Laboratory Rodent Services

**THIS HAS BEEN AMENDED TO EXTEND THE TIME FRAME FROM THE PRESOLICITATION NOTICE TO THE POSTING OF THE RFP FROM 10 DAYS TO 15 DAYS.** THIS IS A PRESOLICITATION NOTICE ONLY AND NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP). THE RFP WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS PRESOLICITATION NOTICE, WHICH IS 15 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF THIS PRESOLICITATION NOTICE. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), for the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin (NIAMS) is planning to award an Indefinite-delivery, Indefinite-quantity contract for Laboratory Rodent Services outlines below. The applicable NAICS code is 112990 and the size standard is $0.75 Million. It is anticipated that one award will be made in September 2010 for a period of five years. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Intramural Research Program (NIAMS) requires a variety of laboratory rodent services to be performed by a qualified vendor. These services include, but are not limited to, quarantine, embryo transfer derivation, cesarean derivation, production colony management, embryo cryopreservation. The animals and information sent to the Contractor are and will remain the personal and proprietary property of NIAMS. Upon request by NIAMS, the Contractor shall immediately return all information, notes made regarding the information, and copies to NIAMS. The Contractor shall provide and maintain a dedicated barrier design facility for approximately 1800 cages for production of inbred, congenic, transgenic, and DNA-mediated gene targeted mutant mice and their offspring. NIAMS reserves the right to add additional breeding and/or production cages to meet increased future requirements. Such additions shall be based upon space availability at the contract facilities. The Contractor shall provide germ free derivation and a germ free barrier to be used as needed by NIAMS investigators for specialized lines that are in need of a germ free environment. In consult with the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) or NIAMS Designee, and NIAMS investigators, the Contractor will establish production plans for each mouse line based upon the investigator needs. The Contractor will then develop recommendations and a plan for the initialization, production, and maintenance of each mouse line. These plans must be reviewed and approved by the NIAMS Designee before commencing. The Contractor shall rederive via embryo transfer various strains and stocks of NIAMS owned mice and rats. Once rederived, the animals will be barrier reared and maintained to ensure the specified health status. Animals of specific sexes, ages, weights, and pregnancy status may be requested by NIAMS investigators. The Contractor shall provide surgical and technical procedures, quarantine, embryo cryopreservation, genotyping, diagnostic and analytical services, such as PCR, MAP, RAP, HAP, tissues, and other biological samples as requested to meet the needs of NIAMS Investigators. The Contractor shall operate any and all proposed facilities for services related to rederivation of animal models for the elimination of the vertical and horizontal transfer of pathogens, parasites and other undesired organisms, and the cryopreservation of mouse or rat embryos. The Contractor shall house all mice and rats arriving at the facility in a quarantine area, which is physically removed and independently staffed and maintained from the barrier facility. Each strain shall be rederived into the barrier facility via embryo transfer derivation. The Contractor shall provide defined flora or germfree foster mothers housed in germfree isolators as the recipients. Rederived mice or rats shall be held in sterile micro-isolators physically separated from the quarantine and barrier facilities until their health status is monitored to verify their germfree/defined flora condition. The Contractor shall be accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International, and USDA registered. In addition, the Contractor shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations and standards governing animal welfare while performing under this contract. All facilities, practices and procedures of husbandry, care and maintenance of animals used in the performance of this contract shall be in accordance with the latest issue in effect of The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The following requirements will be detailed in the RFP: 1) Colony Production and Management 2) Surgery Services 3) Services to Eliminate the Transmission of Specific Pathogens, Parasites and Organisms specified on the contract agent lists 4) Cryopreservation and Banking Services for Germplasm (sperm, ovaries, embryos, etc.) 5) Quarantine Services 6) PCR, MAP, RAP, HAP, and Other Technical Services 7) Quality Assurance Program 8) Disease Prevention and Health Status 9) Additional Considerations 10) Key Personnel 11) Reporting Requirements 12) Packaging 13) Shipping This is a presolicitation notice only, and not a request for proposal (RFP). The RFP will be available after the closing date of this presolicitation notice, which is 15 days after the date of this presolicitaiton notice. All responsible sources interested may then submit a proposal which shall be considered by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).