Purchase Order 75N98026P00384

The National Institutes of Health awarded a $9 million firm fixed-price purchase order to Animal Specialties and Provisions South, LLC, a woman-owned small disadvantaged business based in Hanover, Maryland, for laboratory animal feed, bedding, produce, enrichment items, and related dry goods. The contract, awarded May 1, 2026, supports multiple NIH animal research facilities at the primary location in Bethesda, Maryland, with a completion date of April 30, 2031. The procurement encompasses standard rodent chow in various formulations, specialty research diets, nonhuman primate chow, rabbit and agricultural species diets, bedding materials, and fresh produce, all meeting strict quality, nutritional, and contamination control standards required for regulated research environments. No set-aside designation was used for this award, and Animal Specialties and Provisions South will serve as the sole prime contractor with no identified subcontractors.

This award reflects the contractor's established role as a preferred supplier for specialized animal care products across federal research institutions. Animal Specialties and Provisions South currently maintains five active indefinite delivery vehicles totaling over $20 million in contract vehicle capacity with agencies including the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Eye Institute, and the Defense Health Agency. The company has demonstrated sustained performance across multiple NIH component agencies since 2021, with previous awards ranging from approximately $1,600 to $1.66 million. This purchase order likely represents a significant expansion of the company's existing $3.49 million delivery order from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded in April 2022 and reflects continued federal demand for the company's comprehensive portfolio of PMI-certified products and specialized nutrition supplements tailored to biomedical research protocols.