36C25618Q9548-000.docx

FedBizOpps Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice

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* = Required Field FedBizOpps Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice Rev. March 2010 LAb 43 Animal Research--Rat Place Preference and Multi-function System 70112 36C25618Q9548 07-06-2018 N 334516 Department of Veterans Affairs Southeast Louisiana Veterans HCS 1515 Poydras Street New Orleans LA 70112 Debra James Department of Veterans Network Contracting Office (NCO 16) 1515 Poydras Street Suite 1100 New Orleans, La 70112 Department of Veterans Affairs Southeast Louisiana Veterans HCS 2400 Canal Street New Orleans, La 70119

USA

debra.james3@va.gov debra.james3@va.gov Lab 43 Animal Behavior Research Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System New Orleans, LA 70119

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items, prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR 12.6) as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; offers are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. No gray market items are allowed—please submit your authorized distributor letter—no pass throughs are allowed. Please submit a copy of the authorized distributor’s letter from the manufacturer to verify that the vendor is an authorized distributor of the product/service they are providing. Solicitation number 36C25618Q9548 is issued as a Request for Quote (RFQ). This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-84. Offers are due no later than July 6, 2018 by 12:00 p.m., Central Local Time (CST), New Orleans, LA. This solicitation is set aside 100 % for Small Businesses.

1. Department of Veterans Affairs Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System (SLVHCS) is seeking a Small Business provide, transport, install, configure, and provide training for all listed equipment to the to the SLVHCS. This acquisition is Set Aside 100% Small Business.

NOTE: All documentation submittal due times are Central local time (New Orleans, Louisiana).

SECTION A. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION TO OFFERORS

SECTION B STATEMENT OF WORK/ Price and Cost Schedule

SECTION C CLAUSES/PROVISIONS

SECTION D ATTACHMENT

SECTION E EVALUATION FACTORS

SECTION A SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION TO OFFERORS

2. The Statement of Work within this solicitation is a non-negotiable document. Offers/quotes shall not include edits, revisions, additions, deletions, alterations, or track change comments to the Statement of Work.

Upon award, contract will be a Firm Fixed Price contract. The contract will consist of Contract Line Items (CLINs) for Lab 43 Animal Behavior to delivery, install and configure Rat Place preference and Multi-function System.

Contractor shall deliver all equipment to the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (SLVHCS) Central Energy Plant building 2400 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119 no later than July 30, 2018. Contractor shall install all equipment to manufacturer’s specifications maintaining Federal, and Local safety standards. Installation must be completed by August 30, 2018. Please read the Statement of Work in its entirety and the price/cost schedule for the quantities.

5. Compensation for Services Rendered:

Please include your pricing in the Price/Cost Schedule Section B.

Quotes shall include a total Firm Fixed Price for CLIN 0001 thru CLIN 0004 per Section B.2, Price/Cost Schedule.

6. Invoicing Procedures:

Offeror to submit invoices in arears after completion of all work and deliverables. Please see completed list of all items within the Price/Cost Schedule. See VAAR Clause 852.232-72, Electronic Submission of Payment Requests for invoicing procedures.

7. System for Award Management (Sam) Registration/Contractor Responsibility All Contractors are required to be actively registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). (SAM Website: www.sam.gov). Registration in SAM is a requirement to do business with the Federal Government and registration in SAM shall be maintained throughout the performance of the contract.

8. Modifications:

Contracting Officers within the networking contracting office issuing the contract, only, may issue modifications to the contract.

Distribution will be made via email. No hard copies will be distributed.

The specific requirements for this solicitation are outlined in the Statement of Work. Questions concerning this solicitation shall be submitted in writing only. (Questions will not be answered or addressed telephonically). Questions shall be submitted via electronic mail (e-mail) to: debra.james3@va.gov . Questions will be accepted up to 4:00 p.m. (CST), July 2, 2018. All questions are to be written and sent via email debra.james3@va.gov and answers will be published via amendment FedBizOpps to the solicitation.

13. Amendments to Solicitation Amendments to this solicitation shall be posted on FedBizOpps only (Website (www.fbo.gov). It is the responsibility of the contractor to monitor any updates via www.fbo.gov for any amendments to this solicitation. All questions and answers will be published via an amendment.

