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FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF APRIL 15, 2016 FBO #5257
MODIFICATION

B -- NIDA Animal Care Services

Notice Date

4/13/2016
 

Notice Type

Modification/Amendment
 

NAICS

541940 — Veterinary Services
 

Contracting Office

Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Station Support/Simplified Acquisitions, 31 Center Drive, Room 1B59, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
 

ZIP Code

20892
 

Solicitation Number

HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-SBSS-16-163
 

Archive Date

5/12/2016
 

Point of Contact

Gwennifer Epps,
 

E-Mail Address

eppsg@mai.nih.gov
(eppsg@mai.nih.gov)
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

INTRODUCTION This is a Sources Sought, Request for Information (RFI) notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. NOTE: This notice was previously issued as a Small Business Sources Sought notification: HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-SBSS-16-163, on February 4, 2016. Thus, based on market research, the notification is being re-issued as a Sources Sought notice, with a changed North American Classification System (NAICS) code. The NAICS code is changed from 541940 Veterinary Services to 541990 – All Other, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services. Vendors who submitted capability statements to the previous notification, need not re-submit, unless providing additional information. 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. The notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. The information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a small business social-economic set-aside, competitive or non-competitive method is possible, and to determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government's requirement. ALL organizations with the capability and availability to perform the requirement under the applicable NAICS code are invited to submit a response to this notice. Description The Division of Intramural Research (DIR) is the intramural research program of NIDA. The DIR’s mission is to conduct a coordinated, multidisciplinary program of research to improve its understanding of the causes and consequences of drug abuse, and to develop more effective treatment and prevention programs. Research using animals is an important part of this program. Such research involves: · studies of the expression of genes in animal tissues · investigations of the distribution and function of neurotransmitters and their receptors · - studies of genetic variability in responses to drugs · - studies of the effects of drugs on behavior and at the cellular level · - studies of the toxicity of drugs · - evaluations of drugs as potential therapeutic agents · - studies on how drugs affect neural pathways using genetic and molecular biology methods The DIR is located in Baltimore, Maryland. The animal research program in the BRC building occupies approximately 45,000 square feet which includes approximately 28,000 square feet of animal housing and support space, approximately 2,000 square feet of storage space, and approximately 15,000 square feet of animal laboratory space. The BRC space includes 20 animal housing rooms including a barrier suite of three rooms for rodent breeding, quarantine room, an ABSL-2 suite, and a surgical suite for non-human primates (NHP). The BRC facility houses rats, mice, and non-human primates. The animal research program in the Triad building consists of 9,000 square feet of space and is located approximately one-third mile from the BRC building. The Triad facility houses rats and mice. It consists of 5,000 square feet of housing and support space and 4,000 square feet of animal testing areas. There are 9 animal housing rooms with three of those rooms used for breeding. The centrally managed transgenic breeding core in both buildings produces the vast majority of the mice used by the investigators. The breeding core produces transgenic mice and rats that are not commercially available. The core facility is currently working with 250 transgenic lines of mice and rats. The population size and number of species in the DIR animal program will vary depending on specific research proposals. The species commonly used include mice, rats, and squirrel monkeys. Other species that may be introduced or held for short periods. The housing and handling requirements for these animals may vary significantly depending on the nature of the research being conducted. Currently, the approximate daily animal population includes 12, 000 mice, 5,000 rats, and 47 squirrel monkeys. B. Objectives The objective of this contract is to provide prompt, efficient, and high quality research lab technical services, and animal care and research support services necessary to support the DIR’s animal research program. This includes prompt, efficient, and high quality animal care including rodent breeding production and supportive internal customer services necessary to support the DIR’s animal research program. C. Personnel The NIDA DIR requires the following full-time equivalent and part-time staff to provide the animal research support services. Four (4) full-time equivalent Key personnel to support the animal care and use program; eleven (11) full-time equivalent research personnel, three (3) part-time research personnel and a balance of full-time equivalent animal care and administration staff. The Contractor must provide personnel (managers, animal care technicians, etc) sufficiently trained, qualified, and proficient to provide comprehensive professional and humane care of the DIR experimental animal population. 