Inactive

This Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought (SS) Notice is for market research, information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the par... This Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought (SS) Notice is for market research, information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Department of Defense (DoD Uniform Services University (USU) or the US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). PSC: Q301 NAICS: 541380 – Testing Laboratories Location: Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4799 Title: Animal Health Monitoring and Testing The purpose of this sources sought notice is to help the Government obtain information regarding (1.) The availability and capability of qualified sources/availability of competition; and (2.) the business size and socioeconomic status (Ref FAR 19) (small business, 8(a) participants, HUBZone small business concerns, service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns, and economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB) concerns and women-owned small business (WOSB) concerns eligible under the WOSB Program; or large business), relative to the North American Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate procurement method, contract type, or set-aside, if any. The purpose the animal health-monitoring program is to serve as a quality assurance and quality program for USU/Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) to define the microbial status of animals and the environment and provide routine surveillance for pathogens that could jeopardize animal research. The laboratory animal diagnostic services are needed to ensure we have an appropriate way to assess the health of and protect our animal colonies at both the Department of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR) Vivarium at USU (DVU) and the DLAR Vivarium at AFRRI (DVA). Review draft Statement of Work (SOW) for Tasks. The Government is contemplating award of a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to fulfill this requirement. The purpose of this RFI is to obtain industry feedback on the draft SOW and identify potential sources. Feedback on the draft SOW shall be made via track changes. All capable and qualified sources are encouraged to respond to this request. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: White papers should include industry feedback on the items bulleted below: Given USU’ list of exclusion agents for various animal species, what would your company propose as sampling schedule and test panels? How and what samples should be sent, what is your turnaround time for test results, and does your company have the ability to test for the entire exclusion list for the listed rodent species using either direct animal testing or given only environmental (e.g., rack filters) sampling? Providing recommendations whether methodologies for methods of testing for our exclusion list should be included, i.e. or leave out? And why? For rodent species environmental samples, can your lab test for our exclusion list of pathogens using existing rack filters, or do you require physical plenum swabs? Does your company offer technical and subject matter expertise for interpretation of positive or unexpected test results? Does your company offer electronic database access for easily referenced test results? RODENT SPECIFIC: USU will be Environmental based in the near future, but there is no hard date. In consideration of the Three R’s, the goal is that within the next year, USU will no longer use sentinel animals, and will have only environmental sampling. We will still need the ability to test for our pathogen exclusion list using only environmental sampling. Offsite animal vendors sending animals to USU may also send samples to test for our exclusion list from either environmental or direct animal sampling throughout the term of this contract. Provide the Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate of the proposal (if able to represent cost/test panel with all exclusion list pathogens). Provide the rough cost estimate/test panel for test panels, which the company already has available and matches our pathogen exclusion list (e.g. may contain additional pathogens), if applicable. This announcement is not a formal solicitation and is not a request for proposal. No contract will be awarded from this announcement. No reimbursement will be made of any costs to provide information in response to this announcement or any follow up information requests. Availability of any formal solicitation will be announced under a separate announcement. Each response must reference the sources sought title. All proprietary information should be marked as such. Responses will be held confidential if requested. Please submit fact sheets/capability statements via email to the attention of USAMRAA, 820 Chandler St. Ft. Detrick, MD 21702. Attn: Dawn M. Albertini, Dawn.M.Albertini2.civ@mail.mil Responses must be received no later than 25 February 2022.