NOT-AI-23-036 Pre-Solicitation Notice: External Quality Assurance Program Oversight Laboratory (EQAPOL), RFP: 75N93022R00034

The purpose of the proposed Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract is to establish and support proficiency testing programs, currently serving both domestic and international sites worldwide, and provide a panel of fully characterized viruses from early acute HIV infections to develop new assays and validate assay platforms. The contract will establish a peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) bank and an EQA reagent repository of characterized material that supports EQAPOL proficiency testing programs and are made available to NIAID-supported investigators. While it is anticipated that this contract will largely support HIV vaccine efforts, it will also address urgently needed laboratory programs in support of the SARS-CoV-2 activities for prophylactic vaccines and antibodies.  The contract may be asked to support other emerging infectious disease as the need arises.