1. Key Personnel: a. Animal facilities contract manager: The Animal Facilities Contract Manager is the Contractor’s authorized liaison with the COR, the Contracting Officer, Government management personnel, and IC representatives. This individual shall be the central contact point with the Government and shall have the full authority to act on behalf of the Contractor to provide management oversight, guidance and administrative support to all contract personnel and shall be provided with sufficient and appropriate Corporate supervision, human resources support, and management oversight. b. 2 vivarium supervisors: Working vivarium supervisor must provide supervision of Animal Care Personnel c. Animal health technician: The AHT serves in performance and training of research staff in basic biomethodology, provides NHP anesthesia and monitoring, handles and records use of controlled substances, participates in the NHP and rodent preventative medicine (e.g. TB testing and sentinel rodent program) and veterinary care programs, and provides animal care duties, as needed. 2. Animal Care Personnel: a. Animal Care Technicians: Animal Care Technicians must work under the direct and immediate supervision of the Animal Facility Manager and Supervisor and provide daily animal husbandry and perform all related duties. b. Breeding Production Assistants: Breeding Production Assistants execute animal care and breeding instructions of the Transgenic Breeding Core manager and must work under the direct and immediate supervision of the Animal Facility Contract Manager and Supervisor c. Cagewash Technicians: Cagewash technicians must work under the direct and immediate supervision of the Animal Facility Contract Manager and Vivarium Supervisor and operate cage wash machines and autoclaves and perform all related duties. d. Housekeeping Attendants: Attendants provide housekeeping services including sweeping and mopping floors, cleaning counters and sinks and removing trash, handling of Sharp’s containers and red bag waste, and documenting daily activities for animal use rooms. 3. Administrative Personnel: a. Administrative personnel include a Project Secretary and Administrator: General administrative support is required for procurement of materials and supplies, compiling or completing daily reports, scheduling travel, word processing, creating spreadsheets, scheduling meetings and conference rooms, communicating through MS Outlook, maintaining electronic and paper filing systems, and other duties as assigned and must be familiar and comply with all Government procurement regulations and participate in Government training on all Government systems used. 4. Research Personnel: a. Research Assistants: must work in the laboratories of specific DIR investigators, providing research support and animal care for specific research protocols. b. Research Associate: Research Associates must work in the laboratories of specific DIR investigators. They must be able to conduct research protocols with only minimal guidance by the laboratory chief. c. Staff Fellow: Staff Fellows must work in the laboratories of specific DIR investigators. They must be able to conduct research protocols with only minimal guidance by the laboratory chief. Staff Fellows may direct the work of Research Assistants in their laboratory. D. Primary Tasks 1. Animal Research Support Services The Contractor shall provide research personnel, dedicated to support specific investigators’ animal research protocols, to perform research services. While the particular constellation of techniques and procedures will depend on the specific research projects, commonly provided services shall include, but not be limited to, the following: ● Managing multiple animal studies running concurrently in different phases, by following and complying respectively with the investigator’s ASPs, NIDA SOPs, and NIH research policies and working planned flexible hours to ensure research needs and experiments are carried out to comply with appropriate timelines to include weekends and holidays as needed. ● Performing laboratory and animal technical procedures to include, but not limited to animal handling and restraint; measuring and recording animal weights; implementing ACUC approved food and water regulation procedures; withdrawing blood samples and performing subcutaneous, intracranial, intraperitoneal, and intravenous infusions and injections of drugs, chemicals, and viruses; performing aseptic rodent surgery and maintenance of implanted intravascular catheters, intracranial probes and cannulae, and abdominal and subcuticular implanted materials such as minipumps, telemetry devices, and drug pellets; performing rodent and NHP anesthesia and monitoring; performing and documenting postoperative observations and care; cleaning, packing, and sterilizing surgical instruments by chemical disinfection and steam heat and ethylene oxide sterilizers; conducting rodent analgesia testing, rodent locomotor assays, assembling and operating operant testing behavioral equipment, drug infusion pumps, analytical balances, solid-state interface circuitry, and optogenetic associated lasers; and other neuroscience research procedures. ● Performing ASP approved euthanasia methods including terminal transcardial perfusions according to SOP, collecting brain and other tissues and subsequent processing including genotyping of rodent tail tip and ear punch tissues, histology, autoradiography, in situ hybridization, general molecular biology techniques, e.g. southern blot assays and PCR; procurement, processing, and preservation of specimens so as to maintain sample identification and prevention of molecular cross contamination; performing safe handling