SECTION B 1 SOW

Statement of Work

SOW Lab 43 Animal Behavior Research Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System Research Service 11F New Orleans, LA

5/3/2018

2.5 SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS

URL: http://www.noldus.com/animal-behavior-research

Conditioned Place Preference Motivational or aversive effects of objects/experiences

Shuttle Box Task Active and passive avoidance, Learning, Contextual memory

Fear Conditioning Classical conditioning, Learning, Fear expression

Key features:

· Customized chambers for the rat and the mouse (similar to the picture below) able to convert between several tasks to increase their functionality and use by multiple researchers

· Conditioned Place Preference (total 12 for rat, 8 for mouse): boxes will have three chambers with a choice of shock grid or solid floors, and wall inserts (can be used to test motivational or aversive effects of a context)

· Light/Dark Box Task (total 12 for rat, 8 for mouse): boxes can convert to a two-chamber light/dark box with solid floors

· Shuttle Box Task (total 12 for rat, 8 for mouse): boxes can convert to a two-chamber shuttle box with shock grid floors

· Fear Conditioning Chamber (total 24 for rat, 16 for mouse): boxes can be divided into two distinct boxes with shock grid floors to act as fear conditioning chambers

· Open Field Boxes (total 24 for rat, 16 for mouse): boxes can be divided into two distinct boxes with solid floors to act as open field boxes

· Chambers constructed of double-lined acrylic allowing wall inserts to be quickly changed (changing wall color) and easy disinfecting between subjects

· Chambers include two independent grid floors that allow for flexible adverse stimuli.

· Each Multi-functional chamber is enclosed in a sound-attenuating cubicle with a speaker (dimensions - Rat: 86x40x70 cm; Mouse: 48x30x60 cm).

· A camera and IR illuminator will be mounted to the ceiling of each cubicle. The camera includes an IR filter (for detection of IR light) so experiments in the cubicles can be conducted in dark conditions (common in fear conditioning protocols).

· Video cables for the chamber cameras and cabling for the components of the chambers to be controlled via tacking software (i.e. tone presentation, shock presentation) will terminate into designated computers.

· The chambers, in groups of four, will be integrated into a single workstation (3 stations for the rat chambers and 2 for the mouse chambers).

· The fully integrated software and hardware system will support automated hardware control, data acquisition, and analysis via video tracking which will be used for activity and behavioral testing in various paradigms with animal models.

· The software and hardware provided will be fully compatible, tested, and supported to ensure the standardization and consistency of data generated.

· The software will include template experiments for quick setup.

· Software will operate as a digital video recorder while also tracking live, and will be able to conduct offline tracking as well.

· The software functionality can automatically (automatic detection settings supplied by software) and accurately detect multiple body points including the animal nose, tail, and center body point, detect freezing behavior, and assess body shape and exploration.

· The software will be able to simultaneously record, track, and detect animal behavior changes in user-identified arenas (up to 100 arenas) and from multiple camera inputs simultaneously.

· Software contains the ability to define up to 10,000 regions of interest including arenas, zones, cumulative zones, hidden zones, zone groups, threshold zones, and points of interest.

· The software will possess comprehensive data selection and analysis features, as well as visualizations, graphing functions, and easy export of raw and analyzed data into MS Excel or .txt format. Analysis will include the following selection tools, parameters, statistics, and visualizations:

· Selection Tools: Filtering, Nesting, Interval selection, Time bins, Results per zone.

· Parameters: Velocity, distance moved, in zone, distance to zone, distance to point, zone transitions, zone alternations, target visits and errors, heading to point, heading, turn angle (relative, absolute), angular velocity (relative, absolute), meander, movement, mobility (continuous, state), activity (continuous, state), rotation, manual scoring (user-defined), head direction, body elongation (continuous, state), head directed to zone, body angle (continuous, state), trial control state, trial control event, hardware variables, and any user-defined independent variables (subject ID, sex, age, condition, experimental group, time point, etc.).

· Statistics: Frequency, latency to first, latency to last, total duration, variance, standard deviation, standard error, number, mean, maximum, minimum, sum, number of samples. Group mean with SD, group mean with SE, 5-number summary.

· Visualizations: Track plots, integrated/synchronized visualization of tracks with video and data, heatmap visual representation of animal distribution, graphs for groups and individuals.

· System will include on-site installation, integration and training from skilled staff with 10+ years of experience.

