the patient care, services, and environment needed to 

initiate and support the highest quality of conduct and training in clinical research. For additional infonnation, visit ht1;p://www.cc.nih.gov/ . 

Field Units 

Gerontology Research Center, the National Institute on Aging ...... 

Baltimore, Maryland 

Located on the grounds of the Francis Scott Key Medical Center, at Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, 

GRC's laboratories emphasize investigation of the basic biological mechanisms of aging description and 

interpretation of age changes in the various organ systems of human beings and characterization and 

explanation of overall changes in performance and behavior which accompany the aging process. Its 

programs encompass a longitudinal study of some I, I 00 healthy men and women, ranging in age from the 

twenties to the nineties. These volunteers come to Baltimore every 2 years for 2 V2 days of testing to 

measure individual age changes. For additional information, visit ht1;p://www.nia.nih.gov/ . 

Rocky Mountain Laboratories, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease ~T~ Hamilton, Montana ,.. .. 

The Rocky Mountain Laboratory remains a center for the study of medically important tick-borne diseases and diseases transmissible from animals to man. Scientists in these laboratories conduct studies on 

the natural history and epidemiology of sexually transmitted bacterial diseases, slow virus diseases, 

rickettsial diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. For additional information, 

visitht1;p://www.niaid.nih.gov/ . 

NIH Animal Center, the National Center for Research Resources .~ 

Poolesville, Maryland ~)) 

The Veterinary Resources Program operates a specialized laboratory animal center situated on 513 acres 

offarrnland located 8 miles southwest of Poolesville, Maryland, near the Potomac River. For additional 

information, visitht1;p://www.ncrr.nih.gov/ . 

15 

LECTURES, TOURS AND EXHIBITS 

Lectures 

The NIH Lecture series was established to facilitate interchange of information and to give appropriate 

recognition for outstanding scientific accomplishment. Since January 1953, the various ICs as well as the 

Office of the Director have sponsored lectures. The series has been planned to recur each year, with the 

lectures published and distributed to scientific libraries, universities, medical schools, and other appropriate 

depositories. Lectures are open to the scientific staff at the NIH and at other medical, teaching, and research institutions. As part of the NIH Lecture series, an annual G Burroughs Mider Lectureship Award 

was established in 1968 in honor of the first NIH director of laboratories and clinics, to be presented by a 

member of the NIH intramural staff in "recognition and appreciation of outstanding contributions to biomedical research." For the schedule oflectures, visithttp://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/mfp/series.htrnl. For details on 

specific topics and speakers, please call 30 1.496.2563 or contact, via e-mail, occc@cc.nih.gov . 

Tours 

The Nm Visitor Information Center conducts a tour for the public every Monday, Wednesday, and 

Friday (except holidays) beginning at 11:00 a.m. The tour starts in the Little Theater, which is located on the 

B 1 level of the Clinical Center (Building 10). The tour includes a videotape introduction to the NIH, an 

overview of the NIH organizations and programs, and a walking tour through the Warren Grant Magnuson 

Clinical Center. In addition to English, the NIH videotape is available in eight languages: Chinese, French 

German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish. Reservations are not necessary. For more 

information, call or visit the NIH Visitor Information Center at 301.496.1776. 

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) tour is on Monday through Friday at 1:00 p.m. The tour 

starts at the Lister Hill Center for Biomedical Research Visitors Center. The Lister Hill Center is the tall 

building next to the National Library of Medicine. For more information, call the NLM Main Reading 

Room at 301.594.5983 or the Office of Public Information at 301.496.6308. 

The tour of the Children's Inn at the NIH is the second Wednesday of every month from 11 :30 a.m. to 

1 :00 p.m. For more information, call the Children's Inn at 301.496.5672. 

The NIH Clinical Center Library has a tour every Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. The Library Tour starts at 

the Information Desk, which is located in the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, Building 10. For 

more information, call the Library at 301.496.1156. 

Exhibits 

The Dewitt Stetten Jr. Museum of Medical Research at the NIH collects and houses exhibits in the 

halls of the first floor of the Clinical Center and on the first and sixth floors of Building 31. For additional 

information, call the Museum Office, Building 31, Room 2B09, 301.496.6610. 

17 

WHAT THE NIH BUYS! 

Information Technology (IT) 

PRODUCTS/SERVICES 

Includes database 

management, data 

entry services, 

training, software development, 

maintenance, systems analysis, keypunch . serVIces, 

19 

information retrieval 

services and requirement analysis. 
tBIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND 

DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT 

Includes clinical trials, pharmacological 

studies, clinical centers, and environmental 

research. 

20 

-'" f I 
CONSTRUCTION SERVICES 

Includes activities such as architectural and engineering services; construction of dwellings, office buildings, laboratories and medical facilities; renovation and alteration of facilities; and special trade contractor . serVIces. 

MANAGEMENT CONSULTING SERVICES 

(Subject Matter Expertise) 

Includes studies, conferences, 

training, planning program 

promotions, technical assistance, clearinghouses, survey, 

data collection and analysis, 

logistical and management 

support, evaluations, biomedical research and public 

awareness programs as well 

as other professional services. 

21 
PRODUCTS 

Includes the purchase of 

equipment, supplies, textile 

goods, office furniture, 

chemicals, paper products, 

machinery, office machines, 

computer equipment, laboratory equipment, optical 

instrumentation and communication equipment. 

22 
North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) 

Titles and Description ofindustries 

NArcs Title 

Forestry, Fishing And Hunting 

11 Manufacturing 

# ==: :..::::. ufacturing==========- 33 Manufacturing 

42 Wholesale Trade 

44 Retail Trade 

~ Retail Trade 

j§ Transportation And Warehousing 

49 Transportation And Warehousing 

Details 

Details 

Details 

51 Information Details 

~ Finance And Insurance Details 

53 Real Estate And Ren:,= ta #,;:: :;: si;:: =-=;==='-===========i~. ta:::il ~ 54 Professional, ScientifiC And Technical Services Details 

~ Management Of Companies And EnterPrises Details 

56 Administrative And Support, Waste Management And Remediation Services Details 

61";;;';=;;;;"E""ducational Services 

62 Health Care And Social Assistance 

Arts, Entertainment And Recreation 

Accommodation And Food ser:..;v.:.: ice:::,s=====-==,=,,==-_ 

Other Services (Except Public Administration) _____________ ;L_ "'== 

Note 1: For "details" about industry, classifications, related size standards, and access to hyperlinks 

highlighted in blue, please visit http://epic.od.nih.gov andclickon the NAlCS search engine. 

Note 2: Sectors noted above are not neccesarily listed consecutively. 

23 

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM 

The Small Business Act of 1958, as amended, and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 reflect the 

declared policy of the Congress that small business concerns should receive a fair proportion of the 

Federal Government's contracts and purchases. It is the policy of the Federal Government to provide 

maximum practicable opportunities in its prime contracts and subcontracts to small, disadvantaged, 

woman, Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone), veteran and service-disabled veteran -

owned businesses. 

The Department of Health and Human Services (D HHS) and all of its Operating Divisions (OPD IV s) 

implement this Federal socioeconomic policy through an established Office of Small and Disadvantaged 

Business Utilization (OSDBU). Each DHHS OPDIY, including the NIH, has a small business operational program at the activity intended to aid, counsel and assist small businesses. 

The Small Business Program Office (SBO) at the NIH is headed by the Chief, Small Business Program 

and is centrally located in the Office of the Head of Contracting Activity (HCA), Director, Office of 

Acquisition Management and Policy. Two of the NIH Institutes, the National Cancer Institute and the 

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, each employ a Small Business Program Manager/ 

Small Business Specialist responsible for day-to-day activities at their Institutes/Centers (ICs). Small 

Business Specialists are responsible for taking necessary action to ensure small business consideration 

when reviewing requests for contracts and Federal prime contractor's subcontracting plans, which 

establish goals to do business with small, disadvantaged, woman, HUBZone, veteran and servicedisabled veteran -owned businesses. Additionally, Small Business Specialists counsel small businesses 

and engage in various outreach activities at the congressional, Federal, state and local community level. 

The following small business-related programs are considered by contracting and small business officials 

when setting forth acquisition strategies: 

• Section 8( a) of the Small Business Act established a program that authorizes the Small Business 

Administration (SBA) to enter into all types of contracts with other Federal agencies and award 

subcontracts for providing the products and/or performing those services to small and disadvantaged 

businesses which are eligible and certified for 8( a) program participation. Acquisitions (contracts 

and purchases) are offered to the 8( a) program as a result of recommendations by agency contracting officers, program officials, small business specialists, or as a result of marketing efforts by 8( a) 

contractors through requests from the SBA, on behalf of firms in its portfolio to the Federal agencies. The NIH executes 8(a) contracting on its own behalf, under a Memorandum of Understanding 

between the DHHS and the SBA. 

• The small business set -aside is a mechanism by which acquisitions (contracts and purchases) are 

reserved for the exclusive participation of small business concerns. Small business set -asides are 

initiated by program officials and contracting officers or recommended by small business specialists 

when there is a reasonable expectation of receiving at least two offers from responsible small business concerns, which are capable of providing the services or products of small business, and setting 

aside the contract will result in the Government making an award at a fair market price. All acquisitions greater than $2,500 but not exceeding the $100,000 threshold are automatically reserved by 

law for small business. 

25 
• The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUB Zone ) is a set-aside program for small fIrms located 

in designated geographic areas that have been targeted for economic stimulation. HUB Zone 8(a), 

sole source, or small business set-asides are initiated, as appropriate, for fIrms that are eligible and 

certifIed by the SBA for HUB Zone program participation. 

• The Very Small Business set -aside program is a pilot program for targeted geographic areas when very 

small entities can experience set -aside preferences in competition. 

• The Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) program utilizes various procurement mechanisms to afford 

"bidding" or "evaluation" preferences and/or adjustments for SDB fInns, certifIed by the SBA. 

• The Federal woman, veteran, and service-disabled veteran -owned small business programs mandate 

contract goaling at the prime and subcontract level to support Federal initiatives for these types of 

businesses. 

• Public Law 95-507 requires that every contractor, other than small business, awarded contracts exceeding the simplifIed acquisition threshold agree to subcontract with small, disadvantaged, woman, 

HUBZone, veteran and service-disabled veteran -owned businesses to the maximum extent practicable. 

Each contract with "other than a small business" which exceeds $500,000, or $1 ,000,000 for construction, must have an approved subcontracting plan for the particular contract prior to award. The subcontract goals established for the various small business categories under a subcontracting plan must 

reflect a "good faith" effort to provide maximum practicable subcontract opportunities. 

If the SBA has assigned a Procurement Center Representative to an agency, they become part of, but 

independently participate in the acquisition review process. 

The Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 19, Small Business Programs, implements the acquisition 

related sections of the Small Business Act. FAR Part 19 addresses issues of eligibility for program participation, respective roles of executive agencies and the SBA in implementing the programs, set-asides, the 

subcontracting assistance programs, the 8( a) program, and use of woman, veteran and service-disabled 

veteran - owned business. Detailed program information is posted on the NIH SBO Web site under 

"Program Notes." 

The NIH SBO sponsors a small business seminar the fIrst Wednesday of each month on "Conducting 

Business with the NIH." For additional information or to register, visit the Web site at 

http://sbo.od.nih.gov and click "Monthly Seminar" or contact the office at 301.496.9639. Other counseling 

and technical assistance is available from all the NIH Small Business Offices. 

CONTRACTOR SOURCE SYSTEM 

The SBO( s) maintain central repositories of small business capability infonnation. The infonnation is 

collected via fonns and/or capability statements submitted by contractors, and through the Department of 

Defense Central Contractor Registration (CCR) via their Web site (http://www.acq.osd.mil/ec ), through the 

Small Business Administration Procurement Source System, Pro-Net, and other commercial catalogues 

and resource directories. Firms may submit current capability infonnation annually to NIH by registering in 

the NIH source library, e-Portals in Commerce (e-PIC), http://epic.od.nih.gov . 

26 
I 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH SOCIO-ECONOMIC 

PROGRAM FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION 

OFFICE OF GRANTS & OFFICE OF SMALL & 

ACQUISITION MANAGE:\IE:"IT DISADVANTAGED 

Marc Weisman ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• BL'SINESS L'TILIZATION 

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Debbie Ridgley 

Director 

NIH HCA OFFICE OF OFFICE OF ACQL'SITION NIH SMALL BL'SINESS 

ACQUSITIO:"l ~IA:"iAGEMENT and POLICY OFFICE 

~IANAGE~ENT and Shelby Buford Diana V. Mukitarian 

POLICY Associate Director Chief. Small Business Oftice 

Diane J. Frasier 

Director : I 

Small Business Specialists 

Annette Owens-Scarboro 

Stanley Canton 

1 : 

I Small Business Small Business 

NIH/Institutes/ NIEHS NCI Specialist Specialist 

Centers Chief Contacts Chief Research NCI NIEHS 

(Chief COS) l'vlanagement Branch Contracts Branch Joseph Bowe ~lary B. Workman 

I I I I 

27 

I 

All other 

ICs 
The NIH Small Business Office Program Functions: 

As mandated by the Small Business Act (15 

U.S.C. 631, et seq.), as amended, and Executive Order 12138, this office is responsible for 

effectively implementing the small business 

program within the agency, including achieving 

program goals aimed at providing maximum 

practicable acquisition opportunities at the 

prime and subcontract level for small, disadvantaged, woman, HUBZone, veteran and 

service-disabled veteran -owned small businesses. Small business program responsibilities include: 

• Agency Acquisitions Review 

• Agency Small Business Compliance 

• 8ea) Contract Program 

• Woman-owned Business assistance 

• Small Disadvantaged Business Program 

• Very Small Business Set-asides 

• Small Business Set-asides 

• HUBZone Set-asides 

• Veteran and Service-disabled Veteran Assistance 

• Subcontracting Assistance 

• Counseling and Technical assistance 

• Bundling 

• Competitive Demonstration Program 

• Simplified Acquisition Threshold Pilot Program 

• Outreach 

For additional information, visit http://sbo.od.nih.gov and check "Program 

Notes." 

