Attachment 1 - SOW - Roe Bedding Handling System.pdf

Attachment 1

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Title of Project:

Maintenance and Repair Services for Automated Rodent Cage Bedding Handling System

Statement of Need and Purpose:

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Animal Health Care Section (AHCS) requires maintenance and repair services for its Roe Vacuum Bedding Removal System (VBRS) and Roe Vacuum Bedding Dispensing System (VBDS) located in the Building 35/35A Shared Animal Facility (SAF).

Roe Biomedical Products, Inc. (Roe) manufactured this automated rodent cage bedding handling system, which consists of six components that the Government has listed in Table A – System Components. This system allows the AHCS to efficiently handle its daily and weekly rodent cage processing volume; it is thus necessary that an original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-authorized service provider maintain and repair it in accordance with the general and specific requirements outlined in this Statement of Work (SOW).

Background Information and Objective:

The NINDS is a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducting research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of neurological disorders and stroke. The NINDS mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.

The NINDS AHCS is tasked with the veterinary care, management of the Building 35/35A SAF.

The Building 35 SAF currently houses approximately 17,000 mouse and rat cages used by nine NIH institutes and centers in support of approved animal study protocols (ASPs) and their research missions.

To retain NIH/NINDS’s Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) accreditation, services performed on behalf of AHCS must be in accordance with all applicable recommended principals outlined in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals; 8th Edition.

The Roe Vacuum Bedding Removal System (VBRS) consists of two (2) soiled cage bedding dump stations both of which are located in the basement-level cagewash area, a bedding disposal discharge module which is located outside of the building and adjacent to the ground-level loading dock area, a system of 2” stainless steel vacuum conveyor lines which connect the dump stations with the bedding disposal discharge module, and a PLC controlled Ethernet interface.

The Roe Vacuum Bedding Dispensing System (VBDS) consists of a bulk bedding hopper, located in a storage area adjacent to the ground-level loading dock, one automated vacuum bedding dispenser units with a cage inverter, located on the clean side of the basement-level cagewash area, a system of 2” stainless steel vacuum conveyor lines for transporting clean woodchip bedding between the bulk bedding hopper, and the bedding dispenser units, and a PLC controlled Ethernet interface.

There are also two (2) cage tunnel washers located in the vivarium cagewash area. One of these cage tunnel washers are equipped with a Roe Bedding Dump Station, and a Roe Bedding Dispenser/Cage Inverter.

Individual system components are listed in the following table:

Table A – System Components

Equipment Description Equipment Serial Number

Installation Year

Location Building/ Room Number

Roe Vacuum Bedding Removal System (Model # VBRS 9400) Includes the Following Listed Components Roe Bedding Dump Station #1 SCD113007-1 2013 35/BB-103 Roe Bedding Dump Station #2 SCD113007-2 2013 35/BB-103 Roe Bedding Disposal Discharge Module

RDS113007-2 2013 35/Loading Dock Outside

Roe Vacuum Bedding Dispensing System (Model # VBDS 4900) Roe Bulk Bedding Hopper N/A 2005 35/GA-805 Roe Bedding Dispenser/Cage Inverter 90344-01-54 2013 35/BB-104

SCOPE OF WORK

General Requirements:

Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to satisfy the specific requirements described in this

SOW.

The Contractor will provide preventive maintenance, emergency repair service, and parts for the Roe Automated Rodent Bedding Handling System. This system is composed of the five (5) pieces of bedding handling equipment listed in Table A – System Components, including all 2” stainless steel vacuum conveyor lines, PLC controllers, software, Ethernet cabling, and communication devices. The Contractor must be a factory trained service provider with at least a one (1) years’ experience providing a service contract for Roe Automated Rodent Cage Bedding Handling Systems in a laboratory animal facility environment.

The Roe bedding handling system components listed in this table have been under warranty or a service agreement since installation. The Contractor may, therefore, assume that each piece of equipment has been properly serviced and maintained and will not require significant repairs, adjustment, or replacement parts prior to the start of the contract.

Specific Requirements:

The Contractor shall provide the following supplies and services to the Government:

(1) Two annual preventive maintenance visits; (2) emergency repair service, as needed; (3) replacement and critical spare parts, as needed, and; (4) any necessary software revisions or upgrades.

Preventive Maintenance (PM): The Contractor shall perform two (2) PM service visits per machine, per year. The first PM service will occur within 30 days of contract award. The second PM service will occur between the 6th and 7th month after contract award. If the Government exercises one or more option periods, the first PM service will occur within 30 days of the commencement date of the option period. The second PM service will occur between the 6th and 7th month from the date the Government exercised the option period. The Contractor shall not perform PM services in conjunction with any emergency repair service calls. The Contractor shall schedule the PM service visits, and the order in which it services the bedding handling system components, through advance coordination with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or their designee.

