National Institutes of Health, Division of Research Contracts, OCM/OA/OD, 6100 Executive Blvd., Room 6E01, MSC 7540, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7540

A -- HEALTH MONITORING OF AN AGED HYBRID RAT COLONY SOL NIH-AG-97-05 DUE 020897 POC POC Jonathan Ferguson, Contract Specialist, 301-496-4487; Henry A. Dove, Contracting Officer, 301-496-4487 This is a synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation and proposals are hereby being requested. Solicitation NIH-AG-97-05 is a Request for Proposal. The duration of the proposed firm fixed price contract is one year with four (04) successive one year option periods. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions an d clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 90-42. The Standard Industrial Classification code is 8731 and the business size is 500 employees. This is a small business set aside. SECTION C: The objective of this project is to provide an independent surveillance of the health status of hybrid rats maintained in contractor facilities for the nine-year hybrid rat colonies. The Project Officer will select animals to be shipped from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) colonies to an independent laboratory for health and pathology evaluation from the inventory maintained in the NIA Resource Development Office which effectively samples the range of ages and holding rooms that characterize the colonies. Specifically, the Contractor shall perform clinical evaluation of rats selected by the Project Officer from the NIA colonies and shipped (at no cost to the contractor) on a quarterly basis. Total numbers of rats anticipated on an annual basis are 100, 100, 150, 200 and 150 for years 1 th rough 5 respectively. Animals will be identified as to which barrier and room they were housed. In the event of an apparent outbreak of disease, or serious question regarding the health status of a group of animals, the contractor shall immediately contact the Project Officer by telephone and follow-up with written notification. This schedule may be altered after consultation between the Project Officer, the Contracting Officer, the Colony Contractor, and the Monitoring Contractor (this contract) in such an event. Upon receipt of animals from the Colony Contractor, the Monitoring Contractor shall divide each quarterly shipment of 25 animals from each colony contract into two (2) groups, the one group consisting of 19 animals representing each barrier and room will be tested for agents listed below under quarterly testing profile. The other group of 6 animals will be tested for the agents listed under quarterly profile plus those agents listed under comprehensive profile. On an annual basis, this will re sult in 100% of the animals receiving the quarterly profile while approximately 25% of those animals will receive the comprehensive profile. Specifically, the contractor shall: (i) Describe general conditions of all animals, weight, and any visible lesions or symptomatology; and (ii) Conduct a gross pathology on all animals using procedures that will maximize the chance for detection of the agents listed below. 1) Gross pathologic observations of all animals. 2.(a) Agents for Quarterly Testing Clinica l Profile (all animals) -- SEROLOGY: Rat paroviruses, PVM, Sendai, Rat coronaviruses; MICROBIOLOGY: Mycoplasma pulmonis, Corynebacterium kutscheri, Strep. pneumoniae, Pseudomonas sp., Salmonella enteritidis; PARASITOLOGY: Spironucleus muris, Giardia sp., Cryptosporidium sp., Syphacia sp., Hymenolepis sp., Mites; HISTOPATHOLOGY: GI tract (Small intestine, Cecum, Colon), Respiratory Tract (Nasal passages, Middle ear, Lungs, Trachea). 2.(b) Agents for Quarterly Testing Comprehensive Profile (25% of animals) -- SEROLOGY: Reoviruses, Adenoviruses, TMEV, Hantaviruses; MICROBIOLOGY: CAR bacillus (histopathology), Pasteurella pneumonotropica, Bacillus piliformis (histopathology), Citrobacter freundii (4280); HISTOPATHOLOGY: Liver, Spleen, Thymus, Heart, Kidney, Reproductive organs (Ovaries, Uterus, Testes, Prepuce), Brain, Skin, Salivary Gland, Harderian Gland. SECTION D: All deliverables required under this contract shall be packaged, marked and shipped in accordance with Government specifications. TheContractor shall guarantee that all required materials shall be delivered in immediate usable and acceptable condition. SECTION E: INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE -- The deliverables shall be inspected and accepted at destination by the NIH Project Officer. SECTION F: Required Reports/Deliverables One copy of the reports below shall be submitted to the Project Officer, and one copy of items (b) and (c) shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer. (a) The data expected to be generated from these evaluations will be gross pathology, histopathology, and virology data on each individual animal submitted for evaluation. Data shall be collected on forms supplied by the Contractor in a format approved by the Project Officer. Copies of raw data forms for each animal, together with a summary report of findings shall be delivered to the Project Officer within 30 calendar days from the date the animals are submitted