RFQ 20149565 questions and Responses Amendment 1.pdf

Question Number Reference Question Response

They are looking essentially to purchase our methods, IP and DB under license, is that correct?

Yes. Within the category of “methods”, this would include laboratory methods, statistical methods, and any other information necessary to perform the analysis of cotton for origin.

Am I correct in stating that they want us to run the stats and report the results, but they want to be able to see all the data and do it themselves too?

Only the latter, under normal circumstances. We require access to the statistical models in order to run them ourselves and intend to minimize your involvement in the overall analysis. The contractor will not need to issue a report, as the data interpretation will be performed in-house. Under normal circumstances, the process would be for isotope ratios to be determined in-house (with proper controls, etc). Those data would be analysed using the statistical algorithms developed by the Contractor, accessed via a web-interface or similar, to provide origin results as a probability or similarity score or similar measure directly. No Contractor personnel would be involved in the day-to-day analytical process.

Would the client be willing provide their reference profiles which we combine with our reference dataset? We would then develop bespoke methods for them and their data (which we can share). They would retain full ownership of their data and we retain full ownership of ours. We can then share the test methodology of their test with them.

The contractor must be able to meet the requirements of the SOW without any transfer of reference profiles.

I understand they want to undertake their own testing, but we would need to be sure of the methods. We would need to share some screening testing IP with them to check the sample is just cotton.

Any processes required to ensure that results from in-house testing conform to Contractor’s standards would be necessary to implement. As this contract includes all laboratory methods, it would be our intention to use Contractor’s laboratory methods directly.

Do they want us to share our IP on methodologies?

All IP necessary to perform the testing from start to finish would be required. We are licensing methods and reference db access, not necessarily methodologies, depending on how the term is being used. Although some insight into methodology may be required, especially to evaluate the Contractor’s capabilities, we are primarily interested in methods and do not require full access to methodological development and decisions. In some cases, explanation of methodology may be necessary to understand how/why certain method choices were made, but we are not requesting transfer of IP leading to validated method development, l h lid d h d h l

They are only using SIRA. We use a combination of methods. Is this OK?

That’s fine. Although you are using a combination of methods, the subject of this contract is only the SIRA methods. Note: if your statistical analyses comprise data from both SIRA and other methods simultaneously in order to reach a decision, we require methods that do not include these other approaches, as only SIRA-related analytical and statistical methods are being proposed in this contract

This is a declarative statement not a question and not included in this amendment

Original Date Offers Due: Jan 10, 2025, 10:00 am EST

Question: Is the date: Jan 10, 2025, 10:00 am EST, a typo and should it read:

Feb 10, 2025, 10:00 am EST?

Correct Feburary 10, 2025

1.4 PERIOD OF

PERFORMANCE Can you clarify if the base is 1 year, and the optional period is 6 months?

The base is one year, the option period is six months.

Base Period: February 17, 2025, through February 16, Question: Can we bid Optional CLINs? For example, if CBP has an outage and cannot process physical samples, would optional CLINs be added to purchase samples?

Yes, the requirement has been added at the end of Task 1 – Statistical analysis and relevant IP licensing and is highlighted. See the attached revised SOW.

RFQ Section 1.10. Does Volume 2, Factor 2 – Technical Approach

Question: RFQ Section 1.10. Does Volume 2, Factor 2 – Technical Approach have a page limit?

Please refer to the RFQ for limitations.

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