INTRODUCTION This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources, (2) 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; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as 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 the respondents to this notice. The notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. The information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a small business social-economic set-aside, competitive or non-competitive method is possible, and to determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government's requirement. ALL organizations with the capability and availability to perform the requirement under the applicable NAICS code are invited to submit a response to this notice. NORTH AMERICAN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE 335921 FIBER OPTIC CABLE MANUFACTURING The NIDA IRP BNNS laboratory is interested in the neural circuits mediating associative learning and decision making and how alterations in those circuits contribute to maladaptive behaviors in neuropsychiatric disorders such as addiction. The BNNS uses rats as a model system to study behaviors and neural circuits that are believed to have direct relevance to understanding the human brain. Areas of particular interest include the orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, striatum, and midbrain dopamine system. The laboratory uses behavioral tasks based on principles derived from learning theory, combined with single unit recording, lesions, pharmacological and genetic manipulations to test hypotheses. The BNNS hypotheses are lifted from the rich traditions of animal learning theory, computational neuroscience, and economics. Behaving animals requires an optical commutator between the light source and the fiber optic that is inserted into the brain to prevent torsion on the fiber optic cable. The purpose of this acquisition is to procure additional high efficiency fiber coupled optical rotary joint rotary joints (also known as commutators) for multimode fibers (FRJ_1x2i_FC-2FC_0.22, 1x2 Intensity Division Fiberoptic Rotary Joints) to conduct optogenetic experiments within the NIDA IRP BNNS. Specifically, the Contractor must be able to provide the following on a brand name or equal basis: Ten (10) FRJ_1x2i_FC-2FC_0.22, 1x2 Intensity Division Fiberoptic Rotary Joint , Holder_FRJ_large, Holder for Fiberoptic Rotary Joint and Twenty (20) MFP_200/240/900-0.22_0.2m_FC-ZF1.25(F) Mono Fiberoptic Patchcord. Delivery must occur 15 days from notice of award. CAPABILITY STATEMENT INFORMATION SOUGHT Respondents must provide, as part of their responses, clear and convincing documentation of their capability of providing the item(s) specified in this notice. Contractors that believe they possess the ability to provide the required must submit specific documentation of their ability to meet each of the project requirements to the Contract Specialist. Contractors must provide their Company Name, DUNS number, Physical Address, and Point of Contact Information. Interested organizations are required to identify their type of business, applicable North American Industry Classification System Code, and size standards in accordance with the Small Business Administration. The government requests that no proprietary or confidential business data be submitted in a response to this notice. However, responses that indicate the information therein is proprietary will be properly safeguarded for Government use only. Capability statements must include the name and telephone number of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss responses with Government representatives. Capability statements in response to this market survey that do not provide sufficient information for evaluation will be considered non-responsive. When submitting this information, please reference the solicitation notice number. All capability statements sent in response to this Sources Sought Notice must be submitted electronically (via email) to Farrin Stanton, Contract Specialist, at
[email protected] in MS Word format by or before the closing date of this announcement. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered. The response must be received on or before April 20, 2016 11:00am, eastern time. CONCLUDING STATEMENTS Note: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in the response. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After review of the responses received, pre-solicitation and solicitation notices may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. The solicitation release date is pending. The Government intends to negotiate a fixed-price purchase order. Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).