SOURCES SOUGHT
B -- Detection and Enumeration of Various Bacterial Targets in Support of a Catfish Baseline Study
- Notice Date
- 3/31/2009
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541380
— Testing Laboratories
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Procurement Management Branch, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mail drop 5230, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705
- ZIP Code
- 20705
- Solicitation Number
- FSIS-265179
- Point of Contact
- Crandall Watson,, Phone: 301-504-4211, Donna M Hardy,, Phone: 301-504-2010
- E-Mail Address
-
crandall.watson@fsis.usda.gov, donna.hardy@fsis.usda.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This serves as a sources sought notice and market survey to locate qualified small businesses capable of performing a variety of specialized studies for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). FSIS is responsible for the inspection of meat, poultry, and egg products to ensure that they are safe, wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled and packed. Recently, the food commodity of catfish has been added to the list of foods that are within the agency’s responsibility of inspection. Periodically, FSIS collects samples of meat and poultry products to estimate the national prevalence and levels of bacteria of public health concern, commonly referred to as a baseline study. It has been determined that the agency needs to collect microbiological data regarding the presence and levels of various bacteria in order to determine a baseline for these microbes. In addition, because some of the bacteria to be tested are not part of the usual microbiological testing regiment and because the sample type is new to the agency, it is necessary to develop new methods of sample preparation and sample analysis to be used for this baseline and by the agency during its regulatory efforts to examine catfish. The expected sample types are pieces of catfish (fresh, smoked, or frozen filets, whole fish, etc), or rinsates of catfish obtained in the field and shipped to the laboratory. In addition, the testing of environmental samples (catfish pond water and sediment, water used in the preparation of the fish) are included within this scope. While it is expected that the fish type to be tested will primarily be catfish, there is the possibility that fish mislabeled as catfish will be submitted for testing, therefore all samples submitted to the laboratory are to be tested. The Contractor’s laboratory will perform detection and enumeration of all aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. However, the agency has special interest in the following bacteria: Pathogens: Non-Typhi Salmonella sp., Vibrio sp. (including Vibrio cholera), Gas-forming anaerobes (including Clostridium botulinum that produce toxin E), and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Indicators of sanitation: generic E. coli, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, and total aerobic plate count (APC). Small businesses having the capabilities necessary to provide the described services are invited to submit appropriate documentation to demonstrate the ability to perform this service. This information will allow the Government to determine whether small business concerns can satisfy the Government’s requirement and whether the procurement should be set-aside for small businesses. The applicable North American Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541380, Testing Laboratories, and the small business size standard is $12 million in average annual receipts. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an announcement of a solicitation and no solicitation package exists at this time. The Government is not requesting technical/management proposals and no contract will be awarded as a result of this sources sought notice. Your responses will be used solely for market research purposes of the Government. The Government will not pay for any materials provided in response to this synopsis and submittals will not be returned to the sender. If a solicitation is later released it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps. It is the potential offeror’s responsibility to monitor this site for the release of any synopsis or solicitation. Interested small businesses are requested to submit a package delineating qualification, capabilities, and experience for meeting the range of services described herein. Include information on your company’s managerial and technical resources to be able to meet the requirements. Companies must sufficiently demonstrate the capability to perform this service and must provide detailed experience and qualifications in all previous work pertinent to this effort. Responses should also include the following: name and address of firm; size of business; number of years in business; and list of customers covering the past five years (highlight relevant work performed, contract numbers, contract type, dollar value of each procurement; and point of contact with address and phone number). Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. Responses may be submitted by e-mail to Crandall.Watson@fsis.usda.gov at USDA, FSIS, ASD, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Maildrop 5230, Beltsville, MD 20705-5230; or by fax at (301) 504-4276. The information requested is due by 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on April 16, 2009.
- Web Link
-
FedBizOpps Complete View
(https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=76f5daac3a80ecf33e49631bd9a76fc8&tab=core&_cview=1)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Successfull Awardee's Laboratory, United States
- Record
- SN01782354-W 20090402/090331222508-76f5daac3a80ecf33e49631bd9a76fc8 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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