Animal Feed and Bedding Supplies for NIH Research Colonies

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Acquisitions, is conducting a Sources Sought notice to identify small business concerns capable of providing specialized animal feed, bedding, enrichment, and housing supplies. These supplies are critical for the rodent colonies housed in the NIH Building 35/35A Shared Animal Facility (SAF) and the NINDS rodent colonies in Building 10ACRF. Timely delivery and strict quality control, including pest and mold management, are imperative. The acquisition will be an Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) / Requirements-type contract, with a potential for up to two awards if multiple awards are deemed to provide the best value. Vendors must be able to provide at least four of the required items. Specific brand-name feed and bedding supplies are mandatory to ensure animal welfare and compliance with research protocols. The Statement of Need lists numerous specific items, including various types of LabDiet and PicoLab rodent diets, ClearH2O diet gels, Ancare and Datesand nesting materials, Shepherd Specialty Papers and The Anderson's Inc. bedding, and PJ Murphy SaniChip bedding. The list also includes Innovive rodent cage components such as bottoms, filter tops, feed trays, water bottles, and cage card holders, as well as water bottle protectors. The minimum and maximum quantities for each item are specified. Interested small businesses, including 8(a), SDB, WOSB, HUBZone, VOSB, and SDVOSB concerns, are requested to submit a capability statement. This statement should include the vendor's name and address, business size and type, point of contact information (name, title, phone, fax, email), UEI number, and professional qualifications relevant to the requirements. The capability statement should not exceed 7 pages and must identify the vendor's size standards. Proprietary or confidential business data should not be submitted.