RFP 75A50223R00001 Amendment 3-signed.pdf

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing items 8 and 15, and returning or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUISITION NUMBER 5. PROJECT NUMBER (If applicable)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

FACILITY CODE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended. is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER

NUMBER IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15C. DATE SIGNED

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

PAGE OF PAGES

6. ISSUED BY CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (X)

CODE

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

Previous edition unusable

RFP 75A50223R00001, Amendment 3, 01/27/2023 Page 2 of 4

This amendment answers questions received regarding solicitation RFP 75A50223R00001

Questions and Answers:

1. Question: In RE: page 31 the proposal states: “1. Demonstration of capability to expand current US-based manufacturing capacity (minimally 150,000 metric tons annually) for medical-grade MMF” Am I correct in assuming that the “150,000 ton/year annual capacity” is the proposer’s current manufacturing capacity? Not the proposed expanded capacity?

Answer: The request is for expansion of current capacity by at least 150Kt/year, meaning that’s the minimum capacity.

2. Question: Is the 150,000 t/y capacity a requirement? Or a preferred standard?

Answer: This is a requirement, please see section M.2 of the RFP for the list of mandatory criteria.

3. Question: Is there a requirement to purchase manufacturing equipment from a US owned company?

Answer: There is no requirement, but the Government is requesting Offerors “propose a comprehensive capacity/capability operating and sustainment plan that, at minimum, includes the following:

a. Strategy to source all raw materials, supplies, and reagents required for MMF production which relies on domestic sources to the extent feasible.

b. Strategy to recruit, train, and maintain a skilled workforce.

c. A regulatory plan to ensure that the newly established MMF manufacturing capacity meets all US

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements and guidelines for MMF to be used in production of PPE.

d. A comprehensive project plan to ensure planning, permits, execution, and follow through required to obtain any and all required certifications and validations of the MMF manufacturing capacity and ensure that all work performed is in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.

e. Plans to ensure, maintain, operate, and service all equipment and tooling acquired by the Offeror to produce MMF.

4. Question: Is this proposal limited to companies under 1000 employees?

Answer: No.

5. Question: May we check with you to ensure the suggested file limit size is only 2MB as recited in the RFP, or was that a typo? Typically, email file limitations are around 20MB +/-. Would you kindly verify the file size limitation for the Proposals?

Answer: The RFP recommended that offerors limit email submissions to 2MB. If submissions are going to exceed this size, it is recommended that offerors submit them as clearly titled and numbered separate emails or as a zip file.

RFP 75A50223R00001, Amendment 3, 01/27/2023 Page 3 of 4

6. Question: The RFP states on page 38: “Offeror must propose a minimum manufacturing scale of at least 150,000 metric tons per year.” The largest spun bond – melt blown nonwovens line available today (Reifenhauser R5 SSMMMMSS line) can produce up to 40,000 tons / year. This means the proposal must include at least 4 of these machines. This would be a very large project for even the largest nonwoven company in the US. If there are no proposals for a 150,000 ton/year project, will you make awards to multiple proposers that total 150,000 tons / year?

Answer: The Government understands the challenges that are outlined. Please note the intent of this RFP is to solicit ideas from industry on how we shift the market such that US manufactured MMF becomes more globally competitive. The RFP is written to not only to expand the current capacity and increase US manufactured MMF but also meet the minimum requirement needs to shift the current market constraints,. As noted in the RFP, market research indicates that a large scale (greater than 150,000 metric tons per year), modern, automated and continuous vertically integrated polymerization line will be key to ensuring cost competitiveness with foreign suppliers. Additionally as stated in the solicitation, “Offerors may consider R&D to develop innovative capabilities to the MMF that offer enhanced quality, including but not limited to biodegradability; coupling MMF production with assembly into final PPE product; product improvements to the scale or process that result in manufacturing optimization and cost efficiencies; changes to market factors that improve the products competitiveness” but we hope Offerors are not limited by these ideas and we will consider all well-developed approaches. The Government is seeking proposals that offer innovative approaches to not only improve on manufacturing scale but also innovative approaches to integrate this new product into a constrained market making it more sustainable.

7. Question: We believe an extra 60 days is required to submit a proposal of this scale addressing all requirements and award considerations requested (Issued: Dec 19, 2022 – Responses due: Feb 3, 2023), unless all the pre-solicitation work had already been completed. Unless the Solicitation is amended to address these concerns, the Solicitation will not meet Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) competition requirements.

Answer: Please be advised this is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6 in conjunction with FAR Part 15. The proposal submission requested response time follows FAR 12.603 and FAR 5.203.

8. Question: The Solicitation states that offerors who cannot meet the 150 KT/yr. total requirement will be eliminated from the competition. That mandatory requirement was also re-affirmed on the Q&A responses. That term is unduly restrictive, exceeds the agency’s minimum needs, imposes commercially impractical requirements, and is otherwise anti-competitive and contrary to the FAR.

Answer: The Government understands the current market constraints. The intent of this RFP is to solicit ideas from industry on how we shift the market such that US manufactured MMF becomes more globally competitive. The RFP is written to not only to expand the current capacity and increase US manufactured MMF but also meet the minimum requirement needs to shift the current market constraints. Specifically, we hope to receive proposals that offer innovative approaches to not only improve on manufacturing scale but also innovative approaches to integrate new product into a constrained market, as you note. As highlighted in the RFP, “Offerors may consider R&D to develop innovative capabilities to the MMF that offer enhanced quality, including but not limited to biodegradability; coupling MMF production with assembly into final PPE product; product

RFP 75A50223R00001, Amendment 3, 01/27/2023 Page 4 of 4 improvements to the scale or process that result in manufacturing optimization and cost efficiencies;

changes to market factors that improve the products competitiveness”.

While the Government is open to all creative approaches, given this focus on market sustainment, the offerors must meet the minimum required criteria in section M.2 to be considered

9. Question: We are requesting an additional 60-day extension beyond Feb 3rd to ensure offerors have a reasonable opportunity to respond to the agency requirements.

Answer: The proposal submission deadline is unchanged and remains as February 3, 2023, at 3:00

PM ET.

Purpose: This Amendment 2 is to answer offerors' questions.

The due date for proposal submission is unchanged and remains as February 3, 2023, at 3:00 PM ET.

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