SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- FY 2002 Desalination and Water Purification Research and = Development (DWPR) for Task Areas A, C, E, F, and G
- Notice Date
- 2/13/2002
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- Bureau of Reclamation, Acquisition Operations Group, D-7810, PO = Box 25007, Denver, Colorado 80225-0007
- ZIP Code
- 80225-0007
- Solicitation Number
- N/I
- Response Due
- 3/31/2002
- Archive Date
- 4/30/2002
- Point of Contact
- Randale Jackson, (303)445-2432, Grants and Cooperative = Agreements Officer
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The pre-proposal package may be obtained in writing by facsimile = to (303) 445-6345 or mail to address listed above. Telephone requests = will not be honored. Pre-proposals must be submitted in accordance with = the instructions contained in the pre-proposal package and shall not = exceed six pages in length. Pre-proposals are due no later than = 03/31/02. The U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation = (Reclamation), is currently requesting pre-proposals for research and = pilot-plant activities sponsored by the DWPR Program. Through this = program, Reclamation is forming partnerships with private industry, = universities, local communities, and others to address a broad range of = desalting and water purification needs. The overall objective of the = program is to reduce the cost of desalting and water purification = technologies in order to augment water supply in the United States. The = Water Desalination Act of 1996, the authorizing legislation for this = program, defines the following important terms (note the definitions are = very broad and inclusive): (1) Desalination or desalting means "the use = of any process or technique for the removal and, when feasible, = adaptation to beneficial use, of organic and inorganic elements and = compounds from saline or biologically impaired waters, by itself or in = conjunction with other processes." (2) Saline water means "sea water, = brackish water, and other mineralized or chemically impaired water." For = fiscal year 2002, Reclamation is soliciting pre-proposals in: (1) four = (4) different research areas for projects of 12 months duration or less = (follow-on funding may be available for additional research studies, = pilot-plant projects, or future demonstration projects), and (2) the = Testing of Pilot-Scale Systems investigation area for projects of 24 = months duration or less (follow-on funding may be available for future = demonstration projects). The research awards amounts vary according to = the area of interest. For the pilot-scale agreements, and contingent = upon Congressional funding, a maximum amount of up to $270,000 per = agreement will be awarded for the investigations for the Reclamation = cost-share portion, as follows: amounts up to $150,000 for the first = year for pilot plant design, construction, and installation; and amounts = of up to $120,000 for an optional second year for testing, modification, = and evaluation. Offerors (other than academic institutions of higher = education) must be willing to cost-share 50% or more of the project = cost, depending on the financial need of the project. Offerors proposing = to provide additional cost-share will be given greater consideration. = Cost-sharing may be made through cash or in-kind contributions from the = offeror, or third party non-Federal participants. Cost-sharing is not = mandatory from academic institutions, but is strongly encouraged. The = authorizing legislation for this program provides for up to a total of = $1,000,000 per year to be awarded to academic institutions of higher = education, including United States-Mexico binational research = foundations and inter-university research programs established by the = two countries, without any cost-sharing requirement. No profit or fee = will be allowed. Patent rights for any developments will be retained by = the research partner (offeror) in accordance with provisions contained = in the solicitation. Reclamation's laboratory facilities are available = for use on a cost reimburseable basis. These include laboratory and = pilot-scale equipment at the Technical Service Center in Denver, = Colorado, and the state-of-the-art water treatment facility, the Water = Quality Improvement Center, in Yuma, Arizona. If you need detailed = information on these facilities and costs, please contact the above. Any = responsible source, to include individuals, academic institutions, = commercial or industrial organizations, private entities, public = entities (including state and local), or Indian Tribal Governments, may = submit a pre-proposal which will be considered by Reclamation. Foreign = entities, other than United States-Mexico binational research = foundations and inter-university research programs established by the = two countries, are not eligible for funding under the authorizing = legislation for this program. Federal agencies are not eligible to = apply. Pre-proposals will be reviewed for overall scientific and/or = technical merit; results from earlier successful research studies = indicating the project is at pilot-plant stage; potential contributions = to Reclamation's DWPR program objectives; qualifications of the = proposer; and reasonableness of the estimated project costs. Meritorious = pre-proposers will be encouraged to submit a full proposal. Submission = of a pre-proposal is not mandatory; however, offerors are strongly = encouraged to do so in order to receive the benefit of the initial = pre-proposal screening process. Solicitation packages for the full = proposals will be issued on or about 04/30/02, with a due date of = approximately 45 days after issuance. Brief descriptions of each area of = interest and their respective funding amounts are listed below. During = fiscal year 2002, Reclamation anticipates making the research awards in = the quantities listed below, subject to the content and quality of = proposals received for each emphasis area; however, should additional = funding become available, additional awards may be made. A list of = generic examples of the types of research and development opportunities = that will be considered are listed below for each emphasis area. These = examples will not necessarily be given