NFFS75002201615 Statement of Need RFQ.docx

Statement of Need

Background:

The NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) has a requirement for Coronavirus (COVID-19) self-administered antigen testing for staff participating in field surveys and other work-related travel. The AFSC requires multiple COVID-19 antigen tests per individual to enable several field activities which directly support the AFSC mission. The antigen tests would be delivered to Seattle, WA.

The AFSC conducts research to support NOAA Fisheries' stewardship of living marine resources by managing and monitoring the health and sustainability of fish, marine mammals, and their habitats across nearly 1.5 million square miles of water surrounding Alaska, which produces more than half of the fish caught in the United States, worth $1.8 billion. This region includes waters in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Chukchi Sea, and Beaufort Sea. Together, these waters support some of the most important commercial fisheries in the world, are home to the largest marine mammal populations in the Nation, and support some of the most critically endangered marine mammal populations.

One element of the AFSC research and support framework is to support fishery management through providing core research products used in annual management decisions. The work of monitoring and assessing fish, crab and marine mammal populations, fisheries, and marine ecosystems is mandated by legislation which includes the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The AFSC conducts a wide variety of research to support fish, crab, and marine mammal stock assessments. Research activities such as conducting field surveys of population abundance, determining survey efficiency, age composition of stocks, age at maturity, fecundity, stock structure and spawning behavior, estimating fishing and natural mortality, and growth rate, and identification of geographical boundaries and essential habitat all contribute to the AFSC’s ability to maintain the quality of our stock assessments

Scope:

AFSC staff participating in field research will follow the AFSC safety Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for fieldwork. In short, individuals will take one or two COVID-19 antigen test(s) prior to boarding the vessel or entering the field station. Antigen tests will further be utilized in the event that someone in the science party develops COVID-19 symptoms. Testing will be needed throughout the year with a peak during May through September. Due to the remote nature of our fieldwork (Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Arctic, etc.) and the high consequence of an outbreak of COVID (e.g., financial costs of evacuating staff, inability to complete scientific missions), testing kits will need to have high quality control to reduce the likelihood of false negative results.

Purpose:

To purchase Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Rapid Antigen self-tests.

We require:

· 1,000 Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card rapid antigen single self-tests (or multiple tests packaged together into kits are acceptable, for example 500 2-pack test kits), to be delivered to the AFSC in Seattle on or before April 30, 2022.

· Listed expiration dates on test kits must be at least 6 months from the date the tests are delivered.

· The Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card rapid antigen self-tests must include the following features:

· Nasal swab, test card in pouch, solution dropper bottle

· Results within 15 minutes, results displayed directly on test card

Privacy Act Requirements The information provided in the collection of tests falls under the Privacy Act of 1974, as stated in clause FAR 224-1 Privacy Act Notification, FAR 52.224-2 Privacy Act and FAR 52.224-3 Privacy Training. Accordingly, the vendor is required to maintain data collection, retention, access, and destruction of records in accordance with the Privacy Act, including access controls, and initial and recurring privacy training for employees accessing this data under FAR 52.224-3, which is attached in the terms and conditions.

Delivery Dates:

CLIN 0001 QTY 1,000 Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card rapid antigen single self-tests (or 500 2-pack test kits) to be delivered on or before April 30, 2022.

Shipping Information:

NOAA Fisheries AFSC 7600 Sand Point Way NE Bldg 4 Seattle, WA 98115 AttN: Elaina Jorgensen