THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS FOR WRITTEN INFORMATION ONLY. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW), Technical Support Center (TSC) requires contractor support for analytical laboratory services in conjunction with implementation of the third cycle of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR3). EPA is responsible for investigating chemical, radiological and microbiological contaminant occurrence in an effort to characterize drinking water threats. EPA relies on independent research efforts (e.g., United States Geological Survey [USGS] studies) and is heavily engaged in conducting occurrence studies to obtain new data. The largest occurrence study is the monitoring program mandated by the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR). The UCMR is a 5-year cyclic monitoring program that allows OGWDW to evaluate contaminant occurrence in finished drinking water. The anticipated strategy is to select the key contaminants indentified as occurrence priorities, which when combined with health effects data and available drinking water treatment technologies enable EPA to establish National Primary Drinking Water Standards (NPDWS) and maximize protection of public health. Tasks anticipated under this procurement may support the Assessment, Screening, and/or Pre-Screen elements of the UCMR. Tasks will include support in the following areas: 1. Conducting laboratory analyses, following all required QC using methods promulgated for UCMR3. An interested small business laboratory will need to have EPA Laboratory Approval for List 1 Assessment Monitoring methods (EPA Methods 200.8, 300.1, 524.3, 522, 537, 539 and 218.7). 2. Providing logistical support by logging, receiving, confirming appropriate preservation, and sorting field samples received at their laboratory in support of this contract. 3. Reporting results in a timely manner using an EPA specified electronic format.4. Preparing monthly reports indentifying any problems encountered as well as the status of the work completed and on-going analyses. To ensure sufficient laboratory capacity, it is anticipated that this requirement will be met through multiple-award, indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity type services contracts. The contracts will be fixed rate for each Method Analysis. The anticipated contracts will have an ordering period of five years. Over the five year multiple award ordering period, EPA estimates a sum total of approximately 74,880 sample analysis will be ordered for EPA Methods 200.8, 300.1, 524.3, 522, 537, 539 and 218.7 during the three year monitoring period for UCMR3. Specific task orders will be competed among the laboratories awarded these contracts. These task orders will specify one or more of the following tasks to be completed using one or more analytical methods. In response to a written task order, the successful offeror (s) shall be responsible for all activities relating to sample receipt, conducting the analyses and reporting results in support of the UCMR. Under another existing EPA contract vehicle, EPA will coordinate the preparation of the sampling kits and the collection of the samples. To reiterate, laboratories will not be responsible for sample shipping costs, unless these shipping costs are the direct result of chronic sample recollection due to gross laboratory negligence or incompetence. Interested parties need to recognize that it will need to have EPA approval for List 1 Assessment Monitoring methods. To attain EPA approval, UCMR3 laboratory application (s) must be complete without unresolved deficiencies and firms must have passed an EPA offered proficiency testing (PT) study for each of the respective methods. For more information regarding the Laboratory Approval reference the Special Notice posted on 11/28/11 at http://www.epa.gov/oamcinc1/announcement/coverpg.htm. All interested parties are hereby invited to submit a capability statement of no more than fifteen (15) pages, and no smaller than 12 point font. The Government will evaluate each capability statement based on the interested party?s demonstrated qualifications, capabilities, expertise, experience, and past performance in each of the areas included in Draft Performance Work Statement. Interested parties should describe their ability to provide all necessary labor, materials, services, equipment, and facilities to support the tasked analytical services included in the draft Performance Work Statement. The applicable NAICS code for this requirement is 541380 with a size standard of $12 million. The projected start date is September 11, 2012. The solicitation is expected to be posted to the internet on or about March 21, 2012, as Solicitation Number SOL-CI-12-00020 and can be accessed through the direct link http://www.epa.gov/oam/cinn_cmd/. Interested parties should provide their size status for the above referenced NAICS code, (i.e. large, small) and whether or not they are a certified hubzone, 8(a), women-owned, small disadvantaged and/or disabled veteran owned concern. As a reminder, small businesses are required to perform at least 50 percent of the costs of the contract performance with their own personnel (FAR 52.219-14). The EPA reserves the right to set this action aside for small businesses. Responses to the above should be submitted to (Katie Rechenberg, USEPA, 26 West Martin Luther King Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45268, or
contact@example.gov) no later than 15 calendar days from date of posting. A separate synopsis will be issued for the Request for Proposal (RFP) resulting from this sources source synopsis.