and administration of radioisotopes and hazardous chemicals, constituting sterile drug and reagent solutions, secure handling of controlled substances. Accurate, reliable, and timely genotyping of tissues from the core breeding colony includes approximately 5,000 submissions per year for expedited processing (with results delivered to end user within 5 calendar days after receipt of specimen), 25,000 submissions per year for standard processing (with results delivered within 14 calendar days), and design and validation of genotyping protocols for up to 30 new protocols per year (with validation completed with 30 calendar days) ● Maintaining integrity of the research process by following good laboratory practices including detailed accurate record keeping of methods, data collections, as well as manipulation of commercial and customized research software including programming and data analysis, keeping experimental records and data, drafting, editing, finalizing, and presenting results in-house or at professional meetings, drafting Animal Study Proposals and serving as a Principal Investigator as directed by federal scientists, and drafting new SOPs as directed by the COR. 2. Laboratory Animal Technical Services The Contractor shall provide technical laboratory animal services to include, but not be limited to, the following: etc. · Performing daily observations of each animal, according to SOPs, to assess health status, identifying potential illnesses, death, wet bedding and other routine care and documenting room level observations and reporting problems on the daily contract report. · Reviewing data from the vivariums’ building automation system’s environmental monitoring system on a daily basis, evaluating data to document environmental condition and reporting problems at the room level on the daily contract report. · Performing veterinary care procedures to include, but not limited to preliminary physical health examination of abnormal or sick animals to include assessment of the health/condition, triage, initiation of a clinical record, and appropriate notification of Veterinarian(s); dosage preparation and calculations; routine clinical treatments, as directed by the Veterinarian, including oral or parenteral (IM, SC, IP, IV) drug administration; performing follow-up observations on daily or otherwise specified intervals and documenting clinical progress until problem is resolved; routine phlebotomy of NHPs and rodents, collection of diagnostic samples from clinical cases and sentinel rodents including collection and microscopic assay to detect ecto- and endoparasistes, packaging and submission of specimens for bacteriology, serology, molecular and parasitology testing or animals through the NIH Rodent Health Web System to the NIH Bethesda campus and to other laboratories for testing; receipt, reporting, and archiving of laboratory testing results; providing investigator support including superovulation techniques for transgenic colonies, collection of timed, serial blood samples. · Performing NHP surgical support including cleaning, packing, and hot or cold sterilization of surgical instruments and supplies; performing routine treatments and minor surgical procedures including skin trauma repair, vasectomies for transgenic rodent production; pre-operative care, anesthesia administration, monitoring, and support; recovery and postsurgical nursing care until resolved. (NIDA will provide training in specialized procedures at no cost to the Contractor.) · Performing animal identification methods, e.g. tattoo, ear punch or implantable transponders, per SOPs. · Participating in programs to ensure preventative maintenance of steam and ethylene oxide sterilizers, calibration of anesthesia vaporizers, monitoring anesthetic and ethylene oxide exposures, and respirator/ventilator fit programs. · Performing humane rodent euthanasia using carbon dioxide gas and secondary physical method of euthanasia, as per SOP · Performing accurate and timely data entries into computerized animal medical records, assimilation of lab results, and recording progress notes and documenting treatments in individual medical records for animals. · Performing other animal health support services, as required 3. Laboratory Animal Husbandry Services The Contractor shall provide or shall ensure provision of food and water to all animals on a daily basis, house animals in sanitized cages of appropriate size with accessories according to SOP defined intervals, and perform other animal care procedures, as described in SOPs. These services shall include, but not be limited to, the following: · Handling and restraining nonhuman primates, rodents, and any additional species for animal health and husbandry purposes. The Government will provide disposable gloves for handling animals and leather restraining gloves with shoulder length gauntlets and other protective clothing and devices for handling nonhuman primates. · Ensuring daily provision of food and water to all animals housing in the animal facility. · Providing appropriate food and water daily for all animals except for ACUC approved food and water regulated animals as per Food and Water Regulation procedures described in species specific SOP and Satellite Housing SOPs. · Receiving and housing incoming animals according to NIDA SOPs; checking deliveries against orders; performing physical inspection of containers and animals, signing and noting discrepancies and abnormalities on the delivery slip; moving animals to proper rooms and placing them in appropriately sized cages with specified caging density and structural enrichment and with accurate cage level identification while preserving, when applicable, individual animal identification · Transferring animals to clean, sanitized cages while preserving animal identification and cage level documents; changing contact and non-contact bedding; exposing sentinel rodents to dirty bedding, as per SOP. · Checking each animal daily according to SOPs to assess health status, identify potential illnesses, death, wet bedding, sufficiency of food and water supply, and other routine care; · Performing other animal husbandry support services, as required. 