ANIMAL CAGING AND SUPPLIES

The National Institutes of Health, The Division of Veterinary Resources, Office of Research Services hereby gives notice of their intent to award a Firm Fixed Price Purchase Order to Lab Products LLC, 2225 Pulaski Hwy, Aberdeen, MD 21001, on a sole source basis. In accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 6.302-1, only one source reasonably available and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

The Division of Veterinary Resources, Office of Research Services requires the ventilated cage system to house animals. The ventilated cage system maintains negatively pressurized cages in a controlled environment for housing conditions. It ensures protection between the cages, the animal room and the animal care staff. Their design provides containment & micro-isolation from cage to cage, cage to room and room to cage. Through a trademarked system, the cages only exhaust through negative pressure and do not become positive. Other safety features in this patented design include that cages revert to a static mode in the event of a power failure, preventing possible animal health issues. In addition,

There is an urgent need to fulfill a new housing requirement and replace damaged and worn-out cage components for use on Lab Products rodent caging systems. Continued use of the existing equipment will lead to further degradation of the material, making it difficult for staff to observe animals for health issues, verify food and water intake, and has the potential to cause airflow issues within the cages. If the cages and components are not replaced, cracks in the plastic could open and lead to human and/or animal exposures and injuries. Further, damaged caging can lead to animal health and welfare issues, which are reportable deficiencies to the ORS Animal Care and Use Committee, the OD Office of Animal Care and Use, and the Office of Lab Animal Welfare.

This notice serves as a Notice of Intent to award a contract and is not a request for proposals or quotations. No requests for capability briefings will be considered. A solicitation package will not be posted publicly and requests for copies of the solicitation in response to this notice will not be honored or acknowledged. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether conducting a competitive procurement in the future would be in the best interest of the Government.

Responsible sources that believe they can perform these services in their entirety must submit a written notification of interest and capability statement by 9:00 AM (Eastern Time) on May 9, 2025. All information submitted should support the firm’s capabilities to provide all of the required services and shall be furnished at no cost or obligation to the Government. Responses shall be submitted via e-mail to the following address: holleyv@od.nih.gov. Telephone requests or inquires will not be accepted. In order to receive an award, Contractors must be registered and have valid, current Entity Record, including current Representations and Certifications, in the System for Award Management (SAM) through SAM.gov.