SAM #36C26326Q0765

Disposable Individually Ventilated Rodent Caging Systems for Minneapolis VA Health Care System

This opportunity seeks sources for supplying disposable individually ventilated caging (IVC) systems for rodents at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System Research Department. - Government Buyer: - Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contract Office 23 (NCO 23) - Place of performance: Minneapolis VA Health Care System - OEMs and Vendors: - Innovive (OEM specified; 'or equal' products permitted) - Products/Services Requested: - Innovive V3.5 Innorack systems for mice (4 units) and rats (2 units), including trolleys - Blowers, controllers, and power supplies for both mouse and rat systems - Large quantities of disposable caging components: - Mouse and rat cage bottoms, lids, wirebars, food trays, water bottles, and card holders - Pallets for shipping - Shipping costs - Installation and training services by a vendor representative - Unique/Notable Requirements: - All items must be Innovive brand or equal - Estimated quantities provided for each item - Contract is a 5-year IDIQ, allowing for smaller batch orders as needed - Installation and staff training required at the facility - NAICS code: 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing) - Delivery required within 7-10 days of order processing

Description

The Minneapolis VA Health Care System Research Department requires a firm-fixed price 5-Year Indefinite Delivery/Definite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with ordering periods to purchase Innovive disposable individually ventilated caging (IVC) systems (which include all permanent racks, disposable caging, and all necessary equipment to enable their functioning such as blowers, power supplies, filters, etc.) to house the Minneapolis VA Health Care System (MVAHCS) Research Department current rodent population in the event of sudden need. See the Preliminary Statement of Work below. This will be a Brand Name or Equal procurement.

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE only looking for businesses to provide the supplies listed below for market research purposes. No proposals are being requested or accepted with this notice. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS OR PRICING AND NO CONTRACT SHALL BE AWARDED FROM THIS NOTICE. This notice shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Responses to this notice will be treated only as information for the Government to consider as part of their market research efforts. The information provided will be used by the Government in developing its acquisition strategy regarding possible set aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, Veteran-Owned, and other socio-economic categories of small business. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to pay for the information submitted in response to this notice and parties responding will not be entitled to payment for direct or indirect costs incurred in responding to this notice.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 334516 — Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, with an SBA Small Business Size Standard of 1,000 employees.

If you are a vendor capable of providing the requested information and required supplies described below with competitive pricing, send your information with a description of proof of capability and answers to all questions to: Alisha.Milander@va.gov on or before Thursday, June 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM Central Time.

Please provide answers as appropriate to the following questions in the table below with your response to this Sources Sought. Failure to respond accurately to the following questions may affect the acquisition strategy. Failure to respond to the questions at all, or not respond to select individual questions, will result in your response being determined as non-responsive.

1. Please provide all socio-economic categories of your firm (e.g., SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, Large Business, 8a, etc.) as well as your firm’s SAM Unique Entity ID number (replaces DUNS number) and Government Contract POC. 2. State if you would be intending to provide the brand name supplies or an equal substitute. If you are proposing an equal substitute, you must provide sufficient information describing how it is equal to the brand name supply items (to include all accessories) as described in the Preliminary Statement of Work below, or your response will be determined as non-responsive. 3. State whether the requested supplies may be ordered against a government contract awarded to your organization (e.g., Federal Supply Schedule (FSS), General Services Administration (GSA), etc.). 4. State if subcontracting is contemplated for this requirement, what percentage of the work will be subcontracted, and for what tasks/purpose. 5. Provide estimated lead time to deliver all supplies as described in the Preliminary Statement of Work below. 6. Identify if your organization is the manufacturer of the requested supplies. If you are not the manufacturer, identify the manufacturer of the supplies that you will provide and their socio-economic category. Also provide proof that you are an authorized reseller/distributor of the supplies. 7. Address whether your organization meets the requirements of 13 CFR 121.406 (b)(1)(i), (b)(1)(ii) and (b)(1)(iii) (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-121/subpart-A/subject-group-ECFR0fca5207262de47/section-121.406#p-121.406(b)). 8. Identify whether any foreign-end products, as defined in FAR Provision 52.225-6, would be provided to meet this requirement. Fill out the certificate (attached below) under 52.225-6 Trade Agreements Certificate, identifying the item and its country of origin. If some of the supplies (the brand name item and its accessories, or the equivalent substitute proposed) are a mix of domestic and foreign-end products, break down the different items on the certificate. This provision is expected to be included in any subsequent solicitation, and the Contracting Officer intends to use this information to understand what brand name or equal supplies exist in the market to fulfill this requirement while complying with BAA/TAA requirements. 9. Complete the yellow highlighted areas in the ITEM INFORMATION directly below this section for market research pricing for the services described in the Preliminary Statement of Work. If it is necessary to break down into different components for an equal product, please feel free to submit an itemized market research quote. All line-item quantities are estimates, so please complete pricing for all line items, even when the estimated quantity for that item in any given ordering period is zero.

