"Production of B6C3F1/N Mice for NTP Studies"

Title: Production of B6C3F1/N mice for NTP studies This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice for a non-Research and Development (R&D) support service program. 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. 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 NAICS code for the project is: 112990 The small business size standard is tiny_mce_marker.75 million BACKGROUND. The Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP) within the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is an interagency program whose mission is to evaluate agents of public health concern by developing and applying tools of modern toxicology and molecular biology. The program maintains an objective, science-based approach in dealing with critical issues in toxicology and is committed to using the best science available to prioritize, design, conduct, and interpret its studies. The evaluation of chemicals and other agents is generally conducted through a sequence of studies, which involve the exposure of laboratory rodents to these agents. Rats and mice are appropriate models for evaluating the toxicologic and carcinogenic potential of these compounds. The NTP utilizes the B6C3F1/N hybrid mouse and various rat stocks/strains to evaluate this potential. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES. The NIEHS seeks capability statements from qualified small businesses to establish, operate and maintain rodent production colonies under strict barrier conditions in order to produce approximately 50-100 per sex of B6C3F1/N mice at weekly intervals. Additionally the contractor shall be able to produce peaks up to 350 per sex of B6C3F1/N hybrid mice at about eight week intervals as requested for a total of up to approximately 8000 B6C3F1/N mice per year for the NTP research and testing program. To ensure continued production in the event of contamination, environmental systems failure, or natural disaster, geographically separate backup production colonies that can quickly be brought into production are required. REQUIREMENTS. See the attached Statement of Work (SOW) dated November 2015. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS. The contractor shall have an approved Animal Welfare Assurance on file with the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) and shall be accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) at the time of contract award. All facilities, practices and procedures of husbandry, care and maintenance of animals used in the performance of this contract shall be in compliance with the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, the Animal Welfare Act Regulations, the current edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide), and all local, state and federal regulations. The Contractor shall have an active integrated pest management (IPM) program to prevent the introduction of pathogenic agents to animals housed in the isolator/barrier facilities. Failure to meet these minimum mandatory requirements will render any offeror's proposal non-responsive and it will not be considered for award. ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE AND STAFFING. The Government intends to award a cost reimbursement type contract. The anticipated start date of the award is September 30, 2016. The planned total period of performance is five (5) years. It is estimated that the level of effort is approximately 7,250 direct labor hours per year. This figure includes hours for the Principal Investigator, the Project Manager, the Geneticist/Molecular Biologist, and Animal Care Technicians. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS. There will be no Government furnished equipment or facilities. Government furnished material is limited to live mice and/or frozen embryos. CAPABILITY STATEMENT. Interested organizations shall submit a capability statement that demonstrates relevant experience, skills, and ability to fulfill the requirements described herein, including examples of prior completed projects of similar nature, and the ability to meet the mandatory requirements. The capability statement should be concise, but must contain sufficient detail for the Government to adequately assess your organization's experience and capabilities. Standard company brochures will not be considered a sufficient response. Capability statements should not exceed twenty (20) pages in length, including all attachments, resumes, charts, etc. Organizations responding to this announcement should submit a capability statement Each response should also include the following business information: a. DUNS number b. Organization Name and Company Address c. Point of Contact (including name, title, addresses, telephone number, and Email address) d. Business size e. Socio-economic status Capability statements must be submitted electronically only and must be received by February 3, 2015 at 5:00pm EST. Documents submitted by email or fax will not be accepted. Address all questions regarding this notice to Patrick Barbour at barbourp@niehs.nih.gov. DISCLAIMER AND IMPORTANT NOTICES - 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 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). Small businesses that believe they possess the necessary capabilities to meet these requirements are encouraged to contact the Primary Point of Contact listed below.