28 
SMALL BUSINESS OFFICE (SBO) WEB SITE 

htm:llsbo.od.nih.gov 

~ Small BusmeS5 Orfice, NIH - Netscdpe ' " ~ 

File Edit Vle\l\l Go Con'lml.J"Kotor Help 

" jl i& 3 o ... Reload Home Search Netscape Seouly Shop 

' Book"""' •. ~ Loc .. oonl~Pli;bood nihoovi ___________________ 3 O'WhaI'.AeIa'ed 

SBO 

• 

• About.,. 

::I'uIIIia :;=IIoI"'~ .F =.iiiiiiiiiil 

=-~=~ • 

Iiii'+• r - -

The NIH Small Business Office engages In a vanety of outreach efforts, including counseling and 

aSsIstance, which ars Intended to maximize pnme and subcontract acquIsItIOn opportuOitles for 

Small , Disadvantaged, Woman , Veteran, Semes·dlsabled, and Historically Underutlhzed BUSiness 

Zone (HU8Zone) • owned small bUSinesses 

These efforts include the following: 

AdVising the NIH staff and prOVIding leadership and direction for the NIH socioeconomic 

..:J program actIVIties; 

Document:: Done 

29 

THE NIH SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM 

Focus of program: Potential for commercialization of subject of research project. 

Estimated amount of NIH set-aside for fiscal year (FY) 2002: $370 million, an increase of $18 million 

over FY 2001. 

Application/proposal receipt dates 

Grant applications: April 1, August I, and December I each year 

Contract proposals: Annual receipt date of November 8. 

THE NIH SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM 

Focus of program: To facilitate cooperative research and development (R&D) - with potential for commercialization between small business concerns and U.S. non-profit research institutions. 

Estimated amount of NIH set-aside for fiscal year (FY) 2002: $25 million, an increase of $4 million 

over FY 2001. 

Grant applications receipt dates: April 1, August I, and December I each year 

Three phases of program: Same as for the SBIR program. 

Cooperative R&D: At least 40 percent of the project (both Phases I and II) must be performed by the 

small business concern and at least 30 percent of the project must be performed by the research institution 

(college or university; other non-profit research organization; or Federal R&D center, such as Oak Ridge 

National Laboratory; but not laboratories staffed by Federal employees). 

Three phases of SBIRISTTR programs: 

Phase I: Objective is to determine the scientific and technical merit, feasibility, and potential for 

commercialization of the proposed project and the qUality of the performance of the small business 

concern, before consideration of further Federal support in Phase II. Generally, not more than onethird of the project in Phase I may be conducted through consultant and contractual arrangements. 

Phase II: Objective is to continue the research efforts initiated in Phase I. Funding is based on the 

results achieved in Phase I and the scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of the 

Phase II grant application or contract proposal. Generally, not more than one-half of the project in 

Phase II may be conducted through consultant and contractual arrangements. 

31 
Phase III: Objective of this phase, where appropriate, is for the small business concern 

to pursue, with non-SBIRISTIR funds, the commercialization of the results of the 

research project funded in Phases I and II. 

Amount and period of support for SBIR program: 

Phase I: Normally, should not exceed $100,000 for direct costs, indirect costs, and profit 

for a period normally not to exceed six months. 

Phase II: Normally should not exceed $750,000 for direct costs, indirect costs, and 

negotiated fixed fee for a period normally not to exceed two years, that is, generally, a twoyear project should not cost more than $750,000 for that project. A Phase I award must 

have been received in order to apply for a Phase II award. 

Amount and period of support for STTR program: 

Phase I: Normally, should not exceed $100,000 for direct costs, indirect costs, and profit 

for a period normally not to exceed one year. 

Phase II: Normally, should not exceed $500,000 for direct costs, indirect costs, and 

negotiated fixed fees for a period normally not to exceed two years, that is, generally, a 

two-year project may not cost more than $500,000 for that project. A Phase I award must 

have been received in order to apply for a Phase II award. 

Eligibility for SBIR program: 

Applicant organization: For-profit, small business concern (sole proprietorship, partnership, 

corporation,joint venture, etc.) with no more than 500 employees. Economically and 

socially disadvantaged small business concerns and woman-owned small business concerns 

are encouraged to participate in the program, but there is no preferential treatment afforded 

to either group. 

Principal Investigator (PI): The one individual designated by the applicant small business concern to be 

responsible for the scientific and technical direction of the project. PI must have his or her primary employment (over 50 percent) with the small business concern at the time of award and during the conduct of the 

project. 

Eligibility for STTR program: 

Applicant organization: Same as SBIR program. The applicant small business concern will 

be the recipient of the award and will execute a subcontract with the research institution for 

performance under the STIR award. 

32 
Principal investigator (PI): Same as SBIR program, except that the PI may have his or her primary employment with other than the small business concern, including the research institution. 

Inquiries for SBIRISTTR programs: 

Calendar year SBIR and STIR solicitations, including application forms, are available electronically through 

the NIH Web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/fundinglsbir.htrn. 

General questions about the SBIRISTIR Program may be directed to: 

PHS SBIRISTTR Solicitation Office 

13687 Baltimore Avenue 

Laurel, Maryland 20707-5096 

Telephone: 301.206.9385 

FAX: 301.206.9722 

E-mail: sbirsttr@peacetech.com 

or 

The NIH SBIRISTTR Program Manager 

JoAnne Goodnight 

6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 6186-MSC 7910 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7910 

Telephone: 301.435.2770 

E-mail: Goodnifl,I @od.nih.20V 

33 

ACQUISITION PROGRAM 

The NIH accomplishes its mission by supporting and conducting both basic and applied biomedical and 

behavioral research extramurally and in its own facilities through both research and development (R&D) and 

non-R&D contracting. In addition, the agency supports or acquires scientific investigations and developmental efforts performed by other organizations through acquisition (contracts) and assistance (grants and 

cooperative agreements) relationships. 

In support of its research mission, the NIH acquires general supplies and services, construction, and information technology resources through non-R&D acquisitions and research-related activities through R&D 

contracting procedures. The following information is also presented through electronic maps and diagrams 

at http://acq-map.oamp.od.nih.gov/ . 

Distinctions between Contracts as Acquisition Instruments Grants and Cooperative 

Agreements as Assistance 

There are fundamental distinctions between acquisition and assistance arrangements. A contract is a legal 

instrument that is used to reflect a relationship between the Federal Government and the recipient whenever 

the principal purpose of the transaction is to acquire goods or services for the direct benefit or use of the 

Government. In competitive situations, the Government states the work to be undertaken or the problem to 

be solved in Request for Proposals (RFPs), or in an Invitation For Bids (IFBs). Respondents compete for 

a common requirement open to all eligible offerorslbidders. Proposals are evaluated using technical and 

business evaluation criteria and generally involve negotiations. Sealed bids are awarded to the bidder who 

is responsible and offers the lowest overall price. 

Unsolicited proposals to perform original, unique, and innovative concepts are an exception to competitive 

solicitations initiated by the Government and are described on page 42. 

Grants and cooperative agreements are financial assistance mechanisms whereby money and/or direct 

assistance is provided to carry out approved activities. A grant is used whenever the awarding office 

anticipates no substantial programmatic involvement with the recipient during performance of the financially 

assisted activities. A cooperative agreement would be used when substantial Federal programmatic involvement with the recipient is anticipated during performance. 

Contract-Awarding Organizations 

The NIH comprises a number of separate Institutes and Centers (IC) wherein the acquisition functions are 

carried out. The NIH product acquisitions range from basic office, medical, and information technology 

supplies and equipment, to sophisticated state-of-the-art biomedical equipment and systems. The NIH 

service acquisitions range from construction to management consulting, to sophisticated complex biomedical 

R&D, such as clinical trials. This broad range of acquisition provides the necessary support for the NIH to 

carry out its mission. The responsibility for negotiating, awarding and administering these acquisitions lies 

with the various IC contracting staff and one central organization, the Office of Logistics and Acquisition 

Operations (OLAO), whose primary function is to support non-R&D contracting and logistical operations 

supporting NIH operations. 

35 
All acquisitions at the NIH are under the cognizance of the Head of Contracting Activity (HCA), Director, 

Office of Acquisition Management and Policy. IC contract support depends on the service capability of the 

contracting offices, sometimes its competitive value, budgets, size and other factors. 

The NIH operates under a "Competitive Service Center Concept" since not all of the NIH ICs house 

contracting offices or full service contract office operations. Some contracting offices provide research and 

development support solely, some provide non research and development support solely, and other contracting offices provide "full service" or both types of contracting support. An IC may acquire acquisition 

support from another IC contracting office. Public liaison offices are able to direct interested parties to the 

appropriate contracting offices supporting their Ie. Appendix A lists the Public Liason offices and Appendix 

D lists the NIH contract offices. 

The Role of the Contracting Officer 

Each contract is negotiated and administered by an authorized NIH contracting officer or one of his or her 

designated representatives. An officially appointed contracting officer is the exclusive agent of the Government and is the only person empowered to execute or modify a contract on behalf of the NIH or any of its 

component ICs. 

Contracting officers may act through their authorized representatives, generally referred to as contract 

specialists, in other matters that do not involve the actual execution of contract instruments. Contracting 

officers are assigned to the various NIH organizations listed in Appendix D. 

The Role of the Contract Project Officer 

A Government project officer, experienced in the scientific and technical disciplines addressed in a particular 

program or project, is generally appointed for each awarded contract. The project officer is responsible for 

monitoring the technical aspects of the project and assisting the contracting officer in the administration of 

the contract. The project officer has a primary relationship with the contractor's program manager. The 

project officer monitors the contractor's technical progress and assists in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance. "Project officer," "program officer," "end user" are all synonomous 

terms to describe the technical role or function of the individual under the contract. 

Regulations Governing Contracting 

All NIH contracts are governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Health and 

Human Services Acquisition Regulations (HHSAR). Copies of these regulations may be purchased from 

the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9371, or you may 

visit the following Web site: http://www.amet.gov/far . 

The FAR contains regulations and prescribed contracting policies and procedures that must be followed by 

all agencies of the Government in the solicitation, selection, negotiation, award and administration of their 

contracts. The HHSAR was developed to implement and supplement the FAR, providing DHHS-wide 

policies, procedures and guidance that govern the acquisition process. 

36 
Contracting Policies 

Within the limits of statutes and regulations governing the contracting process in Federal agencies, there is an 

opportunity for innovation to improve contracting procedures and relations between the contracting parties. 

Views from the community at large on ways and means of enhancing the quality and effectiveness of our 

contracting programs and procedures are welcomed and encouraged. Often times, contracting offices 

conduct market surveys, issue requests for information and sponsor industry conferences for such exchange 

and, all of which, are published in FedBizOpps at http://www.fedbizopps.gov/ . 

THE CONTRACTING PROCESS 

Methods of Contracting 

There are two basic methods of contracting utilized throughout the Government, sealed bidding and negotiation. The NIH requirements for R&D employ the negotiated method of contracting, while non-research and 

development contracts utilize both contracting by negotiation and sealed bidding. 

Negotiation is a procedure that includes the receipt of proposals from offerors, permits discussion, and 

usually affords offerors an opportunity to revise their offers before award of a contract. This method 

provides the contracting parties maximum flexibility to refine the contract work statement, and to establish 

and agree on anticipated costs of performance. It should be noted that awards can be made, without 

discussions, when following negotiation procedures. 

Sealed bidding procedures are used whenever the supplies or services required can be described in precise 

terms. An award is made to the responsible bidder whose bid, conforming to the IFB, will be most advantageous to the Government, considering only price and price-related factors included in the IFB. 

Sealed bidding procedures are more appropriate for the acquisition of construction and standard commercial goods and services. Negotiation is a more suitable method to procure R&D and other services. 

Flexibility of NIH Contracts 

The terms and conditions of the NIH negotiated contracts are flexible enough to meet changed requirements 

as work progresses. The contract instrument itself provides the mechanisms for the contracting officer and 

the contractor to agree to changes in the work statement, expansion or reduction of work requirements 

within the general scope of the contract, and if the contract is one that is a cost -reimbursement type, adjustment of funding levels during the life of the contractual agreement. 

Many of the NIH R&D contract programs are announced to the scientific community by stating the research 

requirements in rather general terms. By stating the requirement in a broad manner, the Government allows 

offerors to propose innovative solutions to the technical problems identified by the NIH. 

37 
Contract Performance Periods 

The length of a contract will vary depending upon the requirement, from days or months for some supplytype non-R&D contracts, to several years for complex research contracts. 

For multi-year non-R&D and service contracts, options are used. Here the amount for all potential years of 

a contract are negotiated prior to award, but only the first year is funded. All succeeding years are included 

in the contract as options that may be unilaterally exercised by the Government. 

Competition for Contracts 

The NIH solicits contract proposals and bids on a competitive basis to the maximum practicable extent. 

Depending upon the nature of the requirement, the NIH encourages competition among qualified educational institutions, nonprofit and commercial organizations, which include small, disadvantaged, woman, 

Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone), veteran and service disabled veteran - owned 

businesses. 

Requests for Proposals and Bids 

The RFPslIFBs issued by the NIH contracting activities contain all information necessary for offerors or 

bidders to prepare contract proposals or bids and where required, follow the uniform contract format 

established by the FAR. 