4. Rodent Production and Breeding Technical Services The Contractor shall provide technical rodent production and breeding services to include, but not be limited to, the following: · Actively communicate with PIs and or delegated staff to advise on appropriate breeding strategies to achieve adequate production to fulfill research objectives, to notify investigators of the need to order rodents of the suitable strain and sex; and to report progress in fulfillment of breeding plans and to report unexpected outcomes that might be related to animal phenotype or problems to the PI and APD. · Perform special husbandry or management requirements for breeding rodents including vasectomizing male rodents, as needed, identifying plugs in bred female rodents, rodent vaginal cytology, setting up timed mating, backcrosses, fostering, estrus synchronization, biopsy and handling of tissue, e.g. tail tip, ear punch, for genotyping by research staff or submission to commercial vendors; nursing care of dams and neonates, determining sex of offspring at birth and at weaning to ensure that animals of different sexes have not been unintentionally mixed, weaning, and applying individual identification, e.g. tattoos, ear punches, ear tag, microchip implant.. · Checking each animal daily according to SOPs to assess health status, identify potential illnesses, death, bred (plugged) females, wet bedding and other routine care; · Identifying rodents at cage level with information regarding the strain or lineage, sex and sexual status (i.e. vasectomized male, plugged female donor or recipient, etc.), dates of birth, individual animal identification and genotype status of the rodents and updating information. · Entering data into computerized records using the NIDA animal program’s FileMaker system (or current system) and/or breeding record books to preserve pedigree information on each animal, fertility data on all males and females (in terms of number of live pups born and weaned); · Euthanizing rodents incapable of successfully breeding and to cull rodents not meeting specification or current scientific needs, as directed by Breeding Core manager. 5. Environmental Enrichment Program Services The Contractor shall provide services to support a program for environmental enrichment of animals to include, but not be limited to, the following: · Implementing and document the established NIDA Environmental Enrichment Program, as described in the species specific rodent and NHP SOPs. Rodent environmental enrichment entails provision of materials to structurally enhance cage interiors; NPH enrichment also entails providing supplemental diet variation. · Recognizing normal and abnormal animal behavior including individualistic idiosyncrasies and noting and reporting such abnormal and stereotypical behaviors to the COR or Facility Veterinarian. · Maintaining NHP behavioral assessment records, deploying NHP enrichment devices, and supporting and documenting NHP social housing initiatives. 6. Logistic Support and Materials Management Services The Contractor shall provide maintenance and logistical support for equipment and supplies, including animals, needed to execute the contract. These services shall include, but not be limited to, the following: · Transporting animals, vivarium equipment, supplies, and samples between animal facilities using NIH/NIDA vehicles according to NIDA SOP · Coordinating delivery and pick-up with the NIH, DVR, and commercial (e.g. World Courier, food and bedding vendors, etc) transporters, and associated loading/off-loading support and materials handling to final destination locations. · Coordinating cage space availability for animals on order through the NIH Centralized Animal Procurement System (CAPS) ordering system, though internal animal transfer within and between vivariums, and through researcher requested or initiated changes to rodent housing density. · Coordinating ordering of supplies through inventory procedures to ensure that no stock levels become depleted and interrupt provision of support services. · Reporting animal shipments received from commercial sources to the PI and from non-commercial sources to the Facility Veterinarian. The Contractor shall quarantine animals if necessary as specified by SOP or as directed by the Facility Veterinarian. · Performing receiving of materials, e.g. checking deliveries against orders; perform physical inspection upon receipt and noting and reporting any discrepancies, loss, damage, or malfunction in a timely manner; retaining and submitting all invoices to the Government for administrative processing; maintaining Government-owned inventories of animal supplies and equipment; · Organizing and stocking all areas of the animal facility and ensure supplies are readily accessible at all times; monitoring supply levels and establishing space efficient minimum/maximum ordering levels to ensure supplies are available at all times for uninterrupted animal facility activities; inventory supply levels and reorder additional supplies as needed with sufficient time to ensure supplies are available at all times with no zero balances of any item; · Receiving, unpacking and completion of receiving document of supplies and equipment upon arrival, delivery to storage areas prior to leaving at the end of the day and organizing equipment and supplies in a clean and neat manner in their established locations to ensuring that like supplies are properly stored together in a timely, accurate, and efficient manner; signed invoices must be delivered to the correct Government employee. · Properly labelling and appropriately storing expirable materials to assure proper rotation for a first in first out system and to ensure items are used within proper shelf life and before expiration or properly discarded after expiration · Supporting animal program property inventory management. 