SOURCES SOUGHT
81 -- Edgewood Chemical Biological Center is conducting a market survey to identify potential facilities with the expertise necessary to develop and execute an accelerated comparative environmental study.
- Notice Date
- 6/7/2011
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- ACC - Warren (ACC-WRN)(DTA), ATTN: AMSTA-AQ-AMB, E Eleven Mile Road, Warren, MI 48397-5000
- ZIP Code
- 48397-5000
- Solicitation Number
- W56HZV11Q0263
- Response Due
- 7/8/2011
- Archive Date
- 9/6/2011
- Point of Contact
- Jay Richards, 586-282-7110
- E-Mail Address
-
ACC - Warren (ACC-WRN)(DTA)
(jay.richards2@us.army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- MARKET SURVEY DESCRIPTION M295 IEDK ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONING STUDY DESCRIPTION OF INTENT: THIS IS A MARKET SURVEY REQUESTING INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING POTENTIAL STUDY. No contract will be awarded from this announcement. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an announcement of a forthcoming solicitation, nor is it a request seeking contractors to be placed on a solicitation mailing list. Response to this survey is voluntary and no reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this market survey and any follow-on information requests. Data submitted in response to this market survey will not be returned. No solicitation document exists at this time, and calls requesting a solicitation will not be answered. TOPIC: Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) is conducting a market survey to identify potential facilities with the expertise necessary to develop and execute an accelerated comparative environmental study. This study will simulate and analyze the effects of several distinct storage environments on the degradation of the M295 Individual Equipment Decontamination Kit (IEDK) (see Attachment A for a brief description of the item) over a 10-year shelf life period. The actual duration of the study will be much shorter, preferably 12 months or less. The findings of this study will be used to assist with evaluation of the M295 shelf life extension strategy. ECBC has selected the following four climate types for consideration: Desert (Hot Dry- A1), Tropic (Variable High Humidity- B2), 4-Seasons (ranging from Basic Cold- C1 to Basic Hot- A2), and Cold (Cold- C2). Details for each of these climate types may be found in AR 70-38, dated 15 Sep 1979. GOALS: The goals of this study are as follows: To thoroughly understand the degradation mechanisms of the M295 under each of the aforementioned storage environments. This will require that the degradation mechanisms be identified and that all stresses contributing to these mechanisms be adequately replicated. These mechanisms shall be tracked over time and linked to existing performance criteria to determine if and when failures have occurred, and to characterize the contributing factors. To determine the relative impact of these environmental climates, and to identify whether a worst-case storage environment exists. To establish a degradation timeline for storage under each of these environmental climates, based upon a correlation between conditioned time and real time. Details of Environmental Conditioning Study: The samples to be used in this study shall be stored in the lowest level of packaging approved for storage of fielded kits, to represent the worst case scenario: 80 M295 packets (composed of a flexible laminate material containing a foil center layer, heat sealed at all four edges) in a cardboard box, contained within a heat-sealed overwrap bag. Performance tests related to shelf life extension testing include: visual assessment, vacuum leakage test of the packet in accordance with ASTM D3078, and reactivity of the sorbent in the packet (test procedure available upon request). A packet leak or an insufficient reactivity score, measured as percentage of agent simulant reacted, constitute a failure. At a minimum, the study shall utilize these tests for determination of sample failures. For each of the four storage environments (Desert, Tropic, 4-Seasons, and Cold), a temperature and humidity profile shall be chosen to replicate the stresses attributed to the primary degradation mechanisms, at an accelerated pace: a 10-year shelf life in approximately 12 or fewer months. For each of these environments, it is desired that all stresses, including mechanical stresses induced by the full range of temperature and humidity expected to be encountered via day/night and winter/summer transitions, be replicated. This full range of conditions includes those encountered during the "challenge" season (as defined in AR 70-38) and those encountered during the reverse season. It is recognized that the stresses induced by these conditions may be difficult to characterize using traditional accelerated aging models, therefore, established variations or alternatives to these models will be considered as well. Sample sizes and test increments shall be selected under the assumption that all samples will be furnished. Prior to insertion into the conditioning chambers and periodically thereafter, the samples shall be visually assessed and tested for leakage and reactivity, in addition to any additional measurements implemented to identify and track degradation mechanisms. Scheduling and quantity of test increments will be tailored to the study. Responders to this survey should clearly and briefly address any one or all of the points below, as well as addressing the ADDITIONAL INFORMATION requested below. QUESTIONS: Please describe the strategy you would propose to replicate the stresses encountered by the M295 IEDK in each of the storage environments. What model(s) would you use, and how would you apply them? If possible, please provide or reference an example of another study which successfully implemented this strategy. Please describe the strategy you would propose to identify and track the primary degradation mechanisms of the M295. What measurements and analytical procedures would you perform, and how would you correlate this data to the