The Joint Project Manager's Office for Collective Protection (JPMO-CP), a project office within the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense (JPEO-CBD), is requesting information on new and innovative technologies currently available for evaluation for various collective protection (CP) acquisition programs and activities. The list of CP efforts, including CP integration into various platforms, includes the Joint Expeditionary Collective Protection program (JECP), the Joint Collective Protection Equipment program (JCPE), the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle program (EFV), the Future Combat System program (FCS), the Littoral Combat Ship program (LCS), and various fixed site CP programs. The Government's intent is to evaluate selected technologies and utilize the results to advance our systems to better meet warfighter needs. Smaller, lighter equipment needing less logistics support has been identified as critical warfighter requirements. Additionally, CP systems must address the broad chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) threat spectrum, which includes traditional and non-traditional chemical and biological warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals (TICs). To meet these objectives, the program office is seeking technologies that can provide significantly enhanced capabilities over currently fielded systems. Specific capability improvements sought include reduced system and component footprint, volume, and weight; reduced power consumption, increased protection performance against chemical (including TICs), biological, and radiological contaminants; reduced setup and tear down requirements (time, manpower, equipment resources); increased personnel entry and exit rate to and from a toxic free area (TFA); and reduced logistic support measures (increased service life, service life indications, reduced maintenance, etc.). Products and technologies being sought include, but are not limited to, novel and alternative air purification processes, new and improved chemical adsorbent and particulate filtration media (including regenerative strategies) that can be integrated into existing single pass CBR filter assemblies, CBR barrier materials for use as CBR resistant tentage, liners or other enclosure systems that can provide a TFA, quick implementation collective protection equipment and processes, advanced contamination control area and airlock technologies that integrate current decontamination processes, and complete packaged collective protection solutions. Proven mature technologies or unique integration of existing systems that can address any of these capability enhancement areas are being sought for evaluation. Beginning with this sources sought announcement, the government will collect information from interested parties, first in the form of a brief technology overview followed by a detailed white paper. Based on the detailed white papers, selected technologies will be briefed in-person. A final down select will occur to identify those technologies to participate in the ColPro Technology Readiness Evaluation (TRE) event to be start in late summer of 2005. The submitters of these select technologies will receive the TRE reports and technology readiness level (TRL) designations for their submissions only. Under the ColPro TRE program, the DoD will only fund the testing and evaluation deemed necessary to meet the objectives of the ColPro TRE. The cost of the submitted equipment/technology any associated development effort! s, and any unique test preparation will be at the expense of the submitter or other government funded program. Equipment provided to the DoD TRE program may be retained for disposal by the Government following test and evaluation if it is determined that the equipment presents a hazard due to live agent testing conducted as a part of the TRE. All travel and shipping costs including return shipping will be paid by the vendor. The project office is seeking mature technologies. These are technologies that have demonstrated through experimentation and prototyping, the basic scientific principles behind the technology, the technology concept, and the ability to scale up for the needed application. The ColPro TRE testing will be developed to provide a TRL assessment of six (6) or above. TRL six (6) is defined as a system prototype demonstrated in a relevant environment while TRL seven (7) is defined as a system prototype demonstrated in an actual environment. Therefore, prototyped or fully developed products are required for the technology to receive full consideration for ColPro TRE participation. Technologies that provide solutions for multiple areas will be valued higher than those addressing only specific issues. Additionally, technologies that will introduce significant logistic support measures for fielded operations will be avoided. To submit a technology or integration approach, interested parties should submit a brief expression of interest with an overview of the technology by email no later than 15 January 2005 using the email address:
contact@example.gov. This submission should be no longer than two (2) pages of the standard 8.5 by 11 sheet size. Detailed white papers will be due in March 2005. The white paper format, content, and submission details, and exact due dates will be published via an update to this announcement in early January 2005. Notionally, the white paper should detail the technology concept, proposed benefits and capability enhancements, experimental data, development history and status, and technology maturity level (i.e., notional concept, breadboard/lab setup, demonstration prototype, off-the-shelf, etc.). Participants should consider the nature of the threats, the environment and application of the technology, and the concept of operations to be used with the technol! ogy. It is also critical for the submitter to discuss and defend the stated maturity level of the technology. After evaluating the detailed white paper submissions, the project office will request in-person technical briefings from selected submitters. The final ColPro TRE event participants will then be chosen. Selected participants for the ColPro TRE event will be notified in Spring 2005. The intent is to select proven, mature, and applicable technologies that are immediately ready for evaluation. THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO AWARD A CONTRACT ON THE BASIS OF THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION OR OTHERWISE PAY FOR THE INFORMATION SOLICITED. EXPRESSION OF INTEREST: Submit a brief expression of interest with an overview of the technology via email no later than 15 January 2005 to the email address:
contact@example.gov. DETAILED WHITE PAPER SUBMISSIONS: Detailed white papers will be due in March 2005. The white paper format details and exact due dates will be published via an update to this announcement in early January 2005. QUESTIONS: All questions and comments should be emailed to
contact@example.gov. Responses to inquiries will be made through reply emails within two business days. For more information on the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical Biological Defense and the Joint Project Manager's Office for Collective Protection, please use the JPEO-CBD website at www.jpeocbd.osd.mil.
