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

A -- PATHOLOGY MONITORING OF NIA AGED RODENT COLONIES SOL NIH-AG-99-11 DUE 091099 POC JONATHAN FERGUSON, Contracting Officer, (301) 496-4487 E-MAIL: Click here to contact the Contracting Officer via, JF27T@NIH.GOV. 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-99-11 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 and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-12. 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 mice and rats in NIA supported, contractor maintained 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 mice and rats selected by the Project Officer from the NIA colonies and shipped (at no cost to the contractor) on a quarterly basis. Total number of mice anticipated on an annual basis are 125, 125, 125, 125 and 175 for years 1 through 5 respectively and the total number of rats anticipated annually are 125, 125, 175, 175 and 225 years 1 through 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 ContractingOfficer, 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 animals from each colony contract into two (2) groups, the one group consisting of 80% of the animals will be evaluated with the basic profile (described below). The other group consisting of 20% of the animals will be evaluated for the agents listed under Basic profile plus those agents listed under comprehensive profile (described below). All tests are applied to both rats and mice unless indicated specific to either rats (R) or mice (M). 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 Basic Profile (80% of animals) -- SEROLOGY: MHV (M), Ectromelia virus (M), Mouse paroviruses (M), Theiler's (M), LCMV (M), Rotavirus (M), Rat paroviruses (R), Rat coronaviruses (R), PVM, Sendai; MICROBIOLOGY: Mycoplasma pulmonis, Corynebacterium kutscheri, Strep. pneumoniae, Citrobacter freundii (4280), 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), Liver. 2.(b) Agents for Comprehensive Profile (20% of animals) -- SEROLOGY: Polyomavirus (M), LDV (M),TMEV (R), Hantaviruses (R), Reoviruses, Adenoviruses; MICROBIOLOGY: CAR bacillus (histopathology), Pasteurella pneumonotropica, Bacillus piliformis (histopathology); HISTOPATHOLOGY: Spleen, Thymus, Heart, Kidney, Reproductive organs (Ovaries, Uterus, Testes, Prepuce), Brain, Skin, Salivary Gland (R), Harderian Gland (R). SECTION D: All deliverables required under this contract shall be packaged, marked and shipped in accordance with Government specifications. The Contractor 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 for use in preparation 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 90 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 practices 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: (60 points) (a) Documented evidence of experience in pathological, microbiological and serological assessment of health status of mice and 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 apprize the Project Officer of the current level of colony health. (c) Evidence of knowledge specific to pathological assessment and health status of aged mice and rats. Specific evidence (e.g. publication, training, prior experience) specific to aged rodents should be provided; 2. Facilities: (20 points) 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: (20 points) A demonstrated awareness of diseases, degenerative 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, 52.222-26 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 OR PRICING DATA, 52.215-43 AUDIT-COMMERCIAL ITEMS, 52.217-5 EVALUATION OF OPTIONS, and PHS 352.280-2 CARE OF LIVE VERTEBRATE ANIMALS. Direct all questions or inquiries referencing RFP No. NIH-AG-99-11, by fax (301) 402-0178 or phone (301) 496-4487 to Mr. Jonathan Ferguson. Submit in writing, an original and eight (08) copies of the technical proposal and an original and four (04) business proposals no later than 4:00 p.m. local time, September 10, 1999. Please reference the solicitation number on proposals. If using U.S. Postal Service, send proposals to: National Institutes 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. Posted 07/27/99 (W-SN359326). (0208)

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