The Contractor shall follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for providing PM-related adjustment and calibration services for the equipment listed in Table A – System Components.

Emergency Repairs: The Contractor must have a system in place to receive telephone calls from the COR or their designee during the hours listed in the SOW section entitled “Operating Environment.” When the Contractor is closed for business during normal Government operating hours, it must have a system in place for leaving a message and receiving a call back from a qualified service technician, who shall assist with resolving emergency service issues. This call back must take place within one (1) hour of placing a call for service.

Troubleshooting and resolution of the reported problem will begin once the Government and the Contractor’s qualified service technician have established telephone contact. If the technician determines that it cannot resolve the reported equipment issue or malfunction by troubleshooting over the telephone, they shall immediately escalate the issue to ensure that a qualified service technician visits the Government site to perform additional troubleshooting, adjustment, calibration, repairs, or replacement of parts for the affected equipment. The technician shall arrive at the Government site within twenty-four (24) hours of escalation.

If the Contractor cannot effectively resolve the issue(s) on the first business day the qualified service technician arrives at the Government site, the Government expects that the technician will return on the next business day or subsequent consecutive business days until the machine(s) are operational and the Contractor has tested and verified the repairs.

The Contractor may only perform emergency repairs during the Government’s “normal hours of operation,” as later defined in this Statement of Work. The Government will not reimburse the Contractor for any work performed outside of these hours or for any overtime.

Critical Spare Parts: The Government broadly defines a critical spare part as either a part that will make a machine inoperable or unsafe if it is damaged or missing, or a part that it can reasonably expect to wear-out or fail within the six (6) month PM service interval. At its discretion, the Government may purchase and store such parts at its facility, but this does not affect the Contractor’s responsibility to have on hand any part it determines are required for repairs within 24 hours of that determination. However, the Government is solely responsible for stocking and replacing all air filters.

Tools: The Contractor must ensure that its qualified service technicians have at their immediate disposal the tools necessary to repair, adjust, and calibrate the equipment listed in Table A – System Components. The Government expects that the Contractor will not experience delays in repairing this equipment due to a technician not having immediate access to the proper tools, calibration, or diagnostic instruments.

Service Documentation: For completed emergency service calls, the Contractor shall immediately submit to the COR or their designee documentation (either electronically or in hard copy form) that describes the work it performed, the part(s) it replaced, and the operating status of each machine it serviced. For completed PM service visits, the Contractor shall, within 24 hours of the visit, submit to the COR or their designee all relevant service documentation (either electronically or in hard copy form). The Contractor must submit all service reports in a format that is both legible and, if submitted electronically, acceptable to the Government (i.e., Excel, Acrobat, or other format agreed upon after contract award).

Minimum Performance Expectation: The Government expects that each of the five (5) pieces of the Roe bedding handling system listed in Table A – System Components will be functional and operational a minimum of 80% of the time during both regular and holiday work weeks. The Government actively processes cages and bottles through the bedding handling system between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday during a regular work week and on the non-holiday workdays of a holiday week.

Operating Environment:

Normal Hours of Operation: Contractor employees shall perform all work between the hours of 7:30 AM and 6:00 PM ET, Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays). As previously stated, the Government will not reimburse the Contractor for any work it performs outside of these hours or for any overtime.

Federal Holidays: Contractor employees shall not perform any work at the Government’s facility during Federal holidays or other non-workdays without prior written approval from the Contracting Officer.

LEVEL OF EFFORT:

The Contractor shall use qualified service technicians to perform all work required under this contract as stipulated in the Key Personnel section.

The required level of effort may vary depending on the extent and frequency of repairs in a given year, however, the Government anticipates that it will require 550 hours of emergency repair service annually/per period of performance. The Contractor shall provide preventive maintenance service visits on a FFP basis.

Period of Performance:

The anticipated period of performance shall include one 12-month base period and two 6-month option periods as follows:

Base Period: September 28, 2023 through September 27, 2024

Option Period One: September 28, 2024 through March 27, 2025

Option Period Two: March 28, 2025 through September 27, 2025

OPTION:

The terms under which any option(s) may be exercised will be included in the contract terms and conditions.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

Authorities of Government Personnel: Notwithstanding the Contractor’s responsibility for total management during performance of the contract, administration of the contract will require coordination between the Government and Contractor.

