Q_&As_from_Solicitation.docx

Questions and Answers

Question 1 Expected Error - I believe there is an error here:

Cages shall be made of wire mesh approximately ¼ by 1 inch on the front, back, floor, ceiling and right side wall. The left side wall should be solid metal. All cage components should be 304 stainless steel.

Answer for question 1 You are correct, this is an error. The description should have said one inch by one-half inch mesh. Thank you for pointing this out.

Question 2 Section d) Each cage must have one door no smaller than 12 inches wide by 16 inches tall with a tamper proof closure. The center of the door must be at or above the midpoint of the cage's height. Is the door a swing door or a side sliding door?

Answer for question 2 Either is acceptable.

Question 3 e) Cages shall be made of wire mesh approximately ¼ by 1 inch on the front, back, floor, ceiling and right side wall. The left side wall should be solid metal. All cage components should be 304 stainless steel. Is a mesh size of 1/2” x 1/2” acceptable?

Answer for question 3 Yes.

Question 4 i) It is desirable, but not required, that an option for an attachable nest boxes be included. The nest boxes should attach to the exterior of the cage and permit opening and closing of a door to the box from outside the cage. The nest boxes should be no smaller than approximately 8 inches wide by 8 inches tall by 4 inches deep and constructed of 304 stainless steel. There must be a mechanism to securely attach the boxes to the fronts of the cages. Is the nest box to be constructed of SOLID 304 Stainless Steel or MESH 304 stainless steel? AND what is the Quantity of desired Nest Boxes?

Answer for question 4 The description is somewhat flexible to allow vendors to propose solutions we may not have anticipated. That said, it seems desirable to have a solid floor, to serve as a resting surface, and solid sides, to minimize aggression with cages on either side. The front-facing wall should be at least partially mesh to allow the animals to be visualized. The rear wall could be either solid or mesh. The closure mechanism between the nest box and the cage should allow the openings in both the cage and nest box to be closed if the nest box is removed from the cage wall with an animal in it. The quantity desired is 36; one for each cage plus 50% change-out. Thank you for this question and apologies for omitting this from our original description.

Question 5 In general, there is no mention of watering type for these cages. Please confirm if bottled water or automatic watering is required? If bottled watering is required, please confirm if bottles and holders are to be included in the response.

Answer for question 5 Water bottles will be used. Bottle holders will be government furnished, government installed after delivery.

Question 6 Delivery Requirements: The Contractor shall deliver the required equipment within twelve (12) weeks after receipt of order. Will offers with an extended lead time be accepted for technical review? With our history of conducting business with the government and manufacturing such custom made items for more than 45 years, we typically see a requirement from the end user for approval drawings before manufacturing, and a standard lead time of 90-120 days AFTER approval drawing are approved. This approval process ensures the end user receives exactly what they requested. Please advise.

Answer for question 6 Offers with a 90-120 day delivery after approval drawing ratification will be accepted for technical review. That said, it’s expected that the offers will contain detailed drawings or plans that can be part of the review. Changes to these drawings are expected to be relatively minor, so approval drawing ratification is expected to occur quickly.