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FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF APRIL 06, 2014 FBO #4516
SOLICITATION NOTICE

M -- Operation and Maintenance of the Alamogordo Primate Facility (APF)

Notice Date

4/4/2014
 

Notice Type

Presolicitation
 

NAICS

541940 — Veterinary Services
 

Contracting Office

Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, 6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 105, Bethesda, Maryland, 20894, United States
 

ZIP Code

20894
 

Solicitation Number

NIHLM2014115
 

Archive Date

5/10/2014
 

Point of Contact

Eliza M. Menchaca, Phone: 3014354377
 

E-Mail Address

eliza.menchaca@nih.gov
(eliza.menchaca@nih.gov)
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

Title: Operation and Maintenance of the Alamogordo Primate Facility (APF) Program: National Institutes of Health (NIH) / Office of the Director (OD) NAICS CODE: 541940 --Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services-- Veterinary Services Pre-Solicitation Notice This is a notice of intent, not a request for a proposal. A solicitation will be subsequently issued. The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the pending acquisition, intends to award a Cost plus Fixed Fee Type Contract to procure Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services-- Veterinary Services for the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health (OD, NIH) BACKGROUND The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) have an agreement to house and care for chimpanzees at USAF's facility named Alamagordo Primate Facility (APF) located in Alamogordo, New Mexico. MAINTENANCE OF CHIMPANZEES IS REQUIRED; NO RESEARCH IS REQUIRED OR ALLOWED. The current permit use agreement between the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) prescribe that no invasive research shall be conducted on the chimpanzees currently held at the APF. In the event a decision is made to include any or all of those animals in further new or on-going NIH-approved research, the animals shall be transported off-base. SUMMARY The National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires a Contractor to operate and maintain the APF and its animal care and use program. The APF occupies a series of closely located buildings on the Holloman Air Force Base (HAFB). Each of Buildings 1301, 1302, 1303, and 1304 can house approximately 72 animals, in 12 dens holding approximately 6 animals each. Thus, the theoretical caging capacity is approximately 288 chimpanzees. The current primate population at APF is 160 chimpanzees caged in single sex groups. No research will be conducted. All the chimpanzees have been exposed to microorganisms such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or both. These chimpanzees need to be routinely monitored and cared for. Few of the 160 chimpanzees are vasectomized or implanted with Norplant. NO MORE ANIMALS CAN BE BROUGHT ON BASE OR EXCHANGED FOR EXISTING ANIMALS. Any NIH-owned animals taken off the base cannot be returned to the base. The number of chimpanzees is expected to decrease over time as: they are needed elsewhere, they die due to natural causes, or possibly they are retired to sanctuaries. MANDATORY CRITERIA Nonhuman primates can carry a variety of zoonotic agents that can be transmitted to humans and other non-infected animals. For example, some of these infectious agents, such as hepatitis B and C, may have been acquired through previous exposure and may persist in the animal for a significant period of its lifetime. These potential risks increase the importance of identifying infectious hazards for humans working with nonhuman primates. Therefore the offeror must demonstrate the following: 1) Proper experience in the identification, handling, and maintenance of infected chimpanzees. 2) Proper experience and knowledge of nonhuman primate infectious agents, including hepatitis B and C agents. Proposals submitted in response to the pending solicitation will be evaluated on the following factors: EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD The major factors for this solicitation include technical (which encompasses experience), past performance and cost/price. Offerors are advised that the award will be made to that offeror whose proposal provides the best overall value to the Government. The evaluation will be based on the demonstrated capabilities of the prospective Contractor in relation to the needs of the project set forth in the solicitation. The merits of each proposal will be evaluated carefully. Each proposal must document the feasibility of successful implementation of the requirements of this solicitation. Offerors must submit information sufficient to evaluate proposals based on the detailed criteria listed below: Evaluation Factor 1: Competence in the operation and maintenance of a large chimpanzee facility conforming to all Federal laws, Federal policies, National Resource Council (NRC) and Institute for Laboratory Animal research (ILAR) recommendations. • Adequacy of proposed procedures for veterinary care and animal husbandry of more than a hundred chimpanzees; dealing with biohazards; obtaining IACUC approvals; and preventing the APF chimpanzees from breeding. • Ability to comply with all applicable Federal and State laws and regulations pertaining to the acquisition, registration, care disposition, and transportation of nonhuman primates. • Adequacy of the proposed administration infrastructure, either on-site at the APF or at the Contractor's main facility, that will adequately support the veterinary and technical services. • Experience in and technical approach for fulfilling the following requirements: a. Routine animal care, housing, nutrition, hygiene. b. Sanitation and cleaning of the equipment and facilities. c. Environmental monitoring of facilities, including vermin control and security. d. Animal health surveillance, observations, identification, written and computerized record keeping. e. Animal handling (including animals infected with human pathogens), restrain, technical laboratory animal procedures, and euthanasia. f. Veterinary medical assistance, treatments/medications, induction of anesthesia and surgical assistance. g. Clinical laboratory technical support. h. Interstate shipping of nonhuman primates. i. Animal transportation within APF. j. Ability to identify animals suitable for biomedical research. k. Environmental enrichment for chimpanzees. l. Maintenance of equipment and supplies or other logistical support. m. Clerical and data entry support. n. Appropriate management oversight. o. Provision of required reports. Evaluation Factor 2: Expertise and experience of proposed professional and support personnel. Personnel must possess extensive experience in nonhuman primate medicine and infectious diseases. The professional staff ( e.g.,Principal investigator/Director and veterinarians) will be evaluated, as appropriate, with respect to specialty board certification by the American College of Veterinary Laboratory Animal Medicine, advanced degrees, state veterinary licenses, residency training in laboratory animal medicine, and experience in managing a contract of this nature (past performance). The technical staff (e.g., Program Administrator, Behaviorist, Clinical Technician, Colony Manager, and laboratory animal caretakers) will be evaluated with respect to the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science technician certification and work experience related to chimpanzees infected with human pathogens. This criterion also includes the adequacy of the Contractor's proposed staffing plan and proposed OSH training program. Evaluation Factor 3: Organizational Commitment • Experience of organization in managing a contract of this nature. • Evidence of commitment of the organization to provide the management oversight, support, staffing, quality control, assistance, and resources needed to perform the work at the APF. A Request for Proposals (RFP) will be available electronically on www.fedbizopps.gov on/or about May 10, 2014. Responses to the RFP will be due 30 days after the release of the RFP. NLM anticipates the award of a single contract for one base year with four additional one year option periods. This pre-solicitation notice is not a request for a proposal. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for any information provided in response. This notice will close on April 25, 2014. Questions may be submitted to Eliza Menchaca via e-mail at eliza.menchaca@nih.gov. This acquisition will be solicited using FAR Part 15.
 

Web Link

FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/OAM/NIHLM2014115/listing.html)
 

Place of Performance

Address: Alamogordo Primate Facility, Holloman Air Force Base, P.O. Box 956, Alamogordo, NM 88330, United States

Zip Code: 88330
 

Record

SN03330051-W 20140406/140404234253-13ab6f92c55b5cf021ac72f4712c9e60 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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