The solicitation provides: (1) the statement of required work; (2) desired performance or delivery schedule; 

(3) available Government-furnished property, if any; (4) applicable contract clauses to be included in the 

contract as awarded, and if appropriate; (5) criteria that will be used by the Government to evaluate the 

proposals that are submitted. An RFP also includes guidance to prospective offerors on how to prepare the 

technical and cost portions of their proposals. 

The RFPslIFBs always specify the required date for submission of offers or bids, permitting offerors 

sufficient time to prepare and submit responses. All proposals or bids must be mailed or delivered in a 

manner to ensure timely receipt by the Government at the exact location and on or before the deadline 

specified in the RFPIIFB. The NIH is not authorized to consider late proposals or late modifications to 

proposals, unless the proposal receipt was delayed due to one of the regulatory exemptions stated in FAR 

14.304-1 and FAR 15.412, or all of the requisite conditions exist to use the alternate late proposal procedure authorized by HHSAR 352.215-10. 

Negotiated Statements of Work presented in the NIH contract solicitations are usually flexible 

enough to give offerors reasonable discretion to provide their own approaches to the contract objectives, 

but specific enough to ensure that offerors are competing on a common basis. Because offerors may 

propose various approaches in connection with a negotiated Statement of Work, a uniform standard is used 

to evaluate the differing approaches to the requirement. This standard is embodied in the evaluation criteria 

described in the RFP. 

A RFPIIFB is provided to all sources that request it or are known to be interested in performing a proposed requirement. 

38 
Publicizing Contract Requirements 

The FedBizOpps Web site http://www.fedbizopps.gov/ is the principal portal through which prospective 

sources learn of planned NIH contract projects. Generally, all NIH solicitations are announced in the 

FedBizOpps. It is the NIH policy to seek competition in its contract programs to the greatest extent 

possible. It also is the NIH policy to support small business programs, by initiating small business setasides, 8( a) contract offerings, HUBZone set-asides and through other efforts to maximize opportunities for 

women and veterans. Noncompetitive contracts are awarded on an exception basis only. Announcing 

competitive solicitations in the FedBizOpps provides a wide distribution of the NIH requirements to interested parties and potential contractors who may submit proposals in response to announcements of the RFP 

availability. 

In addition to announcing proposed contract projects in the FedBizOpps, the NIH also uses the NIH Guide 

for Grants and Contracts (Guide) for its R&D requirements. It contains policy guidance and administrative 

information concerning the NIH programs as well as the RFP announcements. To access the guide visit 

http://grants.nih. gov /grants/guide/index.html . 

As a third method of announcing and making RFPs available to the public, the NIH has established a Home 

Page on the Internet. This may be accessed at http://ocm.od.nih.gov/contracts/rfps/mainpage.htm. The 

Guide, as well as the links to RFPs issued by a number of NIH ICs, may be accessed at the NIH Home 

Page address. All of the RFPs announced electronically may be downloaded directly to your personal 

computer. 

Evaluation and Negotiation of Proposals 

Proposals received in response to the RFP are evaluated by the NIH from a technical point of view, which 

includes the offeror's past performance on similar projects, and from the standpoint of cost. The relative 

importance of the technical aspects of the proposal versus the cost or price, as well as how past performance is to be treated, will be specified in the RFP. 

a. Technical Evaluation of Proposals and Establishing a Competitive Range 

Sources responding to solicitations can be assured that their proposals will be evaluated professionally and objectively by persons who have expertise in that particular field. For R&D and R&D 

support requirements, the technical evaluation is conducted by one or more panels in the scientific or 

technical disciplines associated with the contract requirements. At least three-fourths of the members of the review group must be non-Federal Government employees. For non-R&D requirements, persons within the Federal Government who have expertise in that particular field serve on a 

committee to evaluate proposals. The technical evaluation is conducted solely on the basis of the 

evaluation criteria announced in the RFP, which may include past performance and any other 

relevant factors for source selection. All proposals submitted for technical review are designated as 

either acceptable or unacceptable. 

39 
After the technical evaluation, the contracting officer will establish a competitive range. The 

competitive range identifies those offerors with whom NIH will conduct negotiations, and is 

composed of those acceptable proposals, which have a reasonable chance of being selected for award. 

b. Negotiations 

Once a competitive range has been established, negotiations are undertaken by the NIH 

Contracting Officer with the offerors determined to be in that "range." These negotiations, 

either written or oral, will reveal to each offeror the ambiguities, uncertainties, or any questions raised by the evaluation of their proposal. Questions affecting technical/scientific 

considerations, cost elements and administrative matters may be discussed. Offerors are 

then given an opportunity to improve or revise their proposal in a Final Proposal Review 

(FPR) to be submitted by a specified date. This FPR is the basis for the final contract 

award to the offeror deemed most advantageous to the Government. In special situations 

and if so specified in the RFP, the Government may award a contract on the basis of initial 

offers received, without discussions. Therefore, each initial offer should contain the 

offeror's best terms from a cost or price and technical standpoint. 

c. Cost and Price Analysis of Proposals 

Proposals, which are technically acceptable are also evaluated from a business standpoint. 

Cost analysis is the review of the individual cost elements and proposed profit or fee, if any, 

by an evaluation of the offeror's cost or pricing data and of the judgmental factors applied 

by the offeror to the estimated costs. This is accomplished through verification and evaluation of each element of cost proposed by the offeror based upon the audit and technical 

analysis performed by the various Government specialists. 

Price analysis is the process of examining and evaluating a proposed price without evaluating its separate cost elements and proposed profit. Price analysis entails: 

(1) comparison of proposed prices received in response to the solicitation; (2) comparison 

of prior proposed prices and contract prices with current proposed prices for the same or 

similar items; (3) application of rough yardsticks to highlight significant inconsistencies that 

warrant additional pricing inquiry; (4) comparison with competitive published price lists; 

(5) published market prices of commodities; (6) similar indexes and discount or rebate 

arrangements; and (7) comparison of proposed prices with the independent Government 

cost estimate, and comparison of proposed prices with prices for the same or similar 

items obtained through market research. Price analysis is always utilized when employing 

negotiated fixed-price contracts, most of which are non-R&D types. 

40 
d Award AnnouncementsINotifications to Unsuccessful Offerors 

Notices of contract award are published in the FedBizOpps. Upon written request, unsuccessful offerors are debriefed and furnished the basis for the selection decision and contract 

award. Debriefmg infonnation includes the Government's evaluation of the significant 

weaknesses or deficiencies in the offeror's proposal; the overall evaluated cost or price and 

technical rating of the successful offeror and the debriefed offeror; the overall ranking of all 

offerors; a summary of the rationale for award; for acquisitions of commercial end items, the 

make and model of the item to be delivered by the successful offer; and reasonable responses to relevant questions regarding the agency's compliance with source selection 

procedures contained in the solicitation and compliance with acquisition rules and regulations. 

The contracting officer will notify, in writing, each unsuccessful offeror at the earliest practicable time that their proposal is no longer eligible for award. Debriefings are available to 

contractors twice during the solicitation phase: competitive range determination and at time 

of award. Contractors may elect one of the two offered debriefings, both offering different 

advantages. Contractors, including awardees, should seek the infonnation exchanged 

during debriefings to learn about the proposal's strengths and weaknesses. 

Sealed-Bid Procedures 

To utilize the sealed bidding process the following conditions must be present: (1) if time permits, the 

solicitation, submission and evaluation of sealed bids; (2) the award will be made on the basis of price and 

other price-related factors; (3) it is not necessary to conduct discussions with the responding offerors about 

their bids; and (4) there is a reasonable expectation of receiving more than one sealed bid. 

After the contracting officer determines that these conditions exist, the next step is the preparation of 

"IFBs." It must describe the requirements of the Government clearly, accurately and completely. The 

invitation includes all documents (whether attached or incorporated by reference) furnished to prospective 

bidders for the purpose of bidding. 

The next step is publicizing the IFBs. Invitations are usually publicized in the FedBizOpps, through distribution to prospective bidders and posting in public places. Publicizing occurs in sufficient time before public 

opening of bids to enable prospective bidders to prepare and submit bids. 

Submitted bids are kept unopened in a locked bid box or other secure container until the time of public 

opening. Bidders must submit sealed bids to be received at the exact time and place stated in the solicitation. A late bid is not considered for award, unless one of the exemptions stated in FAR 14.304-1 applies. 

The Bid Opening Officer publicly opens the bids, reads the bids aloud to those present and has the bids 

recorded. Original bids are kept by the Government official but can be viewed by the public under Government supervision. 

41 
The contracting officer evaluates the bids for responsiveness, responsibility and reasonableness of price. 

Responsiveness is achieved when the bid is submitted in a timely manner and prepared in accordance with 

the instructions outlined in the IFBs. 

A bidder is determined responsible when he or she: (1) has adequate financial resources to perform the 

requirement or the ability to obtain them; (2) is able to comply with the required delivery or performance 

schedule, taking into consideration all existing commercial and governmental business commitments; (3) has 

a satisfactory performance record; (4) has a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics; (5) has the 

necessary organization, experience accounting and operation controls, and technical skills, or the ability to 

obtain them; (6) has the necessary production, construction, and technical equipment and facilities or the 

ability to obtain them; and (7) is otherwise qualified and eligible to receive an award under applicable laws 

and regulations. 

After the contracting officer determines whose bid will be most advantageous to the Government, considering price and price-related factors, the contract award is made by written notice. 

Unsolicited Proposals 

In addition to contract projects, which are planned and developed by the NIH, unsolicited proposals 

can also be the basis for establishment of requirements to be obtained by the contract. An unsolicited 

proposal is a voluntary written offer by a source outside the Government of new ideas and concepts that the 

NIH may fmd meritorious and useful in furtherance of its mission. A valid unsolicited proposal must be 

innovative and unique; independently originated and developed by the offeror; prepared without Government involvement; and include sufficient detail to permit a determination that Government funding could be 

worthwhile and the proposed work could benefit NIH's mission. Based on these criteria, an evaluation of 

the proposal will then be performed by three or more experts, the majority of whom are not required to 

make recommendations concerning the contract action as part of their official duties. 

An unsolicited proposal may be the basis for a Government competitive solicitation, i.e., RFP, if the RFP in 

no way reveals the original ideas or approaches of the originator. For example, an unsolicited proposal may 

represent one possible approach to a cornmon problem; if there are other possible approaches to the 

problem, it may be in the Government's best interest to issue a competitive solicitation asking for technical 

approaches that offer the best solution to the problem. The competitive RFP would not specify or reveal 

the techniques described by the originator of any unsolicited proposal. When competition is deemed 

appropriate, notwithstanding the submission of an unsolicited proposal, the originator will be invited to 

participate under the formal competitive RFP. 

Unsolicited proposals should be forwarded to the Chief of the appropriate NIH Contracting Office, Appendix D, in accordance with FAR Part 15.6, for processing. 

42 
SAMPLE ACQUISITION MILESTONE SCHEDULE 

MILESTONES 

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1. Research Initiative/Concept Review 

2. Initial PO/CO/SRA contact 

3. First Draft of RFC: discussion of required approvals / clearances 

4. RFC approval 

5. Presolicitation Review 

6. Small Business Review 

:tF';;>i1;_Jefl\'tG"1~~ •. .; . ; 

7. FedBizOpps synopsis publish date 

8. RFP Issued 

9. RFP Closing Date 

10. Peer Review Meeting 

11. Competitive Range Determination 

12. Cost Analysis Requested 

13. Draft Peer Review minutes 

14. Negotiation Questions Developed by PO/CO 

15. Negotiations Opened 

16. Cost Analysis Report Received 

17. FPR Received 

.. 

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18. Source Selection Meeting (if needed) 

19. Touch-up Negotiations 

20. IC Approval of Intended Award 

21. Prepare Contract 

22. Preaward Reviews 

23. Contract Mailed to Contractor 

24. Contract Execution 

25. Award Notifications (Unsuccessful, Congressional, etc.) 

43 

OFFICE OF LOGISTICS AND ACQUISITION OPERATIONS 

DIVISION OF LOGISTICS SERVICES 

Under the Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations, the Division of Logistics Services (DLS) is 

responsible for providing the NIH community with a variety of stock items to include laboratory, chemical 

and administrative items at discounted prices. With approximately 4000 items in stock, sales through the 

NIH supply system averaged over $36 million in FY 98 and FY 99. 

The NIHlDLS procures comprehensive inventory items for acquisition and distribution throughout the NIH. 

In keeping with the nature of the work of the NIH, the DLS remains vigilant of the dynamic environment of 

medical research in order to best meet the needs of the research community. Vendors offering high-quality 

items meeting the needs of the NIH research community will find a receptive customer in DLS. 

Vendors may pursue several means of contacting and presenting items for consideration for sale through 

DLS outlets. Traditionally, vendors contact an Inventory Management Specialist handling a particular 

product category. There are several requirements for inclusion under this methodology. Often vendors must 

include a list of NIH customers who have requested the addition of an item into the stockroom or selfservice stores. For more information on Logistics Acquisition Specialist, visit 

http://www.olao.od.nih.gov/supply/index.htrnl. Vendors with products not fitting the criteria under which 

most products are introduced to the stockroom may contact DLS's program analyst, Rick Gomez. Meeting with the program analyst offers vendors quick introductions of new products which are certain to meet 

the changing needs of NIH's research community. Mr. Gomez can be reached via email at 

gomezr@od.nih.gov . 

45 

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITIONS 

FEDERAL ACQUISITION STREAMLINING 

Making Federal Dollars Work Smarter 

In the last few years, there have been dramatic changes to the way the Federal Government obtains its 

supplies and services. Prior to these changes, the Government acquisition process was long and drawn-out, 

even for items of a relatively low-dollar value. Extensive regulations made most purchasing a cumbersome, 

complicated process. 

