Tecniplast/IWT Cagewash Equipment

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health, has issued a Special Notice for a sole source contract with Tecniplast USA Inc. The notice concerns comprehensive maintenance and technical services for six cage and bottle processing machines located in the Building 35 Shared Animal Facility. These machines were manufactured and installed by Tecniplast/IWT between 2010 and 2024 and feature proprietary mechanical design and software that can only be serviced by factory-trained personnel. The contract is classified under NAICS code 811210 for Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance with a $34 million size standard. This procurement is structured as an 8(a) sole source set-aside opportunity.

The primary objective of this Special Notice is to secure ongoing operational reliability of critical cage processing equipment essential for maintaining the facility's research capabilities and AAALAC accreditation. Contractors must respond by August 19, 2025, at 12:00 PM EST to solicitation number NIMH25004881, with Joe Kennedy serving as the primary point of contact at Joseph.kennedy@nih.gov. The government is pursuing sole source procurement because Tecniplast USA is the original equipment manufacturer and the only vendor with exclusive access to repair parts and specialized service engineers capable of maintaining these machines. The contract will encompass preventive maintenance, parts replacement, and comprehensive technical support to ensure daily and weekly cage processing requirements are met. Eligibility is limited to 8(a) certified small businesses, and the award rationale centers on the proprietary nature of the equipment requiring manufacturer-specific expertise.