Inactive

THIS IS A PUBLIC NOTICE.THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION OR REQUEST FOR QUOTE. THIS PUBLIC NOTICE DOES NOT OBLIGATE THE GOVERNMENT TO ANY CONTRACT AWARD. THIS NOTICE IS INTENDED AS A FORECAST TO INFORM THE ... THIS IS A PUBLIC NOTICE.THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION OR REQUEST FOR QUOTE. THIS PUBLIC NOTICE DOES NOT OBLIGATE THE GOVERNMENT TO ANY CONTRACT AWARD. THIS NOTICE IS INTENDED AS A FORECAST TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF VARIOUS REQUIREMENTS THAT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH ANTICIPATES AWARDING IN FISCAL YEAR 2020 THIS NOTICE IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND SHALL NOT COMMIT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH) TO ISSUE A SOLICITATION FOR THESE REQUIREMENTS. The solicitation number for this acquisition is NIH-OLAO-OD3-SS-5702359. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small business; service disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Eye Institute (NEI) are planning a 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. Other motivating factors for this project are the enhancement of animal welfare and the public perception of laboratory animal housing. The larger habitats will permit animals to display a wider range of species-typical behaviors than is currently possible in standard housing systems. The larger housing areas will also accommodate a wider range of environmental enrichment (i.e. foraging opportunities, manipulanda, etc.) and facilitate a wider range of animal movement (i.e. climbing, swinging, etc.) than our current standard quad caging systems. Many programs throughout the world have migrated to similar caging habitats and improved the public perception of their program. It is the goal of this project to provide an enhanced social environment for our NHPs, while expanding the range of research possibilities available to our scientists. In addition to the above, it is the goal of this project to provide the animals with a stable, controlled environment, that maximizes their health and well-being, while being easily cleanable, sanitizable, and configurable. The habitat design/housing system must support the on-going research of the involved institutes, including the use of both water and food control paradigms. The ideal design will also provide for the needs of husbandry staff and facilitate the training, safe handling, and transferring of animals. 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 (Attachment A), 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. If your organization is a small business and has the capacity, please provide concise responses directed specifically to the requirements detailed above, through your capability statement. Sources’ capability statements must show pertinent information in sufficient detail to demonstrate their ability to perform, and must include the following information: (1) Organization name, address, email address, web site address, and telephone number (2) size and type of ownership for the organization [i.e., small business, small disadvantage business, 8 (a) firm, etc]. Capability statements must be received by 2pm (ET) on Thursday, May 07, 2020. Electronic submissions only to - john.alozie@nih.gov and reference solicitation number NIH-OLAO-OD3-SS-5702359.