SOLICITATION NOTICE
65 -- EAR PLUGS, COMBAT - Vendors Response to Technical Requirements
- Notice Date
- 6/9/2011
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 339113
— Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Defense Logistics Agency, DLA Acquisition Locations, DLA Troop Support - Medical, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19111-5096, United States
- ZIP Code
- 19111-5096
- Solicitation Number
- ME-1104-22_Ear_Plugs_Combat
- Archive Date
- 7/15/2011
- Point of Contact
- Robert Halliday, Phone: 011-49-6221-172109, Thomas Winkel, Phone: 011-49-6221-172106
- E-Mail Address
-
Robert.halliday@us.army.mil, tom.winkel@us.army.mil
(Robert.halliday@us.army.mil, tom.winkel@us.army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Vendors please provide responses using the attachment by COB closing date of the FBO. The Defense Medical Materiel Program Office (DMMPO) announces a Request for Incentive Agreement Quotation (RFIAQ) for the standardization of Ear Plugs-Combat. The Medical Materiel Enterprise Standardization Office (MMESO) Europe is the lead MMESO for this project. The primary objective of this program is to standardize the quality of care across the MMESO North, South, West, Pacific, Europe (hereafter referred to as MMESOs) and operational assemblages based on the critical balance of clinical efficacy and value. It is intended for this initiative to result in the standardization of a technically and clinically preferred product (s) and source for institutional and operational medicine requirements at the best possible price. It is intended for this initiative to result in the reduction of Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) and National Stock Numbers (NSN). It is also intended that standardized products be obtained through the Department of Defense (DoD) Prime Vendor (PV) Program. As an enterprise-wide clinically driven program, vendors and products must meet specific technical requirements plus products must meet or exceed specific clinical performance expectations as a primary consideration. Among vendors who meet the technical requirements and the products that meet or exceed the clinical acceptability, then clinically preferred, best value will determine selection. It is intended that the selected standardized vendor (s) for this Standardization Action (SA) support the enterprise goal of medical materiel standardization that combines operational and institutional requirements. The government is seeking a single award for this SA. The major facilities in the MMESOs include, but are not limited to MMESO North Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Bethesda Naval Hospital, Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Womack Army Medical Center, Wright-Patterson Medical Center; MMESO South Wilford Hall Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Darnall Army Medical Center, Keesler Medical Center, Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Martin Army Community Hospital, Fort Benning, GA; MMESO West Madigan Army Medical Center, William Beaumont Army Medical Center, Naval Medical Center San Diego, Irwin Army Community Hospital, Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital; MMESO Pacific Tripler Army Medical Center, 18th Medical Group, Kadena AB, Okinawa, US Naval Hospital, Yokosuka, Japan; MMESO Europe Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, GE, US Naval Hospital, Naples, Italy, and 48th Medical Group, RAF Lakenheath, and Operational U.S. Forces. This standardization action is part of the Medical/Surgical Prime Vendor program executed by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Troop Support, Directorate of Medical Materiel. To participate, your company must have a Distribution and Pricing Agreement (DAPA) and a separate commercial agreement with the current Med-Surg PV for each MMESO Region, i.e., Cardinal Health, and Owens & Minor. This requirement is pursuant to the DAPA clause by which DAPA holders agree to the standardization process and agree to allow PVs to distribute their products. The IA resulting from this RFIAQ is a supplement to the PV Program and is not a contract. For additional information regarding DLA TS Medical's PV program please access its web site at https://dmmonline.dscp.dla.mil This IA standardization initiative will be a Three Phase IPP Process: vendor (s) who meets the technical / company requirements in Phase I will be invited to advance and participate Phase II where no-charge products will be provided for clinical evaluation and Phase III where pricing will be required for submittal. Phase II and Phase III will be run concurrently. The resulting IA will be for a base period of two (2) years (24 months) from date of selection with three (3) 12-month "option" periods not to exceed a total of 5 years. Anticipated selection date is September 2011. The selection will be based on the product and vendor that provides the Best Value to the enterprise. Products and vendors that meet or exceed the technical and clinical performance requirements will be considered clinically preferred