Notice of Intent to Sole Source Behavioral Testing Platform Maintenance, Repair, and Upgrade Services

This notice is issued in accordance with FAR 5.101 and 12.102 for commercial item acquisitions:

The Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity (DHACA), on behalf of the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD), intends to award a Firm-Fixed-Price, sole-source contract to JWIP Solutions, LLC. (UEI: TNFGFPLFKG13), for the purchase of comprehensive engineering, assembly, maintenance, and repair services for approximately fifty proprietary animal behavioral test platforms in accordance with the simplified procedures for commercial products and services under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR 12.201-1). Due to the proprietary nature of the platforms, the contractor must possess specialized knowledge of these systems.

These platforms are custom-built systems, each consisting of a touchscreen or lever assembly, pellet dispenser, illuminated food cup with microswitch, and a computer running custom software connected via a USB I/O interface.

Each platform has several critical components, often including:

• touchscreen monitor and/or lever assembly for recording responses
• pellet dispenser that delivers a calorically complete pellet as a reinforcer
• food cup illuminated with an LED
• food cup with a microswitch for recording pellet retrieval
• notebook computer that controls experimental events and collects data via a custom software program
• USB I/O interface for controlling and monitoring all switch closures.

Pellet dispenser operation, LED illumination, and detection of food cup switch movements are managed by a USB relay I/O interface connected to the computer. When multiple panels are required for an operant assessment, platforms can be wired together via their USB relay I/O interface. In these cases, multiple platforms will be accessible to a single subject, and the behavioral assessment will be conducted with multiple screens, laptops, etc.

Platforms are designed to be affixed and secured to current animal caging. These platforms are robust and designed to perform precisely and responsively to interaction across hundreds of individual trials during daily sessions with various, potentially destructive, animal species. Platforms can withstand daily disinfection (i.e. PREempt TRU wipes), and sanitization every 14 days using a nonspecific bactericidal, fungicidal, and virucidal compound.

The USAMRICD requires assembly, maintenance, repair, replacement and upgrade services on the behavioral test platforms, with the overall objective to reduce equipment and research loss by providing maintenance and assembly services in a timely manner.

No other competitor is known that has this depth of knowledge or ease of maintenance/replacement/manufacture, offering further cost and time savings to the government.

Interoperability of existing components is key to experimental continuity. No other provider can ensure that the exact same components will be used or is easily capable of manufacturing identical components to ensure continuity of research. The level of government discussion and testing would be burdensome, and compatibility is not assured if a competitor attempted to replace the current and long-standing service provider.

These platforms are critical research systems that are required to remain continuously operational through timely and expert support, thereby reducing equipment downtime and preventing the loss of research data.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for this requirement is 541715 – Support – Professional: Engineering/Technical; and the Product and Service Code is R425 – All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services.

This Notice of Intent (NOI) to award a sole source is not a request for competitive proposals, it is not a solicitation and it does not obligate the Government to award a contract. However, all interested parties who believe they can meet the requirements as stated herein may submit a capabilities statement, in writing, to the identified point of contact on or before the response date. The capabilities statement must contain material in sufficient detail to allow the government to determine if the party can meet all of the requirements. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract 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 to conduct a competitive procurement.

Any party that intends to respond to this NOI must use the following instructions:

If your organization has the potential capacity to provide the required supply and components and perform the required services, please provide a capability statement (limited to 6 pages) with sufficient information to substantiate that respondents can successfully perform to and fulfill all requirements. The following shall be addressed in capability statement submissions:

• Company Name and Address
• Cage Code
• Unique Identifier
• Company business size by NAICS code
• Small Business Type (s)
• How the eligibility requirements are met
• Point of Contact for questions and/or clarification
• Telephone Number and email address
• Teaming Partners (if applicable)

All capability statements shall be submitted to Nicholas VanDevander via email to Nicholas.a.vandevander.civ@health.mil.

All responses received by closing of this notification of this notice of intent will be considered by the Government.

Responses that request documentation, additional information, or that solely ask questions will be determined to not be an affirmative response. The Government will not compensate any organizations in response to this NOI. Responses determined to not be an affirmative response are not valid and no further action will taken with the response. 

All responses must be sent to the email address listed within the primary contact for this notice. No phone calls will be accepted.