SAM #75N98026R00048

This opportunity involves the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of the Director, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP), seeking a contractor for the operation and maintenance of the Chimpanzee Care Center (CCC) at the Keeling Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Bastrop, TX. - Government Buyer: - National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of the Director (OD), Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) - OEMs and Vendors: - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (sole source, operator of the CCC) - Services Requested: - Operation and maintenance of the Chimpanzee Care Center (CCC) - Lifetime care for approximately 30 to 40 NIH-owned, aged chimpanzees retired from research - Specialized veterinary care, behavioral management, husbandry, and facility maintenance - Compliance with USDA and AAALAC standards, biosafety, staff training, and comprehensive reporting - No research permitted under the contract - Contractor provides all personnel, materials, and facilities - Unique or Notable Requirements: - Sole-source justification: Only MD Anderson Cancer Center is capable of meeting the requirements - Strict compliance with the Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection (CHIMP) Act - No biomedical research allowed; focus is exclusively on lifetime care and welfare - Facility must meet high standards for animal care, biosafety, and regulatory compliance - All services performed at the contractor’s specialized facility in Bastrop, TX

This is a presolicitation notice of intent to award a sole-source contract and is not a Request for Competitive Proposals. However, all responsible sources may identify their interest and submit a capability statement, which will be considered by the agency. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive acquisition. 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.

Background

For over 40 years, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has supported the Chimpanzee Care Center (CCC) at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to care for NIH-owned chimpanzees. Following the end of biomedical research on chimpanzees, the CCC has continued to provide specialized, long-term care for a specific colony of animals. This contract is for a particular group of chimpanzees that have been deemed unable to relocate to the Federal Sanctuary due to the high probability that relocation would severely and irreversibly accelerate the deterioration of their physical and behavioral health.

Description of Services

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), intends to negotiate a sole-source, Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The purpose of this contract is to operate and maintain the Chimpanzee Care Center (CCC) and provide lifetime care for a specific colony of approximately 30 to 40 NIH-owned chimpanzees retired from research.

The continuation of these services is critical to uphold the government’s ethical and legal obligations for the lifetime care of these animals under the Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection (CHIMP) Act. This specific colony consists of aged chimpanzees with complex, chronic health conditions requiring specialized, uninterrupted care. A lapse in service would pose a significant and unacceptable risk of irreversible harm to the physical and behavioral health of these animals.

The Contractor shall provide all personnel, materials, and facilities necessary to perform the work described in the Statement of Work (SOW), including specialized veterinary care, husbandry, behavioral management, and complete facility maintenance. No research is permitted under this contract.

Period of Performance: The anticipated contract will have a twelve-month base period with four (4) one-year option periods. Place of Performance: All services must be performed at the contractor's own facility.

This action will be conducted under the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 USC 3304(a)(1) as implemented by RFO 6.103-1, "Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements." No other source has been found that possess all the necessary elements to perform the services in a way that would satisfy the Government’s requirements. The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is the only source capable of satisfying the Government's requirements. The chimpanzees are housed in a facility owned and operated by the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and have been formally determined to be unfit for relocation. Transitioning care to another provider would introduce unacceptable risks to animal welfare and cause significant delays.

This is not a request for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations and does not commit the Government to any contractual agreement. The sources sought notice was posted on SAM.gov as Notice ID: 75N97025R00013 on April 28, 2025.  All responsible sources may submit a capability statement which shall be considered by the agency. Interested parties may contact the points of contact referenced in this posting.