SURVIVABILITY DIRECTORATE, US ARMY NATICK RD&E CENTER, ATTN: SSCNC-IC, NATICK MA 01760-5019

99 -- QUALIFICATION TEST INFORMATION -- POTENTIAL SOURCES SOUGHT -- JOINT SERVICE LIGHTWEIGHT INTEGRATED SUIT TECHNOLOGY, PRE-PLANNED PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT (JSLISTP3I) SOL W13G07-CBD7-0038 POC Program Director, Marie Jean-Pierre (508) 233-5465 (Site Code DAAK60) U.S. Army Soldier Systems Command is conducting a Market Survey for the JSLIST P3I program to identify firms with the capability of manufacturing the next generation of chemical protective (CP) materials for clothing items, to include garments, gloves and socks. The goal of the JSLIST P3I program is to initiate a qualification list for chemical protective gloves, socks and material technologies for garments for placement on a list for future procurement of the items. Clothing items of interest for the P3I program are overgarments or duty uniforms durable for 7, 30, and 60 days, an undergarment durable for 7 days, two types of gloves durable for 30 days, one for general field use and a second for use with operational equipment (e.g., aircraft, tanks, vehicles, computers, etc.), and socks durable for 30 days. The garments will be constructed using the base design for the JSLIST fielded garment with minor modification as necessary for improvement. Gloves and socks are to be submitted in the manufacturer'sown design. Firms interested in participating in this program must request an information packet. The request for information packages must be submitted to Ms. Marie Jean-Pierre by mail or facsimile, c/o U.S. Army Natick Research, Development and Engineering Center, Kansas Street, Natick, MA 01760-5019, FAX No. (508) 233-5660. The packet will contain as a minimum, the following: program description, performance and test criteria, ranking process, schedule, and manufacturers submission requirements. The deliverables include 15 yards of composite (i.e., one or more layers of material possessing all the characteristics necessary for fabrication of protective suits or gloves), including a seamed sample. The outermost layer of the composite materials for garments must be in the U.S. Army Woodland Camouflage printed pattern. Manufacturers submitting fabrics for socks and gloves are also required to furnish 18 pairs of gloves and 20 pairs of socks. Phase I of the JSLIST P3I effort will consist of two different screening periods beginning 12 weeks apart. Each screening period will last eight weeks. Interested firms must submit deliverables within sixty (60) days of the date of this announcement to participate in the first screening period. A Technical Panel (TP) will be appointed to review the submitted data/material from each offeror and determine whether the submission is a conventional (carbon adsorbent technology) or non-conventional material. If deemed to be a non-conventional CP technology, the submitted material may be tested by special non-standard tests specified by the TP in cooperation with the submitter. All materials received will then be tested by the Government in the first screening phase. Submittors will be kept apprised of test results throughout the testing cycle. A second opportunity to submit new materials will occur 150 days after the date of this announcement. At this time, previous submittors whose materials did not meet all critical test criteria in the first screening test phase have a second chance to make small improvements to their materials and resubmit for testing in the second screening phase. Submitted materials will undergo a series of laboratory tests, or gates, the resulting data evaluated against critical test criteria, with successful candidates advancing to the ranking process. A limited number of candidates for each garment type, gloves, and socks will be downselected based on performance, funds and schedule constraints, and these items will advance to Phase II of the program which will be a field test. Industry participation and submissions during Phase I will be at no cost to the Government. During Phase II of the program, the Government will issue purchase orders to the successful Phase I submittors to order test items for the field evaluation. Thus, material developers will need to team with garment manufacturers to produce the garments. The test items will be used in a limited wear test and evaluation which will result in a final downselection of the P3I candidate materials, gloves and socks, and listing of these candidates on a Qualified List followed by inserting the JSLIST P3I technologies into the scheduled JSLIST production buys. The Government requires responses to this Market Survey within 30 Calendar Days after publication in the Commerce Business Daily. This notice is for informational purposes only, reference Market Research number above when responding. No solicitation document exists. Successful completion of this program is based on availability of sufficient program funds. (0175)

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