URL: http://www.noldus.com/animal-behavior-research

TEST # BEHAVIORAL TESTS RESEARCH AREA

Shuttle Box Task Active and passive avoidance, Learning, Contextual memory

Key features:

Specifications/Salient Characteristics:

The MCA Method provides an operant method of pain testing with rodents that complements reflexive methods by addressing cognitive and motivational processing. In contrast to other operant pain tests, escape behavior in the Coy-MCS is motivated not by a noxious stimulation, but instead by a non-noxious averse stimulus: bright light. Rodents are placed on one side of a height-adjustable array of nociceptive probes and given the opportunity to cross the array to escape from an aversive lighted area to a preferred dark area. The array consists of blunt tapered probes that are painful but not sharp enough to cause any tissue damage when walked on by the rodent (these probes are analogues to noxious mechanical stimuli that rodents encounter in the wild). For animals with no or mild ongoing pain, the evoked noxious stimulation of crossing the probes may be worth the “reward” of darkness, whereas animals in severe pain may decide that the “cost” of crossing the probes is too high and thus remain in the light. Measured responses include: number of complete crosses, time to exit the light chamber (latency to leave), and time to cross the probes. These probes are analogous to noxious mechanical stimuli that rodents encounter in the wild.

Pictorial depiction of the testing protocol. First, the rodent is exposed to bright light for the start box for a determined period. After the delay, the chamber door is opened and the rodent can escape the light and take refuge in the dark chamber located on the other side of the device by crossing the bed of nociceptive probes.

· Easy to disassemble/reassemble for transport and cleaning

· Constructed of high-quality acrylic for easy and effective disinfection between subjects and durability

· Red acrylic coloration enables researcher observation while rats perceive it as black/dark

· Compact unit (87.3 cm x 21 cm x 43.2 cm) so multiple units can fit in one lab space

· Lightweight for easy transportation (~30 lbs.)

· Probe heights are easily adjustable to six heights (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 mm) - significant stimulus response relationships have been observed between probe height and these measured responses

· Adaptable to other noxious stimuli beyond mechanical and light

· Training is fast and simple since it leverages the rodent’s innate aversion to light (photophobia) and preference toward dark, enclosed spaces.

· Trials are quickly conducted – the average trial is about 60 seconds, significantly faster than other operant methods

· Spontaneous pain behaviors (e.g. guarding, paw licking, etc.) may also be observed and recorded.

· Chamber can accommodate addition protocols to examine additional motivational stimulus – for example, instead of using a noxious stimuli to motivate crossing, food or drug incentives located in the opposite chamber could be presented to promote crossing

URL: http://www.noldus.com/animal-behavior-research

Specifications/Salient Characteristics:

The behavioral monitoring system will allow multiple researchers from a wide variety of research areas to quantify the effects of their experimental procedures and conditions on learning, memory, anxiety, depression, exploration, social behavior, an array of other behaviors. These should include the following:

· Customized and fully automated 8-arm radial maze (one for the rat and one for the mouse), with pellet dispensers and receptacles, pneumatic guillotine doors, and converter pieces to change the center choice-chamber into a T or Y maze. Maze doors and pellet dispensers are controlled remotely via tracking software.

· Mazes are constructed of high-quality acrylic for easy and effective disinfection between subjects.

· Cameras will be mounted on a horizontal mounting rod between opposite walls above the mazes (the radial mazes and any additional mazes present in the core). These mounting rods allow for easy repositioning of location and height of the camera and do not require drilling.

· Automated mazes will be connected to a designated computer on a mobile cart. These mobile carts can be moved to be locked away or to accommodate the varying sizes of different mazes.

· The software must be suited for everything from straightforward tests to high-throughput research, to sophisticated protocols including external equipment control, synchronization, and automation.

· The entire package must contain at least four (4) comprehensive and mobile software/hardware packages (including computers, cameras, mounts, and mobile carts) for simultaneous, independent data collection and processing.

· The system should be completely flexible, capable of tracking rodents and many other species, supporting a modular design in order to incorporate additional competencies as needed by user and as needed over time. The same system must work with: Water Maze, Open Field, Plus Maze, T Maze, Zero Maze, Radial Arm Maze, Novel Object, Forced Swim, Fear Conditioning, Operant Conditioning, Home Cage Assessment, CPP, Barnes Maze, Sociability, Social Interaction, and able to integrate with external hardware such as lights, shock generators, sounds, Optogenetics, Physiology, and imaging.

