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This notice is a Notice of Intent. (NOI). This notice is published in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 5.101(a)(1) requiring the dissemination of information regarding proposed contract actions. This is a Notice of Intent to award a Sole Source Firm-Fixed Price Contract under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 1901(a)(1), as implemented by FAR 13.106-1(b) – Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Service Will Satisfy Agency Requirements and is not a request for competitive quotes.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Rocky Mountain Laboratories Animal Unit intends to negotiate on an other than full and open competition basis with Rockville Steel & Manufacturing Company, (RSM Equipment), Gaithersburg, MD 20879 for a follow-on order for additional custom caging. The original award was solicited under RFQ-RML-C-2087116-1 on SAM.gov

Justification for sole source: This requirement is for a follow-on order from a previously competed posting, RFQ-RML-C-2087116-1 Rockville Steel Manufacturing (RSM Equipment) custom cage prototype was the approved caging unit to meet all the posting requirements and was found to be 100% compatible with RML’s existing cage units. The NHP cages must be 100% compatible with our existing caging for the safety of all animals and staff at NIH as these cages will be used with the existing units housed within the high containment BSL4 facility. Compatible caging will ensure that the animals cannot escape. No substitutions are acceptable for the protection of staff and animals.

The statutory authority for this sole source requirement is 41 U.S.C. 1901 (a) (1) as implemented by FAR 13.106-1 only one responsible source and no other supply of service will satisfy agency requirements. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. All responsible sources that could provide comparable services may submit a capability statement that will be considered by email (subject line to reference NOI-NIAID-23-2183237) to Diana Rohlman at diana.rohlman@nih.gov, by 4:00 pm eastern standard time, August 10, 2023. All responses received by the closing date of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.