7. Animal Housing, Support Areas, and Cagewash Equipment Services The Contractor shall provide services to support functions in animal housing rooms, vivarium support areas, and cagewash areas to include, but not be limited to, the following: · Keeping the animal facilities and support spaces clean and free of contaminants; washing, sanitizing, and, when directed, autoclaving cages, racks and associated animal equipment; and coordinating work with building maintenance, cagewash maintenance and repair, and pest control personnel. · Properly disposing of wastes to include transporting bags or other containers to the dumpster, proper maintenance and operation of waste disposal equipment including vacuum disposal systems, Garb-el, and dumpsters. Hazardous wastes shall be handled safely in accordance with ASPs and established NIH guidelines. · Properly disposing of non-hazardous animal wastes in plastic bags from the animal housing rooms daily and in event of failure of Garb-el or vacuum disposal systems to designated outdoor receptacles. · Placing animal carcasses in sealed plastic bags for delivery to the Government for removal and incineration. · Operating cage wash machines including the sanitization of dirty caging, water bottles, sipper tubes, feed hoppers, etc. utilizing tunnel washers, rack washers, bottle washers, bedding dump stations, bedding dispensers and autoclaves and performance of routine daily preventative maintenance procedures, e.g. cleaning cage washer screens as described in the SOP. · Performing routine minor preventive maintenance of carts, racks, cages, replacement of room filters, ventilated rack preventive maintenance, lubrication of casters documentation of all preventive maintenance · Assembling caging and equipment and addition of clean bedding either manually or using an automated bedding dispenser, and coordinating preventive and emergency maintenance on all cage wash equipment, pH monitoring, maintenance of logbooks for temperature indicators and equipment operation. 8. Animal Testing Room Housekeeping Services The Contractor shall provide light housekeeping services to animal testing/procedure rooms within both vivariums and to a few rooms located outside of the vivariums. These services shall include, but not be limited to, the following: · Providing light housekeeping services such as sweeping and mopping floors, cleaning unobstructed countertops, cleaning sinks, removing non-hazardous trash, stocking disposable PPE supplies, replacing filled sharps containers, removal of sealed MPW boxes, and documenting performance daily. · Coordinating supply inventory to ensure supplies are readily available at all times to replenish testing rooms, · Coordinating housekeeping services with research staff to avoid disrupting experiments. 9. Vermin Control Support Services NIDA has adopted an integrated pest management approach to vermin control. The Government will be responsible for entrapment, determining and applying appropriate insecticides, and the selection of a contracted licensed pest control company. The Contractor shall provide supportive services to include, but not be limited to, the following: · Working in tandem with the NIH contracted, pest control company during site visits, notify the pest control company of any found insect or rodents subsequent to a prior site visit, and inform the pest control representative of any restriction to room access. The Contractor shall report the presence of animal vermin in the vivarium to the APD immediately on discovery of evidence of such vermin; and note such incidences in an IPM log book. · Facilitating the pest management program by ensuring that management procedures within animal housing and testing rooms, storage, and other areas guard against the harborage of vermin, inspect for and report potential pest harborages to the COR, respond to pest management requirements through correcting deficiencies in sanitation, and instructing its staff in the appropriate use of personal protective equipment in implementing and monitoring pest management. 10. Equipment and Facilities Maintenance Services The Contractor shall provide services to maintain vivarium equipment and facilities to include, but not be limited to, the following: · Exercising reasonable care of the Government equipment, including cages, cage racks, sipper tube washers, bedding disposal systems, water bottle and cage washers, floor scrubbers, and water vacuums; and performing normal routine user maintenance including filter changes. · Training contract personnel in the proper use and maintenance of the equipment. The Contractor is responsible for the cost of repair or replacement of damaged animal facility equipment or damage to the facilities resulting from negligence or abuse, as determined by the COR. · Regularly inspecting and monitoring facilities surfaces, finishes, lighting, light cycles, security systems, automated door openers, and heating ventilation and air conditioning performance. · Reporting maintenance needs to the appropriate maintenance or physical plant personnel to initiate repairs or remediation to ensure health and welfare of NIDA animals and AAALAC accreditation. 