products and sources. Among vendors who meet the technical requirements and the products that meet or exceed the clinically preferred standard, best price (i.e. lowest Aggregate Post Standardization Cost) will determine selection. Point of Contact: Mr. Robert Halliday, MMESO Europe Clinical Analyst, Robert.halliday@us.army.mil 011-49-6221-172109 or Mr. Tom Winkel, Data Analyst tom.winkel@us.army.mil 011-49-6221-172106. B. Products & Performance Required. The MMESOs are seeking product line items in the category of Ear Plugs-Combat. Within the MMESOs this product line has an estimated annual dollar requirement of $3,113,750.18. This forecast is based on historical prime vendor sales during a recent 12-month period. Based on the recent 12-month usage data, twenty three (23) of the total twenty four (24) line items represent the top two (2) products and account for 99.9% ($3,113,710.88) of the total volume in sales ($3,113,750.18) in the MMESOs and are procurement significant. These two products are shown in the Technical/Company Requirements below. C. Instructions to Vendors Vendors interested in participating in this standardization initiative will provide an initial response to the FBO-posted RFIAQ to Mr. Rob Halliday, Clinical Analyst, at robert.halliday@us.army.mil or to Mr. Tom Winkel, Data Analyst, at tom.winkel@us.army.mil. The vendor's initial responses will include detailed information requested in the technical/company requirements listed in the FBO RFIAQ and must also include: (1) Company name and address; (2) Company Point of Contact (POC) (Name and Phone Number, Fax Number, and E-mail address); and (3) Identification of the RFIAQ to which the vendor is responding. Due to the potential for email to be lost in transmission, from network security, etc., vendors are strongly encouraged to confirm with the MMESO Europe that its initial submission, quote and literature actually arrived at the MMESO Europe via email. Each submitting vendor is advised to confirm receipt, allowing adequate time for resubmission before the due date / time, should a problem occur with the first submission. Vendors that do not meet the deadline of COB 5:00PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the date listed for closing (per the FBO RFIAQ), will be disqualified from further consideration in the standardization initiative. D. Source Selection Procedures The MMESO Joint Product Review Board (JPRB) will serve as the forum for clinical recommendations for product selection, seeking and evaluating opportunities for committed volume purchase agreements, and coordinating logistics efforts in support of DoD Components. The boards are chaired by Designated Senior Logisticians (DSLs) and co-chaired by Designated Senior Clinicians (DSCs) in the MMESO AORs and include clinicians and logisticians for MTFs within each MMESO. The Clinical Advisory Committee (CAC) members are the deciding officials for this initiative. The MMESO DSLs and DSCs intend to evaluate quotes and select a vendor on initial submissions/quotes. Vendor quotes should contain the vendor's best discounts off of the vendor's DAPA pricing (based on committed volume of 80% of the total requirements of the MTFs in the MMESOs. The MMESO Europe reserves the right to conduct discussions and request revised quotes, if determined necessary. The MMESO Europe reserves the right to conduct discussions and request revised quotes if determined necessary. Phase I Technical/Company Requirements The MMESO CPT will review the responses from the vendors and determine which vendors meet the technical/company requirements and determine acceptability. A vendor must meet the technical requirements for continued consideration in this initiative. A vendor who does not meet the requirements will be disqualified. Failure to provide any requested information or meet any of the technical requirements will disqualify the vendor from further consideration. A vendor who meets the following technical/company requirements will be qualified/invited to participate in the clinical/performance selection process and will be requested to submit their best product/price discount quotes via an email communication. All communications of significant acquisition milestones (such as invitations to participate or notices of disqualification) should be digitally signed. Technical/Company Requirements: During the pre-source selection procedures, the MMESO CPT validated/approved the company/technical requirements outlined below. The eleven (11) requirements below must be answered with the vendor's initial submittal and required documents by the response date stated in the FBO announcement. A vendor who does not meet these requirements or who does not submit documentation to support these requirements with initial submittal will be disqualified in Phase I. 1. Vendor must provide a complete line of disposable and reusable Ear Plugs-Combat products. a. At a minimum the vendor must provide latex-free, reusable dual role and single-sided combat ear plugs (it is understood a vendor's dual role required combat ear plug may be a single-sided combat ear plug) as described below. Vendors are required to supply all items listed in all sizes listed. 