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FBO DAILY ISSUE OF MARCH 09, 2006 FBO #1564
SOLICITATION NOTICE

A -- Presolicitation Notice for the Department of Homeland Security to establish a contract for a Federally Funded Research and Development Center to operate the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) at Fort Detrick, MD.

Notice Date

3/7/2006
 

Notice Type

Solicitation Notice
 

NAICS

541710 — Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
 

Contracting Office

US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, ATTN: MCMR-AAA, 820 Chandler Street, Frederick, MD 21702-5014
 

ZIP Code

21702-5014
 

Solicitation Number

HSHQDC-06-R-00017
 

Response Due

4/28/2006
 

Archive Date

6/27/2006
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

1. The Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security proposes to establish and award a Contract for a Federally Funded Research and Development Center to operate the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The NBACC facility will provide the nation with biocontainment laboratory space for biological threat characterization and bioforensic work. The programs conducted at the NBACC will provide knowledge of infectious properties of biological agents, (select agents) effectiveness of countermeasures (i.e., detectors, drugs, vaccines and decontamination procedures) and forensics analyses to support policy makers and responders' development of policies, prog rams and technologies. 2. By The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (PL 107-296, as amended), Congress authorized, at Sections 305 and 308, DHS to establish one or more FFRDCs to assist the DHS in formulating and addressing important homeland security issues, particularly those where scientific, technical and analytical expertise is involved, such as biolog ical threat characterization and bioforensic analysis. 3. DHS is the ultimate sponsor of the NBACC; however, the Science and Technology Directorate (DHS (S&T)) should be viewed as its primary sponsor. In general, the DHS (S&T) will provide business, financial and contractual oversight. The NBACC shall conduct its business in a manner befitting its special relationship with the Government; i.e., to operate with objectivity and be free from conflicts-of-interest, to fully disclose its affairs to its sponsors, and to serve the unique needs of its sponsors, while holding its full confidence and trust. Any subsidiary relationship the NBACC may have with a parent organization or consortia of organizations must demonstrate and maintain strict safeguards from conflicts of interest with such par ent organizations. Work performed by the NBACC for non-DHS customers may be performed only with the explicit permission of DHS (S&T). 4. The NBACC Contractor shall provide all required and necessary space, equipment, support and technical personnel (except that as may be Government furnished and identified later herein) to establish, set up and manage the NBACC. Performance of the NBACC management function required under the Contract will take place in the Fort Detrick, Maryland and Washington DC metropolitan areas, with the exception of assignees to field operations. Upon completion of construction of the new NBACC Facility, or acceptance of beneficial occupancy to the NBACC Facility by the Government, the NBACC Contractor shall begin an orderly and programmed transition of all performance of the NBACC management function including moving employees into the new NBACC Facility at Fort Detrick, MD. 5. The work to be performed under this contract will involve access to, handling of and generation of classified information up to and including Top Secret and sensitive compartmented information (SCI). 6. The Contractor shall provide a wide range of research, studies, analyses, analytic and computational models, simulations, and other technical and analytical support useful for policy and program planning, and management by its Sponsors. This Contract w ill result in a completely new management and support mechanism for DHS. The NBACC will assist DHS in establishing an enduring national capability to anticipate, prevent, respond to, and recover from bioterrorist attack, and support DHS in fulfilling its responsibilities with respect to terrorist attack and major disasters involving biological threat agents. The work will be focused in three areas of need - NBACC Contract Core Support, Biological Threat Characterization and Bioforensic Analysis competenci es as mentioned herein. (a) Core Support includes the efforts of the Contractor to support DHS NBACC Program Management. It includes: Efforts associated with the required workload to consult widely with representatives from private industry, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit institutions. Efforts to exercise sound financial control over the Contractor's resources. Work on special projects to complement requirements and provide quick response analytic support. Concept formulation research, as directed by DHS as necessary to support strategic planning by providing a forward-looking perspective, which can anticipate problems and issues to preclude simply reacting to events. Submission of Quarterly Progress Reports, Technical Reports, Final Technical Reports, Monthly Quality Control and Financial Reports. (b) Biological Threat Characterization support includes: Providing biological threat awareness and characterization for the nation. Leveraging the existing National Biological Threat Characterization Program Plan and partners and leveraging dedicated program personnel to guarantee optimal program execution continuity and minimize program development redundancies. Developing a seamless program and execution transition strategy to ensure the optimal and efficient execution of the program into the new NBACC facility. Maintaining and utilizing the capability to conduct testing of aerosolized high hazard threat agents against animals, bench research on threat agents, and bioforensics analysis. Adopting, advancing and evolving the existing National Biological Threat Characterization Program, its requirements and execution strategy. (c) Bioforensic Analysis support includes: Providing a full-scale operational bioforensics capability. Developing, evaluating and validating physical and chemical analytical tools and procedures to support bioforensic casework. Conducting bioforensic research and casework. Establishing, evaluating and validating methods to identify and characterize threat agents. Establishing bioforensic reference collections for comparative identification. Establishing and maintaining third party ISO 17025 accreditation of bioforensic casework. Establishing a capability to support traditional forensic analysis within biocontainment laboratories with threat agent contaminated evidentiary samples. Maintaining the integrity of law enforcement sensitive work, meeting the evidence handling and storage standards of a crime laboratory and in a method acceptable to the lead law enforcement agency. Providing expert witness testimony to support criminal prosecutions and other attribution inquiries. Maintaining and enhancing the facilities to perform bioforensic work (coordination with appropriate Government agencies is required). These needs are expected to evolve over time, and the Contractor's capabilities and areas of concentration will evolve accordingly. 7. A Request for Proposal is planned for release 14 March 2006 with proposals due 28 April 2006. The selection decision is anticipated to be made in June 2006. 8. The complete solicitation package will be available electronically at www.usamraa.army.mil. No paper copies of the solicitation will be provided. If you experience technical difficulties with the website, please contact Lisa Zimmerman at lisa.zimmerman@amedd.army.mil or at 301-619-2012.
 

Place of Performance

Address: Fort Detrick Fort Detrick Frederick MD

Zip Code: 21702-5014

Country: US
 

Record

SN01001600-W 20060309/060307212409 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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