SPECIAL NOTICE
A -- Coliform Detection Request for Information
- Notice Date
- 7/20/2016
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541711
— Research and Development in Biotechnology
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Attn: MCMR-AAA, 820 Chandler Street, Frederick, MD 21702-5014, Maryland, 21702-5014, United States
- ZIP Code
- 21702-5014
- Solicitation Number
- ColiformRFI
- Archive Date
- 8/16/2016
- Point of Contact
- Ryan r. Jorgensen, Phone: 3016192359
- E-Mail Address
-
ryan.r.jorgensen.civ@mail.mil
(ryan.r.jorgensen.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Request for Information (RFI) USAMRMC USACEHR Rapid Detection of Coliform Bacteria and Escherichia coli Agency: United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) Office: United States Army Center for Environmental Health Research (USACEHR) Location: Fort Detrick, MD Synopsis: In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201 "Exchange with industry before receipt of proposals" and (FAR) 52.215-3 "Request for information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes," this RFI is for information and planning purposes only at this time and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of USAMRMC or USACEHR. This RFI request is not expected to be a Request for Proposal or Invitation for Bid, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach. This notice is for information and planning purposes only and is neither to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. No evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to the respondents. At this time no solicitation exists; therefore, please do not request a copy of the solicitation. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. If a solicitation is released it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps at https://www.fbo.gov. It is the responsibility of any potential offeror to monitor this site for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. Background: USACEHR, located at Fort Detrick, Maryland, develops surveillance capabilities to detect, assess, and prevent health effects from adverse environmental, physiological, and psychological exposures. USACEHR is seeking technology that can improve upon available field tests for rapid identification of coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli in water. Currently available technology requires water samples to be incubated for up to 24 hours; USACEHR wishes to identify new technology that can greatly reduce analysis time and improve other operational characteristics. The new technology will be used by U.S. Army preventive medicine personnel to analyze both treated and untreated water. To represent substantial improvements over available technologies, we are seeking technology with the following characteristics that can detect the presence/absence of both coliform bacteria and E. coli : (1) Comparability of results to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) reference methods. The proposed technology must be able to meet testing requirements under the U.S. EPA’s Alternative Test Procedure (ATP) for use in drinking water applications covered by the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Total Coliform Rule. The new technology results must be comparable to those of U.S. EPA-approved reference methods and be suitable for use with chlorine-stressed bacteria. Non-viable coliform bacteria and E. coli should not be detected. Reference methods for coliform bacteria and E. coli, and additional information on the ATP protocol for drinking water, may be found in the U.S. EPA report “EPA Microbiological Alternate Test Procedure (ATP) Protocol for Drinking Water, Ambient Water, Wastewater, and Sewage Sludge Monitoring Methods”, EPA-821-B-10-001, September 2010 ( https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/micro_atp_protocol_sept-2010.pdf ). (2) Response time. The proposed technology should be able to demonstrate that a water sample contains less than one colony forming unit (cfu) of coliform or E. coli bacteria in 100 milliliters of water in 8 hours or less. Immediate indication should be provided when a sample is found to have higher coliform or E. coli concentrations or when sample testing demonstrates non-contamination. The detection method should not be susceptible to interferences by non-target bacteria. Simultaneous processing of multiple samples is desirable; sample through-put should be described. (3) Size and weight. A hand-held device is desirable; in no case should the weight of the proposed technology exceed 20 pounds. The device should have a power consumption level that would allow it to operate on a rechargeable battery for at least 8 hours. (4) Operational considerations. The proposed technology should require minimal operator training for sample preparation and technology operation. Further, the technology (including both sampling and testing apparatus) should be simple to operate with a minimum of parts and accessories. Minimal processing of water samples should be needed. Required consumables should be stable for at least one year; refrigeration is not desirable. For candidate technologies with the potential to meet these requirements, a short fact sheet (three pages or less) is requested that summarizes specifications and capabilities in the areas listed below. Clearly identify any information considered proprietary. Your fact sheet must include the following: (1) Overview: Summary of technology and basis of operation. Provide picture(s) or drawing(s) of both water sampling and testing materials and equipment. (2) Method: Method description, including number of steps, sample throughput rate, supplies and equipment needed, shelf life of consumables and storage conditions, and training/operational expertise required to conduct test. Discuss suitability for use in a field situation where standard laboratory equipment and controlled environmental conditions are not available. (3) Performance: Sensitivity to coliform bacteria and E. coli, detection limit and time to response, and potential for response to non-target organisms. Specifically address the ability of the method to rapidly identify chlorine-stressed bacteria and whether non-viable coliform bacteria and E. coli will be detected. In addition, state whether the method can produce results comparable to the U.S. EPA reference methods cited above. (4) Maturity: Technical maturity (e.g., Technology Readiness Level – TRL), potential for improvement, size, and weight of the test system. Estimate the cost of the test device, including non-consumables required for sample preparation and analysis, along with a per-test cost of consumables. Note that this is not a Request for Proposal (RFP). No RFP is available and neither USACEHR nor USAMRAA intend to award a contract on the basis of responses nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. Responses should be identified with RFI Number ColiformRFI and are due no later than 4:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time on 08/01/ 2016. All proprietary information should be marked as such. Responses will be held confidential. Please submit fact sheets via e-mail to Ryan Jorgensen at ryan.r.jorgensen.civ@mail.mil. Disclaimer and Important Notes: The purpose of this RFI notice is to gain market knowledge. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in 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 solution and qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or to provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Additional Info: USAMRAA Contracting Office Address: U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, ATTN: MCMR-AAA, 820 Chandler Street, Frederick, MD 21702-5014 Point of Contact: Ryan Jorgensen ryan.r.jorgensen.civ@mail.mil
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USA/USAMRAA/DAMD17/ColiformRFI/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Ft Detrick, Maryland, 21702, United States
- Zip Code: 21702
- Record
- SN04190290-W 20160722/160720235325-565a7ec6469b3f7cfbf3e0c8b84d9786 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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