Vector-borne Disease Agent Surveillance Research & Development in External Proficiency Testing

The contract solicitation HT942626RE023, issued by the Defense Health Agency under the Department of Defense, seeks a Firm-Fixed Price award for research, development, and validation of field-expedient external proficiency testing procedures to detect pathogens in arthropods such as mosquitoes using non-infectious agents. The work is scoped under the title Vector-borne Disease Agent Surveillance Research & Development in External Proficiency Testing and is governed by a Performance Work Statement and Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan, both attached to the solicitation. The contract has a 12-month period of performance from September 30, 2026, to September 29, 2027, with a kickoff meeting required within 15 calendar days of award. Deliverables include a draft and final written manual for safe external proficiency testing, a validation report documenting accuracy, precision, analytical sensitivity, and specificity, and a results package demonstrating statistically valid data from at least 60 samples. The solicitation is not a set-aside and utilizes NAICS code 541714 for biotechnology research and development. All work is classified as unclassified but involves handling of Controlled Unclassified Information, and the Government requires unlimited rights to all data and deliverables produced, with contractors prohibited from asserting limited or restricted rights without prior written approval. Proposals must be submitted electronically by June 16, 2026, to Benjamin Marcus at the designated email address, formatted in Microsoft Word, Excel, or searchable PDF with no zip files permitted. Offers must be organized into two volumes: Volume I, limited to 10 pages, detailing technical approach, expertise in external quality assurance, quality control measures, sourcing strategy, and schedule compliance; and Volume II, with no page limit, presenting unit and total prices for the single contract line item. Evaluation is based on pass/fail gates for Technical Capabilities, requiring at least an Acceptable rating, and Price Reasonableness, requiring a complete and reasonable total proposed price; awards will be made to the most advantageous offer without exchanges. Contractors must comply with multiple FAR and DFARS clauses including those on SAM maintenance, prohibition on inverted domestic corporations, electronic payment submissions via WAWF, and restrictions on covered defense telecommunications equipment. Payment instructions are tailored to WAWF with specific voucher types required based on line item structure, and the Contracting Officer’s Representative will oversee performance using the QASP, which also integrates compliance with anti-trafficking requirements. Offer