36C255-19-AP-1073 | 589-18-4-8874-0182 | Individually Ventilated Cages

The Harry S Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital (Truman VA) Research Development function intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Allentown for the purchase of ventilated rodent (mouse) cages and changing stations that will be installed near Rolla Missouri at the OFBC and the University of Missouri Columbia (MU) campus in Columbia Missouri (behavioral assessment). This equipment will be utilized to continue to support research projects currently being conducted at the VA and must be compatible with the Allentown equipment currently being utilized at the Truman VA. The salient features are as follows:
1. Compliance/Accreditation: IVC caging and animal changing stations shall be fabricated in full compliance with The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Eighth Edition) and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) accreditation standards.
2. Compatibility with existing equipment. Caging shall be compatible with existing caging systems currently in-use by the Office of Animal Resources at our academic affiliate (MU) and allow for disposable caging to be used.
3. Non-proprietary Components. Replacement parts shall be non-proprietary and commercially available at competitive costs in the United States to the greatest extent possible.
4. Modern Design/Ease-of-Use. IVC shall utilize current design & technology to promote ease-of-use/cleaning, etc. and provide, to the extent possible, a clear view of the animals.
In addition to the features listed above the system must be/have:
Compatible with existing Allentown equipment
Individually ventilated cage
Environmental testing capabilities
Energy-efficient, low vibration motors
External water bottles
Ergonomically designed to be lighter and easier to manipulate
Disposable caging that can be utilized on existing racks
This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals; however, any responsible source who believes it is capable of meeting the requirement and who is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), authorized dealer, authorized distributor or authorized reseller of all the items listed above, may submit a capability statement to the contracting office to the contracting office no later than Friday, June 28, 2019 , 4:00 PM EST. Interest/capability statements may be sent to Elaine DiBucci at elaine.dibucci@va.gov. No telephone responses will be accepted. A determination not to compete the proposed requirement based upon the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.
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