SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- National Organic Program Technical Reports
- Notice Date
- 3/16/2017
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Administrative Services Division/Contracting, 100 North 6TH Street, Butler Square 5TH Floor, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55403
- ZIP Code
- 55403
- Solicitation Number
- AG-6395-S-17-0089
- Archive Date
- 4/14/2017
- Point of Contact
- Leah H. Schultz, Phone: 6123363625
- E-Mail Address
-
leah.h.schultz@aphis.usda.gov
(leah.h.schultz@aphis.usda.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The USDA, Agricultural Marketing Services (AMS), National Organic Program (NOP) has a requirement for technical analysis and report development services to support the development and maintenance of the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances in Organic Agriculture. The National List identifies the synthetic substances that may be used, and the non-synthetic substances that may not be used, in organic production. It also identifies non-organic substances that may be used in organic handling. The National List is a living part of the USDA organic regulations. As required by OFPA, any person may petition substances for inclusion on or removal from the National List. The OFPA authorizes the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to evaluate these petitions, and then develop and forward recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture on proposed amendments to the National List. The technical analysis and reports produced will be used by the NOSB in its capacity to consider these substance petitions, and by the NOP, to inform National List rulemaking. NOP intends to establish a five-year Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to multiple contractors. Contractors awarded BPA's through this solicitation will subsequently compete for individual call orders. APHIS is seeking information from contractors as to their capacity to research and complete technical reports (as outlined below). We would also need to verify whether there are small business contractors capable of providing this service. The following are examples of deliverables required: Initial Assessment Technical Reports Initial Assessment Technical Report requirements will be issued when initial information about a substance is needed for an initial assessment of its characteristics. These reports will focus on answering selected key questions about a substance; the questions and the extent of the analysis to be performed would be included in the requirements. Examples of questions could include: • Determination of the legality of a substance's petitioned use under Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USDA, or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authorities for use in conventional (i.e. non-organic) production or handling. • Determination of certain "threshold issues," such as technical information to determine whether a substance is synthetic or nonsynthetic. • Questions about the most prevalent processes used to manufacture or formulate the petitioned substance, or chemical changes that may occur during manufacture or formulation of the petitioned substance when this substance is extracted from naturally occurring plant, animal, or mineral sources. Initial Assessment Technical Reports will be generally assigned a due date of 60 days after the call order is awarded. Full Evaluation Technical Reports Full Evaluation Technical Report requirements will be issued when complete information is needed to support substance evaluations. Each Full Evaluation Technical Report is to include the following: A. Background Information about the Substance: Each report is to include information about the petitioned substance, referencing published scientific information, as applicable: • Substance Identification. Chemical, trade and/or other names, CAS numbers, IUPAC number, INS numbers, and/or other codes, common names and synonyms. • Substance Characterization. Composition, properties, specific uses, approved legal uses, the action (technical function) of the substance, and combinations of the substance. • Regulatory Status. Includes historic use and status under OFPA and the NOP Final rule. Also cite EPA and/or FDA regulations, state regulations, and Codex. • Regulatory Status (Organic Standards). Cite status under other organic standards, such as IFOAM, European Union Organic Regulations, Japan Agricultural Standard, Canadian Organic Products Regulation Standard, as applicable. Also include status on the Codex Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labeling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods (GL 32-1999), if applicable. B. Responses to Evaluation Questions: Each Report is to include responses to the technical evaluation questions provided in Attachment A of this Solicitation. These questions are adapted from the OFPA substance evaluation criteria (7 U.S.C. 6517(c)(1)(A) and (B); 6517(c)(2); 6518(m)) and the NOP regulations (§ 205.600(a)). In general, these items address a substance's potential for adverse impacts on human health and the environment and its compatibility with organic agriculture. The questions may change slightly over time; the most current list of questions will always be provided as an attachment to individual calls so that contractors are clear as to what is required for that call. Many of the petitioned substances will be pesticides, animal drugs, feed or food additives regulated by the EPA and/or FDA. The EPA and FDA review and approval processes assess risks to humans, animals, and the environment, which are important considerations in organic agriculture. These risk reviews, which include hazard identifications, hazard characterizations, exposure assessments, and risk characterizations, should be consulted when available. Additional information must be compiled to evaluate all required criteria under OFPA, including the effects on the agroecosystem and biodiversity; possibility of environmental contamination during manufacture, use, misuse or disposal; alternative substances and practices to the petitioned substance; and compatibility with a system of sustainable and organic agriculture. Responses are to be based upon: • Independent peer reviewed research and regulatory publications, whenever possible. Any information derived from the petition should be verified by reputable independent sources. If the petitioned information cannot be independently verified, it must be cited as such. • Data from the petitioned substance's original review and approval process conducted under EPA or FDA regulatory authority. • Subsequent data and reports from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and established peer-reviewed scientific journals addressing, but not limited to, human health, environment, nutrition, and conventional or organic agriculture production and handling should also be incorporated. All data sources used in preparing responses are to be reliable and competent, and all references must be cited. All responses should provide a summary of pertinent findings/conclusions in the literature and indicate whether the findings/conclusions are supported by the majority of the literature. When the literature reviewed is inconclusive or disputed, the response should reflect the preponderance of the reported data and provide a summary of other conclusions. C.Responses to Additional Questions: Requirements may include additional questions that must be answered for a substance for its effective evaluation. Full Evaluation Technical Reports will be generally assigned a due date of 120 days after the call order is awarded. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541690 with a small business size standard of $14 million. The Government acknowledges that responses to this sources sought are not binding offers. The Government will not award a contract based on this Sources Sought Notice or the information received, nor will it reimburse participants for the information they provide. If you are an interested firm please provide the following information: 1) Size of business, including whether your company is a large or small business, and a point of contact; 2) DUNS number and CAGE code; 3) a brief Statement of Capability (no more than three pages) which demonstrates the ability to meet the specialized work requirements above. Include any past performance information on contracts of similar size and scope including research/writing experience on various substances. Please send your responses electronically. Please respond to this Sources Sought by Thursday, March 30, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. CT. You may send your response to the attention of Leah Schultz by email to leah.h.schultz@aphis.usda.gov. It is anticipated that solicitation AG-6395-S-17-0089 will be released in April 2017. Any questions or inquiries must be e-mailed to the Contracting Office, to the attention of Leah Schultz: leah.h.schultz@aphis.usda.gov. Requests by telephone will not be honored.
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