Animal Care and Research Support Services

This procurement is a 100% Small Business Set-Aside. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) intends to solicit proposals from qualified Small Businesses under NAICS Code 541990.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) plans to solicit proposals from qualified small business organizations to provide NIDA's Division of Intramural Research (DIR), located in Baltimore, MD, research support and animal care services necessary to support the DIR's coordinated, multidisciplinary program of research using animals to improve its understanding of the causes and consequences of drug abuse, and to develop more effective treatment and prevention programs. The services to be contracted will provide prompt, efficient, and high quality research lab technical services, research support and animal care services necessary to support the IRP's animal research program. This includes conducting molecular and behavioral neuroscience animal research projects and performing animal husbandry related tasks. These services include activities to:

1) Recruit, train, retain and support a staff with a wide range of skills and training, ranging from entry level animal caretakers to doctoral level scientists; based on the current needs of the DIR;

2) Provide animal husbandry for a wide range of species including, but not limited to, rodents and nonhuman primates in accordance with institutional descriptions of standard operating procedures, AAALAC accreditable practices, applicable guidelines, and regulations;

3) Provide research personnel to support specific DIR investigators' animal research protocols involving molecular biology and behavioral neuroscience techniques in rodents and nonhuman primates;

4) Provide technical rodent production and breeding services to produce genetically engineered mice and rats including genetic characterization and administrative documentation.

5) Provide backup veterinary services on an as needed basis;

This is a follow-on procurement to Task Order LARC-2016-NIDA-0005 under Contract Number HHSN263201300011I. It is estimated that a cost reimbursement contract will result from this procurement which will include a 9-month base period and additional option periods to encompass a possible total 5-year contract period.

The estimated RFP No. N02DA-17-9916 issuance date is 05/15/2017. The formal Request for Proposals will appear in the FedBizOpps (URL: http://fedbizopps.gov) and in the NIDA website (URL: http://www.drugabuse.gov/funding/funding-opportunities/nida-requests-contract-proposals-rfps). NIDA anticipates an August 2017 award date. NIDA will consider proposals submitted by any responsible small business offeror under the established NAICS Code. This advertisement does not commit the Government to award a contract.

Based upon market research, the Government is not using the policies contained in Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items, in its solicitation for the described supplies or services. However, interested persons or organizations may identify to the Contracting Officer their interest and capability to satisfy the Government's requirement with a commercial item within 15 days of this notice.