This situation changed with the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) of 1994 (PL 103-355) and the 

Federal Acquisition Reform Act (FARA) of 1996 (PL 104-106). Specific objectives were announced to 

expedite the acquisition process, saving time and money, and to allow the Government to do business more 

like private industry. 

FASAIFARA created an area of purchasing known as Simplified Acquisition (formerly Small Purchasing). 

Simplified acquisitions are procurements of relatively small-dollar requirements that have specific award 

procedures differing from contracts. While the Small Purchasing threshold was $25,000, the Simplified 

Acquisition threshold is now $100,000. In addition, the Federal Government can now use these simplified 

procedures to procure commercial items up to $5,000,000. 

Simplified Acquisition Categories 

Micro Purchases: Regulations now provide for a streamlined, less restrictive procedure for acquiring 

goods and services not exceeding $2,500. (The threshold for construction is $2,000). This is the Micro 

Purchase category, and is the easiest category to process. Micro Purchases, unlike other simplified acquisitions, are exempt from the Buy American Act and are not set-aside for small businesses. Also, in most 

cases these orders do not have to be competed; rather, the price simply must be determined to be fair and 

reasonable. Purchasing agents are, however, expected to rotate sources to ensure that interested vendors 

have an opportunity to sell to the Government. Legislation now encourages the oral ordering of Micro 

Purchases. This is often accomplished through the NIH Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs), utilizing 

either Government purchase cards or records-of-call. Micro Purchases are used by both acquisition and 

non-acquisition personnel. 

47 
Simplified Acquisitions: This category includes purchases above $2,500 and up to $100,000. The 

mechanism uses more streamlined procedures than are utilized for contracts. These acquisitions are reserved for small businesses and purchasing agents are usually required to solicit a reasonable number of 

sources to promote competition. While price may be the only consideration for award, other factors may 

be included if appropriate. Purchases in this category are typically made only by acquisition personnel. 

Legislation also allows for the oral ordering of purchases up to $25,000. As with Micro Purchases, this is 

often accomplished through the NIH BPAs, utilizing either Government purchase cards or records-of-call. 

Commercial Items: As mentioned, this is a relatively new category that allows procurement of supplies 

and services up to $5,000,000 without using the traditional contract procedures. FARAhas defined 

commercial items as those supplies and services that are sold in substantial quantities to the public, and 

includes items that are not currently on the market, but will be in the near future. This category also includes 

installation and maintenance services on these items, and leases and licenses associated with these items. 

FASA has established a preference for commercial items. The Government is now required to do market 

research to determine what is already available in lieu of expending significant Research & Development 

funds to create comparable items. 

Simplified acquisitions are awarded more quickly than high-dollar procurements. For example, requirements between $25,000 and $100,000 may only need to be advertised in the FedBizOpps for 15 days 

instead of the 30-45 days necessary for contractual requirements. What might have taken six months or 

more to award using complex contract procedures can now be processed in two months or less. Requirements below $25,000 which are eligible for oral ordering may be processed in as little as one day. 

Acquisition streamlining and reform have far-reaching implications. For example, the concept of competition and competitive range has been loosened to allow the contracting officer more discretion in determining 

what is appropriate for the specific procurement. There is added emphasis on past contractor performance 

to ensure that a responsible, experienced vendor is selected. The "lowest bidder" is not necessarily the one 

who gets the award. Government-wide agency contracts (GWACs) and other multiple award agency 

contracts (MACs) have also become big business as Government agencies compete with one another to 

provide supplies and services throughout the Federal arena. BPAs are being used more extensively in many 

agencies, particularly for items that are frequently bought. 

The NIH Purchasing Environment 

Again, acquisition at the NIH is based on the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Health and Human 

Services Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR), and NIH policies and procedures. NIH supports the simplified 

acquisition needs of its research programs through a multifaceted Administrative DataBase (ADB) system. 

The areas that support this system are the Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations (OLAO) (formerly 

the Office of Procurement Management), and the various NIH Institutes' decentralized purchasing offices. 

Simplified acquisitions at NIH account for approximately 400,000 orders a year with obligations over a 

billion dollars. 

48 
The NIH has established three goals for its simplified acquisition system: 

• Responsiveness 

• Cost-economy, and 

• Regulatory compliance 

The simplified purchasing procedures and mechanisms that NIH utilizes are administered with these 

goals in mind. For example, beginning around 1981, the ADB itself was developed to help make 

simplified acquisition practical. This cost-economy is achieved primarily through the use of BPAs. 

And in the last few years, BPAs have been expanded to cover the use of the Government purchase 

cards. Acquisition staff in both OLAO and the decentralized purchasing offices make use of the 

ADB and the BPA vendors to make awards. The decentralized offices typically have authority to 

place certain oral orders within established dollar thresholds. Thus, instead of the traditional Purchase Order being issued by a central purchasing office, an oral order could be placed by an Institute 

purchasing agent using a BPA record-of-call or purchase card. 

In addition, there are seven separate supply inventories at NIH which use the ADB. They are: 

Central Store Room .......................................................... 301.480.8875 

Material Management Division ........................................ 301.496.0410 

Clinical Center Pharmacy ................................................. 301.496.4363 

Division of Engineering Services ..................................... 301.496.4941 

Scientific Engineering & Instrumentation Branch ............. 30 1.496.9748 

Biomedical Engineering & Instrumentation Program ....... 301.496.4169 

Glassware Services ........................................................... 301.496.4595 

Blanket Purchase Agreements 

A Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) is not a purchase order. It is an agreement between the 

Government and a vendor to provide supplies and/or services to the Government, usually at 

negotiated prices and discounts. It is the Government equivalent of a charge account with the vendor 

since it establishes no contractual obligation on either party to buy or sell until an order is placed. 

A BP A simplifies paperwork and ordering procedures for both the Government and the vendor. 

These agreements are intended for use with a vendor from whom frequent, repetitive purchases are 

made, where the actual quantities or delivery schedules are not known in advance of placing an 

order. Orders are placed through either an NIH purchase card or a record-of-call mechanism, and 

may not exceed the maximum dollar limitations of the BP A. Orders are restricted to the commodities available under the BPA. While most BPAs are available NIH-wide, a few may be restricted to 

one or more individual institutes. 

49 
At NIH, BPAs are awarded through the Division of Acquisition Programs, OLAO. The list ofBPA vendors 

can be accessed electronically through OLAO's website at: http://www.nih.gov/od/olao/oa. The vendors 

are listed both alphabetically and by the general commodities that they sell. In April 2000, individual order 

limits against BPAs were raised to $25,000 for open market procurements and up to $100,000 for Federal 

Supply Schedule orders. This means that orders up to these limits can be placed directly with the vendor by 

NIH authorized ordering officials without having to go through a procurement office. 

The Division of Acquisition Programs currently administers approximately 800 BPAs, covering a wide 

variety of supplies and services. New BPAs are considered, and the Division receives a large number of 

requests from vendors who are interested in establishing a BPA with NIH. Because of the costs associated 

with establishing and administering the BPA program, several factors are considered before a new BPAmay 

be issued. Briefly, those factors are: 

• The vendor must provide supplies and/or services that are of interest to and beneficial to the NIH 

community. 

• The vendor must demonstrate an NIH demand for its products/services, either through orders 

placed by NIH within the past 12-month period, or through letters from NIH staff expressing 

interest in that vendor. 

• The vendor's discounted prices must indicate that purchasing under a BPA would be advantageous 

to NIH. 

• Vendors must comply with any NIH special requirements when applicable, e.g., Animal Welfare 

Assurance Certification, Department of Labor wage determinations. 

• In most cases vendors must agree to pay all freight charges and deliver to the specific building and 

room identified at the time the order is placed, as most BPAs are issued as FOB Destination. 

• No mandatory source (such as a requirements type contract) exists for the same goods and 

servIces. 

The letter that ends this section is one that is typically sent to vendors interested in a BPA. This letter goes 

into more detail about the evaluation process for potential BPAholders. 

OLAO recognizes that at NIH, BPAs are big business! They are quick and efficient for both NIH and the 

vendors. NIH also wants the BPAs to be the Best Price Available! In most cases, the vendor will be asked 

to provide a competitive across-the-board discount rate. These discount rates are usually percentages off 

the list price. For example, if the list price is $100 and the discount rate is 30 percent, the NIH price would 

be $70. Be aware that whatever discount rate is negotiated, it is to be applied to whatever simplified 

acquisition mechanism is used, such as records of call, purchase cards or purchase orders. A discount 

validation program is in effect to ensure that NIH is realizing the discount rate negotiated. 

50 
BPAs are typically awarded for one year, and are formally reviewed at the end of that one-year period. It is 

usually OLAO's hope to keep a particular BPAgoing from one year to the next; indeed, many current 

BPAs have been in place for more than 10 years. However, each account is reviewed at least once a year, 

including a price and discount analysis. A vendor's BPAmay be terminated under any of the following 

circumstances: 

• When there is little or no usage of the BPA; 

• Upon written request ofthe vendor; 

• When the vendor fails to abide by the terms and conditions of the BPA; 

• When the vendor fails to provide the prices and discounts agreed upon; 

• Upon NIH's determination that the goods or services provided are not appropriate for a BPA; 

• When the vendor repeatedly provides poor service or goods of inferior quality; 

• If the vendor files fraudulent claims; 

• If the vendor demonstrates improper business practices or personal conflicts of interest; 

• Upon establishment of a mandatory source for the same goods or services; 

• Other circumstances that in the view of NIH warrant termination after appropriate investigation and 

reVIew. 

Again, having a BPA is not a guarantee that a vendor will do any business. Rather it is a golden opportunity 

to secure orders in the Simplified Acquisition arena, by having a vehicle for quick and easy purchasing. BPA 

vendors still must get out among their NIH customers and make it happen. In real estate it may be location, 

location, location, but with procurement at NIH it is MARKET, MARKET, MARKET! Identifying and 

understanding your clients and marketing your firm and your products or services are vital factors when 

doing business in this highly competitive environment. In most cases the NIH purchasing staff has a number 

of sources to choose from when buying an item. A vendor must make NIH aware of its existence and the 

items it has to offer. Successful marketing is also reflected in the firm's prices, its ability to make quick 

delivery and the quality of its goods and services. Vendor sales representatives are allowed to market 

directly in many areas of NIH. In fact, for many firms a sales presence has proven to be essential for 

success at NIH. 

Requests for general information concerning the BPA Program may be addressed to the BPA staff members 

at 30 l.496.5212. 

51 
GOVERNMENT PURCHASE CARD 

The Government purchase card program was instituted by the General Services Administration to help 

reduce the burden in procuring items under the Simplified Acquisition threshold. NIH has embraced this 

program and has worked diligently for its growth and improvement. As more and more business is done 

with the purchase card, it is certainly recommended that vendors enter into agreements with their banks so 

that they can accept these cards. This program is a Simplified Acquisition method, and as such, is subject to 

the regulations established in the FAR, HHSAR, and NIH implementation instructions. 

It is the policy of NIH to use oral ordering procedures, such as purchase cards, for purchases up to $2,500 

where authorized and feasible. NIH encourages both acquisition and non-acquisition personnel to take the 

necessary training and request purchase card authority. Currently over 1700 people at NIH hold a 

Government purchase card, with more being trained and approved each month. This group of cardholders 

represent a wide range of occupations and grade levels. These people are also formally reviewed on a 

regular basis to ensure that appropriate procurement regulations are being followed. 

Each purchase card is subject to both a single purchase limit and a monthly purchase limit. The single 

purchase limit for non-acquisition personnel is typically $2,500, while it may be higher for the professional 

procurement staff. Neither cardholders nor merchants are allowed to exceed the single purchase limit or to 

split a requirement in order to accommodate the card limit. The monthly purchase limit is usually a function 

of the cardholder's acquisition status and of the budget for hislher office or laboratory. These limits are 

occasionally changed if determined to be appropriate by the OLAO Purchase Card Program. 

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR 29.302) states that purchases made by the Federal Government 

are exempt from state and local taxation (including the District of Columbia). Cardholders are to advise the 

merchant that the purchase is tax exempt. If the merchant requires proof of NIH's tax-exempt status, the 

cardholder will forward a copy of the appropriate exemption letter to the vendor. 

Request for payment for purchase card orders should be processed through the vendor's bank. These 

requests as well as duplicate invoices should NOT be sent to the Commercial Accounts Section of NIH. If 

the vendor's computer system can be modified to eliminate these invoices, this action should be taken, 

otherwise, the vendor should forward the invoice to the individual cardholder rather than to NIH Commercial Accounts. 

Requests for information on the Purchase Card Program cardholders should be made under the Freedom of 

Information Act (FOIA) at http://www.nih.gov/odlfoiaiindex.htm#electronic. to the address listed in 

AppendixE. 

Request for general information concerning the Purchase Card Program may be addressed to Purchase 

Card staff members at 301.435.6606. 

52 
OFFICE OF LOGISTICS AND ACQUISITION OPERATIONS (OLAO) WEB SITE 

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53 

• 

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.:J 
SAMPLE BPA VENDOR LETTER 

Dear Mr.lMs.: 

Thank you for your interest in establishing a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with the National Institutes 

of Health (NIH). BPAs are the Government's equivalent to a charge account which is established to meet 

the needs of NIH. BPAs are established at the discretion of NIH to allow the placement of recurring low 

dollar, low volume requirements by telephone, thereby reducing the need for written purchase orders. 

While we are always receptive to new business proposals and encourage companies to expand their 

business opportunities in the NIH marketplace, the administrative costs of establishing and maintaining a 

BPA makes it essential that we carefully consider several factors before awarding new BPAs. Following are 

some of the most prominent factors considered. 

