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contact@example.gov. The U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) is sponsoring a Technology Readiness Evaluation (TRE 06-01) of advanced technologies to dete ct biological agents in water. A TRE test is planned in the third quarter of FY 2006 at a Bio Safety Level 3 (BSL 3) laboratory. Vendors with a proven system that has demonstrated the capability to detect biological agents in various water sources are en couraged to respond to this opportunity (As a minimum, the submitted technology/system must be able to detect Ricin and Anthrax in the two water sources described below). Companies outside the United States are welcome to submit proposals. Plans are underway to conduct the biological detection TRE in two phases. Phase I of TRE 06-01 will consist of a review of white paper proposals (Due on March 20, 2006) followed by a determination of eligibility of water monitoring systems to proceed and participate in the Phase II test program. Selected vendors will be notifie d in March 2006 and shall be prepared to make a technical presentation of their technology in April 2006 (Industry Days). Vendors will be required to present their system to a Government panel one-on-one and no other vendors will be present. Information provided by vendors will be safeguarded. 1. Presentations will be prepared using Microsoft Power Point, 10 paper copies and an electronic copy of the presentation shall be provided to the review panel prior to the start of the briefing. The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, RDECOM TRE Team will coordinate the schedule of vendor presentations and location (TBD) and provide notification to vendors. 2. White paper proposal organization and content are as follow: System Nomenclature/Title, Detailed System Description, Technology Employed, Agents of Biological Origin Detected, Limits of Detection, Interference Rejection Capability, Physical Propertie s, Power Requirements, Procedures for System Operations and Safety Precautions, Auxiliary Support Equipment (if any), Performance Test Data (including test reports), Commercial Applications of System and Logistical Requirements. Provide information on any unique test procedures, equipment, or facilities required for operation of your system. The white paper proposal shall not exceed 10 pages, excluding any supporting data and test reports attached as appendices to the white paper. 3. In addition to the white paper submission, a separate one page summary of the components is required that will potentially be exposed to biological agents during testing and the cost of replacement for these components. Also provide the replacement c ost of the entire system that potentially may be exposed to Biological Warfare Agents (BWA). To be responsive to this announcement, developers/sponsors must supply their proposal in hardcopy and a CD-ROM copy to U.S. Army Research, Development and Enginee ring Command (RDECOM), 5183 Blackhawk Road ATTN: AMSRD-ECB-RT-DE (Daniel M. Nowak), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010, no later than close of business 20 March 2006. Email submissions will be accepted in addition, but not in place of the written submissi ons. Vendors are asked to provide an electronic photo of their system not imbedded in the white paper, but concurrent with the white paper proposals on the CD-ROM. Commercial applications of vendor hardware should be revealed as well. Request vendors in dicate the name of the Point of Contact (POC) for your company, as well as the telephone number, FAX number, email and complete mailing address. 4. Proposals received will be considered proprietary and will be protected. B. Phase II is a two part laboratory test of the hardware technology of down-selected vendors to meet performance criteria using daily prepared liquid samples diluted in either a formulated tap water or reverse osmosis water. 1. Phase II (Part 1) testi ng will be conducted in a BSL 1 or 2 facility and will consist of daily prepared samples of killed, Bacillius anthracis, Ricin, Staphyococcus Enterotoxin B (SEB), and a non traditional biological agent found in water. The samples will be in formulated tap water and reverse osmosis water, chlorinated and nonchlorinated. Three approximate concentration levels ranging from 10 to the power of three to 10 to the power of five cfu/ml, or ng/ml are planned. (a.) Vendors will be notified when and where to submit a written request for Government Furnished Materials consisting of antibodies and antigens listed above. (b.) The tests will be conducted in a Biological Safety Laboratory (BSL) 2 level facility in order to down select the most promising technologies to proceed to Part 2 testing with live agents. The Government will provide notification to vendors down sel ected. Vendors will have a technical representative on call to be contacted in the event of equipment problems that are in need of repair. 2. Phase II Part 2 testing will be conducted in a BSL 3 and will consist of three (3) each Biological Warfare Agents (BWA) and one non-traditional biological agent. (a.) The test samples will be a biological agent with or without interferents in chlorinated or nonchlorinated water and blanks. The water sources will be either a formulated tap water or reverse osmosis water. (b.) The concentration range of the BWA test samples will be tailored and range from 10 to the power of three to 10 to the power of five cfu/ml or ng/ml. The water source may or may not contain chlorine. (c.) Participating vendors technology and their equipment will be evaluated primarily based on the performance of their system to detect all samples presented with minimal false positive and false negative responses recorded. (d.) Vendors are advised that the Government does not warrant that all components of a vendors system will be 100 percent decontaminated. Therefore, those components or systems not decontaminated 100 percent will be retained and destroyed by the labora tory. The Government will prepare and provide certification of destruction to each vendor. Prior to the start of the Phase II (Part 2) testing, compensation will be negotiated in the event partial or 100 percent of vendors equipment is to be destroyed. (e.) Since the government will be conducting the testing in a BL3 laboratory, vendors will be required to provide training and equipment manuals on the operation of their system as part of their submission and is a condition for participation in Phase II t esting. The U.S. Army is under no obligation to select any participating technologies. TRE 06-01 will offer participants an opportunity to obtain unique performance data that will be shared with each vendor privately and can be used in their development work. The U.S. Army will take the necessary precautions to safeguard vendors proprietary information provided as part of this evaluation. The U.S. Army is not responsible for any costs (other than pre-negotiated costs for replacement of contaminated components or items) incurred by the participants as a result of participating in this TRE. 3. SUMMARY OF DELIVERABLES: White papers due on 20 March 2006 Format is Microsoft Word, 12 point, Times New Roman font Additional documents: Photos of System, Name of Vendor and Point of Contact Information, Unique Testing and Facility Requirements Mail To: U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM), 5183 Blackhawk Road, Attention: AMSRD-ECB-RT-DE (Daniel M. Nowak) Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS White Paper Submission Invitation to Industry Day Invitation to Phase II , Part 1 Tests Downselect Notification to Phase II, Part 2 Tests Summary Report of Contractor Test Results (Restricted to each contractor receiving test results of their system only) Email your questions, if preferred, directly to the U.S. Army RDECOM T echnology Readiness Evaluation Team, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The addresses are
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