Preclinical Medications Discovery and Abuse Liability Testing
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has issued a Sources Sought Notice to identify qualified business sources for Preclinical Medications Discovery and Abuse Liability Testing. This market research aims to determine industry capabilities for in vivo rodent and primate pharmacology studies related to substance use disorders and abuse liability. Responses are due June 12, 2026.
Scope of Work
This requirement supports NIDA's Addiction Treatment Discovery Program (ATDP) and generates data for DEA drug scheduling. Capable organizations must demonstrate in-house ability to perform in vivo rodent and primate pharmacology studies on potential pharmacotherapies for substance use disorders and new drugs of abuse.
Specific activities include:
- Intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) procedures to evaluate hedonic effects, alter rewarding properties of drugs, or modify aversive states during withdrawal.
- Evaluating compounds for their ability to alter aversive states during chronic opioid or nicotine withdrawal in rodents.
- Assessing compound effects on non-reinforced operant responding as behavioral selectivity controls for relapse models.
- Conducting studies to provide dosing guidance and evaluate in vivo receptor activity in rats or mice.
- Establishing and maintaining security protocols for blinded test compounds.
- Maintaining chronological logs of compound receipt, evaluation, and documentation.
Respondents must demonstrate the ability to obtain a DEA registration for Schedule I-V substances and comply with the NIH Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, including Animal Welfare Assurances. The intended procurement falls under NAICS code 541715 (Physical science research and development laboratories or services) with a 1,000-employee size standard.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Sources Sought / Market Research
- Set-Aside: None specified (market research to determine potential small business set-asides)
- Response Due: June 12, 2026, 5:00 PM Eastern Time
- Published: May 28, 2026
Submission Requirements
Interested organizations must submit a capability statement (limited to 20 pages, excluding cover, executive summary, or references) in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. The statement should outline experience (similar projects, techniques) and personnel qualifications. Submissions must include the organization's UEI, name, address, point of contact, and business size/type. Responses must reference announcement number 75N98026R00083 and be emailed to Josh.Lazarus@nih.gov.
Additional Notes
This notice is for research and information purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or commitment to award a contract. The Government will use responses to determine the appropriate acquisition method, including small business set-aside possibilities. The Government considers this a non-commercial requirement, but offerors may submit a written justification for commercial classification by the response due date. No proprietary or sensitive information should be included.