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

A -- GULF ECOLOGY DIVISION ANALYTICAL SERVICES -- MARINE BIVALVE TISSUE ANALYTES SOL QQ1404 DUE 072998 POC Sya Mayes (919) 541 3416 WEB: click here for references/tables, http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. E-MAIL: click here to contact the contract specialist via, mayes.sya@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; QUOTES ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. The solicitation number is QQ1404 and the solicitation is being issued as a Request for Quote (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-03. 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. This procurement is for the analysis of marine bivalve tissue samples for organic and elemental contaminants. Samples were collected during the spring of 1998 for an interagency agreement between National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Program to develop physiological bioindicators. These samples are currently stored at the EPA laboratory located in Gulf Breeze, Florida. The successful contractor must have experience in the analysis of these analytes (see tables) in marine bivalves and shall employ methods equivalent to those utilized by the National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program under NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) or EPA's EMAP (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program). The successful contractor shall demonstrate the ability to meet the required method detection limits for these programs and shall also provide applicable reference material results. Quality Assurance Requirements: The contractor shall submit a copy of their Quality Assurance/Quality Control protocols with their proposal. A Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) program shall be in place at the contractor's laboratory, and shall address at a minimum the following topics: accuracy and precision; calibration; detection limits; physical processing of samples; analytical methods utilized; QA/QC samples, including all acceptability criteria; and data reporting. The contractor shall 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 EPA requires that quality systems be established for all Agency work involving the acquisition of environmental data. Such quality systems must comply with the American National Standard ANSI/ASQC E4-1994, Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for Environmental Data Collection and Environmental Technology Programs. Results shall be reported in an electronic format using Lotus 1-2-3. A copy of the cover letter which accompanies the results shall be sent to the EPA Project 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 also 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 and chromatograms, 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 cost estimate on a per sample basis for each of the line items 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 Gulf Breeze, Florida to the contractor's analytical facility. The remaining tissue from each sample will be retained at the contractor's facility for one year following final report submission or returned on ice to EPA's Project Officer. ITEM 0001: The contractor shall perform chemical analyses (metals, aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls and organotins) on 21 marine bivalve tissue samples. The analytes of interest and required levels of detection are listed in Tables 1, 2 and 3. In addition, wet weight, dry weight, % lipid, and digest weights shall be reported. Each sample will consist of 20 bivalves, in shells, to be pooled. ITEM 0002: The contractor shall perform chemical analyses on trace metal elements on 40 marine bivalve tissue samples. The analytes of interest and required levels of detection are listed in Table 1. In addition, wet weight, dry weight, % lipid, and digest weights shall be reported. Each bivalve sample will consist of one animal in the shell. ITEM 0003: The contractor shall perform chemical analyses on butyltins on 40 marine bivalve tissue samples. The analytes of interest and required levels of detection are listed below in Table 3. In addition, wet weight, dry weight, % lipid, and digest weights shall be reported. Each bivalve sample will consist of one animal in the shell. ITEM 0004: The contractor shall perform chemical analyses on trace metal elements and butyltins on 2 marine bivalve tissue samples. The analytes of interest and required levels of detection are listed in Tables 1 and 3. In addition, wet weight, dry weight, % lipid, and digest weights shall be reported. Each bivalve sample will consist of twenty animals, in shells, to be pooled. Results shall be reported to the EPA Project Officer no later than 180 days after contract award. Deliverables for analyses shall include: 1.) Date of homogenization or extraction and analysis; 2.) Tabulated sample results using dry weight units, and noting all other reporting units (e.g., dry, ng/g, etc.); 3.) Summary of digestion and extraction procedures 4.) Detection limits, quantification limits and percents of recovery; 5.) Quantification of all analytes in method blanks and results for each batch of samples; 6.) Summary of results and control limits for all QC analyses performed by the laboratory (spikes, duplicates, CRMs); 7.) Explanations for all data qualifications; 8.) Reference analytical methods; 9.) Explanations for all departures from the analytical protocols and discussion of possible effects on the data. Proposals will be evaluated using the following technical capabilities criteria: 1.) QA/QC protocols, including plans for analyzing CRMs; 2.) Demonstrated analytical experience in similar analyses (i.e. NS&T, EMAP, similar programs); 3.) Demonstrated previous experience with marine bivalve tissues; 4.) Proposed methodology to include demonstrated ability to meet MDLs; 5.) Experience with butyltin analyses; 6.) Past performance -- provide 3 references; 7.) Report preparation and records management. Award will be made to the lowest priced offer meeting all of the technical requirements. 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. Cost and technical information should be submitted in separate proposals. Please submit three copies of offers 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 July 29, 1998, 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/Tables can be found at http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. Posted 07/10/98. (0191)

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