SAM #75N98026R00083

Sources Sought for Preclinical Medications Discovery and Abuse Liability Testing Services for NIDA

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), is seeking information from organizations capable of providing preclinical medications discovery and abuse liability testing services. - Government Buyer: - Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - National Institutes of Health (NIH) - National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) - OEMs and Vendors: - No specific OEMs or vendors are named in this notice - Products/Services Requested: - Preclinical medications discovery and abuse liability testing services - In vivo rodent and primate pharmacology studies - Abuse liability testing for new street drugs, medications, and potential medications - Procedures include: - Intracranial self-stimulation - Withdrawal assays for opioids and nicotine - Behavioral selectivity controls - Dosing guidance protocols - In vivo receptor activity assays - Security protocols for blinded test compounds - Unique or Notable Requirements: - Organizations must possess or be able to obtain DEA registration for Schedule I-V controlled substances - Compliance with NIH and Public Health Service animal welfare policies is required - No specific products, part numbers, or OEMs are requested; this is a request for service capabilities only - Place of Performance: - NIH NIDA facilities in Bethesda, Maryland

Description

Sources Sought Notice (SSN) This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: The availability and capability of qualified business sources; Whether they are small businesses, HUBZone small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, 8(a) small businesses, veteran-owned small businesses, woman-owned small businesses, or small disadvantaged businesses; Their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition; Whether commercial sources or services are available in the marketplace. Your responses will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. Purpose of the Notice This notice is issued to help determine the availability and type of qualified companies capable of meeting this potential government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition and whether commercial or non-commercial services are available. It is not a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract. Responses will not be considered proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by respondents. The notice is strictly for research and information purposes. Information for the Government The information requested will assist in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including small business socioeconomic set-aside possibilities, and the availability of commercial or non-commercial companies capable of meeting the potential requirement. All capable and available companies are invited to respond. NAICS Code The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 541715 — Physical science research and development laboratories or services (except biotechnology and nanotechnology research and development) with a Size Standard of 1,000 employees. Description of Requirement The Preclinical Medications Discovery and Abuse Liability Testing Program conducts evaluations of potential pharmacotherapies for substance use disorders and abuse liability testing of new street drugs, medications, and potential medications in rodents. The primary focus is testing for NIDA's Addiction Treatment Discovery Program (ATDP); additionally, the contract will generate abuse liability data to inform drug scheduling decisions under the Controlled Substances Act and international treaties. The ATDP was created in 2005 by consolidating NIDA's Cocaine, Opiate, and Methamphetamine Treatment Discovery Programs with smaller initiatives in smoking cessation and marijuana dependence, partly to address decreased contract funding. This contract continues that tradition of efficiency and flexibility, supporting substance use disorder medications discovery and abuse liability testing for DEA drug scheduling. Capable organizations must demonstrate in-house capability to perform in vivo rodent and primate pharmacology studies on potential pharmacotherapies and new drugs of abuse. This contract will be used by the Addiction Treatment Discovery Program (ATDP) within NIDA's Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences. Data gathered will be used by ATDP and NIDA's Medications Development Program, and data on new drugs of abuse will be provided to DEA and FDA. Organizations must demonstrate experience, personnel, facilities, and capabilities for the following activities: Intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) procedure to evaluate compounds for their ability to produce positive or negative hedonic effects, alter the rewarding properties of drugs of abuse, or alter the aversive state during withdrawal. Evaluate a compound in assays to determine its ability to alter the aversive state during withdrawal from chronic opioid administration in rodents. Evaluate a compound in assays to determine its ability to alter the aversive state during withdrawal from chronic nicotine administration in rodents. Evaluate compounds for effects on non-reinforced operant responding in rats trained to self-administer food, serving as behavioral “selectivity controls” for relapse models. Evaluate compounds in protocols designed to provide dosing guidance. Evaluate a compound in assays to determine its in vivo receptor activity in rats or mice. Establish and maintain security protocols for handling blinded test compounds. Maintain logs of compound receipt, evaluation results, documents, and laboratory notebooks. This requirement may include optional periods and increased quantities based on program needs and budget. Special Requirements Organizations must demonstrate the ability to possess or obtain a DEA registration for Schedule I-V substances. Demonstrate understanding and compliance with the NIH Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the ability to obtain and comply with Animal Welfare Assurances. The NAICS code is 541715. Submissions should be relevant and specific, including: Experience: Previous similar projects and techniques employed. Personnel: Names, qualifications, and experience. Additional relevant information that could aid evaluation is encouraged. Demonstrate capability to administer and coordinate tasks effectively and timely, supported by documentation such as contracts, references, awards, and commendations. Capability Statement Interested parties should review this notice thoroughly. The respondent must provide their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), organization name, address, point of contact, and business type (e.g., 8(a), HubZone). Responses should be in Microsoft Word or PDF, limited to twenty pages, excluding cover and references. The response should outline each element of the requirement, including technical and administrative contacts. Respondents must reference announcement number 75N98026R00083 and submit responses electronically to Josh.Lazarus@nih.gov before the deadline. Deadline: June 12, 2026, 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Concluding Statements This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract. The Government may use the information for any necessary purpose. Responses should be complete and detailed. The Government is not obligated to acknowledge receipt or provide feedback. A pre-solicitation or solicitation may follow. Based on market research, these services do not meet the FAR definition of a commercial product or service. If a respondent believes they do, they may submit a justification by June 12, 2026, 5:00 PM ET. Confidentiality No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included. The Government reserves the right to use nonproprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation.

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