Dahlgren Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, 17320 Dahlgren Road, Dahlgren, VA 22448-5100

68 -- SYNTHETIC SPIDER SILK SOL N00178-98-Q-3002 DUE 030998 POC J.E. Thomson, Contracting Officer, (540)653-7765 WEB: Dahlgren Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, http://www/nswc.navy.mil/supply. E-MAIL: Dahlgren Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, jpilker@nswc.navy.mil. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren Laboratory Procurement Division is implementing Electronic Commerce (EC) in the acquisition area, therefore synopsis and resulting solicitations with any applicable amendments will be available on the World Wide Web at http://www.nswc.navy.mil/supply under Procurement Division or at http://proc_div.nswc.navy.mil/. After 1 October 1997, solicitations and amendments will only be available at the above Web sites. Hard copies WILL NOT be provided. Vendors should regularly access the NSWCDD Web site to ensure that they have downloaded all amendments. For solicitations issued after 31 March 1998, DOD will no longer award contracts to contractors not registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) data base. Registration may be done by assessing the CCR Web site at http://www.acq.osd.mil/ec. Registration may be done via dial up modem at (614) 692-6788 (User ID: ccrpub; Password: pub2ccri). Any certified value added network (VAN)can be used for registration. A paper registration form may be obtained from the DOD Electronic Commerce Information Center at 1(800)334-3414. Scientists have created a synthetic spider silk fiber as a model for a new generation of advanced materials. Using recombinant DNA technology, a broad range of mechanical properties is accessible by careful selection of fiber polymer sequence and chain length. The Government has been working closely with military end users to identify the desired properties of a field usable entanglement material. The unique combination of strength and stretch of a new fiber can increase the effectiveness of an entanglement with the added benefit of decreased size and weight. Other uses may include replacing kevlar body armor with a material woven from a new synthetic spider silk fiber. To support this work, the Government is seeking commercial sources to produce field testable quantities of a synthetic spider silk fiber material whose mechanical properties can be chemically tailored to meet specific military user requirements which include but are not limited to tensile strength, elasticity, dispensing methods, storage conditions, clean-up procedures, etc. Interested sources are encouraged to submit the following information to the Government NLT 30 days from the date this notice is published in the CBD: Company name, Address, Point of contact and Telephone Number, Description of the Synthetic Materials Manufacturing Capability (include estimated range of fiber mechanical properties of product) for both field testable quantities and scaled up production (include cost estimates per quantity of fiber product manufactured), and any Brochures/Literature. This is a Sources Sought announcement only, and not a Request for Proposals (RFP) or an announcement of a solicitation. Respondents who submit proprietary data shall clearly mark the data with appropriate markings. The Government will not pay for any materials provided to it in response to this synopsis. Submittals provided in response to this synopsis will not be returned to the sender. Send responses to the following address: Commanding Officer, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Code SD13/J.E. Thomson, 17320 Dahlgren Road, Dahlgren Virginia 22448-5100 or via e-mail: jethoms@nswc.navy.mil. (0037)

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