NIH Awards $5.7M R&D Contract to Missouri Breaks Industries Research, Inc for Strong Heart Study

Contract Overview

Contract Amount: $5,720,691 ($5.7M)

Contractor: Missouri Breaks Industries Research, Inc

Awarding Agency: Department of Health and Human Services

Start Date: 2019-02-15

End Date: 2027-02-14

Contract Duration: 2,921 days

Daily Burn Rate: $2.0K/day

Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Pricing Type: COST NO FEE

Sector: R&D

Official Description: STRONG HEART STUDY (SHS)- FIELD CENTER, TASK ORDER 001

Place of Performance

Location: EAGLE BUTTE, DEWEY County, SOUTH DAKOTA, 57625

State: South Dakota Government Spending

Plain-Language Summary

Department of Health and Human Services obligated $5.7 million to MISSOURI BREAKS INDUSTRIES RESEARCH, INC for work described as: STRONG HEART STUDY (SHS)- FIELD CENTER, TASK ORDER 001 Key points: 1. Contract awarded through full and open competition, suggesting a competitive bidding process. 2. The contract is for Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences. 3. The contract duration is approximately 8 years, indicating a long-term research need. 4. The contractor, MISSOURI BREAKS INDUSTRIES RESEARCH, INC, has a track record with this specific study. 5. The contract type is Cost No Fee, which means the contractor is reimbursed for allowable costs but does not earn a profit. 6. The contract is a Delivery Order under a larger contract vehicle.

Value Assessment

Rating: fair

The contract value of $5.7 million over nearly 8 years for a specific research study appears reasonable given the duration and specialized nature of the work. Without specific benchmarks for the 'STRONG HEART STUDY' or comparable R&D contracts in this niche, a precise value-for-money assessment is challenging. The Cost No Fee (CNF) contract type suggests a focus on cost recovery for the contractor rather than profit, which can sometimes lead to cost efficiencies but also requires careful monitoring of expenditures to ensure they are necessary and reasonable.

Cost Per Unit: N/A

Competition Analysis

Competition Level: full-and-open

This contract was awarded under 'full and open competition,' indicating that all responsible sources were permitted to submit a bid. The number of bidders is not specified, but this method generally promotes a competitive environment, which can lead to better pricing and service offerings for the government. The open competition suggests that the agency sought the best value from a wide range of potential contractors.

Taxpayer Impact: Taxpayers benefit from the potential for competitive pricing and the assurance that the contract was awarded after considering multiple qualified offerors, maximizing the likelihood of obtaining the best value for public funds.

Public Impact

The primary beneficiaries are researchers and institutions involved in the STRONG HEART STUDY, contributing to public health knowledge. The services delivered are critical for ongoing research and data collection related to cardiovascular health in specific populations. The geographic impact is likely focused on the study's field centers, with potential implications for public health initiatives nationwide. The contract supports specialized research roles, potentially impacting a niche workforce within the scientific and research community.

Waste & Efficiency Indicators

Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10

Warning Flags

Lack of specific performance metrics or outcome-based evaluations in the provided data.
The Cost No Fee structure requires diligent oversight to prevent potential cost overruns or inefficiencies.
Limited information on the contractor's specific experience beyond their involvement with this study.
The long duration of the contract could present risks if research priorities shift significantly over time.

Positive Signals

Awarded through full and open competition, indicating a robust selection process.
Contractor has prior experience with the specific research study, suggesting continuity and expertise.
The contract supports a long-standing and important public health research initiative (STRONG HEART STUDY).
The Cost No Fee structure can align contractor incentives with government cost objectives.

Sector Analysis

This contract falls within the Research and Development sector, specifically focusing on physical, engineering, and life sciences. The market for such specialized research services is driven by government funding for scientific inquiry and public health initiatives. Comparable spending benchmarks would typically involve analyzing other NIH-funded R&D contracts for large-scale epidemiological studies or long-term health research projects, which often involve significant multi-year commitments and specialized data collection and analysis.

Small Business Impact

The provided data indicates that small business participation (ss: false, sb: false) was not a specific set-aside criterion for this contract. Therefore, there are no direct subcontracting implications or specific impacts on the small business ecosystem stemming from this particular award. The focus was on full and open competition, suggesting that the primary consideration was the best offer from any qualified source, regardless of business size.

Oversight & Accountability

Oversight for this contract would primarily fall under the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services. Accountability measures would be tied to the terms of the Cost No Fee contract, requiring the contractor to justify all incurred costs. Transparency is facilitated through federal contract databases, though detailed programmatic performance data may be less publicly accessible due to research confidentiality. Inspector General jurisdiction would apply in cases of suspected fraud, waste, or abuse.

Related Government Programs

National Institutes of Health Research Grants
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epidemiological Studies
Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Initiatives
Federal Health Research and Development Contracts

Risk Flags

Potential for cost creep without profit motive requiring strong government oversight.
Long contract duration may pose risks if research priorities evolve.
Limited public information on specific performance metrics and deliverables.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this federal contract paying for?

