Mouse Models for Down Syndrome
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development seeks to establish and operate a repository of mouse models for Down Syndrome research under a cost-reimbursement contract, with proposals due May 28, 2026, and questions due May 1. The procurement is unrestricted and uses no set-aside, though HUBZone small business concerns receive a 10 percent price evaluation preference.
Place of performance is the contractor's facility. The contract requires production, maintenance, and distribution of aneuploid mice with emphasis on models of human trisomy for chromosome 21, specifically a minimum of 30 breeding pairs of Ts65Dn mice, along with Dup(16)Yey, TcMAC21, and Ts66Yah strains. The contractor must manage breeding colonies, characterize clinical and neurobehavioral phenotypes, establish a Scientific Advisory Board meeting quarterly, implement cryopreservation procedures, and distribute approximately 1,200–2,400 mice annually to qualified federally-funded investigators at no charge except shipping costs. The base performance period runs September 25, 2026, through September 24, 2027, with four optional one-year extensions through September 24, 2031. Upon contract completion, the contractor must transition all mouse strains, data systems, and materials to a successor contractor.
The NAICS code is 541714, Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology); the small business size standard is 1,000 employees. Evaluation weights technical factors at 60 points for technical plan and approach, 15 points for personnel qualifications, 15 points for facilities and resources, and 10 points for project management, with technical merit as the paramount consideration, followed by past performance and cost reasonableness. The contracting officer is Gannon P. White. Offerors must register in SAM, provide certified cost or pricing data, and comply with NIH policies on data sharing, reproducibility and rigor, animal welfare, and financial conflicts of interest. Amendment 003 was issued May 15, 2026; review all three amendments for acknowledgment requirements.
75N94026R00006 Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
4/13/26, 10:53 PM Sources Sought Notice
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), a component of the National Institutes of Health, is seeking qualified small business contractors to establish and operate a Repository of Mouse Models for Down Syndrome through this Sources Sought Notice (RFP 75N94026R00006). The primary services required include breeding and maintaining multiple mouse strains that model Down syndrome, with particular emphasis on the Ts65Dn strain and related models, along with distribution of animals to federally funded investigators, pathogen testing, and phenotype characterization. Prospective contractors must demonstrate prior experience successfully breeding and distributing trisomic mice, possess cryopreservation and embryo implantation expertise, maintain appropriate facilities and equipment, and implement reliable genotyping protocols. This is a market research notice for planning purposes only and does not constitute a formal solicitation; qualified small businesses of all designations (SB, SOB, WOSB, HUBZone, VOSB, and SDVOSB) are encouraged to submit capability statements by March 19, 2026, at 4:00 PM Eastern Time to demonstrate their qualifications and prior relevant experience.
The contract carries no small business set-aside designation and anticipates a single cost-reimbursement award with a one-year base period and four one-year option periods for a total performance period of five years. Key operational requirements include maintaining at least 30 breeding pairs per strain, supplying approximately 1,200 to 2,400 mice annually with 75 to 80 percent distributed free of charge to eligible researchers, acquiring new strains as they become available, and convening a quarterly external Scientific Advisory Board. No specific budget range has been disclosed in this Sources Sought Notice, nor has an incumbent contractor been identified. Responses should be submitted electronically in PDF format directly to the Contracting Officer, Gannon White, and Contract Specialist, Gisele Beaudoin, and must include business information, staff qualifications, facility descriptions, resumes for key personnel including the Principal Investigator, and documentation of similar prior work experience.
75N94026R00006 Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
3/9/26, 3:58 PM Pre-Solicitation Notice
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health, is seeking a contractor to produce, maintain, and distribute aneuploid mice models for Down syndrome research, with particular emphasis on models of human trisomy 21. The contractor must maintain at least 30 breeding pairs of key strains including Ts65Dn, Dup(16)Yey, TcMAC21, and Ts66Yah, and supply approximately 1,200-2,400 mice annually to qualified researchers. Core requirements include acquiring new strains in consultation with government representatives, establishing a quarterly external Scientific Advisory Board, evaluating fertility and breeding protocols, conducting pathogen testing, and characterizing clinical and neurobehavioral phenotypes. The contractor must also publicize detailed strain information including genotype, husbandry conditions, and phenotypic characteristics, and distribute mice to both NIH-funded and non-NIH-funded researchers, with approximately 75-80% supplied to federally funded investigators at no charge except for shipping and handling. The RFP (75N94026R00006) will be available electronically via SAM.gov on or about April 14, 2026, with proposals due on or about June 1, 2026, and all inquiries should be directed to Gisele Beaudoin (Contract Specialist) at gisele.beaudoin@nih.gov or Gannon White (Contracting Officer) at gannon.white@nih.gov.
This procurement carries no set-aside designation and will be awarded as a single cost-reimbursement contract through full and open competition. The performance period begins on or about September 25, 2026, with a one-year base period and four optional one-year renewal periods for a total potential duration of five years. The contract is classified under NAICS 541714 (Research and Development in Biotechnology) and PSC AN12 (Health R&D Services). No specific budget range or award value has been disclosed in this pre-solicitation notice. All offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) Database to be eligible for award.
75N94026R00006 Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
3/27/26, 12:47 PM