COMBINED SYNOPSIS / SOLICITATION
Title: Rat modeling service to create Drd3-Dre and Gal-Cre rat models
(i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.
(ii) The solicitation number is 75N95024Q00141 and the solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ).
This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures; and FAR Part 12—Acquisition of Commercial Items, and is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. See attached Statement of Work.
(iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) Number 2024-02, with effective date January 22, 2024.
(iv) The associated NAICS code 115210 and the small business size standard is $11 Million. This requirement is full and open and no set aside restrictions are applicable.
(v) DESCRIPTION/QUANTITY – Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall be required to furnish all services described in the Statement of Work, see Attachment 1 to this Solicitation.
QUOTER TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
- Period of Performance OR Delivery Date After Receipt of Order:
- Shipping Point (F.O.B. OR Destination):
- Payment Discount Terms:
- Open Market; GSA FSS Contract Number; Other Government Agency (OGA) Contract Number, Government-wide Agency (GWAC) Contract Number; or National Institute of Health (NIH) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) Number:
- Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov
- Name of Company:
- Street Address, City, State, Zip code:
- Name of Person Authorized to Provide Quote:
- Telephone Number and Email Address of Person Authorized to Provide Quote:
(vi) The Government anticipates award of a firm fixed-price purchase order for this acquisition, and the anticipated period of performance is March 1, 2024, through August 30, 2024.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS, PROVISIONS, AND REPRESENTATIONS
(viii) The provision at FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at these addresses: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html
(End of provision)
The following provisions apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference:
- FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Oct 2018)
- FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020)
- FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2023)
The clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at these addresses:
https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.hhs.gov/grants/contracts/contract-policies-regulations/hhsar/index.html
(End of clause)
The following clauses apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference:
- FAR 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018)
- FAR 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020)
- FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2023).
- HHSAR 352.222-70, Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (December 18, 2015)
- HHSAR 352.223-70, Safety and Health (December 18, 2015)
SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS
Contractor Requirements. The services under this contract involves live vertebrate animals. Respondents must include with their quotation:
- Evidence of an active OLAW Animal Welfare Assurance
- Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) project approval for this work. The date of IACUC approval must not be more than 36 months prior to the anticipated date of award
- Evidence of AAALAC Accreditation
- Vertebrate Animal Section (VAS) (see below)
Animal Welfare. All research involving live, vertebrate animals shall be conducted in accordance with the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (PHS Policy). The PHS Policy can be accessed at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/phspol.htm. In addition, the research involving live vertebrate animals shall be conducted in accordance with the description set forth in the Vertebrate Animal Section (VAS) of the contractor’s quotation.
Vertebrate Animals Section (VAS). It is intended that live vertebrate animals will be used during performance of this contract. The Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (authority derived from the Health Research Extension Act of 1985) specifies that certain information is required from offerors in contract proposals submitted to the NIH that will use live vertebrate animals.
The VAS should be no more than two (2) pages and must address the following criteria:
- Description of Procedures. Provide a concise description of the proposed procedures to be used that involve vertebrate animals in the work outlined in the Statement of Work. Identify the species, strains, ages, sex and total number of animals by species to be used in the proposed work.
- Justifications. Provide justification that the species are appropriate for the proposed research. Explain why the research goals cannot be accomplished using an alternative model (e.g., computational, human, invertebrate, in vitro).
- Minimization of Pain and Distress. Describe the interventions including analgesia, anesthesia, sedation, palliative care and humane endpoints to minimize discomfort, distress, pain and injury.
- Euthanasia. State whether the method of euthanasia is consistent with the recommendations of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. If not, describe the method and provide a scientific justification.
For more discussion regarding the VAS, see NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-16-006 at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-16-006.html.
The VAS Worksheet is provided as an attachment to this solicitation to assist in the preparation of the VAS.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS, PROVISIONS, AND REPRESENTATIONS
The provision at HHSAR 352.270-5a, Notice to Offerors of Requirement for Compliance with the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (December 18, 2015).
The Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (PHS Policy) establishes a number of requirements for research activities involving animals. Before awarding a contract to an offeror, the organization shall file, with the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), National Institutes of Health (NIH), a written Animal Welfare Assurance (Assurance) which commits the organization to comply with the provisions of the PHS Policy, the Animal Welfare Act, and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (National Academy Press, Washington, DC). In accordance with the PHS Policy, offerors must establish an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), qualified through the experience and expertise of its members, to oversee the institution’s animal program, facilities, and procedures. Offerors must provide verification of IACUC approval prior to receiving an award involving live vertebrate animals. No award involving the use of animals shall be made unless OLAW approves the Assurance and verification of IACUC approval for the proposed animal activities has been provided to the Contracting Officer. Prior to award, the Contracting Officer will notify Contractor(s) selected for projects involving live vertebrate animals of the Assurance and verification of IACUC approval requirement. The Contracting Officer will request that OLAW negotiate an acceptable Assurance with those Contractor(s) and request verification of IACUC approval. For further information, contact OLAW at NIH, 6705 Rockledge Drive, RKL1, Suite 360, MSC 7982 Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7982 (E-mail: olaw@od.nih.gov; Phone: 301-496-7163).
