Redacted DnF for OTFOC - Blackbox.doc

DETERMINATION & FINDINGS FOR OTHER THAN FULL & OPEN COMPETITION

(ACTIONS SAT AND BELOW)

1. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROCUREMENT:

The Government requires the purchase of one (1) BLACKBOX One 1R rodent behavioral observation system to monitor small animal voluntary behavior.

2. PROPOSED CONTRACTOR/MANUFACTURER:

Blackbox Biotech, Inc.

2801 Justin Rd Suite 210 Flower Mound, TX, 75028 Business Size: Small Business

Cage: 93M69

3. ESTIMATED TOTAL VALUE: $[REDACTED]

4. STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION: The statutory authority permitting sole source is 41 USC 1901(e), implemented by FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i):

X Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements

5. JUSTIFICATION FOR THE AUTHORITY CITED ABOVE:

The item(s) listed in section one above is available from only one source and competition is precluded for reasons indicated below. There are no substitutes available.

X Other reasoning to support a sole-source buy:

The [REDACTED] at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) requires an animal observation system for work on a top priority project of [REDACTED] and that has the attention of senior leaders throughout the Army and Office of the Secretary of Defense. This project involves evaluating subtle changes in behavior following various insults. These alterations have the potential to be extremely small, and as such it is imperative that any behavioral system used for this project be able to detect minute changes in behavior to ensure quality data.

[REDACTED] research requires an animal observation system that records rodent behaviors in a dark and observer free environment with a near-infrared camera, captures an animal’s body pose and contact area of the paws, and has the ability to automatically score captured metrics and behaviors of interest.

The animal observation system must be able to detect subtle changes in the free roaming behavior of small animals. For the interest of this study, rodent behavior is of concern. Particularly, rodents innately hide signs of injury or impairment from the viewpoint of predators which is typically from above. Additionally, brightly lit laboratory environments can impair and constrain rodent behavior, as they are nocturnal prey animals. This requires the chosen animal observation system to be capable of recording free roaming rodents discretely in a darkened environment and with no concerning stimuli from above.

As previously mentioned, the effects of various insults have the potential to be subtle in nature and difficult to detect. A chosen animal observation system must be able to detect subtle changes in body pose, travel distance, step length, toe spread, grooming, rearing, and force of weight on each paw. These are all important measures in evaluating the voluntary behaviors of rodents, which are a representation of the mammalian nervous system function. These changes should also be able to be recorded and scored automatically, to reduce or prevent inter-rater variability or bias.

The BLACKBOX One 1R rodent behavioral observation system (Blackbox) is the only system on the market able to meet these requirements. Blackbox Biotech is the exclusive manufacturer and distributer for the Blackbox system. The closest competitors that could be found were Noldus, Harvard Apparatus, and San Diego Instruments. Noldus offers the CatWalk XT, which meets some requirements but cannot measure body pose and is not intended for extended voluntary behavioral capture in a home cage reactivity manner. Both Harvard Apparatus and San Diego Instruments offer animal behavior observation systems, however these systems do not have the same fidelity of measurement and cannot capture measurements in a darkened environment.

Failure to purchase the Blackbox system would severely impact the ability to conduct the research needed for this project. As mentioned, only the Blackbox system can collect both the type and fidelity of data needed to accurately measure changes of interest in the animal model. In order to consider other systems, either the scope or the required equipment would need to be drastically changed to preserve the integrity of the project. However, changing the scope of the project would run counter to the intended objectives of conducting the research, rendering the project insufficient. Alternatively, attempting to substitute the Blackbox system would require the purchase of multiple other systems just to match the same performance. When accounting for the loss of time needed for adjusting protocols, training staff, upkeep, and the equipment itself, the cost to the Government is estimated at $[REDACTED]. This cost is not expected to be recovered through competition. As a result, the Blackbox system is vital to expanding the Division’s behavioral analysis capabilities and is the most valuable solution for the Government.

[REDACTED], a Biological Researcher in FCDD-RLA-HC, with over eight (8) years of experience in this field, conducted market research between 01 February 2024 and 11 March 2024. Market research techniques included searching Government required sources, GSA federal supply schedule and internet websites, and contacting knowledgeable subject matter experts within the Government and industry. As a result of this market research, Blackbox Biotech is the only company capable of meeting the Government’s requirement. As aforementioned, as the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and no authorized resellers exist, Blackbox is the only company capable of providing a rodent behavioral observation system to monitor small animal voluntary behavior capable of meeting the Government’s specifications. Therefore, a sole source procurement to Blackbox Biotech, Inc. is recommended and, in the Government’s best interest.

6. FAIR AND REASONABLE PRICE DETERMINATION:

It has been determined that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable and that approval of this recommendation is in the best interest of the government. This justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

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