Operation and Maintenance of a Murine Pathogen-Free Mouse Breeding Facility

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; HUB Zone 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 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Division of Intramural Research (DIR) is seeking AAALAC accredited sources that can provide all necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment and facilities for the operation maintenance of a murine pathogen-free mouse breeding facility. The contractor shall maintain a barrier design facility for approximately 4800 breeding and production cages of inbred, congenic, transgenic and DNA-mediated gene targeted mutant mice and their offspring. The Contractor shall hold all mice arriving at the facility in a quarantine area physically removed and independently staffed and maintained from the barrier facility. The quarantine area shall provide NIAID with a minimum of 6 polyfilm flexible isolators (72 cages) or their equivalent for housing and strain expansion when necessary before derivation. In addition, the contractor shall perform various laboratory procedures, including but not limited to obtaining blood samples, tail clips, ear punches and surgical excision of the thymii from neonates. It is also the responsibility of the contractor to perform all mouse care functions, including providing all sterilized caging material, sterile food, and bedding. Lastly, the contractor shall support the NIAID Mouse Exchange Program. Functions will include importing, re-deriving, breeding, and applying all other procedures specified in the contract to mice included in the exchange program; advertise, expand and distribute exchange mice; and provide marketing, inventory control, quality control, and shipping of mice. Anticipated period of performance is September 1, 2012-August 31, 2013 with four one-year option periods. Any potential contractors should respond with capability statements electronically by January 24, 2012 at 11:00am EDT to Afua Serwah- Asibey by email at serwahasibeya@niaid.nih.gov with a CC to Terrie Nestor by email at tnestor@niaid.nih.gov. Capability statements must include information regarding respondents': (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work, including a description of the contractor's existing barrier facility; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature and the dollar value of those projects; (d) corporate experience; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts and dollar value, references, and other related information. Respondents that do not provide this information will not be deemed capable. Cover page must include DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g. 8(a), HubZone, etc.). Capability statements must be no more than ten (10) pages. All small businesses must demonstrate that they are capable of performing 50% or more of the required services. All questions must be directed, in writing, to Afua Serwah-Asibey at serwahasibeya@niaid.nih.gov. 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)." Point of Contact Afua Serwah- Asibey, Contract Specialist, Phone 301-402-5644, Fax 301-480-0689, Email serwahasibeya@niaid.nih.gov - Terrie Nestor, Contracting Officer, Phone 301-402-6790, Fax 301-480-0689, Email tnestor@niaid.nih.gov Place of Performance Address: Bethesda, MD Postal Code: 20817 Country: United States