OLAW IACUC Administrator's Best Practices Meetings

This is a sources sought notification for commercial services prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Part 10, utilizing FAR 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures. This Sources Sought Notice is for informational and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation or commitment by the Government. This notice is intended strictly for market research. This is a Small Business Sources Sought Notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. 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 businesses; 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. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 611710 - Educational Support Services. It is the intent of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), to procure educational support services to support the Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) best practices conference planning initiative on behalf of the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) at the National Institutes of Health. Title: OLAW IACUC Administrator's Best Practices Meetings BACKGROUND The Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), OER, NIH, is responsible for the general administration and implementation of the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and does this through a variety of educational and assurance mechanisms. One such mechanism is the support of educational workshops and conferences. There is a particular need for basic training of incoming Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) members in the practical implementation of the PHS Policy and in advanced and complex topics affecting IACUCs, and for educational opportunities that address how to achieve and coordinate compliance with the major oversight systems, including OLAW/PHS. Specific Tasks Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the vendor will present approximately two "IACUC Administrator's Best Practices Meetings" each year. The vendor will make a concerted effort to solicit appropriate participation of women, racial/ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities, and other individuals who have been traditionally underrepresented in science, in accord with the NIH Policy "Guidelines on Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in NIH Sponsored Intramural and Extramural Scientific Meetings and Conferences." (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not95-123.html) Each Meeting will be held at an accessible site, as outlined by section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and, as applicable, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 that permits convenient accessibility for attendees. Participants with disabilities will be permitted to voluntarily identify any special needs. Each Meeting will be open to all individuals completing the appropriate registration form and paying any registration fees, until such time as physical capacity for the sessions is reached. The program will focus on topics of interest to IACUC administrators with a particular emphasis on the requirements of the PHS Policy. They will provide a basic yet comprehensive overview of the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the humane care and use of laboratory animals supplemented with examples and possible approaches for successful and effective administration. There will be opportunities for participants to consider and discuss complex challenges to complying with PHS Policy. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED The purpose of this procurement is to acquire conference planning and support for the "IACUC Administrator's Best Practices Meetings". The specific current tasks include assistance on the following: The "IACUC Administrator's Best Practices Meeting" is a unique working meeting of which IACUC staff and animal program operations personnel from across the country present and share best practices in the humane care and use of laboratory animals. The meeting format will facilitate development of methodologies to satisfy the requirements of the animal welfare laws and policies and include the opportunity to direct questions to representatives from OLAW, USDA, and AAALAC International. Topics for discussion will include practices for ensuring protocol and grant congruency, operating successful Occupational Health and Safety Programs, tracking animals used in research, and IACUC monitoring of approved protocols. Proceedings of the two-day program will be available to attendees. Period of Performance: It is anticipated that the period of performance for this requirement will be for approximately one year with for additional 12-month option periods from the date of award. The award is anticipated to be made on July 15, 2010. Place of Performance: Primarily on-site at the following location - 6707 Democracy Blvd, 10TH Floor, Bethesda, MD 20817 Other Considerations: The proposed acquisition will be procured in accordance with the policies and procedures under FAR 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement which will be considered by the National Library of Medicine. This Sources Sought Notice is not a Request for Quotes (RFQ), nor is an RFQ available. Interested firms responding to this Sources Sought Notice must adhere to the following: (a) Provide a capability statement demonstrating relevant experience, skills and ability to fulfill the Government's requirements for the above. The capability statement should contain enough sufficient detail for the Government to make an informed decision regarding your capabilities; however, the statement should not exceed 10 pages. (b) The capability statement must identify the responder's: small business type and size; DUNS number; NAICS code; and technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. (c) All capability statements must be submitted electronically no later than 5:00pm eastern standard time on Thursday, June 23, 2011 to Raymond Hawkins, hawkinsra@mail.nih.gov . Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). Any organization interested in responding to this sources sought notice must provide a statement of capabilities by e-mail and include your organizations business size by 5pm EST on Thursday, June 23, 2011. Information may be requested from Raymond Hawkins at hawkinsra@mail.nih.gov. NO TELEPHONE REQUEST WILL BE ACCEPTED.