1) Dual role combat ear plugs in sizes small, medium, and large and/or a universal size, ear plug must be within the range of an NRR 22 to 24dB 2) Single-sided combat ear plugs in sizes small, medium, and large and/or a universal size, ear plug must be within the range of an NRR 21 to 24dB b. Vendor must provide a complete itemized list of items supplied (manufactured and/or distributed by brands) via Microsoft Excel spread sheet, and a product catalog and literature in response to this RFIAQ with initial submittal. Vendors are required to supply all items in all sizes and styles. 2. Vendor must provide latex free/safe Ear Plugs-Combat washable and reusable products. 3. Vendor must provide a statement confirming their products meet the industry production and safety standards for the Department of Defense specifically for 1) the US Navy Standard (OPNAVINST 5100.23G 30 Dec 05), 2) the US Air Force Standard (Air Force Occupational Safety and health Standard 48-20, 30 Jun 2006, Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Noise and Hearing Conservation Program, and 3) the US Army Standard (United States Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (USACHPPM) TG 41 Personal Hearing Protective Devices. Personal hearing protective devices used singly or in combination, should reduce effective sound levels to less than 84 dB(A) or 140 dB peak. 4. Vendors must provide a dual role combat arms earplug that features 1) a nonlinear acoustical design with a calibrated filter within its stem allowing most low level sounds to be heard virtually unaffected during wear (allows for better communication allowing speech through) and 2) a second feature allowing the choice for steady protection with an NRR of 22 to24 dB; which is the ideal wearing position when exposed to constant high-level sound sources (85 dB and above) such as aircraft, watercraft, armored vehicles or machinery. In this mode, the plug provides excellent protection against noise, but it will block speech and other ambient sounds as well. 5. Vendor must provide ear plugs that allow an increase in attenuation as noise increases. 6. Vendor must provide dual role ear plugs that incorporate breathable, moisture resistant acoustical filters that improve sound quality when the ear is overloaded with excess noise. 7. Vendor must provide ear plugs that provide a reliable fit that contours to the shape of the ear, allowing the user to wear these earplugs for extended periods of time without discomfort, irritation or constant removal from the ear for re-insertion. 8. Vendor must provide a statement confirming their Ear Plugs-Combat product line comes in a labeled package demonstrating the size and style of the contents and lot numbers. 9. Vendor must have a DAPA or be in the process of applying for a DAPA number for the Ear Plugs-Combat. Vendor must provide the DAPA number with initial submittal or provide documentation the DAPA number has been applied for with response submittal. 10. Vendor must have agreements with the current Med/Surg Prime Vendors for each MMESO AOR, i.e. Cardinal Health and Owens & Minor for Ear Plugs-Combat or be in the process of obtaining Prime Vendor agreements. 11. Vendor must submit discounts off of DAPA for all products included in this standardization initiative. A vendor who fails to submit a discount off of DAPA will be disqualified. Where lower FSS prices are available, DAPA holders are required by previous agreement to provide the FSS price as the DAPA price. A vendor shall not quote FSS prices as the discounted price for purposes of this standardization initiative. A vendor who does not provide discounts off DAPA for all products in Phase II will be disqualified. Phase II Acceptability Evaluation Clinical Performance Clinical Performance Acceptability Requirements Following acceptability of the technical/company requirements, the MMESO Europe, on behalf of the CPT, will request product sample sets from the product group to be sent to the specific CPT members at the participating MTFs as directed. Vendor will be given 30 calendar days from the issue of the notice in which to deliver the product samples for clinical evaluation at Phase II. Product samples must be shipped to arrive at the designated addresses by 5:00PM local time for each MTF on the 30th calendar day after the notice to ship. Vendor MUST be able to deliver product literature, training materials and evaluation samples to the MMESO Pacific via FedEx or UPS AND to the MMESO Europe via United States Postal Service (USPS) and throughout the United States when requested in Phase II. Vendor who cannot or does not meet this requirement will be disqualified from the standardization process. Vendor must send the MMESO Europe verification regarding the shipment of literature and samples. This information will include the date of shipment, final delivery date, tracking numbers and the carrier used by the vendor. Vendor will provide ONLY the following no cost product samples for clinical/performance evaluation. Unused samples will not be returned. Five (5) pairs of each size and style listed below are to be provided to each of the evaluation sites as identified in the letters of invitation. 