Program Announcement: JPEO-CBRND & BARDA Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO)

Program Announcement: JPEO-CBRND & BARDA Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO)Contracting Office: U.S. Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground, Natick Division (ACC-APG-Natick) Program Office: Joint Program Executive Office - Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) This is a Program Announcement for an upcoming Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) by the U.S. Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground, Natick Division (ACC-APG-Natick) on behalf of Joint Program Executive Office - Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). This CSO is being prepared in support of Operation Warp Speed in response to the Corona Virus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic for domestic aseptic fill and finish manufacturing capacity. BARDA has a current Area of Interest (AoI) to identify and procure US domestic aseptic fill and finish manufacturing capacity for critical vaccines and therapeutics in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure uninterrupted supply throughout the COVID-19 campaign. Identifying and procuring this need is imperative as BARDA-sponsored product developers and manufacturers may not have timely access to this capacity for COVID-19 response. To that end, the government intends to reserve domestic aseptic fill and finish manufacturing capacity for critical vaccines and therapeutics. The reserved capacity shall include unallocated production slots at the specific Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) facilities that could be secured for future government use. Included in the - capacity are the costs associated with facilities and equipment usage for a given production slot, labor, materials as well as support services necessary to fill and release a standard batch fill. The reservation shall exclude the performance of any work within the reserved capacity without explicit, written approval from the government. The anticipated COVID-19 vaccine fill finish CSO will utilize a solicitation process authorized by Section 879 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017 (Pub. L. 114-328) and implemented through DFARS Deviation 2018-O0016. CSO's allow DoD to competitively procure innovative commercial items, technologies, and services. CSO procedures provide a streamlined acquisition process and simplified contract terms resulting in FAR-based contracts awarded under Part 12 Commercial Item Procedures. Both traditional and non-traditional defense contractors may be awarded contracts under this CSO. Under a CSO DoD contracting officers may competitively select proposals received in response to a general competitive solicitation, similar to a broad agency announcement, based on a review of proposals by scientific, technological, or other subject matter experts. ACC-APG-Natick intends to seek proposals for innovative, commercial products, commercial technologies and services or adaptations/modifications of existing commercial product technologies and services to manufacture products used to combat the current COVID-19 pandemic, as well as address future pandemics or medical emergencies. ACC-APG-Natick intends to post the CSO solicitation with a specific project or technical AoI. This is advance notice of the CSO posting and the first technical AoI opportunity posting for the COVID-19 fill and finish capacity requirement. The CSO solicitation process is anticipated to include a multi-phased solicitation and evaluation approach: Phase 1 - Submission of the Written Solution Brief (if applicable), Phase 2 - Oral Presentation (if applicable), and Phase 3 - Request for Proposal. A CSO is considered a competitive process, intended to ensure that competitive procedures are used to the maximum extent practicable. Interested parties are highly encouraged to visit beta.sam.gov regularly for updates and new postings regarding this CSO, projects and AoI's. Specific projects and technical areas of interest will be posted via Opportunity Notices on the website and may be updated at any time. Interested parties are hereby advised of the following: An industry Q&A will be available from 18 June - 23 June. Potential offerors are encouraged to post questions related to the CSO and the current domestic fill and finish capacity AoI. Potential offerors shall submit their questions to Contracting Officer Sean Auld and Procurement Analyst Maria Dunton at sean.g.auld.civ@mail.mil and maria.c.dunton.civ@mail.mil no later than 1200 on 23 June 2020. A summary of the Q&A will be available on 25 June 2020. The official CSO is expected to be posted no later than 29 June 2020. Solicitation for solution briefs, oral presentations and requests for proposals are not a guarantee that award and obligation of funds will be made. The costs incurred by companies in the preparation and submission of their solution briefs, oral presentations and requests for proposals in response to solicitations will not be paid by the government and are not allowable as a direct charge to any government contract. B. Current Opportunities There are no open solicitations as a result of this posting.