U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Contracts Management Division (MD-33), Attn: ORDSC, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711

A -- MID-ATLANTIC INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT BENTHIC SERVICES SOL PR-NC-98-10084 DUE 121097 POC Sya Mayes (919) 541 3416 WEB: click here for references, http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. E-MAIL: click here to contact the contract specialist via e-mail, mayes.sya@epamail.epa.gov. THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN SUBPART 12.6, AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; PROPOSALS ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. The solicitation number is PR-NC-98-10084 and the solicitation is being issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-02. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) anticipates that the contract will be awarded as a result of full and open competition. A firm-fixed-price contract is anticipated to result from the award of this solicitation. The contractor shall conduct macrobenthic community analyses on each sediment sample collected during July-September 1997 from the MAIA Estuarine Monitoring Program. These analyses require the measurement of the species composition, abundance, and biomass of macroinvertebrate fauna found in the sediments. Approximately 400 samples have been collected by contractor, EPA, NOAA, CBP, or other collaborators, except for the biomass samples which are double that number. The samples were sieved in the field through 0.5 mm sieves, and are in pre-labeled jars and preserved in a formalin, Rose Bengal-stained buffered solution at the EPA laboratory in Narragansett, RI. The contractor shall be responsible for transferring the samples from that facility to the contractor's facility. Basic sample processing steps include sieving, sorting, and species identification and enumeration. The vendor is required to submit a copy of their Quality Assurance/Quality Control protocols to the EPA Project Officer prior to the analysis of samples. The contractor must permit a QA audit of laboratory and/or data entry procedures by an authorized agent of EPA at any time during the conduct of analyses (given advance notification). The successful vendor must have experience in the conduct of these analyses on freshwater and marine samples and shall employ methods equivalent to those utilized by EPA's EMAP (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program). Results shall be reported in an electronic format detailed in the MAIA-Estuaries Data Format Manual (see references). A copy of the cover letter which accompanies the results shall be sent to the EPA Contracting Officer. The contractor shall also provide a hard-copy output of data files (i.e. spreadsheets) for the purpose of quality assurance. A written report detailing the methods used and the results of QA measures shall be provided by the contractor. Any laboratory notes discussing problems encountered must be included as an appendix to this report. Original records, such as laboratory notebooks, shall be retained for at least three years following final report submission, as they may be requested to be sent to EPA. The contractor shall provide EPA with a price on a per sample basis for each of the contract line items found below, based on the number of samples projected for each line item and including the cost of the contractor picking up or shipping the samples from Narragansett to the contractor's facility. Costs for the retention of samples at the contractor's facility for two years following final report submission shall be included. ITEM 0001: The contractor shall perform benthic macroinvertebrate analyses on approximately 400 sediment samples. Samples exhibit a range of salinities from freshwater to full seawater. Each sample has been sieved through a 0.5 mm mesh sieve to separate all fauna of interest from sample debris, such as sediment, detritus and shells or exoskeletons. All fauna retained on the 0.5 mm sieve shall be sorted, identified, enumerated and included as macrofauna by the contractor. At a minimum, taxonomic codes for each species present and abundance shall be reported, in addition to related Quality Assurance (QA) data. Species codes will be provided by EPA within ten days of contract award. Methods for the conduct of these measurements must be compatible with methods used for the EMAP-Estuaries Program (see references). Methods utilized by the contractor must meet the measurement quality objective of 10% total error for the extraction of organisms from sediments and 10% total error for the identification and enumeration of extracted fauna. Within ten days of contract award, the samples will be prioritized and analyzed in an order agreed upon by the vendor and EPA Project Officer. Results of the high priority analyses (n= approx 200) shall be reported to the EPA contract officer no later than 90 days after contract award, while the remainder shall be due 150 days after contract award. ITEM 0002: The contractor shall perform macrofaunal biomass analyses on up to 800 marine sediment samples. Biomass measurements shall not be made until all specimens in a sample have been properly identified. Samples for biomass measurement may be performed on samples from Line Item Number One, and on samples sorted, identified and enumerated by another party and provided to the contractor by EPA. Methods contained in the EMAP-Estuaries Laboratory Methods Manual (see references), or, preferably, those utilized by the Chesapeake Bay Program (see references), shall be followed. Soft-bodied organisms (e.g.,amphipods and polychaetes) shall be dried and weighed immediately after identification, while hard-bodied organisms (e.g., bivalves, gastropods and echinoderms) shall be acidified prior to drying and weighing. Biomass shall be individually determined for the most dominant macrofaunal species or group of species (e.g., amphipods, bivalves, and polychaetes). Previous experience in conducting these analyses in marine and freshwater sediments is required. A Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) program shall be in place at the vendor laboratory, and shall address, at a minimum, the following topics: replicates; sorting efficiency; reidentification and enumeration; balance calibration and precision; physical processing of samples; analytical methods utilized; QA/QC samples; and data reporting. Details on QA/QC for a similar scope project are available in the EMAP Estuaries Quality Assurance Project Plan (see references). At the time of contract award, the samples will be prioritized and analyzed in an order agreed upon by the vendor and EPA Project Officer. Results for the priority samples (small system, intensive sites, n=approx 200) shall be reported to the EPA Project Officer no later than 90 days after contract award, while the remainder shall be due no later than 150 days after contract award. The following FAR provisions apply to this solicitation: 52.212-1, Evaluation-Instructions to Offerors-Commercial; 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Item. Evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of provision 52.212-2 are as follows: (i) technical capability to meet the Government requirements; (ii) past performance; (iii) price, in decreasing order of importance. Technical and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price. All offerors are to include with their offers a completed copy of provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items. The following FAR clause applies to this acquisition: 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items. The following additional FAR clauses which are cited in clauses 52.212-5 are applicable to the acquisition: 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government, with Alternate I; 52.203-10, Price or Fee Adjustment for Illegal or Improper Activity; 52.219-14, Limitation on Subcontracting; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity, 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Special Disabled and Vietnam Era Veterans; 52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Handicapped Workers; 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; 52.225-3, Buy American Act -- Supplies; 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965, As Amended. All bids/offers should be submitted to Sya M Mayes, Contract Specialist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, MD-33, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Courier Delivery Address is: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Receptionist-Administration Bldg. Lobby, Attn.: Sya M. Mayes, 79 Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. All offers are due by December 10, 1997, 4:30 p.m. EST. Offers/bids received after the exact time specified will not be considered. No telephonic or faxed requests will be honored. References can be found at http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. (0329)

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