· Software is able to accommodate live tracking and operate as a digital video recorder during tracking.

· The software can operate in normal and infrared light from above and while using backlighting.

· The software can be installed on multiple computers and post-tracking data analysis can be conducted without the need for a USB hardware key, meaning researchers have increased access to hardware keys.

· Software license is perpetual.

· Software can track and analyze behavior using several object detection methods including grey scaling, differencing, and static and dynamic subtraction. Nose-center-tailbase tracking is an included option for either shape-based, model-based, or advanced-model based detection methods. Image filters such as erosion and dilation is present to allow for adjustment of the digitized image of the animal detected during the tracking process to avoid accidental mix-up of the object with background noise and to improve body shape-related parameters.

· The software is able to simultaneously record, track, and detect animal behavior changes in user-identified arenas (up to 100 arenas) and from multiple camera inputs simultaneously. Software includes the ability to define up to 10,000 regions of interest including arenas, zones, cumulative zones, hidden zones, zone groups, threshold zones, and points of interest.

· Software can automatically detect 10 common behaviors in the mouse and in the rat. In addition to the automatic behavior recognition, the software includes the ability to manually code user-specified behaviors either during tracking or post-tracking from video replay.

· Software contains functionality for tracking multiple marked or unmarked animals in a single arena at once (up to 16) allowing researchers to examine social behaviors.

· Software is capable of batch processing video files, batch acquisition through trial planning, and batch analysis in order to increase data collection and analysis efficiency.

· Software has track editing functions to find and correct errors in individual tracks or all tracks in a single trial including automated interpolation of missing samples and automated correction for nose-tail coordinate swaps.

· The software will possess comprehensive data selection and analysis features, as well as visualizations, graphing functions, and easy export of raw and analyzed data into MS Excel or .txt format. Analysis will include the following selection tools, parameters, statistics, and visualizations:

· Selection Tools: Filtering, Nesting, Interval selection, Time bins, Results per zone.

· Parameters:

· Movement: velocity, distance moved, movement, acceleration, acceleration states

· Location: in zone, distance to point, distance to zone

· Path: meander, zone transitions, zone alternations, target visits and errors

· Direction: heading to point, heading, turn angle (relative, absolute), angular velocity (relative, absolute), head direction, head directed to zone

· Body: mobility, mobility state, rotation, body elongation, body elongation state, body angle, body angle state

· Social: distance between, proximity, body contact, relative movement, net weighted movement, weighted movement from, weighted movement to

· Trial Control: trial control event, trial control state

· Miscellaneous: free interval

· Any user-defined independent variables (subject ID, sex, age, condition, experimental group, time point, etc.) or manually scored behavior

· Statistics: Frequency, latency to first, latency to last, total duration, variance, standard deviation, standard error, number, mean, maximum, minimum, sum, number of samples. Group mean with SD, group mean with SE, 5-number summary.

· Visualizations: Track plots, integrated/synchronized visualization of tracks with video and data, heatmap visual representation of animal distribution, graphs for groups and individuals.

· System will include on-site installation, integration and training

8. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

8.1 The Authorization & Accreditation (A&A) requirements do not apply and a Security Accreditation

B 2 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

ITEM INFORMATION

Rat Place Preference & Multifunction Systems

Mouse Place Preference & Multifunction System

Mechanical conflict avoidance

Behavioral monitoring system, Noldus multi maze

SECTION C - CONTRACT CLAUSES

C.1 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html http://www.va.gov/oal/library/vaar/

(End of Clause)

C.2 52.232-33 PAYMENT BY ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER—SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (JUL 2013)

(a) Method of payment. (1) All payments by the Government under this contract shall be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT), except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this clause. As used in this clause, the term "EFT" refers to the funds transfer and may also include the payment information transfer.

(2) In the event the Government is unable to release one or more payments by EFT, the Contractor agrees to either—

(i) Accept payment by check or some other mutually agreeable method of payment; or

(ii) Request the Government to extend the payment due date until such time as the Government can make payment by EFT (but see paragraph (d) of this clause).

(b) Contractor's EFT information. The Government shall make payment to the Contractor using the EFT information contained in the System for Award Management (SAM) database. In the event that the EFT information changes, the Contractor shall be responsible for providing the updated information to the SAM database.