1) The proposed BPA must include a variety of items in a broad class of supplies/services that are 

generally purchased but where the exact items, quantities and delivery requirements are not known 

in advance. The proposed supplies/services must also be included on the NIH list of items approved for BPA purchases; 

2) There must be a need to establish additional commercial sources of supply for the supplies/services 

for more than one office/laboratory with delegated procurement authority; 

3) Analysis of previous purchases must demonstrate that issuance of a BPA will result in reduced 

administrative costs by eliminating the need to write numerous purchase orders in support of more 

than one office/laboratory. To qualify for a BPA, a minimum of 10 orders each of which is at or 

below $25,000 (except for Federal supply schedule orders which may be up to the maximum order 

limit) with a cumulative total of at least $15,000 must have been placed with the vendor during the 

most recent 12 month period; 

4) The vendor's discounted (net) prices must indicate that purchasing under a BPA (including purchase 

card orders) would be advantageous to the NIH; 

5) Small businesses (as defined by the Federal Acquisition StrearnliningAct) receive preference over 

other businesses when decisions are made with regard to awarding BPAs; and 

6) In addition to the usual Federal procurement regulatory requirements. potential BPA vendors are 

sometimes required to comply with requirements that are unique to the NIH. For example, an 

AniI?al Welfare Assurance Certificate is always required before a BPAcan be used for animal 

serVIces. 

Occasionally, NIH may solicit price quotations on a competitive basis by issuing a competitive BPA solicitation. This alternative method of establishing BPAs requires vendors, including current BPA vendors, to 

provide NIH with across-the-board commodity prices and discounts for a stated period of time. BPA 

solicitations are advertised in the FedBizOpps and BPAs are awarded based on the overall net delivered 

price as determined by a product(s) evaluation. Fewer BPAs are normally awarded through this process 

than may currentI y be in existence for the commodity. 

54 
SAMPLE BPA VENDOR LETTER CONTD. 

In most cases, open market BPAs are issued as "F.O.B. Destination." At NIH, this designation on its BPA 

is equivalent to the terms "F.O.B. Destination, within Consignee's Premises." Therefore, a BPA vendor 

must agree to pay all freight charges and deliver to the specific building and room specified at the time an 

order is placed. 

If you feel that your company meets the criteria for obtaining a BPA, please submit a letter to my attention 

stating that your company would like to be considered for a BPA. Provide us with a current catalog and/or 

price list(s) showing the supplies/services that your company seils, and indicate what discount you are 

offering us off of your commercial list prices. Also, please include copies of orders that you have received 

during the most recent 12-month period by NIH officesllaboratories to show that you have reached the 

cumulative total of $15,000. An analysis will be conducted to determine whether it would be advantageous 

to NIH to establish a BPA with your company. You will be notified in writing of our decision within 60 days. 

Send all written correspondence to my attention at 6011 Executive Boulevard, Room 549G, Rockville, 

Maryland 20892. 

If you have any questions, please contact me or a member of my staff on 301.496.5212. 

Sincerely yours, 

Cole Stathes 

BPAProgram Coordinator 

Simplified Acquisition Programs Branch 

55 
56 
ELECTRONIC COMMERCEIELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE 

Background 

One of the Clinton Administration's major themes in its National Performance Review was the need to 

overhaul the procurement process in Federal Government. With this task in mind, President Clinton signed 

an Executive Order on October 26, 1993, establishing a requirement for Federal agencies to implement 

Electronic CommercelElectronic Data Interchange (ECIED I) systems. The ECIED I initiative was intended 

to decrease turnaround time, cost of processing orders, and the cost of procured goods and services, while 

increasing opportunities for small and minority businesses to compete in the Federal marketplace. The 

initiati ve and guidelines for implementing such systems were formalized through the Federal Acquisition 

Streamlining Act of 1994 (FASA). Agencies who successfully demonstrated their capability to sustain an 

ECIEDI program could apply for Interim FACNET Certification and thereby raise their simplified acquisition threshold from $50,000 to $lOO,OOO. 

Description of the FACNET and the ECIEDI Initiative 

The Federal ECIEDI system infrastructure is the interconnected communications and computer capability 

supporting the exchange of business transactions in a standard format between Government agencies and 

their trading partners. On the Government side are agency procurement systems, gateways and two 

Electronic Commerce Processing Nodes (ECPNs). Gateways serve as local hubs, collecting and distributing electronic transactions to one or more departmental information systems. The ECPNs, run by the 

Department of Defense (DoD), are the central collection and distribution points for electronic transaction to 

both the Government and private industry through DoD certified Value Added Networks (VANs). A 

trading partner exchanges transactions with the Government by subscribing to one of these VANs. The 

VAN may offer additional services such as transaction translation, consulting and training, vendor profiling, 

and access to on-line databases and other procurement information. 

Transactions 

FACNET uses ANSI X-12 transaction set standards to conduct electronically. By selecting a standard, both the Government and private industry trading partners agree on the format and meaning of information within the EDI transaction. Because the Federal procurement community was FACNET's first 

customer, the transactions traded most through the network are procurement -related documents - 840s/ 

Request for Quotes (RFQ), 843/Quotes, 850lPurchase Orders. Transactions supporting the procurement 

function, 838/Trading Partner Profiles, 832IElectronic Catalogs, and 864/ Award Notices, also contribute 

significantly to the transaction volume. As other functional areas implement ED!, additional transaction sets 

are added to the system, for example, 856/Shipping Notices and 81 OlInvoices. 

57 
A typical EDI procurement cycle would start with the purchasing agent transmitting an RFQ which is 

translated into an 840 transaction set. A vendor responds with an 843/quote. The purchasing agent 

uses automated software to evaluate the quotes based on price and/or delivery date or other preestablished criteria. The purchasing agent selects a winning vendor and transmits an 850/Purchase 

Order to the vendor, and may also elect to transmit an 836/Award Notice for public distribution. A 

997IFunctionai Acknowledgment is generated by the recipient for each transaction set and transmitted to the transaction originator documenting delivery of the transaction. 

OLAO's ECIEDI Project 

The Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations (OLAO), the centralized procurement activity at the 

NIH, started testing their EDI system and sent their fIrst live transaction in November 1995. Transaction 

volumes increased and then decreased over time with the advent of the Internet and other acquisition 

vehicles; and currently OLAO is processing a small percent of its simplifIed acquisition requirements between $2,500 and $100,000 to FACNET. Posting times generally range from three days to two weeks, 

depending on the urgency of the supplies or services required and the complexity of the procurement. 

The OLAO was among the fIrst, if not the fIrst, civilian agency to post RFQs with an electronic statement of 

work (SOW) and to issue electronic RFQs for services. Procurements range from PCS and printers to 

polycoveralls, from electronic microscope maintenance to replacement of conference room doors, from 

electric rays to squid eyes. 

Getting started: 

You will need a PC, a modem, and a subscription to a DoD-certifIed VAN. For more information on ECI 

EDI see DoD's Web site at http://www.dscr.dla.mil/edi/edi.htm. 

58 
CONTRACTING VIA THE WORLD WIDE WEB 

Electronic RFPs at the NIH 

The majority of the institutes at the NIH are now electronically posting Request For Proposals (RFPs) and 

Invitation for Bids on the Internet or World Wide Web. The NIH REQUESTS FOR PROPOSAL DIRECTORY offers users (internal/external) quick and easy access to selected RFP solicitations available at 

the NIH. This directory provides users with text versions ofRFPs, along with solicitation/contract information, instructions and forms required for the acquisition process, from proposal preparation to award of a 

contract. The NIH RFP Directory can be accessed via the following Web site 

hnp:llocm.od.nih.gov/contracts/rfps/mainpage.htm. Additional useful and resourceful Federal and business 

development sites can be accessed via the SBO Web site under the Resource Library. 

As an adjunct to the NIH's efforts towards issuing electronic RFPs, the National Institutes of Allergy and 

Infectious Diseases (NIAID), allows offerors to submit biomedical research proposals via the Internet. 

Proposals are submitted and forwarded to the peer reviewers electronically. Peer review is designed so that 

a face-to-face meeting is not required. Using a dedicated server with access restricted through passwords 

provides adequate security. Following the electronic review process, negotiations are conducted and a 

contract award then awarded. This approach saves the Government and, hence, the taxpayer the costs of 

travel and per diem for the reviewers, and of shipping proposals to the reviewers. Offerors were spared the 

cost of copying and shipping proposals, which can be a significant expense. 

Other innovative contracting vehicles, such as, the National Cancer Institute's sponsored "Intra Mall," an 

electronic shopping mall, and the Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations' NIH Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) are making supplies and services available for purchase 

electronically via the Internet to decrease costs and increase operational efficiencies. 

The NIH acquisition community expects to explore more business innovation via the Internet in the future. 

59 

ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS 

As the Federal Government moves into the Information Age, many changes affecting how we conduct 

business can be expected. As of January 1, 1998, in accordance with Federal law, the NIH began making 

payments to vendors from the u.s. Treasury via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). EFT includes Automated 

Clearing House (ACH), Fedwire, IMPAC purchase cards, and American Express ATM (automated teller 

machine) transactions. ACH is the primary system used to transfer payments to vendors and report on 

payments to vendors, possibly for a fee. All active vendors with orders placed before July 26, 1996, 

converted to ACH by January 1, 1999; all new vendors have been required to utilize ACH beginning 

January 1, 1998. Vendors must register with each Federal Agency with whom they do business. Vendors 

register by completing a SF-3881, ACH VendorlMiscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form. 

Prior to issuing a purchase order or signing a contract the responsible Federal Official will provide the SF3881 to all new vendors and per invoice. Any questions and/or additional information can be directed to 

The NIH Financial Systems Branch, Office of Financial Management, Building, 31, Room B 1-B04 9000 

Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, 301.436.3163, the Web site for OFM is 

hnp:llwww4.od.nih.gov/ofmlindex.htm. The Department of the Treasury has made the Guide to Federal 

Financial EDI Payments available on aFax-on-Demand line at 202.874.8616 and via their Web site at 

http://www.fms.treas.gov/vendor.htrnl. 

61 

MARKETING AT THE NIH 

This section presents the Small Business Program Office's recommendations for approaching marketing at 

the NIH. Experiences of program staff as well as observations made of successful marketing approaches, 

by both small and large business owners, contribute to the development of these practical tips and suggestions for developing and implementing a marketing strategy. This discussion presumes that business planning 

and product/service development have been accomplished and confirms that a written and evolving marketing strategy and plan have been developed. This discussion is also intended to help small business owners 

get the most out of their marketing investment as well as to stimulate consideration of the use of new technologies, such as the Internet, for marketing tools. 

KNOWING YOUR CUSTOMER AND PRODUCT/SERVICE MARKET POTENTIAL is critical to 

implementing a tailored marketing plan and strategy at the NIH. 

As you examine your prospects of engaging in business with the NIH, you will determine whether your 

products/services can and will be consumed by needs, wants and demands of the program activities executed in support of mission and organizational objectives. Business owners interested in reaching the 

NIH customer need to understand the cultural environment of the agency as well as what considerations 

motivate their buying: product/service, scientific and technical merit, price, business reputation and experience. The research activities your business conducts should aim to discover the customer and determine 

which of your business's products and services have technical and cost effective value to satisfy the NIH 

customer motivations and objectives. 

There are numerous ways to gather information about the NIH customer. The NIH Web site 

http://www.nih.gov contains a vast amount of agency and health related information and links to an array of 

other Web sites that can assist businesses in developing an understanding of the agency's function, mission, 

and potential needs. Information contained in this Guidebook synopsizes the NIH's mission objective, 

describes its acquisition and small business programs, and links to vast amounts of agency and programspecific information and activities. 

Strategies for using the following resources is addressed below: I) the Guidebook contains information 

about how to order the NIH telephone directory, which is one way to understand the organizational structure of the I Cs and one way to determine and locate functional areas of responsibilities as well as the 

program and people supporting them; 2) the Guidebook lists NIH contracting offices and their Chiefs as 

well as the IC's lnformationlPublic Liaison Offices, all of which serve as gateways of information about all 

facets of the IC's activities, programs and people; 3) the NIH SBO Web site http://sbo.od.nih.gov contains 

informative publications about programs, contract information and other business activities that can assist 

firms target future business opportunities; 4) the NIH Web site http://www .. nih.gov /news/ contains news, 

press releases, events information, media contacts and services, special reports, and budget information, all 

of which can contribute to understanding the agency for discovering business opportunities. 

63 
Firms also should review other business, health and Federal publications to learn about future programs and 

contract opportunities, e.g., the FedBizOpps, a publication listing pre and post contract award notices as 

well as market survey notices for future business opportunities. Review of other publications, such as 

industry trade journals and health related literature, can help the business follow the NIH customer and its 

potential needs. 

Before the World Wide Web, it was often necessary to "walk the halls" of an agency to gather such information. Today the Web, the marketplace ofthe future, is the keystone of electronic information and commerce and the gateway to the global customer base. Fortunately, for small businesses with limited resources, most research activity today can be conducted through a "virtual walk of the halls," from review 

and analysis of congressional appropriations to agency program budgeting for future spending. 

IMPLEMENTING MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS about products/services to the targeted 

customer is effectively accomplished when tailored to buying conditions and processes. 

Once you have determined that your product/service has technical and cost effective value to the NIH 

customer's needs and wants, an appropriate promotional strategy that effectively and efficiently uses 

your people and budgetary marketing resources should be directed to the targeted customer. Research and 

evaluation of agency informational literature should assist businesses in implementing a tailored marketing 

strategy that will enable you to take advantage of upcoming business opportunities at the NIH. The effective promotional strategy will accommodate for the challenges presented by a customer like NIH, where 

purchasing offices and activities are geographically dispersed and decentralized and a variety of contract 

mechanisms and vehicles are utilized to satisfy customer needs. 

