Sole Source Purchase of Nonhuman Primate Caging

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT, NOT A REQUEST FOR A PROPOSAL. A SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED AND PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE REQUESTED. This notice does not constitute a solicitation and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government will not reimburse the costs incurred by potential contractors in providing the information requested herein. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) intends to award on a sole source basis a purchase order to Lab Products, Inc. of Seaford, DE for 25 specialized nonhuman primate caging for the Division of Veterinary Resources (DVR) in the Office of Research Services (ORS). The rationale for this Intention to Sole Source can be found in FAR 6.302-1: "Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements." NAICS Code is 339999 - All Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing Federal Supply Classification is 6640 - Laboratory Equipment and Supplies. The new caging will replace older, damaged caging and caging that no longer conforms to current housing/environmental enrichment standards and requirements. The caging will also provide housing for new research requirements. Products available from interested vendors need to match the requirements/specifications and provide interchangeability with similar items previously acquired from Lab Products, Inc. as stated below. Requirements/Specifications: Interchangeability with existing racking systems which are Lab Products Part No. Primate Unit, Stainless Steel Mobile (4) (97 are currently in use). Standardization of caging systems in multiple primate facilities use Lab Products Part No. Primate Unit, Stainless Steel Mobile (4). Cage racks shall not exceed seventy-nine (79) inches for animal room door clearance. Cage rack components shall be compatible with Lab Products Part Number, Primate Unit, Stainless Steel Mobile (4), The cages shall meet or exceed current USDA requirements for housing primates at 10-15 kilograms. Primate units shall have four compartments with a minimum size of 6.0 square feet of floor space and inside height of 32 inches. Primate units shall be made of materials that are completely autoclavable at high temperatures (270 F). The construction of primate units shall be made of heavy duty stainless steel and the design shall facilitate ease of sanitation that eliminates the need for mechanical scrubbing. The construction shall be seamless as possible with minimal amounts of welded constructions so they will not trap organic matter. The primate units shall incorporate a design to provide enrichment to include solid stainless steel panels, grid panels and high impact ZyfoneTM. The design shall have a 5 tiered system. The unit shall be designed with removable interior panels to provide socialization of animals from side to side and from top to bottom. Waste pans shall be of seamless construction and sloped shall nest in such a manner as not to become stuck together. They shall be made of high temperature plastic to withstand repeated washing at a minimum of 180 degrees Fahrenheit. All parts of the primate units shall be constructed to withstand repeated shaking and high impacts caused by non-human primates. Primate units shall provide a safe and secure environment for non-human primates. The squeeze-back mechanism shall have a design that does not trap debris, organic matter and provides a high level of safety by eliminating pinch points to the non-human primate's appendages. Primate units shall be equipped with Edstrom stainless steel automatic water system. The quick disconnect and recoil hose shall be located in an area that eliminates the potential for animals being able to access and break the parts. The units shall have locking mechanisms and latches that are tamper proof by non-human primates and prevents escaped animals. The feeders shall be designed to eliminate the ability of non-human primates to reach out and possibly injure employees. Cage doors shall slide to side when opening and closing and not a guillotine style door. Cage doors shall slide to side when opening and closing and not a guillotine style door. Lab Products, Inc. DVR has purchased racks from Lab Products in the past 8 years to systematically replace caging and to standardize the caging in all primate facilities. There are times that require relocation of primate cages among the various DVR primate facilities both in Bethesda and the Poolesville Facilities and all non-human primate racks must adhere to this standard for interchangeability. Also, racks exceeding the height of 79 inches do not fit through the doors in the 14 Group facilities or animal transportation vehicles. Lab Products racks are built to this standard. The primate racks are routinely sanitized to maintain a clean environment that is conducive to good animal health. Weekly sanitation of the caging is a requirement to maintain AAALAC accreditation. The sanitation process exposes the animal racks to high temperatures and chemical exposure that requires the use of heavy-duty stainless steel. The design of the Lab Products cage facilitates ease of sanitation and eliminates the need for mechanical scrubbing by providing seamless panels and fewer areas for organic dirt to be trapped. During cage changing it is imperative that animals do not escape. The method of cage changing requires that one empty, sanitized unit be placed in front of a soiled unit with animals inside the cages. The doors of each cage are opened and animals are "jumped" from the soiled cage to the sanitized cage. For the safety of the animals and animal care staff the cages and doors must be aligned exactly. Variations in the dimensions of caging systems in the past have led to escaped animals and every precaution must be taken to prevent this from reoccurring. Purchasing primate units of the same type and dimensions as our existing Lab Products units significantly minimizes the risk of escaping animals and possibly injuring themselves or the care staff. A major goal of the DVR Environmental Enrichment Program is to have the ability to safely pair or group house animals. Lessons have been learned over the years that specific steps must be taken to carefully and systematically introduce animals to one another. The DVR Behaviorist through years of observations and tests has determined that a five tiered system inside the cages will successfully and safely help to reach the goal of group housing. This system can prevent animals from injuring each other with bites, scratches, lacerations and lost digits. Cages need to be equipped with four separate socialization panels that can be manipulated by animal care staff from outside the cage. Lab Products caging has this tiered system incorporated into their design of primate racks. Interested parties are required to review the above requirements and submit a statement of interest which includes: itemized firm fixed price costs and documentation of the capabilities of meeting the Governments requirements. The submission is due at 3:00 pm, Monday April 13, 2009. The submission must also include any prompt payment discount terms, the Duns & Bradstreet (Duns) number, the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and the vendor's business size. The vendor must also register in the Government's Contractor Registry System, www.ccr.gov. The determination of the Government not to compete the proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a future competitive procurement. Reference synopsis number NIH-OD-2009-122-MJC, proposals may be submitted by mail to the Office of the Director - OLAO, Office of Acquisition, 6011 Executive Blvd, Room 529I, Rockville, Maryland 20852, Attention: Matthew Courtad, by fax transmission to (301) 402-3407 or by email to courtadmj@od.nih.gov. All responsible sources may submit information, which if timely received, shall be considered by the agency.