preferential consideration over = unspecified research that also meets the goals of the program. For = fiscal year 2002, Reclamation anticipates the award of a total of four = (4) or five (5) financial assistance agreements of 12 months duration or = less, with Federal funds of $75,000 to $100,000 awarded for each of the = agreements, among the research and studies emphasis areas. TASK A - = MEMBRANE PROCESS RESEARCH AND STUDIES - The primary objective of this = task is to reduce the cost and increase the ease of operation of = membrane-based desalting and water treatment systems. Projects sponsored = under this emphasis area can apply to any portion of a membrane = treatment process including pretreatment related to membrane processes. = Examples of these projects include but are not limited to (1) = Development of integrated membrane systems (IMS), (2) Research on = techniques for membrane storage or preservation and for biological = control during plant operation, (3) Studies on adhesion of foulant or = other materials to membrane surfaces, (4) Studies on membrane cleaning, = including frequency and effectiveness, (5) Development of improved = membrane-containing element or stacks, (6) Increase of rates of mass = transfer to membrane surfaces, (7) Studies on influence of minor = components in groundwater on membrane properties, (8) Studies on = pretreatment specifically for membrane processes, (9) Studies on = presence and influence of biofilms on membranes, and (10) Development of = investigative techniques relating to membrane processes. TASK C - = NON-TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE DESALINATION RESEARCH AND STUDIES - = Research and development studies will focus on investigation of = non-traditional, or alternative desalination or water purification = techniques, to include the evaluation of economics and thermodynamic = efficiency of these processes. Examples of these projects include but = are not limited to (1) Development of new, innovative alternative = desalination processes, (2) Investigation of innovative techniques = combining desalination processes with renewable energy sources including = photovoltaic, wind power, solar thermal, and geothermal, and (3) = Investigation of freeze desalination and innovative combined = desalination processes. Only technologies with the potential of becoming = cost competitive with existing membrane and thermal processes will be = considered. Proposed projects should have the potential to become = commercially viable and have wide applicability. TASK E - ANCILLARY AND = ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENTS - This emphasis area addresses four aspects of the = authorizing legislation for this program that relate to the general = economic improvement of desalination processes (1) A method for = evaluating the economic implications of technological improvements is of = primary importance at this time. Reclamation has models for reverse = osmosis and nanofiltration that are sensitive enough for this purpose, = but needs models for electrodialysis, ion exchange, and thermal = desalting methods. If the costs of desalting are to be decreased through = this program it is vital that models for all desalting methods be = obtained so that the recent technological improvements made under this = program can be compared on an equal basis, (2) Studies optimizing cost = and/or design for different operating conditions, (3) Investigation of = methods for increasing the economic efficiency of desalination = processes, including hybrid systems or dual-purpose co-facilities with = other processes involving the use of water, (4) Detailed surveys of = construction and operating costs for desalination facilities with common = itemized categories of costs for each plant surveyed normalized to a = common basis. TASK F - CONCENTRATE ISSUES - Research and development = studies will evaluate the various problems related to concentrate = disposal, and develop innovative techniques to reduce concentrate = disposal costs and impacts on the environment. Examples of these = projects include but are not limited to (1) Recovery and use of = irrigation return flows, (2) Development of high salts complex mixtures, = (3) Creating products that use salts, (4) Concentrate disposal systems = development, (5) Recovery and use of concentrate by-products (dissolved = salts), (6) Salinity modeling and toxicity analysis of concentrate = discharges to the environment, (7) Substitution of brackish concentrate = for potable water in industrial applications, and (8) Removal of = supersaturated salts to permit further desalting of concentrate and = reduce the volume of concentrate requiring disposal. Only technologies = with the potential of becoming cost competitive with existing = alternative disposal methods will be considered. Proposed projects = should have the potential to become commercially viable and have wide = applicability. During fiscal year 2002, Reclamation anticipates the = award of one (1) or two (2) pilot-scale financial assistance agreements = of 24 months duration or less, with Federal funds of about $150,000 = awarded for the first year of the agreement, subject to the content and = quality of proposals received; however, should additional funding become = available and successful first year results are obtained, additional = awards may be made without further competition. TASK G - TESTING OF = PILOT-SCALE SYSTEMS - The primary objective of this emphasis area is = twofold: (1) to cost share the design, fabrication, and testing of = laboratory-scale systems, processes, and concepts; and (2) to cost share = the design, construction, and testing of pilot-scale systems. Awards = under this task typically result from successful research studies from = one of the other emphasis areas in the DWPR program that demonstrates a = high level of success and a need for further technology development. = However, any researcher may submit a pre-proposal who can provide = sufficient documentation indicating a high level of prior successful = research has been accomplished and that the project is at design, build, = and testing pilot-plant stage.
- Record
- SN00028864-W 20020222/020220213904 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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