The right officials to contact will depend on not only the type and market value of the product/service 

offered but also the stage in the procurement cycle within which the business fmds itself. At the same time, 

the dollar value of estimated procurements and available contracting vehicles would have a direct impact on 

the degree and mode of marketing activities the business owner will implement. The program official or 

project officer planning to purchase products or services, with budget authority, might be the right target. At 

later stages in the acquisition cycle, the small business and contracting officials might prove to be the right 

contact. 

Simplified acquisitions, to include credit card activity, often times require a direct, face-to-face, approach 

with purchasing personnel. Credit card purchasing authority may rest with technical program and/or administrative type personnel. Some simplified acquisitions may be handled by a purchasing office that posts 

contracting opportunities on bulletin boards and seeks limited competitive quotes, through rotated vendor 

lists maintained in their offices. Some simplified acquisitions are accomplished through e-commerce modes 

and do not require nor afford the opportunity for traditional face-to-face interactions nor public postings. 

Opportunities for more complex and larger dollar value contracts are posted in the FedBizOpps and on the 

Web. The related contract process is time consuming, more complex and riddled with rules and regulations, 

with which the business owner should be familiar. Marketing for these requirements may be limited to 

intelligence gathering as far in advance as possible simply to prepare the business as a viable bidder or 

offeror, secure key personnel and/or strategic alliances with other small or large businesses. 

64 
A characteristic of successful contract awardees is a comprehensive understanding not only of the NIH 

customer but also of the Federal procurement process itself. A business needs to understand the Federal 

Acquisition Regulations and any supplemental agency regulations. A business needs to understand the rules, 

regulations and procedures that influence the Government's different methods of soliciting offers and making 

awards of contracts. Small business should be familiar with the varied set-aside programs and how to 

benefit from the different preferences. The contract process, contract award and office information as well 

as the "rules and regulations" can be found in this Guidebook or posted elsewhere on the SBO Web site. 

MARKETING TOOLS, such as capability statements, company brochures, and catalogues must be 

evolving and adaptable documents that are regularly updated and able to introduce the business and able to 

speak to the experience and potential of its capability. A successful business learns to cultivate professional 

and personal relationships with program and contracting officials based on credibility and integrity of the 

business, its people and products/services and to effectively communicate this information through marketing 

tools. 

Agood marketing tool is tailored to the customer's needs and wants and, through attractive packaging, 

introduces and promotes the business's products/services in a clear and convincing manner with appropriate 

supporting information that substantiates the business's claims. If a business is fortunate enough to secure a 

few minutes of a program or contracting official's time, the business should be prepared to identify and 

discuss the customer's needs and demonstrate how the business's products/services can satisfy those needs 

and support customer objectives. 

Generally, capability information should synopsize the business's philosophy, objectives, history, technical 

and management experience at the corporate level and product/service descriptions and summaries of 

"people" expertise, as appropriate. Corporate experience should substantiate capability claims, communicate the scope and breadth of project experience and highlight that which was unique or particularly noteworthy from a business or technical perspective. Capability information should present relevant references. 

Capability statements can present the potential capability of the firm, if they can reasonably support such 

potential by showing access to other available corporate or people expertise that supports such claims. 

A business may not always be available nor afforded the opportunity to clarify or expand on particular 

information or issues presented in promotional information; therefore, the promotional information should be 

self-supporting. If the business conducted sufficient research about the customer, the capability information 

will not contain superfluous information but will directly address the customer's needs and objectives. 

Most businesses are marketed to by other businesses at some time or another. An interesting perspective to 

adopt when developing promotional literature, is to ask yourself what you need and want to know from a 

business that was fortunate enough to secure a few minutes of your valuable time. It might behoove the 

business to seek professional and expert assistance in developing marketing plans and tools to effectively 

advertise and sell its' products/services. 

65 
This Guidebook contains a partial list of small business development and resource centers collocated at 

local Universities and in the local communities that can help business in varying stages of business formation 

and development. The SBO Web site "Resource Library" button is a gateway to a "virtual library" of other 

Federal and business links that assist in business development activities. 

Market! Market! Market! 

66 
APPENDICES 

APPENDIX A 

NIH OFFICES OF INFORMATION AND PUBLIC LIAISON 

For additional information about the NIH ICs, contact the following Public Liaison Officers: 

Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center (CC) 

Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office 

Officer: Dottie Cirelli 

Building 61, 10 Cloister Court 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4754 

301.402.6417 

E-mail: dcl04z@nih.gov 

National Cancer Institute (NCI) 

Office of Liaison Activities 

Officer: Elizabeth Handley 

6116 Executive Blvd., Room 3068A 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-8324 

301.594.3194 

E-mail: liaison@od.nci.nih.gov 

National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) 

Office of Science Policy and Public Liaison 

Officer: Kathy Kaplan 

Rockledge L Room 5144 

6705 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7965 

Rockville, Maryland 20817 -7965 

301.435.0888 

E-mail: kk87d@nih.gov 

National Eye Institute (NEI) 

Office of Communication, Health Education, and Public Liaison 

Officer: Jean Horrigan 

Building 31, Room 6A32 

31 Center Drive, MSC 2510 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2510 

301.496.5248 

E-mail: jh57h@nih.gov 

A-I 
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) 

Office of Policy, Planning and Communications 

Officer: Larry Thompson 

Building 31, Room 4B09 

31 Center Drive, MSC 2152 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2152 

301.402.0911 

E-mail: Thompso@mail.nih.gov 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) 

Office of Science and Technology -Legislative and Public Liaison 

Officer: Sandra Lindsay 

Building 31, Room 5A03 

31 Center Drive, MSC 2482 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2482 

301.496.9899 

E-mail: s134v@nih.gov 

National Institute on Aging (NIA) 

Office of Communications and Public Liaison 

Officer: Jane Shure 

Building 31, Room 5C27 

31 Center Drive, MSC 2292 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2292 

301.496.1752 

E-mail: js103g@nih.gov 

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) 

Office of Policy, Legislation and Public Liaison 

Officer: Geoffrey Laredo 

6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite 405 

Bethesda, Mary land 20892-7003 

301.443.6371 

E-mail: g161f@nih.gov 

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) 

Office of Communications and Public Liaison 

Officer: Laurie Doepel (Acting) 

Building 31, Room 7 A50 

31 Center Drive, MSC 2520 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2520 

301.496.5717 

E-mail: ocpostoffice@niaid.nih.gov 

A-2 
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) 

Office of Communications and Public Liaison 

Officer: JanetAustin 

Building 31, Room 4C02 

31 Center Drive, MSC 2350 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2350 

301.496.8190 

E-mail: NlAMSPublicLiaison @mail.nih.gov 

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCAAM) 

Public Information and Liaison Branch 

Officer: Chris Thomsen 

6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 401 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-5475 

301.451.8876 

E-mail: info@nccam.nih.com 

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) 

Legislative and Public Liaison Office 

Officer: George Gaines 

Building 31, Room 2A03 

31 Center Drive, MSC 2425 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2425 

301.435.3447 

E-mail: gg36u@nih.gov 

National Institute on Drug Ahuse (NIDA) 

Public Information and Liaison Branch 

Officer: Beverly Jackson 

6001 Executive Blvd., Room 5213 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9561 

301.443.1124 

E-mail: bj5Oy@nih.gov 

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) 

Office of Health Communication and Public Liaison 

Officer: Dr. Marin Allen 

Building 31, Room 3C35 

31 Center Drive, MSC 2320 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2320 

301.496.7243 

E-mail: maS! v@nih.gov 

A-3 
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) 

Public Information and Liaison Branch 

Officer: Susan Johnson 

Building 45, Room 4AS 19 

45 Center Drive, MSC 6400 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-6400 

301.496.4261 

E-mail: sj24f@nih.gov 

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) 

Office of Communications and Public Liaison 

Officer: Elizabeth (Betsy) Singer 

Building 31, Room 9 A04 

31 Center Drive, MSC 2560 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2560 

301.496.3583 

E-mail: niddk.inquiries@nih.gov 

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) 

Office of Communications and Public Liaison 

Officer: William (Bill) Grigg 

Building 31, Room B 1 C02 

31 Center Drive, MSC 2256 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2256 

1.919.541.3345 

E-mail: grigg@niehs.nih.gov 

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) 

Office of Communications and Public Liaison 

Officer: Ann Dieffenbach 

Building 45, Room lAS.25 

45 Center Drive, MSC 6200 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-6200 

301.496.7301 

E-mail: ad41v@nih.gov 

A-4 
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) 

Office of Policy, Communications, and Public Liaison 

Officer: Dr. Roderic I. Pettigrew 

Building 31, Room IB37 

31 Center Drive 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2077 

301.451.6768 

E-mail: info@nibib.nih.gov 

National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) 

Office of Policy, Communications, and Public Liaison 

Officer: Doug Hussey 

6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 800 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-5465 

30l.402.l366 

E-mail: ncrnhdinfo@od.nih.gov 

Office of AIDS Research (OD/OAR) 

Office of Policy, Communications, and Public Liaison 

Officer: Wendy Wertheimer 

Building 2, Room4El2 

2 Center Drive 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892 

301.496.0357 

E-mail: ww5n@nih.gov 

Office of the Director (OD) 

Office of Communications and Public Liaison 

Officer: John Burklow (Acting) 

Building 1, Room 344 

1 Center Drive, MSC 0188 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892 

301.496.4461 

E-mail: jb165e@nih.gov 

A-5 
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) 

Office of Communications and Public Liaison 

Officer: Clarissa Wittenberg 

Neuroscience Center 

600 1 Executive Blvd., Room 8184 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9663 

301.443.3600 

E-mail: nimhhginfo@nih.gOY 

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) 

Office of Communications and Public Liaison 

Officer: Marian Emr 

Building 31, Room 8A06 

31 Center Drive, MSC 2540 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2540 

301.496.5924 

E-mail: braininfo@ninds.nih.gov 

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) 

Office of Science Policy and Public Liaison 

Officer: Daniel O'Neal 

Building 31, Room 5B 10 

31 Center Drive, MSC 2178 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2178 

301.496.0207 

E-mail: do35p@nih.gov 

National Library of Medicine (NLM) 

Office of Communications and Public Liaison 

Officer: Robert B. Mehnert 

Building 38, Room 2S-08 

8600 Rockville Pike 

Bethesda, Maryland 20894 

301.496.6308 

E-mail: mehnert@nlm.nih.gOY 

A-6 
APPENDIXB 

SMALL BUSINESS OFFICES 

Diana Mukitarian, Chief 

NIH Small Business Office 

Small Business Staff: 

Annette Owens-Scarboro 

Stanley Canton 

6100 Executive Boulevard 

Room 6005, MSC 7540 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7540 

Telephone Number: 301.496.9639 

FAX: 301.480.2506 

E-mail: sbmail@od.nih.gov 

Web site: hup:llsbo.od.nih.gov 

Joseph Bowe 

National Cancer Institute 

Small Business Program Manager 

6120 Executive Boulevard - Room 608 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7222 

Telephone Number: 301.496.8628 

FAX: 301.480.0309 

E-mail: bowej@rcb.nci.nih.gov 

Mary B. Workman 

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 

Small Business Program Manager 

Acquisitions Management Branch, OM 

PO. Box 12874, Maryland NH-02 

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709 

Telephone Number: 919.541.0377 

FAX: 919.541-5117 

E-mail: workman@niehs.nih.gov 

B-1 

APPENDIXC 

SBIRISTTR OFFICE 

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program 

Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program 

Office of Extramural Research 

National Institutes of Health 

JoAnne Goodnight 

6701 Rockledge Drive 

Room 6186, MSC 7910 

Bethesda, Mary land 20892-7910 

Telephone Number: 301.435.2770 

E-mail: GoodnigJ@od.nih.gov 

C-1 

APPENDIXD 

NIH CONTRACTING OFFICES 

& ACQUISITION RESPONSIBILITIES 

For information about contract support to the various NIH ICs. contact the following contracting 

offices: 

Office of Acquisition Management and Policy, Office of Administration (OAMP, OA) 

The NIH acquisitions are under the cognizance of the Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA), 

Director, OAMP. The OAMP (1) provides leadership and staff direction for NIH acquisition 

activities; (2) develops and promulgates NIH-wide acquisition policies and procedures and 

conducts continuing reviews and evaluations of IC contracting operations to insure adherence to 

sound contracting practices and compliance with all applicable statutes, regulations; (3) maintains 

NIH-wide contracts management data through utilization of various NIH data systems and 

maintains for the Contractor Performance System; (4) provides NIH-wide financial advice and 

services on the management and administration of contracts and negotiates indirect cost rates 

with all commercial companies receiving the preponderance of funding from the DHHS; (5) 

directs the NIH-wide Small Business Program to maximize contract and purchasing opportunities 

for small businesses and their subcategories; and (6) manages the DHHS Acquisition Training 

and Certification Program for NIH acquisition personnel and project officers. 

Principal Official Responsible for Acquisition. and Director. OAMP/OA 

6100 Executive Boulevard 

Room 6D01, MSC 7540 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7540 

Telephone Number: 301.496.4422 

Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations (OLAO) 

• Serves as a Competitive Service Center for processing contracts and simplified 

acquisitions, both R&D and non-R&D, excluding construction and A&E for ICs that do 

not directly acquire and that elect to utilize these services. Manages NIH's NIT AAC, 

Purchase Card, BPA, and DELPRO Programs, and provides guidance and support in all 

aspects of simplified acquisition. 

