Gemma Micro aquatic animal feed

The National Institutes of Health Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations is procuring Gemma aquatic animal feed products (Gemma 300, 150, and 500) under a Firm-Fixed-Price Purchase Order. The primary requirement is supplying aquatic animal feed that meets specific nutritional and dietary standards established by the facilities veterinarian, researchers, and the Animal Program Director. The government intends to award this contract to Moore-Clark USA Inc. as a sole-source acquisition under FAR Part 6.302-1, justified by the determination that Moore-Clark is the only known responsible source capable of meeting the government's established standards. However, the government is inviting small business entities—including 8(a) firms, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBZone small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, veteran-owned small businesses, and women-owned small businesses—to submit written capability statements demonstrating their ability to perform the requirement by 11:00 p.m. EDT on May 9, 2026. The government retains discretionary authority to compete the award based on responses received, with an anticipated award date of approximately five days after the notice date (May 4, 2026) unless another vendor demonstrates comparable capability.

This procurement carries no set-aside designation, with Moore-Clark USA Inc. identified as the current incumbent contractor under contract number 75N98026Q00284. The government emphasizes that switching to alternative feed sources would require extensive and costly testing to verify compliance with established nutritional standards, potentially compromising ongoing studies and risking animal welfare due to feeding lapses. No specific award value or contract quantity is disclosed in the notice. Interested vendors should submit capability statements via email to david.shen@nih.gov, and the government will make its award determination based on the quality and relevance of submitted responses within the specified timeline.