Rodent Production for the Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

THE DUE DATE FOR PROPOSALS HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO DECEMBER 16, 2021 AT 2 PM EST. This solicitation follows the presolicitation notice that was released on October 22, 2021 under 75N96021R00003-PS. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) intends to negotiate and award a contract for the provision of B6C3F1/N mice for the National Toxicology Program. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) within the 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 toxiclological and carcinogenic potential of these compounds. The NTP utilizes the B6C3F1/N mice to evaluate this potential. The NIEHS seeks a qualified contractor to establish, operate and maintain rodent production colonies under strict barrier conditions, in order to produce up to approximately 350 per sex of B6C3F1/N mice at various intervals that may overlap, ~3-8 times per year. A total of up to 8000 B6C3F1/N mice may be used per year for the National Toxicology Program (NTP) research and testing program. For complete details, see the attached Statement of Work (SOW) dated April 5, 2021. 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. This solicitation is anticipated to result in one (1) award to an offeror capable of performing all aspects of the work described in the SOW. 2. It is anticipated that the award from this solicitation will be a multiple-year Cost-Reimbursement type Level of Effort contract with a Base period of one year, plus four successive one-year options. Additional Options include: Option B which provide a method to acquire additional non-commercial rodent colonies during any period of performance and Option A which shall be a firm- fixed price option to order rodents from the contractor's commercial colonies, if needed. The NAICS code is 112990 with a size standard of $1 million. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor this notice for amendments, if any. All responsible sources may submit a proposal, which shall be considered by the agency. This notice does not commit the Government to award a contract. Please submit all questions regarding this notice via email by 3pm EST on Novmber 18, 2021.