11. Data Systems Support Services The Contractor shall provide data systems support services to include, but not be limited to, the following: · The Contractor shall input data into the data systems as well as create reports from this data. · Entering data and operating and coordinating the current FileMaker animal facility management program, breeding colony management program and animal health reporting and records program, or future versions/programs. · Assisting the Animal Program property manager to maintain the NIH Property Tracking System by collecting information, affixing bar codes,and performing physical inventories and data entry on the NIH Business System (NBS). · Assisting with Government purchasing activities in support of contract activities including gathering Government price quotes, tracking of purchases using the NBS Purchasing On-line Tracking System (POTS), drafting requests for purchase orders, and tracking animal program expenditures on the animal program’s federal budget to ensure spending does not exceed the budget and allocated resources are used before the Government’s fiscal year purchase deadlines. (The Contractor shall not initiate services or purchases to be provided to the Government prior to appropriate encumbrance of funds.) · Coordinating with the BRC and Triad building managers in operation of automated building environmental monitoring systems to monitor and archiving physical plant temperature, humidity, air directionality, lighting periodicity, etc. · Checking environmental conditions using the building automation system and, if necessary, manually. · Archiving information on animal inventories, animal room environmental conditions, supplies ordered, and all other information and reports requested by the COR. · The Contractor must generate reports on a schedule determined by the COR to include: · Conduct and record weekly animal census data for all species. The census data will be entered into Filemaker database system or other data base system as may be used. The census will be delivered monthly to the APD in an electronic format. · The incumbent contractor will provide a one-time training for the Facilities Manager on current data system and application operations used in-house for conduct of the contract. The contractor will train all additional or subsequent contract staff that requires training. Data systems will include the in-house database applications for inventory and printing of cage cards and maintenance of the NIDA transgenic colony that utilizes FileMaker as well as the NIH Centralized Animal Procurement System (CAPS) for animal ordering that requires animal program staff interaction for institutional approval (but not funds approval) and for approval of cage space availability. All computer hardware and software usage shall be restricted to Official Government business. 12. Emergency Veterinary and Animal Care and Consulting Services The Contractor shall provide veterinary and husbandry services on an emergency basis and provide consulting services, as required, to include, but not be limited to, the following: · The Contractor shall designate and provide mechanisms to contact at least three animal care personnel who are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year as emergency responders for NIDA animal care program. The Contractor must obtain the COR's approval for any overtime. · Unless provided by the Government in a separate contract, the Contractor shall establish a contractual arrangement to provide backup emergency coverage for the NIDA veterinarian, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A Laboratory Animal Medicine Board certified veterinarian must head this service. Individual veterinarians providing this service must have clinical veterinary experience treating the species used at NIDA. · The contractor shall retain consulting services of an independent laboratory animal veterinarian for services, as requested by the COR. Services may be requested for up to 10 calendar days per year and will be reimbursed for fee, travel, hotel, and per diem cost. 13. Animal Care and Use Committee Support Services The Contractor shall provide supporting services to the NIDA ACUC to include, but not be limited to, the following: · The Animal Facilities Manager (contractor) shall provide formal written responses to the ACUC of all corrective actions taken in response to any deficiencies cited by the ACUC during the semiannual reviews. · Individual contract employees may be asked to serve as members on the ACUC but will not review or approve any activity in which that member has a conflicting interest except to provide information requested by the ACUC. Administrative Support Services The Contractor shall provide administrative support services to include, but not be limited to, the following: · Providing general administrative support through answering telephones, fielding general questions to the most knowledgeable animal program staff person or answering on own, clerical, faxing, photocopying and collation, data entry, scheduling animal program meetings including reservation of meeting spaces, maintaining animal and supply inventories, database report generation, written and computerized record keeping, animal care and use committee functions. · Providing purchasing support through the NIH centralized animal procurement system (CAPS) for animal acquisition and Purchasing Online Tracking System (POTS) for equipment, supply and services acquisition as required by the COR. POTS support may involve searching vendors for items, obtaining quotes, and