1. Single-sided combat ear plug, ear plug must be within the range of an NRR 21 to 24dB, in sizes small, medium, and large, 5 pairs of each size per MTF, or a universal size, and only 5 pairs per MTF test site 2. Dual role* combat ear plug, ear plug must be within the range of an NRR 22 to 24dB, in sizes small, medium, and large, 5 pairs of each size per MTF, or if a universal size, and only 5 pairs per MTF test site *Dual role, see technical requirement #7 above The clinical/performance acceptability evaluation period will last for fourteen (14) calendar days. The acceptability evaluation responses will be in a Likert scale format with a one (1) through five (5) scoring range. The scale descriptors are: one (1)-Completely Unacceptable, two (2)-Overwhelmingly Unacceptable, three (3)-Partially Unacceptable, four (4)-Acceptable, and five (5)-Highly Acceptable. The MMESO JPRB has established a 4.0 as the Clinically Preferred threshold of products for standardization. A vendor scoring below the clinically preferred threshold will be disqualified from selection for this standardization initiative. A vendor who has been disqualified will be notified in writing upon disqualification. Of those vendors that are qualified as clinically preferred, selection will be based on best price. Clinical /performance acceptability evaluations by the participating CPT facilities will be tabulated resulting in one final vendor performance evaluation score. All clinical/performance acceptability evaluations will be tabulated by the MMESO Europe, and results will be forwarded to the MMESO CPT for final review. Each evaluator will evaluate each product sample from each vendor against the established requirements. A trial will consist of evaluating sample products from a single vendor, evaluated against the requirements and recorded on a single evaluation form per vendor. Each evaluator will evaluate or trial each participating vendor's product line. There will be approximately nine (9) MTFs enterprise wide that will be evaluating products. Clinical/Performance Requirements: During the acquisition planning process, CPT validated/approved the clinical/performance requirements outlined below. 1. Patient Safety/Compliance/DoD Hearing Loss Prevention /OSHA 1910.95 Occupational Noise Exposure - The ear plug is comfortable (soft, flexible flanges) and allows easy insertion into the ear canal. The ear plug must be easy to insert and allow for user comfort to ensure the user will wear the device continually providing the desired result of noise induced hearing protection. 2. Patient Safety/DoD Hearing Loss Prevention /OSHA 1910.95 Occupational Noise Exposure - After insertion the earplug provides a good seal. The product must provide noise induced hearing protection for noise greater than 84 dB and peaks of 140 dB. A good seal should be accomplished by a vacuum sensation (a back pressure) and voice should sound muffled. Price Analysis Process: Upon completion of the Phase I - Technical/Company Requirements, a vendor who is found technically acceptable will be qualified /invited to provide product samples and price discount quotes concurrently. A vendor will be given 30 calendar days from the date of pricing requests, to submit IA pricing quotes, in a prescribed electronic spreadsheet format, based upon the requirements of the MMESOs. Pricing will be submitted to MMESO Europe and must be received by 5:00 PM CET, thirty (30) calendar days after the issue date of the vendor notice to submit best price quotes. Vendor quotes should contain the vendor's best product matches for the specific products requested in this announcement. Vendor quotes should contain the vendor's best discounts off of the vendor's DAPA pricing for the products identified in this announcement (based on committed volume of 80% of the total requirements of the MTFs in the MMESOs). Price will be analyzed based on the projected Aggregate Post-Standardization costs for each vendor. Aggregate Post-Standardization Cost will be calculated for each vendor by applying the vendors' offered prices to the anticipated annual usage of the enterprise. Unmatched items will be represented in the Post-Standardization Cost at a baseline non-discounted price (current DAPA price of product with highest procurement). Among the products and sources that were determined to be clinically preferred, the best price Aggregate Post-Standardization Cost will be selected.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DLA/J3/DSCP-M/ME-1104-22_Ear_Plugs_Combat/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: ERMC HQ, CMR 442, Dept G4, Bldg 3613, Rm 0055, Heidelberg,Nachrichten Kaserne, Non-U.S., APOAE09042, Germany
- Record
- SN02468429-W 20110611/110609234608-3df1dfaf6cfb16c52e4c2d3483d6021a (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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