Lab Animal Procurement

Added: Dec 15, 2010 11:32 am Title: "Provision of Barrier Reared and Maintained Rabbits, Rats, Mice, Hamsters, Gerbils, and Guinea Pigs"



The purpose of the procurement is to provide an efficient and cost effective centralized purchasing mechanism that can maintain uninterrupted support of the research animal needs of NIH intramural investigators, maintain compliance with various federal, state, local laws and NIH regulations affecting the use of laboratory animals, assure the authorized placement of individual animal orders, provide monitoring and oversight of the genetic quality and health status of research animals introduced into the NIH animal facilities.



Successful offerors shall furnish the following: various strains and stocks of barrier reared and maintained rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and rabbits which meet specific species, strain, health status, sex, age, weight, and/or pregnancy requirements, blood, tissues, organs and other biological specimens, surgical and technical procedures to include embryo cryopreservation and rederivation, and quarantine services, shipping crates and containers. All contractors shall have a minimum of 5 years experience providing laboratory animals to biomedical research facilities and be accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International regulated species under this contract. The contractor shall be registered with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (if proposing to provide regulated species). The animals, tissues, organs, and blood or serum supplied under this contract shall be maintained and collected in the Contractor's facilities. The Contractor shall operate any and all proposed facilities for services related to rederivation of animal models for the elimination of the vertical and horizontal transfer of pathogens, parasites and other undesired organisms, and the cryopreservation of mouse and/or rat embryos. The requirement includes presentations by the Contractor's professional and technical staff of an overview of their products, services, animal health surveillance program and technical capabilities to the Government Animal Program Directors and Clinical Veterinary Staff (either in person at the NIH or via video teleconference, at the Government's preference). This Contractor presentation shall be required, at minimum, one time within the first year of performance and every third year thereafter. Contractor shall have established health surveillance and disease control programs developed, administered, and directed by a veterinarian who is board certified or eligible for certification by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.