performance criteria? Please describe the sampling and test strategy you would propose. Approximately how many samples would be needed to carry out this study, and how would they be used (per subcategory, per test increment, etc)? Where do you perceive difficulties in executing this study? Please include your assessment of difficulty for the following: characterization of thermally induced mechanical stress; comparison between the four storage environments and identification of a single environment as most detrimental to the M295; development of a timeline for each environment which will correlate between conditioned time and real time; completion of the study within a 12-month period. Please estimate the total cost and timeframe required to complete the study. Please include basic information about the conditioning and testing this estimate would include, if not provided in responses to above questions. Suggested information includes: approximate total number of samples required, number of test increments, subcategories, any necessary preliminary studies or testing, etc. Additionally, please provide the anticipated timeframe required to complete the study, in months. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 1. Each response is requested to include: a) A brief (no more than one page) company description, history, and industry experience. b) An executive summary (no more than one page) of the information submitted in reply to this market survey. c) Point(s)-of-Contact (POC) with associated information. d) A brief narrative of any internal or external programs that may be leveraged to assist in the R&D of the described technology 2. Each response is requested to document any prior related government work experience. 3. Each response should be no more than 15 pages in total. RESPONSES DUE: Responses to this Market Survey are due by 08 July 2011. Please submit all responses and any questions prior to full response to nicholas.g.hawes.civ@mail.mil. Please format the subject line of the response email as follows; "[Organization Name] response to Market Survey - M295 Environmental Conditioning Study." RESPONSE FORMAT(S): Only electronic responses are requested. Please provide responses in any of the following formats: Microsoft word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Power Point. The maximum size of each e-mail should be not more than three and one-half (3.5) megabytes. You may use multiple e-mail messages. The subject line must include message 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3 etc., as well as the name of your organization. All interested entities *e.g. companies, non-profit organizations, and academic institutes, regardless of size, are encouraged to respond to this request for information. GENERAL INFORMATION: The Government appreciates the time and effort taken to respond to this survey. The Government acknowledges its obligations under 18 U.S.C. 1905 to protect information qualifying as "confidential" under this statute. *To avoid possible confusion with the meaning of the term "confidential" in the context of Classified Information", we will use the term "PROPRIETARY". Pursuant to this statute, the Government is willing to accept any PROPRIETARY (e.g., trade secret) restrictions placed on qualifying data forwarded in response to the survey questions and to protect it from unauthorized disclosure subject to the following: 1. Clearly and conspicuously mark qualifying data with the restrictive legend (all caps) "PROPRIETARY" with any explanatory text, so that the Government is clearly notified of what data needs to be appropriately protected. 2. In marking such data, please take care to mark only those portions of the data or materials that are truly proprietary (over breadth in marking inappropriate data as "PROPRIETARY" may diminish or eliminate the usefulness of your response - see item 6 below). Use circling, underscoring, highlighting or any other appropriate means to indicate those portions of a single page which are to be protected. 3. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data. Additionally, marked data that is already in the public domain or in the possession of the Government or third parties, or is afterward placed into the public domain by the owner or another party through no fault of the Government will not be protected once in the public domain. Data already in the possession of the Government will be protected in accordance with the Government's rights in the data. 4. Proprietary data transmitted electronically, whether by physical media or not, whether by the respondent or by the government, shall contain the "PROPRIETARY" legend, with any explanatory text, on both the cover of the transmittal e-mail and at the beginning of the file itself. Where appropriate for only portions of an electronic file, use the restrictive legends 'PROPRIETARY PORTION BEGINS:" and "PROPRIETARY PORTION ENDS". 5. In any reproductions of technical data or any portions thereof subject to asserted restrictions, the government shall also reproduce the asserted restriction legend and any explanatory text. 6. The Government sometimes uses support contractors in evaluating responses. Consequently, responses that contain proprietary information may receive only limited or no consideration since the Respondent's marking of data as "PROPRIETARY" will preclude disclosure of same outside the Government and therefore will preclude disclosure to these support contractors assisting the evaluation effort. The Government will use its best efforts to evaluate those responses that contain proprietary information without using support contractors consistent with the resources available.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/5972529e19b96566418b9b843e2ef97a)
- Place of Performance
- Address: ACC - Warren (ACC-WRN)(DTA) ATTN: AMSTA-AQ-AMB, E Eleven Mile Road Warren MI
- Zip Code: 48397-5000
- Zip Code: 48397-5000
- Record
- SN02466292-W 20110609/110607235108-5972529e19b96566418b9b843e2ef97a (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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