(End of provision)
The clause at HHSAR 352.270-5b, Care of Live Vertebrate Animals (December 18, 2015).
(a) Before undertaking performance of any contract involving animal-related activities where the species is regulated by the United Sates Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Contractor shall register with the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States in accordance with 7 U.S.C. 2136 and 9 CFR sections 2.25 through 2.28. The Contractor shall furnish evidence of the registration to the Contracting Officer.
(b) The Contractor shall acquire vertebrate animals used in research from a dealer licensed by the Secretary of Agriculture under 7 U.S.C. 2133 and 9 CFR sections 2.1-2.11, or from a source that is exempt from licensing under those sections.
(c) The Contractor agrees that the care, use, and intended use of any live vertebrate animals in the performance of this contract shall conform with the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care of Use of Laboratory Animals (PHS Policy), the current Animal Welfare Assurance (Assurance), the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (National Academy Press, Washington, DC) and the pertinent laws and regulations of the United States Department of Agriculture (see 7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq. and 9 CFR subchapter A, Parts 1-4). In case of conflict between standards, the more stringent standard shall govern.
(d) If at any time during performance of this contract, the Contracting Officer determines, in consultation with the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), National Institutes of Health (NIH), that the Contractor is not in compliance with any of the requirements and standards stated in paragraphs (a) through (c) above, the Contracting Officer may immediately suspend, in whole or in part, work and further payments under this contract until the Contractor corrects the noncompliance. Notice of the suspension may be communicated by telephone and confirmed in writing. If the Contractor fails to complete corrective action within the period of time designated in the Contracting Officer’s written notice of suspension, the Contracting Officer may, in consultation with OLAW, NIH, terminate this contract in whole or in part, and the Contractor’s name may be removed from the list of those contractors with Animal Welfare Assurances.
Note: The Contractor may request registration of its facility and a current listing of licensed dealers from the Regional Office of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), USDA, for the region in which its research facility is located. The location of the appropriate APHIS Regional Office, as well as information concerning this program may be obtained by contacting the Animal Care Staff, USDA/APHIS, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, Maryland 20737 (E-mail: ace@aphis.usda.gov; website: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/animalwelfare).
(End of clause)
EVALUATION AND AWARD
(ix) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer confirming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered, using comparative evaluations. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotes:
1.Technical capability, including the acceptability of the VAS.
2. Lead Time.
3. Past performance [see FAR 13.106-2(b)(3)].
4. Price.
(x) The Offerors to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2023), with its offer. If the offeror has completed FAR clause 52.212-3 at www.sam.gov, then the offeror does not need to provide a completed copy with its offer.
(xi) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement.
(xii) This contract is subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards statute, and the place of performance was unknown when the solicitation was issued. In addition to places or areas identified in wage determinations, if any, attached to the solicitation, wage determinations have also been requested for the following: none. The Contracting Officer will request wage determinations for additional places or areas of performance if asked to do so in writing by 4:00pm Eastern Daylight/Standard Time on Thursday, February 13, 2024. The written request must reference Solicitation Number 75N95024Q00141 and be submitted electronically to Michele Pastorek at michele.pastorek@nih.gov.
Offerors who intend to perform in a place or area of performance for which a wage determination has not been attached or requested may nevertheless submit a quotation. However, a wage determination shall be requested and incorporated in the resultant contract retroactive to the date of contract award, and there shall be no adjustment in the contract price.
If offerors, based on the specific personnel to be performing the work outlined in the Statement of Work, do not believe the Service Contract Labor Standards would apply to the resultant contract, may submit a statement to that effect. The statement must outline the personnel to be performing the work and an explanation why the Service Contract Labor Standards does not apply. Statements received will be considered by the Government.
(xiii) Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror’s capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the technical evaluation criteria.
The Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov, the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.
All questions must be received by 4:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight/Standard Time, on Friday, February 13, 2024, and reference Solicitation Number 75N95024Q00141. Questions may be submitted electronically to Michele Pastorek at michele.pastorek@nih.gov.
All quotations must be received by 4:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight/Standard Time, on Thursday, February 19, 2024, and reference Solicitation Number 75N95024Q00141. Responses must be submitted electronically to Michele Pastorek, Contract Specialist, at michele.pastorek@nih.gov.
Fax responses will not be accepted.
ATTACHMENTS
- Statement of Work
- VAS Worksheet
- The provision at FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Sep 2023) (Tailored)
- The clause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders–Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Dec 2023)
- NIH Invoicing Instructions (Mar 2023)
