National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Contracts Operations Branch, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 6100, MSC 7902, Bethesda, MD 20892

H -- SEROLOGY ASSAY TESTING SERVICES SOL 263-93-P(GC)-0238 POC Livie V. Spearman, III., Contract Specialist (301) 435 -- 0352 E-MAIL: hawkinsd@gwgate.nhlbi.nih.gov, spearmal@gwgate.nhlbi.nih.gov. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) intends to continue Contract No. 263-93-D-0228, with Microbiological Associates for the period June 1, 1998-September 30, 1998, to provide Serology Assay Testing Services to the Veterinary Resources Program (VRP), Office of Research Services (ORS), NIH, for NIH Laboratory Animal Research. The approximately four (4) month extension of the contract will provide two benefits. First, it will allow components of VRP to match their Service and Supply Fund rates more closely to the fiscal year for which those rates apply to those using the contract. In addition, the extension will coordinate the expiration date of the current contract with the anticipated start date of the replacement contract that will be solicited on a competitive basis by Request for Proposal (RFP) No. NHLBI-RR-P-98-290, which will be issued as soon as possible. Availability of this RFP will be advertised in the Commerce Business Daily as soon as possible. The following description is similar to the requirement that will be set forth in the synopsis for a competitive new award: ORS is one of the major components of NIH responsible for providing research support for NIH intramural scientists. VRP is the largest of NIH's intramural animal programs & provides centralized lab support to most of the ICDs as well as to some other Public Health Service organizations. NIH animal programs involve the use of approximately 508,000 square feet of space located primarily in twenty-one (21) buildings on the Bethesda campus and thirteen (13) buildings at the Animal Center in Poolesville, MD. Remote facilities include six (6) leased facilities in Rockville and Gaithersburg and two government owned facilities in Baltimore, MD. All NIH animal programs and facilities comply with applicable animal welfare laws, regulations, guidelines and standards, and are accredited by the American Association for the Assessment and Accreditation and of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC). The contractor shall furnish the necessaryon-site management and personnel for the performance of laboratory animal support services. These services generally include, but may not be limited to the following: 1) veterinary medicine, 2) animal care & husbandry, 3) veterinary technical support, 4) research technical support, 5) data management, 6) environment sanitation, 7) routine maintenance of animal care equipment, and 8) logistical and clerical support. Support is to be provided to animal projects involving the full range of biomedical research and scientific disciplines and animal species which may include: mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, rabbits, dogs, cats, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, primates and other vertebrates and invertebrates. Contract support is to be provided on-site at the NIH main campus in Bethesda, MD; at the NIH Animal Center in Poolesville, MD; at the NHLBI 5 Research Court facility in Rockville, MD; at the NIA Gerontology Research Center in Baltimore, MD; and/or at other facilities within the commuting range of Bethesda. The contractor shall be required to provide continuous high quality animal care as set forth in the applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines. The following job categories are representative of the types of personnel needed to perform the requirements of the contract: 1) Project Supervisor with Board Certification from the American College Laboratory Animal Medicine who must possess a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Microbiology; or Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)/ Veterinary Medicine Doctorate (VMD) from an accredited school of veterinary medicine; a state veterinary license, and Board certification in laboratory animal medicine. With a minimum of seven (7) years experience in performing laboratory rodent serology testing services, 2) Serology Laboratory Supervisor a minimum of a Bachelor of Science degree. With a minimum of three (3) years experience in performing laboratory rodent serology testing services, with a minimum of two (2) years in a supervisory capacity, 3) Two (2) Full-Time Technicians must possess a high school graduate diploma and have completed a minimum of one (1) year of college. With a minimum of one (1) year experience in performing laboratory rodent serology testing services, 4) Clerical Typist must possess a high school graduate, with six (6) months experience in word processing and/or data entry, also with the ability to type forty (40) -- fifty (50) words per minute. It is required that the contractor possess a minimum of five (5) years of organizational experience in providing laboratory animal support services of a similar magnitude. Authority: 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1), as set forth in FAR 6.302-1. Inherent duplication of cost to the Government & unacceptable delays in extending the project make competition unfeasible for this four (4) month extension. SEE NUMBERED Note 22. The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code 8731, Size Standard 500 Employees will be used for this requirement. This is a Small Business Set-Aside. (0140)

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