Blackbox One 1R-4 Rodent Behavioral Observation

The National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health, in support of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), intends to award a non-competitive purchase order for a Blackbox One 1R-4 Rodent Behavioral Observation System. The procurement is specifically for specialized neuroscience research equipment that provides unique bottom-up imaging capabilities for tracking rodent behavior, including precise monitoring of paw contact, weight distribution, and subtle postural shifts. The system is critical for the Holmes lab's research into understanding neural circuits related to alcoholism, stress, trauma, and anxiety disorders. This pre-solicitation notice serves as a notice of intent to award without full and open competition, and interested parties must submit capability statements electronically by 5:00 PM EST on August 17, 2025, to jacob.balenson@nih.gov. All responding parties must maintain active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM).

This procurement does not utilize any set-aside designations and is structured as a non-competitive award specifically designated for BLACKBOX BIOTECH, INC. The complete system includes a 4-chamber mouse box, a Blackbox One Data Workstation, a Basler Ace camera, Arduino-based circuitry, LED illumination rail, data acquisition software, and 12-month Palmreader Pro software access. The equipment comes with a comprehensive 24-month warranty and is scheduled for delivery within 60 days after receipt of order. The delivery location is specified as the NIH/NIAAA Fishers Lane Animal Facility in Rockville, MD. While specific award values are not disclosed in this pre-solicitation notice, the procurement falls under NAICS code 334516 for Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing and PSC code 6640 for Laboratory Equipment and Supplies.