ITEM INFORMATION ITEM NUMBER DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES ESTIMATED QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT 0001 4.00 EA $___________ $________BRAND NAME OR EQUAL: Innovive V3.5 Innorack 8 Wide, 11 High, 176 Cages, with Trolley - Double Sided MouseContract Period: Ordering Period 1POP Begin: 07-01-2026POP End: 09-30-2026PRINCIPAL NAICS CODE: 334516PRODUCT/SERVICE CODE: 6640 4.00 EA $_____ $_____ 0002 4.00 EA $________ $________BRAND NAME OR EQUAL: Innovive V3.5 Side A Mouse Blowers and ControllerContract Period: Ordering Period 1POP Begin: 07-01-2026POP End: 09-30-2026PRINCIPAL NAICS CODE: 334516PRODUCT/SERVICE CODE: 6640 4.00 EA $_____ $________ <!-- Additional items would follow the same structure -->

GRAND TOTAL $___________

If applicable, VAAR 852.219-75 VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction, will apply to the potential solicitation if set-aside for Veteran Owned Small-Businesses or Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small-Businesses.

If applicable, FAR 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting, will apply to the potential solicitation if set-aside for Small-Businesses.

DISCLAIMER This Sources Sought is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this Sources Sought that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Sources Sought.

The deadline for this information is 12:00 PM Central Time on Thursday, June 4, 2026.

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT OF WORK OBJECTIVE: To replace the existing aged-out individually ventilated caging (IVC) system with a disposable IVC system (which includes all permanent racks, disposable caging, and all necessary equipment to enable their functioning such as blowers, power supplies, filters, etc.) to house the Minneapolis VA Health Care System (MVAHCS) current rodent population in the event of sudden need. MAJOR REQUIREMENTS: In order for the Contractor to accomplish the work under this task order/purchase order, it shall be necessary for the Contractor to complete the following tasks: Supply individually ventilated permanent caging racks for mice housing animals on both sides (housing 176 or more cages each with dimensions of 31.1 x 81.4 x 77.1 to fit and travel through regular doors without deconstruction). Supply all necessary equipment to enable their functioning (blowers, power supplies, filters, etc.) Supply individually ventilated permanent caging racks for rats housing animals on both sides (housing 80 or more cages each with dimensions of 36.3 x 76.3 x 77.7 to fit and travel through regular doors without deconstruction). Supply all necessary equipment to enable their functioning (blowers, power supplies, filters, etc.) These systems must easily use cages intended to be disposed (or recycled) after one use. These cages need to have the ability to filter the air that comes into and out of each individual cage separately. This allows for the rodent to be protected from potential diseases and helps minimize allergens or odors from the cage. These cages need to have the option of coming pre-filled with rodent bedding of a specific type (Alpha Dri). Provide a vendor representative for installation/set up purposes and training. Requirements for Contract 5-Year Firm-fixed Price Indefinite Delivery/Definite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with ordering periods to be able to purchase the permanent cage racks and disposable cage parts in smaller batches (indefinite delivery) via delivery orders during period of performance. No funds are obligated on the base contract. Separate task orders will be ordered against awarded contract at time of individual study need. Funding will be obligated on individual delivery orders. Each order under a task order must be delivered within 7-10 days of the order being processed. Tracking shall be provided upon shipment of each order. Vendor shall submit invoices within 30 days of each shipment. Each order will be paid via certified invoice submitted through Tungsten. Contract Type - (IDIQ) 5-Year Firm-fixed price IDIQ with ordering periods. There is no set total amount of research studies identified for utilizing this IVC system contract. Vendor shall have the capability to satisfy all new/future research study task order submissions throughout the life of the contract. Task orders will be requested as needed, defining the contract line-item number, item, quantity, and dollar amount within each task order.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: Contractor shall send in representative to the MVAHCS to assist in installation as needed at no additional cost.

CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE (COR): No Government personnel, other than the Contracting Officer, have the authority to change or alter these requirements. The COR shall clarify technical points or supply relevant technical information, but no requirements in this scope of work may be altered as a sole result of such verbal clarification.

REPORTS/DELIVERABLES: Upon Delivery, a delivery receipt must be attached with the physical order.

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