for evaluation. The Contractor will be expected to retain at least one copy of each raw data form foruse in prepar ation of an annual report. (b) The original annual report shall be delivered to the Project Officer and one copy of the annual report shall be delivered to the Contracting Officer within 30 calendar days of the completion of each project year. This report shall consist of a summary of the number, strain and sex of the animals evaluated, a tabulation of the results of the evaluations, and a Contractor's statement regarding the significance of these results in terms of the success of colony management prac tices and the health of colony animals. (c) The original final report shall be delivered to the Project Officer and one copy of the final report shall be delivered to the Contracting Officer. The final report shall consist of the work performed and results obtained for the entire contract period of performance. The final report is due upon completion of the contract. (d) The Contractor shall submit a summary (not to exceed 200 words) of salient results achieved during the performance of the contract. The report of salient results is due upon completion of the contract. The following clauses are incorporated into the solicitation: FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS-COMMERCIAL ITEMS; FAR 52.212-2 EVALUATION-COMMERCIAL ITEMS. The Government shall award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to this solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors, listed in order of relative importance, shall be used to evaluate offers: 1. Experience: (a) Documented evidence of experience in pathological, microbiological and serological assessment of health status of rats, with specific experience in tests required in this workscope. (b) A demonstrated knowledge of what tests should be performed on what specific tissues in order to apprise the Project Officer of the current level of colony health. (c) Evidence of knowledge specific to pathological assessment and health status of agedrats. Specific evidence (e.g. publication, training, prior experience) specific to a ged rats should be provided; 2. Facilities: Suitability of facilities for short-term maintenance of animals to be evaluated prior to evaluation. Must detail effective system to protect these animals from contamination by other animals passing through facility. Must demonstrate competence in laboratory quality control through such measures as: copies of lab protocols, quality control procedures, lists of reference reagents, and history of reliability; 3. Awareness: A demonstrated awareness of diseases, deg enerative problems, and other conditions likely to be observed in the conduct of this project and the significance of these observations to the general health status of the colonies being monitored; and 4. Price: Price is to be proposed on a cost per animal basis. The technical proposal shall receive paramount consideration in making an award under this solicitation.; Offeror must include a completed copy of FAR 52.212-3 OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS-COMMERCIAL ITEMS with its offer; FAR 52.212 -4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS-COMMERCIAL ITEMS; FAR 52.212-5 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS-COMMERCIAL ITEMS, applies to this acquisition with following additional clauses: 52.203-6 RESTRICTIONS ON SUBCONTRACTOR SALES TO THE GOVERNMENT with ALTERNATE I, 52.203-10 PRICE OR FEE ADJUSTMENT FOR ILLEGAL OR IMPROPER ACTIVITY, 52.219-8 UTILIZATION OF SMALL, SMALL DISADVANTAGED AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS, 52.219-14 LIMITATION ON SUBCONTRACTING, 52.22 2-26 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, 52.222-35 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR SPECIAL DISABLED AND VIETNAM ERA VETERANS, 52.222-36 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR HANDICAPPED WORKERS, 52.222-37 EMPLOYMENT REPORTS ON SPECIAL DISABLED VETERANS AND VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM ERA, and 52.225-3 BUY AMERICAN ACT. The following additional clauses apply to this acquisition: FAR 52.215-41 REQUIREMENTS FOR COST OR PRICING DATA OR INFORMATION OTHER THAN COST ORPRICING DATA, 52.215-43 AUDIT-COMMERCIAL ITEMS, 52.217-5 EVALUATION OF OPTIONS, and PHS 3 52.280-2 CARE OF LIVE VERTEBRATE ANIMALS. Direct all questions or inquiries referencing RFP No. NIH-AG-97-05, by fax (301) 402-0178 or phone (301) 496-4487 to Mr. Jonathan Ferguson. Including originals, submit in writing, six (06) copies of the technical proposal and four (04) business proposals no later than thirty (30) calendar days after publication of this notice, 4:00 p.m. local time. Please reference the solicitation number on proposals. If using U.S. Postal Service, send proposals to: National In stitutes of Health, Division of Research Contracts, OCM, 6100 Executive Blvd., Room 6E01, MSC 7540, Bethesda, MD 20892-7540. If using delivery service or hand-delivering, send proposals to: National Institutes of Health, Division of Research Contracts, OCM, 6100 Executive Blvd., Room 6E01, Rockville, MD 20852. (0008)

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