Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Eye Institute (NEI) seeks the services of a contractor for the renovation of existing animal holding rooms in the Building 49 Central Animal... The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Eye Institute (NEI) seeks the services of a contractor 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. This solicitation is 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. The solicitation number for this requirement is NIH-OLAO-OD3-RFP-5702359 and this is a Request for Proposal. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-89-1. This acquisition is a total small business set-aside. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code for this acquisition is 332999, and the small-business size standards is 750 employees. This is a fixed-price requirement. Offeror should be aware that the Government shall perform a “best value analysis” and the selection for award shall be made to the Offeror whose proposal is most advantageous to the Government, taking into consideration the technical factors and total proposed price. Place of Performance Address: National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD 20892 Offers must be submitted no later than 2:00 P.M. (EST) on Friday, July 24, 2020. E-mail submissions only to john.alozie@nih.gov by required response time. Fax submissions are not authorized. Requests for further information or questions concerning this requirement must be submitted in writing to john.alozie@nih.gov no later than 2:00P.M. (EST) on Monday, June 29, 2020. Please include the solicitation number on all your communications. Primary Point of Contact John Alozie Contract Specialist Phone: 301-496-8413. Email: john.alozie@nih.gov