Procurement of Marmoset Cages

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. This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. Background: The AHCS at NINDS supports investigators who use animals in their research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of neurological disorders. Animal caging must be fabricated and maintained in a manner consistent with regulatory guidance. Racks and cages must be easily sanitize-able and robust enough to withstand the rigors of mechanical washers. Cages must be adequately ventilated, allow observation of the animals, prevent their escape and allow them to engage in species-typical behaviors. Purpose and Objectives: The NINDS AHCS requires twelve marmoset racks with two cages per rack. Each cage shall be equipped with an under-cage excreta pan and a door with a tamper-proof closure. The successful offeror shall provide caging that meets the specifications identified in this purchase description and provides the government the best value over the expected lifespan of the cages. Project requirements: Quantity: Twelve racks providing 24 cages are required. A total of 24 excreta pans are required. Salient characteristics: The NINDS AHCS requires marmoset caging that meets the following specifications: a) Cages must be at least 30" wide x 31" deep x 39" high. b) Each cage must a hinged door on the front of each cage is 12" wide x 16" high, centered on the cage front and secured with two spring loaded latches. c) Each cage must have front, ceiling and floors are constructed of 14 gauge, 1" x 1/2" welded wire mesh and reinforced with 1/4" diameter rod frames. d) The rear of the cage must have rear of each cage is a solid stainless-steel sheet. e) Each cage has two six-inch-wide perches made of 14 gauge 1" x " welded wire mesh. They should be suspended 14" above the cage floor and run from front to rear on either side of the cage. f) Each perch must have a stainless-steel angle along the front edge for support and stiffness g) Overall rack dimensions are 32-3/4" wide x 30-3/4" deep x 89-1/2" high. The rack has runners suspended under each cage to support excreta pan. h) The rack has four- 4" stainless steel castors rigs with autoclavable wheels and precision stainless steel bearings in the axles, (two with brakes, all with zerks) for superior mobility. i) The Rack braking castors must be "Total Locks" which lock the swivel and wheel simultaneously. Warranty Requirements: The Contractor shall provide a two (2) year warranty on parts and labor. All products shall be warranted to be free from material defects in workmanship or material under normal use and service for warranty period Anticipated period of performance: The Contractor shall deliver the required equipment within Six (6) months after receipt of order. The equipment shall be delivered between the hours of 7:00am and 2:00pm, Bethesda, MD local prevailing time, Monday through Friday, at the NIH Main Campus, building 49 loading dock located at 49 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892. Other important considerations: none Capability statement /information sought. Clearly indicate whether respondents must provide, as part of their responses, a capability statement, "white paper," answers to questions/issues, etc. This may include requests for: - respondents' opinions about the difficulty and/or feasibility of the potential requirement or proposed acquisition, possible solutions and approaches that may currently exist in the marketplace, and information regarding innovative ideas or concepts; - 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; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information; - general information regarding the respondent's estimate or rough order of magnitude of the effort or time that may be required for completion of the work. (NOTE: This type of information may only be requested as part of an RFI. However, care must be exercised in requesting such information. Information requested must be: (a) necessary; (b) broad in scope; and (c) used for planning purposes only. Detailed estimates must not be requested.); The respondent must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc., pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. One (1) copy of the response is required and must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2" x 11" paper size, with 1" top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing. The information submitted must be must be in and outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirement and in the capability statement /information sought paragraphs stated herein. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required. The response is limited to ten (10) page limit. The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, or references, if requested. The response must include the respondents' technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. All responses to this notice must be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer. Facsimile responses are NOT accepted. The response must be submitted to Andrea King at e-mail address andrea.king@nih.gov. The response must be received on or before May 13, 2019 at 10AM Eastern Time. "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 presolicitation 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)."