Department of Health and Human Services awarded $5.7 million to MISSOURI BREAKS INDUSTRIES RESEARCH, INC. STRONG HEART STUDY (SHS)- FIELD CENTER, TASK ORDER 001

Who is the contractor on this award?

The obligated recipient is MISSOURI BREAKS INDUSTRIES RESEARCH, INC.

Which agency awarded this contract?

Awarding agency: Department of Health and Human Services (National Institutes of Health).

What is the total obligated amount?

The obligated amount is $5.7 million.

What is the period of performance?

Start: 2019-02-15. End: 2027-02-14.

What is the historical spending trend for the STRONG HEART STUDY (SHS) and how does this task order compare?

The provided data only details a single task order (001) valued at $5.7 million with an end date in 2027. To assess historical spending trends, one would need access to previous task orders or prime contract awards related to the STRONG HEART STUDY. Without this historical data, it's impossible to determine if this $5.7 million award represents an increase, decrease, or consistent level of funding compared to prior periods. A comprehensive analysis would require examining the full contract history, including all task orders issued under the parent contract, to understand the overall investment in the study over time and identify any significant fluctuations in spending.

What specific research activities are encompassed by this $5.7 million task order?

This task order, 'STRONG HEART STUDY (SHS)- FIELD CENTER, TASK ORDER 001,' awarded to MISSOURI BREAKS INDUSTRIES RESEARCH, INC, is for 'Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology).' Given the name 'STRONG HEART STUDY' and the 'FIELD CENTER' designation, the activities likely involve the collection, management, and preliminary analysis of epidemiological data related to cardiovascular health within a specific population group. This could include participant recruitment, data acquisition (e.g., surveys, biological samples, clinical measurements), data entry, quality control, and potentially initial data processing at a field site. The 'Cost No Fee' structure implies reimbursement for direct costs associated with these research operations.

How does the contractor's performance on previous task orders for the STRONG HEART STUDY inform the risk assessment for this award?

The provided data indicates this is Task Order 001, suggesting it is the first task order under a new contract or a significant modification. Therefore, assessing the contractor's performance on *previous task orders for this specific study* is not directly possible from the given information. However, the fact that MISSOURI BREAKS INDUSTRIES RESEARCH, INC was awarded this task order implies they either have relevant past performance on similar projects or were deemed capable through the competitive bidding process. A deeper risk assessment would require reviewing their performance history on other government contracts, particularly those involving large-scale epidemiological studies or field research, to identify any patterns of delays, cost issues, or quality concerns.

What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) or deliverables expected under this contract?

The provided data does not explicitly list Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or specific deliverables for this contract. However, as a 'FIELD CENTER' task order for the 'STRONG HEART STUDY,' expected deliverables would likely include timely and accurate data collection according to established study protocols, maintenance of participant records, adherence to data security and privacy regulations, and submission of progress reports. The 'Cost No Fee' contract type suggests that performance is primarily measured by the contractor's ability to execute the research plan within the allocated budget, with reimbursement contingent upon allowable costs incurred in performing the required services. Formal performance evaluations would typically be documented in contract performance reports.

What is the significance of the 'Cost No Fee' (CNF) contract type for this R&D effort?

The 'Cost No Fee' (CNF) contract type signifies that the contractor, MISSOURI BREAKS INDUSTRIES RESEARCH, INC, will be reimbursed for all allowable, allocable, and reasonable costs incurred in performing the work, but will not receive any profit. This structure is often used for research and development contracts, especially when the scope of work is not precisely defined or when the government wants to encourage the contractor to focus solely on executing the research objectives without the profit motive influencing decisions. For taxpayers, CNF contracts can potentially lead to lower overall costs as profit margins are eliminated. However, it places a greater emphasis on government oversight to ensure that costs incurred are necessary and directly related to the contract's objectives, as the contractor has less financial incentive to control costs beyond what is required for reimbursement.

Industry Classification

NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Scientific Research and Development Services › Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)

Product/Service Code: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT › N – Health R&D Services

Competition & Pricing

Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Solicitation Procedures: NEGOTIATED PROPOSAL/QUOTE

Solicitation ID: HHSN26818HV00002R

Pricing Type: COST NO FEE (S)

Evaluated Preference: NONE

Contractor Details

Address: 118 S WILLOW ST, EAGLE BUTTE, SD, 57625

Business Categories: American Indian Owned Business, Category Business, Corporate Entity Not Tax Exempt, HUBZone Firm, Minority Owned Business, Native American Owned Business, Self-Certified Small Disadvantaged Business, Small Business, Special Designations, Subchapter S Corporation, U.S.-Owned Business

Financial Breakdown

Contract Ceiling: $5,720,691

Exercised Options: $5,720,691

Current Obligation: $5,720,691

Actual Outlays: $2,709,851

Contract Characteristics

Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES PROCEDURES NOT USED

Cost or Pricing Data: YES

Parent Contract

Parent Award PIID: 75N92019D00029

IDV Type: IDC

Timeline