6011 Executive Boulevard - Room 505D 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7260 

Telephone Number: 301.496.7448 

• Division of Research Acquisition (ORA), OLAO, OA, NIH - Contracts for biomedical 

and behavioral R&D and related contracting support to the Office of the Director and 

those NIH ICs electing to utilize such services, which currently include NIA, NEt 

NIDCD, and NIGMS. 

6100 Executive Boulevard 

Room 6EOI, MSC 7540 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7540 

Telephone Number: 301.496.4487 

D-l 
National Cancer Institute (NCI) 

Research Contracts Branch, OEM, NCI - Serves as a Competitive Service Center for nonR&D contracts and simplified acquisition for NINDS as well as R&D and non-R&D contracts 

and simplified acquisition for NCCAM. 

Executive Plaza South - Room 604B 

6120 Executive Boulevard MSC 7222 

Bethesda. Maryland 20892-7222 

Telephone Number: 301.496.8628 

National Cancer Institute - Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center (NCIFCRDC) 

Management Operations and Support Branch, OEM, NCI - Contracts for operation and 

management of NCI-Frederick including R&D and R&D Support, InterlIntra-Agency 

Agreements. and animal production/animal monitoring contracts. 

Building 427 - Room 25 

Fort Detrick 

P.O. BoxB 

Frederick. Maryland 21702-1201 

Telephone Number: 301.846.1113 

National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) 

Biomedical Engineering & Instrumentation Program 

Building 13. Room 3N17 

9000 Rockville Pike 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892 

Telephone Number: 301.496.4101 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) 

Contracts Operations Branch, DEA, NHLBI - Contracts and simplified acquisitions for R&D 

and non-R&D requirements. excluding A&E and construction for NHLBI. Serves as a 

Competitive Service Center (1) for processing contracts for R&D and non-R&D, excluding A&E 

and construction for the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), the National Institute 

for Craniofacial and Dental Research (NIDCR), the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and 

Bioengineering (NIBIB). and the Office of Research Services (ORS); (2) for processing 

simplified acquisitions for non-R&D requirements, excluding A&E and construction for the 

National Institute on Drug Abuse. the Center for Scientific Review. NCRR. NIBIB and ORS. 

Rockledge Building (RKL2) 

Room 6100. MSC 7902 

6701 Rockledge Drive 

Bethesda. Maryland 20892-7902 

Telephone Number: 301.435.0330 

Procurement Section 

Rockledge Building. Room 6150 

6701 Rockledge Drive 

Bethesda. Maryland 20982 

Telephone Number: 301.480.3345 

D-2 
~ational Institute on Aging (NIA) 

Procurement Specialist 

NIH Gerontology Research Center 

4940 Eastern A venue, Room I E08 

Baltimore, Maryland 21224 

Telephone Number: 410.558.8105 

~ational Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) 

Contracts Management Branch, ORM, NIAAA - Contracts for R&D and non-R&D 

requirements. excluding A&E and construction for NIAAA. 

~ational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) 

• Contract Management Branch, DEA, NIAID - Contracts for R&D requirements for 

NIAID. 

Research Contracting 

Solar Building - Room 3C07 

6003 Executive Boulevard MSC 7610 

Bethesda. Maryland 20892-7610 

Telephone Number: 301.496.0612 

• Acquisitions Management and Operations Branch, OD, NIAID - Contracts. DEL PRO 

and simplified acquisitions in support of R&D and non-R&D requirements, excluding 

A&E and constructions for OD and the Division of Intramural Research, NIAID. 

Acquisition Management and Operations Branch 

Contracts Section 

Solar Building - Room I C38 

6003 Executive Boulevard MSC 7605 

Bethesda. Maryland 20892-7605 

Telephone Number: 301.402.2284 

Acquisition Management and Operations Branch 

Delegated Procurement Section 

Solar Building - Room I C38 

6003 Executive Boulevard MSC 7605 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7605 

Telephone Number: 301.402.2284 

National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal Skin Diseases (NIAMS) 

Contracts Management Branch, EP, NIAMS - Contracts for R&D and R&D support 

requirements for NIAMS. excluding A&E and construction. 

Bldg. 31-Room 4C32 

31 Center Drive MSC 2350 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2350 

Telephone Number: 301.496.4353 

D-3 
~ational Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) 

Contracts Management Branch, OGC, NICHD - Contracts for R&D and R&D support for 

NICHD. 

6100 Executive Boulevard 

Room 7A07. MSC 7510 

Bethesda. Maryland 20892-7510 

Telephone Number: 301.496.4611 

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) 

Contracts Management Branch, OD, NIDA - Contracts for R&D and R&D support 

requirements for NIDA. 

600 I Executive Boulevard 

Room 3105. MSC 9543 

Bethesda. Maryland 20892-9543 

Telephone Number: 301.443.6679 

Administrative Services Branch 

P.O. Box 5180 

5500 Nathan Shock Drive 

Baltimore. Maryland 21224 

Telephone Number: 410.550.1490 

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) 

Contracts Management Section, DAM, NIDCR - Contracts and Inter-Agency Agreements for 

R&D and R&D support requirements. The majority of R&D and R&D support contracts are 

processed by the NHLBI Competitive Service Center. 

Natcher Building - Room 4AN-44D 

45 Center Drive MSC 6402 

Bethesda. Maryland 20892-6402 

Telephone Number: 301.594.0652 

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) 

Acquisition Management Branch, DEA, NIDDK - Contracts and simplified acquisitions for 

R&D and non-R&D requirements. excluding A&E and construction for NIDDK. 

Natcher Building - Room 6AN32 

45 Center Drive MSC 6600 

Bethesda. Maryland 20892-6600 

Telephone Number: 301.594.7728 

Station Support Section, Acquisitions Management Branch 

Building 45. Room 6AN-32 

45 Center Drive 

Bethesda. Maryland 20892 

Telephone Number: 301.594.7733 

D-4 
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) 

• Research Contracts Branch, DERT, NIEHS - Contracts for R&D and R&D support 

requirements. Also serves as a Competitive Service Center for processing contracts for 

R&D and R&D Support requirements for the National Human Genome Research 

Institute (NHGRI). 

• Acquisitions Management Branch, OM, OD, NIEHS - Contracts and simplified 

acquisitions for non-R&D requirements. including A&E and construction for NIEHS. 

Serves as a Competitive Service Center for non-R&D requirements for the National 

Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRl). 

P.O. Box 12874 

Research Triangle Park. North Carolina 27709 

Telephone Number: 919.541.4670 

Purchasing Agent 

P.O. Box 12874-

Research Triangle Park. North Carolina 27709 

Telephone Number: 919.541-0387 

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) 

Contracts Management Branch, OD, NIMH - Contracts for R&D and non-R&D requirements 

excluding A&E and construction for NIMH. 

600 I Executive Boulevard 

Room 6S-61 07. MSC 9603 

Bethesda. Maryland 20892-9603 

Telephone Number: 301.443.2696 

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) 

Contracts Management Branch, DER, NINDS - Contracts for R&D requirements for NINDS. 

600 I Executive Boulevard 

Room 3287. MSC 9531 

Bethesda. Maryland 20892-9531 

Telephone Number: 301.496.1813 

D-5 
National Library of Medicine (NLM) 

Office of Acquisitions Management, OA, NLM - Contracts and simplified acquisitions for 

R&D and non-R&D requirements, excluding A&E and construction for NLM. Serves as a 

Competitive Service Center for processing contracts for non-R&D requirements, excluding A&E 

and construction for the following organizations: NIH Office of Extramural Research, NIH 

Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, NIH Center for Information Technology, 

NIH Electronic Research Administration Project Office, NIH Business and Research Support 

System Project Office, and the HHS Unified Financial Management System Program 

Management Office. 

Building 38A - Room BIN17 

8600 Rockville Pike 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-6075 

Telephone Number: 301.496.6546 

Small Purchases 

Building 38A. Room B IN20 

8600 Rockville Pike 

Bethesda, Maryland 20894 

Telephone Number: 30l.496.6127 

Office of Research Services (ORS) 

Office of Acquisition Services, ORS, NIH, Construction Contracts Branch - Contracts for 

A&E and construction for ICs. 

9000 Rockville Pike 

Building 13, Room G800 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892 

Telephone Number: 301.496.8080 

NIH Distribution Center - Storage and Distribution of Stock 

Division of Logistics Services - Inventory Managers 

16050 Industrial Drive 

Gaithersburg. Maryland 20878 

Telephone Number: 301.435.3662 

Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center (CC) 

Office of Purchasing and Contracts, CC - Contracts and Simplified Acquisitions for R&D and 

non-R&D requirements for the Cc. 

10 Center Drive 

Building 10. Room 12F254 

Bethesda. Maryland 20892 

Telephone Number: 301.496.2301 

D-6 
APPENDIXE 

NIH COMPETITIVE SERVICE CENTERS 

and Examples of Project Support 

Area Contract lCUser Contact ServIce Center Manaeer 

Service Center 

ACQUISITIONS NIEHS NHRGI Allan Benton 

Chief, Research Contract Branch 

P.O. Box 12874 

Research Triangle Park. NC 27709 

919.541.4670 

NLM CIT.OER Mary Smith 

Acting Chief, Office of Acquisitions 

Management 

Bldg. 38A, Room BIN 17 

301.496.6546 

NHLBI CSR,NCRR. Robert Best 

NIDA, NlDCR, Chief, Contracts Operations Branch 

NfMH,ORS Bldg. RockJedge 2, Room 61000 

301.435.0330 

NCI NINDS, David Keefer 

NCCAM Deputy Chief, Acquisitions 

Management Branch 

Bldg. EPS. Room 608K 

301.496.0158 

OLAO FIC, N1AMS, David Ramos 

NrMH,ORS, Acting Director, Office Logistics & 

CIT, N1CHD, Acquisition Operations 

00, N1GMS. Bldg. 60 II, Room 637 

NEt. NlDCR, 301.496.0158 

NINR, NIDCD, 

NIA,NIAAA, 

NHGRl 

APPLICATION NIAID NICHD Jack Vinner 

DEVELOPMENT Infonnation Systems Specialist 

Bldg. FED, Room 810 

301.594.9074 

CLINICAL NLM 00 (ORDR) Mary Smith 

TRIALS Acting Chief, Office of Acquisitions 

DATABASE Management 

Bldg. 38A, Room BIN 17 

301.496.6546 

E-l 
Area Contract IC User Contact Service Center 

Service Center Manol!er 

COMMITTEE MIl.BI NIEHS. Katherine M. Valeda 

MANAGEMENT OD/ORWH. CommiLlee Management OITicer 

NINR. Ce. Bldg. Rockledge 2. R(xlm 7220 

NIAMS 301.435.0155 

"KIIU NIGMS. Fie. Mar} Plummer 

NCCAM. COlllllliut::c Management Speciali~t 

OD/COPR. Bldg. 6100. Room 5E03 

OD/OAR. 3D 1.59.\.72.12 

OD/NCMHD. 

OD/PROG. 

NCCAMISREA. 

White HOll~c 

Commission ... on 

CAM 

Policy/DHHS 

:\1.\(1) NIDCD. Claudia Goad 

OD/CFSCC COI11J11ittct:: Management Officer 

6700 B Rockledge. Room 2147 

301 A96.1761 

'" (1)1>" 'iIA Dcni",e ~1JnOlielian 

Committee Management Olliccr 

1 Democracy Blvo .. Room 758 

301.594.8892 

UELEG.\TEU CIT NINDS. NIDCR. Ke\in Murph) 

EX.\\II:\I:\G He. N1GMS. Human Resources Consultant 

l:\ITS NIMH. NIAMS. Bldg. 12A. Room 3013 

NICHD. NEI. 301..\96.6')51 

NIDDK. NIA 

FOIAIPri,a9 Act :\ 111.111 NCCAM Suzanne Freeman 

Deputy Branch Chief & 

FOIA/Pri,ac) 

Bldg. 31. Room SA33 

30 I ..\96.9737 

E-2 

APPENDIXF 

SENIOR CONTRACTING OFFICER CONTACTS 

Best. Robert 

301.435.0330 

RKL2/6100 

FAX: 301.480.3338 

Benton, Allan C. 

P.O. Box 12874 

Research Triangle 

Park, N.C. 27709 

FrS: 919.541.4670 

FAX: 919.541.2712 

Bridges, Antoinette 

P.O. Box 12874 

Research Triangle 

Park, N.C. 27709 

FrS: 919.541.5415 

FAX: 919.558.7043 

Blevins, Marion L. 

301.594.0652 

Natcher/4AN-44D 

FAX: 301.402.4225 

Davis, Kirkland 

301.496.4487 

600113287 

FAX: 301.402.0178 

Dove, Henry 

301.496.4487 

61oo/6E01 

FAX: 301.402.0178 

Chief, Operations Branch, 

DEA,NHLBI 

Chief, Research Contracts Branch, 

NIEHS 

Chief, Acquisitions Management Branch, 

NIEHS 

Chief, Contract Management Section, 

EP,NIDCR 

Chief, Contracts Management Branch 

DEA,NINDS 

Chief, Division of Research Acquisition 

OLAO 

F-l 
Eaton, John 

301.846.1113 

FCRDC 

427/30 

FAX: 301.846.6628 

Eskenazi, David 

301.443.2696 

6001/6107 

FAX: 301.443.0501 

Guenthner, Rebecca 

301.402.2284 

6700-B/I130 

FAX: 301.480.3695 

Hamill, John 

301.443.6677 

6001/3105 

FAX: 301.443.7595 

Jones, Sydney 

301.402.1433 

CC126200 

FAX: 301.480.5563 

Keefer, David 

301.496.8628 

EPS/608K 

FAX: 301.480.0309 

Quinn, James 

301.496.4611 

610017A07 

FAX: 301.402.3676 

Smith, Mary 

301.496.6546 

38AIBIN17 

FAX: 301.402.4225 

Chief, Government Contracting Officer 

NCI, FCRDC 

Chief, Contracts Management Branch 

NIMH 

Chief, Acquisitions Management Operations Branch 

OD,NIAID 

Chief, Contracts Management Branch 

NIDA 

Chief, Clinical Center Acquisitions Management 

CC 

Acting Chief, Research Contracts and Acquisition Branch 

OM, NCI, (RCAB) 

Chief, Contracts Management Branch 

OGC,NICHD 

Acting Chief, Office of Acquisitions 

Management, OA, NLM 

F-2 
Sullivan, PatrickM. 