seeking justifications (from requestors) as needed, entering receiving information, verifying invoices, and reconciling packing slips. CAPS support may involve verification of space availability to house animals upon receipt and status of Animal Study Proposal regarding approved species, strain, and balance of numbers of animals for use and certification of delivery through CAPS and entering data into computer based protocol tracking systems to generate cage cards and notify investigators of receipt. (At no time may Contractor staff use the Government Purchase Cards or act as the “Accepting Official” for the Government.) · Providing logistical support for inventory and management of property inventory. · Ensuring purchase requests are anticipated and completed in a timely manner without error; anticipating and identifying new support requirements and submitting work order requests and material purchase request in sufficient time. · Developing, reviewing, updating, formatting, posting and distributing SOPs, documents and reports related to the animal program, as requested by the COR. 15. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Documentation Support Services The Government will provide SOPs upon initiation of the Contract. The Government shall retain unlimited rights to and ownership of all NIDA SOPs containing contributions provided under this contract. The Contractor shall provide SOP documentation support services to include, but not be limited to, the following: · Assisting in the periodic review, revision, and addition to SOPs in coordination with the COR. SOPs for review and revision will be assigned to appropriate contractor staff by the COR. SOPs should be returned to the COR with suggested revisions and comments within 2 weeks of assignment. · Providing and documenting contract personnel training and competency in SOP components applicable to their role and implement the SOP prescribed practices. CAPABILITY STATEMENT INFORMATION SOUGHT Interested parties who have the capability to perform the above effort should respond to this notice and identify their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, 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. The information submitted must be in and outline format that addresses each of the elements of the primary tasks identified above. The responses, should specifically e xplain how your company has the technical capacity to perform each area of work referenced. The i nformation sent should be relevant and specific in the technical areas under consideration, on each of the following qualifications: 1) Experience: Please provide, an outline of previous similar projects, specifically the current techniques employed in the areas described above and potential solutions. 2) Personnel: Name, professional qualifications and specific; experience in the work requested and knowledge of, the proposed work. 3) NIDA will also consider other specific and relevant information about this particular area of procurement that would improve our consideration and evaluation of the information presented is desirable. Organizations should demonstrate capability to administer and coordinate interrelated tasks in an effective and timely manner. Documentation may include, but not be limited to, contracts (both Government and commercial) the organization performed, references, i.e., names, titles, telephone numbers and any other information serving to document the organization's capability, e.g., awards, commendations, etc. The response is limited to a fifteen (15) page limit. The 15-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, or references. However, a cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required. 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 response must include the respondents’ technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. Note: Capability statements in response to this RFI, which do not provide sufficient information for evaluation will be considered non-responsive. When submitting this information, please reference the solicitation notice number. All capability statements sent in response to this Sources Sought Notice must be submitted electronically (via email) to Gwennifer Epps, Contract Specialist, at eppsg@mail.nih.gov in MS Word format by or before the closing date of this announcement. All responses must be received on or before April 27, 2016 2:00 pm, eastern standard time in order to be considered. Facsimile responses will not be NOT accepted. CONCLUDING STATEMENTS This Sources Sought Notice, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) is for market research purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Proposal/Quotation; and, it is not considered to be a commitment by the Government to award a contract nor will the Government pay for any information provided. 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 and solicitation notices may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. The solicitation release date is pending. The Government intends to negotiate a cost-reimbursement type award. 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). The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate.
 

Web Link

FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NIDA-2/HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-SBSS-16-163/listing.html)
 

Place of Performance

Address: baltimore, Maryland, 21202, United States

Zip Code: 21202
 

Record

SN04083600-W 20160415/160413235136-2e1cf32879837901fd7ea4f9b79bf7da (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

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

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