B -- SPECIAL NOTICE - RE-EXAMINE THE DIETARY REFERENCE INSTAKES FOR FOOD ENERGY

The United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plans to enter into a sole source contract with Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. to re-examine the dietary reference intakes for food energy, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin E, fiber, and potassium. This contract stems from an unsolicited proposal submitted by Mathematica Policy Research, which identified unexpected findings in recent studies of nutrient adequacy—a topic of growing importance due to its potential impact on food assistance program design and evaluation. Given the proprietary nature of the proposal, ARS has determined that a competitive award is not feasible, and thus this contract will be negotiated directly. The contract is expected to last approximately seven months, with the award anticipated around December 9, 2005. Though not a solicitation for competitive proposals, ARS requests any relevant information be submitted via email by 3:30 PM EST on November 14, 2005. The contract will be managed through ARS’s office in Beltsville, Maryland, with Linda M. Fischer serving as the contract specialist. The work involves a technical assessment and analysis that will inform the Department's understanding of nutrient adequacy as it relates to public health and nutrition programs.