301.594.7728 or 7725 

Natcher/6AN32 

FAX: 301.480.4226 

Velez, Brenda 

301.496.7117 or 496.0612 

6700-B12230 

FAX: 301.480.5253 

Webster-Cissel. Eileen 

301.594.2543 

Natcher 5AS-13A 

FAX: 301.480.5996 

Wilhelm, Roberta 

301.443.1191 

WIlleo Bldg. 

Suite 504 

FAX: 301.443.3891 

Chief, Contracts Management Branch 

DEA,NIDDK 

Chief, Contracts Management Branch 

DEA,NIAID 

Chief, Contracts Management Branch 

NIAMS,OD 

Chief, Contracts Management Branch 

OPRM,NIAAA 

F-3 

APPENDIXG 

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION CONTACTS 

Laurie Weker 

Acting Agency Program Coordinator 

NIH Purchase Card Program 

Telephone: 301.435.6606 

Fax: 301.402.2145 

E-mail: creditcard@od.nih.goy 

Cole Stathes 

Coordinator, BPAProgram 

301.435.3933 

Milton G Nicholas, Jr. 

Coordinator, Purchase Card Operations 

301.435.6605 

Nancy L. Davis 

BPAlPurchase Card Analyst 

301.435.3918 

Christina Vaughan 

BPAAnalyst 

301.435.3937 

T1Ill Theoharis 

Purchase Card Reviewer 

301.435.3935 

John Best 

Purchase Card Reviewer 

301.496.4595 

Tabitha Davol 

BPAlPurchase Card Analyst 

301.402.3459 

BPAHelpline 

301.496.5212 

G-l 

Georgiann Wilson 

Coordinator, Purchase Card Reviews 

301.435.3938 

Patricia Seidel 

Coordinator, Delpro Operations 

301.435.3951 

Donna Lewis 

BPAAnalyst 

301.435.3923 

Bonnie Keane 

Purchase Card Reviewer 

301.402.3195 

Alfreda Mire 

Purchase Card Reviewer 

301.435.3904 

Diane Mattern 

BPAlPurchase Card Analyst 

301.402.3460 

Purchase Card Helpline 

301.435.6606 

Delpro Helpline 

301.496.0400 

APPENDIXH 

OTHER RESOURCES 

The following are additional resources and points of contact that provide infonnation, counsel and or 

assistance to businesses. 

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) 

Debbie Ridgely (Director) 

Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization 

Building HHH, Room 517-D 

200 Independence Avenue, S.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20201 

Telephone Number: 202.690.7235 

FAX: 202.260.4872 

E-mail: debbie.ridgely@hhs.gov 

DHHS Web site: http://www.os.dhhs.gov or http://www.hhs.gov 

National Institutes of Health (NIH) 

9000 Rockville Pike 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892 

Telephone Number: 301.496.4000 

NIH Web site: http://www.nih.gov 

NIH Freedom of Information Act Office 

Building 31, Room 2B39 

9000 Rockville Pike 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892 

Telephone Number: 301.496.5633 

NIH Competition Advocate 

Building 1, Room 140 

9000 Rockville Pike 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892 

Station Support: - Dr. Philip Chen - Telephone Number: 301.496.3561 

Research and Development: - Dr. Anthony Demsey - Telephone Number: 301.496.5127 

NIH Chief Information Officer (CIO) 

Building 31, Room 12A-3033 

9000 Rockville Pike 

Bethesda, ~aryland 20892 

Telephone Number: 301.496.5703 

H-l 
NIH Extramural Grant Program 

6701 Rockledge Drive MSC 7910 

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7910 

Telephone Number: 301.435.0714 

E-mail: asknih@od.nih.gov 

Small Business Administration (SBA) 

403 3rd Street, S.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20201 

SBA SBIR: Telephone Number: 202.205.6450 

SBA Web site: http://www.sba.gov 

SBA Co-sponsored Small Business Development Centers 

http://www.sba.gov /sbdc/mission.html 

SBA Office of Women's Business Ownership 

http://www.sba. gov/womeninbusiness 

Local Metropolitan Resources 

SBA Small Business Resource Center 

3 West Baltimore Street 

Baltimore, Maryland 21201 

Telephone Number: 410.605.0990 

SBA Business Information Center 

110 Vermont Avenue, N.W. - 9th Floor 

Washington, D.C. 20416 

Telephone Number: 202.606.4000 ext. 266 

Montgomery County Department of Economic Development 

Business Resource Center 

Rockville Regional Library 

99 Maryland Avenue 

Rockville, Maryland 20850 

Telephone Number: 240.777.2041 

FAX: 240.777.2026 

Web site: http://www.theidealocation.com 

Howard University Small Business Development Center 

2600 Sixth Street, N.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20059 

Telephone Number: 202.806.1550 

FAX: 202.806.1777 

H-2 
The George Washington University National Law Center 

2000 G. Street, N.W., Suite 200 

Washington, D.C. 20052 

Telephone Number: 202.994.7463 

FAX: 202.994.4946 

George Mason University Small Business Development Center 

4260 Chain Bridge Road, Suite A-I 

Fairfax, Virginia 22030-4444 

Telephone Number: 703.277.7700 

FAX: 703.277.7730 

The University of Maryland 

Capital Region Small Business Development Center for Montgomery and Prince George's County 

7100 Baltimore Avenue, Room 402 

College Park, Maryland 20740 

Point of Contact: Karen Lundberg 

Telephone Number: 301.403.0501 

Other Resources 

Center for Veterans Enterprise (OOVE) 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 

8011 I Street, NW, Suite 1208 

Washington, D.C. 20001 

Telephone Number: 202.565.8336 

FAX: 202.565.4255 

E-mail: vacve@mail.va.gov 

Web site: http://www.vetbiz.gov 

The Veterans Corporation 

1800 Diagonal Rd, Suite 230 

Alexandria, VA 22314 

E-mail: ralen@veteranscorp.org 

National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) -- business incubators across the U.S. 

http://www.nbia.org 

Procurement Technical Assistance Centers co-located with universities across the country: 

http://www.sellingtothegovemment.netlptac map.asp#pa 

H-3 

APPENDIX I 

ACCESS TO THE NIH TELEPHONE AND SERVICE DIRECTORY 

To obtain a NIH Telephone and Service Directory, you can call, send a fax, or write to the Government 

Printing Office (GPO), Superintendent of Documents or access the directory posted at 

http://directory.nih.goy . 

Address: 

Government Printing Office (GPO) 

Superintendent of Documents 

P.O. Box 371954 

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15250-7954 

Telephone Number: 202.512.1800 

FAX: 202.512.2250 

Web site: http://www.access.gpo.gOY 

The cost of the directory is $41.00. Method of payment can be by Visa, MasterCard, or personal check. 

The document number is 017 -040-00544-0. 

1-1 

A 

A&E 

AMC 

AP 

B 

BOA 

B&P 

BPA 

C 

CAS 

CC 

CCO 

CEC 

CFR 

CIT 

CO 

COC 

CPAF 

CPFF 

CPIF 

CR 

CS 

CSR 

D 

DCAA 

DELPRO 

DHHS 

DPA 

DRA 

D&B 

E 

EIN 

APPENDIXJ 

ACRONYMS 

Architect Engineering 

Acquisition Management Committee 

Acquisition Plan 

Basic Ordering Agreement 

Bid and Proposal 

Blanket Purchase Agreement 

Cost Accounting Standard 

Clinical Center 

Chief of the Contracting Office 

Contractor Establishment Code 

Code of Federal Regulations 

Center for Information Technology 

Contracting Officer 

Certificate of Competency 

Cost Plus Award Fee 

Cost Plus Fixed Fee 

Cost Plus Incentive Fee 

Cost Reimbursement 

Contract Specialist 

Center for Scientific Review 

Defense Contract Audit Agency 

Delegated Procurement System 

Department of Health and Human Services 

Delegation of Procurement Authority 

Division of Research Acquisition 

Dun & Bradstreet Number 

Employer Identification Number 

J-l 
F 

FAR 

FEDBIZOPPS 

FCRDC 

FFP 

FIC 

FOC 

FOI 

FOIA 

FP 

FPR 

FR 

FY 

G 

GAO 

GPO 

GSA 

GWAC 

H 

HCA 

HUBZone 

I 

IC 

IDC 

IDIQ 

IFB 

IMPAC 

IMPACT 

IRM 

J 

JOFOC 

L 

LAN 

LOE 

Federal Acquisition Regulations 

Federal Businesss Opportunities 

Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center 

Firm Fixed Price 

Fogarty International Center 

Full and Open Competition 

Freedom of Information 

Freedom of Information Act 

Fixed Price 

Final Proposal Review 

Federal Register 

Fiscal Year 

General Accounting Office 

Government Printing Office 

General Services Administration 

Government-Wide Acquisition Contract 

Head of the Contracting Activity 

Historically Underutilized Business Zones 

Institutes, Centers 

Indefinite Deliver Contract 

IndefInite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract 

Invitation for Bid 

Information for Management, Planning, Analysis and Coordination 

(Data System) 

Integrated Management of Personnel Administration Through 

Computer Technology 

Information Resources Management 

JustifIcation for Other than Full and Open Competition 

Local Area Network 

Level of Effort 

J-2 
M 

MA 

MAC 

MOU 

N 

NAICS 

NCCAM 

NCI 

NCMHD 

NCRR 

NEC 

NEI 

NHGRI 

NHLBI 

NIA 

NIAAA 

NIAID 

NIAMS 

NIBIB 

NICHD 

NIDA 

NIDCD 

NIDCR 

NIDDK 

NIEHS 

NIGMS 

NIH 

NIMH 

NINDS 

NINR 

NIST 

NLM 

o 

OA 

OAMP 

OFCCP 

OIRM 

OLAO 

OPDIV 

ORS 

OS 

OSDBU 

Master Agreement 

Multiple Award Contract 

Memorandum of Understanding 

North American Industrial Classification System 

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine 

National Cancer Institute 

National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities 

National Center for Research Resources 

Not Elsewhere Classified 

National Eye Institute 

National Human Genome Research Institute 

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute 

National Institute on Aging 

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 

National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases 

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering 

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 

National Institute on Drug Abuse 

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research 

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 

National Institute of General Medical Sciences 

National Institutes of Health 

National Institute of Mental Health 

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 

National Institute of Nursing Research 

National Institute of Standards and Technology 

National Library of Medicine 

Office of Administration 

Office of Acquisition Management and Policy 

Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs 

Office of Information Resources Management 

Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations 

Operating Division 

Office of Research Services 

Office of the Secretary 

Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization 

1-3 
P 

PA Privacy Act 

PCR Procurement Center Representative 

PHS Public Health Service 

PI Principal Investigator 

PIA Procurement Integrity Act 

PL. Public Law 

PMS Payment Management System 

PO Project Officer 

R 

R&D 

RFC 

RFP 

RFQ 

S 

SB 

SBA 

SBIR 

SBO 

SBSA 

SBS 

SDB 

SVOSB 

SF 

SIC 

SON 

SOW 

SRA 

STIR 

T 

TO 

uvw 

U.S.c. 

VOB 

VOSB 

WHI 

WOB 

WYLBUR 

Research and Development 

Request for Contract 

Request for Proposal 

Request for Quotation 

Small Business 

U.S. Small Business Administration 

Small Business Innovation Research 

Small Business Office 

Small Business Set-aside 

Small Business Specialist 

Small Disadvantaged Business 

Service-disabled Veteran-owned Small Business 

Standard Form 

Standard Industrial Classification 

Summary of Negotiation 

Statement of Work 

Scientific Review Administrator 

Small Business Technology Transfer Research 

Task Order 

United States Code 

Veteran-owned Business 

Veteran-owned Small Business 

Women's Health Initiative 

Woman Owned Business 

No acronym. Interactive system providing simultaneous service to 

more than 825 terminals or microcomputers. 

J-4 


.... 

N 

-.- ~Shut'IeRoute 

o Con'1lus Shuttle s,op 

o ~ Shull'" Stop Metro ... 10 . 31A ... .Metro 

I:J Patient & VISitor P8t1Ung 

• V.S<lor ParIong 

1!2 ~ Panong Acoaos 

• e~p_ng 

Building Key: 

APPENDIXK 

MAP OF NllI 

Building I --- James Shannon Building (NIH Administration) 

Building 10 --- Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center; Mark Hatfield Clinical Research Center 

Building I J ---Central Utility Plant 

Building J3 --- Engineering Services 

Building 16 ---Stone House 

Building 31 --- Claude D. Pepper Building 

Building 36 --- Lowell P. Weicker Building 

Building 38 --- National Library of Medicine 

Building 38A --- Lister Hill 

Building 40 --- Vacc ine Research Center 

Building 45 --- Natcher Building and Conference Cenler 

Building 49 --- Sylvia Conle Building 

Building 50 --- Stokes Laboratories 

Building 60 --- Mary Woodard Lasker Center 

Building 62 --The Children's Inn at NIH 

NOTES: 

Prepared by: 

The National Institutes of Health 

Small Business Office 

with contributions from various Information and Acquisition Offices 

NIH Publication No. 02-4324 

(revised August 2002)