NHLBI Animal Facility Containment Cubicle System Upgrade

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

Notice Type: Special Notice / Intent to Sole Source
Title: NHLBI Animal Facility Containment Cubicle System Upgrade
Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Reference/Solicitation No.: PCA-NHLBI-07677
NAICS Code: 339113 – Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing
Point of Contact: Travis Brown, travis.brown@nih.gov

Description:

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), intends to negotiate and award a firm-fixed-price purchase order on a sole-source basis to BH, Inc. dba Britz & Company (a Tecniplast company), Sheridan, WY, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b), Soliciting from a single source.

The requirement is to upgrade the existing biocontainment cubicle system within the NHLBI Central Animal Facility. The animal facility supports research using animal models, including studies involving biohazardous and chemical agents that require specialized containment. The existing containment cubicle system has been in continuous operation for more than 20 years and has reached the end of its service life, resulting in increased repair costs, limited parts availability, and elevated operational risk.

The scope of the requirement includes, at a minimum:

• Upgrade of the existing containment cubicle system (approximately three upgrade kits) to restore full containment functionality and safety compliance;
• Demolition and removal of the existing telescoping cubicle doors and columns;
• Installation, setup, assembly, startup, and training; and
• Associated shipping, handling, and freight to the facility in Bethesda, MD.

The upgraded system must integrate with the facility's existing containment infrastructure, including the current spatial footprint, structural configuration, and specialized airflow/containment systems, without requiring architectural modification to the dedicated containment rooms, and must maintain compatibility with the facility's existing animal housing racks and biosafety requirements.

Statement of Intent:

This notice is NOT a request for competitive proposals or quotations, and no solicitation document is available. The Government intends to award to the source identified above. However, the Government will consider capability statements from any responsible source that believes it can meet the requirement described above.

Interested firms must submit a written capability statement demonstrating, with specificity, their ability to meet the stated technical, integration, spatial, and safety requirements—including the ability to deliver an upgraded solution that integrates with the existing containment infrastructure without architectural modification and maintains compatibility with existing housing racks and biosafety requirements. Statements of interest that do not clearly demonstrate the ability to meet these requirements will not be considered a basis for competition.

A determination by the Government not to compete this action based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Response Due Date: Capability statements must be received no later than 3:00 PM ET on September 16, 2026. Responses submitted after this date and time may not be considered.

Submission Instructions: Submit responses via email to Travis Brown at travis.brown@nih.gov, referencing PCA-NHLBI-07677 in the subject line.