DELIVERABLES:

Table B – Delivery Standards

Item

Service Element

Required Standard of Work

Venue/Format Due to Government

1 PM service visits Two annual PM service visits for all covered machines

Government’s facility

1st PM visit: within 30 days of PoP start date.

2nd PM visit:

between 6th and 7th month of PoP.

Emergency repairs: phone consultation

Qualified technician must call back and attempt to resolve any Gov’t reported issues

Over the telephone

Within one (1) hour of request for service

Emergency repairs: on-site service call

Contractor must send qualified technician to Gov’t site if it needs to escalate an issue

Government’s facility

Within twenty-four

(24) hours of escalation

Equipment performance or service issues

Contractor must alert the Government the same day it discovers any equipment performance or service issues

Electronically to COR or their designee

Same day

5 Service documentation

Contractor shall provide service documentation, as described in the SOW, electronically or hand-delivered in a legible and acceptable format.

Electronically or hard copy to COR or their designee

Emergency service call:

Immediately after completion

PM service visit:

Within 24 hours of completion of maintenance

Minimum performance expectation

Portion of the time that bedding handling system is functional and operational

Government’s facility

Min. 80% of the time during both regular and holiday work weeks (8:30 am – 4:30 pm)

Table C – Terms of Acceptance

PM service visits

Acceptance of each PM service visit shall occur upon the Contractor successfully completing the scheduled service in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations and submitting all relevant documentation for the piece(s) of equipment serviced to the COR or their designee.

Emergency repairs

Acceptance of each emergency service call shall occur upon the Contractor successfully installing parts, adjusting/calibrating components, or any other service required to return the equipment to normal operating condition and submitting all relevant documentation for the piece(s) of equipment serviced to the COR or their designee.

Inspection and Acceptance: The COR or their designee will inspect all services and documentation for content, completeness, accuracy, and conformance to the SOW and manufacturer requirements. The COR will perform final inspection and acceptance at the place of performance (i.e. the Government’s facility).

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS:

There is no requirement for periodic written progress reports. However, other reporting and documentation requirements are described in the Service Documentation section and summarized in Table B – Delivery Standards and Table C – Terms of Acceptance.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

Travel:

No travel cost will be reimbursed. All cost associated with travel time should be included within the provided service agreement quote.

Key Personnel:

Experience. The Contractor must have a minimum of one (1) years’ experience performing a service contract for a Roe automated rodent cage bedding handling system in a laboratory animal facility environment. Additionally, the Contractor must document that any field service personnel, telephone service personnel, or sub-contractors it uses have proficiency in the following technologies and protocols:

a) Process control software and hardware using HMI (Human Machine Interface) controllers and PLC (Programmable Logic Controllers)

b) Wi-Fi and Ethernet networking

c) Field welding and field passivation of stainless steel

d) Pneumatic and solenoid controls

e) Electrical and electric motor systems, including 480 VAC 3 phase and 120 VAC single phase applications

f) Laboratory grade compressed air systems

g) Control sensors

All Contractor personnel shall, if requested, provide written documentation verifying that they possess the required experience.

The Government may permit the Contractor to use sub-contractors on a limited, case-by-case basis for such repairs as welding or rebuilds that involve a third-party machine shop. The Government may also permit the Contractor to use qualified sub-contractors if they cannot arrive within the response window specified in the section entitled Emergency Repairs. The Government will reimburse sub-contractors for any work they perform at the same labor rate as the Contractor’s employees.

The Government expects that any sub-contractors used to repair, adjust, calibrate, or troubleshoot the equipment listed in Table A – System Components will either work under the direct supervision of a Contractor-employed qualified service technician or have technical proficiency in the seven areas (a thru g) listed above. The Government will hold the Contractor responsible for all work performed under this contract, whether the work is performed by Contractor employees or a sub-contractor. The Government will also hold the Contractor responsible for any damage to Government equipment that results from work performed by a sub-contractor.

Service Standards. To do its part in retaining NIH/NINDS’s AAALAC accreditation, the Contractor shall perform the required services in accordance with all applicable recommended principals outlined in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals; 8th Edition.

Information System Security Plan:

Contractor employees shall have no access to Government data or networks.

All Contractor-employed service technicians are required to have NIH access control identification badges to access the place of performance, specifically the basement-level of the SAF, located in Building 35/35A on the NIH Bethesda, Maryland campus. The project manager or assistant project manager for the SAF contract management team will grant this access and the NIH Division of Personnel Security and Access Control will authorize it. Service technicians must wear their badges face out and above the waist.

Data Rights:

The Government will retain full ownership of and access to all written materials (in process or finalized) pertaining to the maintenance and repair of this equipment, including Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), at all times and without any restrictions.