Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

THIS IS A PRESOLICITATION NOTICE ONLY AND NOT A SOLICITATION OR REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ) DOCUMENT. THE RFQ/SOLICITATION PACKAGE WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE.... THIS IS A PRESOLICITATION NOTICE ONLY AND NOT A SOLICITATION OR REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ) DOCUMENT. THE RFQ/SOLICITATION PACKAGE WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE. QUOTES ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED OR ACCEPTED AT THIS TIME. CONTRACTORS SHOULD FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Eye Institute (NEI) seek to issue a solicitation for the renovation of existing animal holding rooms in the Building 49 Central Animal Facility. The renovation is designed to accommodate larger social groups of nonhuman primates (NHPs) and meet the expanding research mission of the NIMH and NEI. Being a social species, macaques form groups and coalitions which manifest complex behaviors and interactions. In order to study social behaviors, larger cohort groups are required. Current caging systems facilitate the pairing of two animals, whereas the new social group habitats will facilitate the housing of four or more animals in a social group. In addition to requiring larger social groups, in-cage testing paradigms are becoming more popular. In these scenarios, animals can decide when to work by independently using a touch screen video monitor without ever leaving their home cage. These testing modalities often require more room for the animal to maneuver than is available in our current caging systems. The resultant solicitation will be for the design, fabrication, crating, shipping, surcharges, and installation of five (5) social housing habitats and one (1) group testing module to be installed in the Building 49 Central Animal Facility on the Bethesda campus of the National Institutes of Health. Each social housing habitat shall consist of six (6) ‘Home’ cages, alternated with five (5) One-Over-One squeeze back caging units. The group testing module, located in the same hallway as three of the habitats, may consist of one (1) large group housing cage with the ability to connect two (2) standard 4.3 or 6.0 sq. ft. quad caging units with squeeze backs. In addition, this RFP also includes the design, fabrication, crating, shipping, surcharges, and installation of eight (8) animal transfer doors/tunnels to connect several ‘Home’ cages through the cinder block wall in the rear of the ‘Home’ cage. The entire project will consist of four (4) milestones which may be funded separately as follows: Construction and installation of a prototype social housing habitat (1st Floor, NIMH) and two (2) animal transfer doors/tunnels. Construction and installation of the two (2) remaining 1st Floor NIMH social housing habitats and the four (4) remaining 1st Floor animal transfer doors/tunnels. Construction and installation of the two (2) NEI social housing habitats and related two (2) remaining animal transfer doors/tunnels. Construction and installation of the testing module. NOTE: The testing module concept is currently under development and the Government reserves the right to withdraw this option at its discretion. Therefore, for the purpose of determining technical acceptability and selection of a final vendor, the vendor is only required to provide concept renderings/drawings for the social housing habitats and animal transfer doors/tunnels. Pre-Solicitation Site Visit As part of this pre-solicitation, the Government will hold a question and answer session on the NIH Bethesda campus, including a walk-through of the proposed installation area, to confirm all dimensions, access into and through the facility. Attendance is limited to a maximum of two (2) representatives per vendor. Social distancing will be practiced during the session and personal protective equipment will be provided. Examples of current facility caging, including water bottle holders, water bottles, and feed bins will be available for examination. Photography will not be permitted during the walk-through. Date and time of site visit is on Friday, May 22, 2020, 10AM-2PM. Names of the representatives of interested offerors must be received by 2pm (ET) on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. Electronic submissions only to - john.alozie@nih.gov . Please reference “Primate Enclosure Site Visit” on the subject line. The venue for the question & answer and walk-through session will be: Conference room 1A51, Building 49 49 Convent Drive Bethesda, MD 20892.