(c) Mechanisms for EFT payment. The Government may make payment by EFT through either the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network, subject to the rules of the National Automated Clearing House Association, or the Fedwire Transfer System. The rules governing Federal payments through the ACH are contained in 31 CFR part 210.

(d) Suspension of payment. If the Contractor's EFT information in the SAM database is incorrect, then the Government need not make payment to the Contractor under this contract until correct EFT information is entered into the SAM database; and any invoice or contract financing request shall be deemed not to be a proper invoice for the purpose of prompt payment under this contract. The prompt payment terms of the contract regarding notice of an improper invoice and delays in accrual of interest penalties apply.

(e) Liability for uncompleted or erroneous transfers. (1) If an uncompleted or erroneous transfer occurs because the Government used the Contractor's EFT information incorrectly, the Government remains responsible for—

(i) Making a correct payment;

(ii) Paying any prompt payment penalty due; and

(iii) Recovering any erroneously directed funds.

(2) If an uncompleted or erroneous transfer occurs because the Contractor's EFT information was incorrect, or was revised within 30 days of Government release of the EFT payment transaction instruction to the Federal Reserve System, and—

(i) If the funds are no longer under the control of the payment office, the Government is deemed to have made payment and the Contractor is responsible for recovery of any erroneously directed funds; or

(ii) If the funds remain under the control of the payment office, the Government shall not make payment, and the provisions of paragraph (d) of this clause shall apply.

(f) EFT and prompt payment. A payment shall be deemed to have been made in a timely manner in accordance with the prompt payment terms of this contract if, in the EFT payment transaction instruction released to the Federal Reserve System, the date specified for settlement of the payment is on or before the prompt payment due date, provided the specified payment date is a valid date under the rules of the Federal Reserve System.

(g) EFT and assignment of claims. If the Contractor assigns the proceeds of this contract as provided for in the assignment of claims terms of this contract, the Contractor shall require as a condition of any such assignment, that the assignee shall register separately in the SAM database and shall be paid by EFT in accordance with the terms of this clause. Notwithstanding any other requirement of this contract, payment to an ultimate recipient other than the Contractor, or a financial institution properly recognized under an assignment of claims pursuant to subpart 32.8, is not permitted. In all respects, the requirements of this clause shall apply to the assignee as if it were the Contractor. EFT information that shows the ultimate recipient of the transfer to be other than the Contractor, in the absence of a proper assignment of claims acceptable to the Government, is incorrect EFT information within the meaning of paragraph (d) of this clause.

(h) Liability for change of EFT information by financial agent. The Government is not liable for errors resulting from changes to EFT information made by the Contractor's financial agent.

(i) Payment information. The payment or disbursing office shall forward to the Contractor available payment information that is suitable for transmission as of the date of release of the EFT instruction to the Federal Reserve System. The Government may request the Contractor to designate a desired format and method(s) for delivery of payment information from a list of formats and methods the payment office is capable of executing. However, the Government does not guarantee that any particular format or method of delivery is available at any particular payment office and retains the latitude to use the format and delivery method most convenient to the Government. If the Government makes payment by check in accordance with paragraph (a) of this clause, the Government shall mail the payment information to the remittance address contained in the SAM database.

(End of Clause)

C.3 VAAR 852.203-70 COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING (JAN 2008)

The bidder or offeror agrees that if a contract is awarded to him/her, as a result of this solicitation, he/she will not advertise the award of the contract in his/her commercial advertising in such a manner as to state or imply that the Department of Veterans Affairs endorses a product, project or commercial line of endeavor.

(End of Clause)

C.4 LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING-- MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE (JUN 2011)

This solicitation includes FAR 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting. Accordingly, any contract resulting from this solicitation will include this clause. The contractor is advised in performing contract administration functions, the CO may use the services of a support contractor(s) retained by VA to assist in assessing the contractor's compliance with the limitations on subcontracting or percentage of work performance requirements specified in the clause. To that end, the support contractor(s) may require access to contractor's offices where the contractor's business records or other proprietary data are retained and to review such business records regarding the contractor's compliance with this requirement. All support contractors conducting this review on behalf of VA will be required to sign an “Information Protection and Non-Disclosure and Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest Agreement” to ensure the contractor's business records or other proprietary data reviewed or obtained in the course of assisting the CO in assessing the contractor for compliance are protected to ensure information or data is not improperly disclosed or other impropriety occurs.