Request for Information_Sciences and Technical Research Support Services.pdf

Request for Information

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) on behalf of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) as a means of conducting market research to identify industry practices for training and incentivizing contract employees required to meet special qualifications to support all mission requirements.

The results of this market research will help contribute to determining the best procurement approach and contract type for future requirements containing a requirement for individuals to be enrolled in the Biosurety Personnel Reliability Program (BPRP).

DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued solely for informational and planning purposes only. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. Solicitations are not available at this time. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. This notice does not constitute a commitment by the United States Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary; the United States Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the United States Government. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued.

BACKGROUND

All Department of Defense (DoD) entities using, possessing, transferring, or receiving Biological Select Agents and Toxins (BSAT) must register with Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP) in accordance with the select agent regulations (SAR).

Access to BSAT requires the appropriate level of personnel certification based on background investigation evaluations. Only individuals who successfully complete a security risk assessment (SRA) and obtain approval from the FSAP are authorized access to BSAT. In addition, individuals granted access to Tier 1 BSAT must be enrolled in the BPRP by the certifying official (CO), with final approval by the Reviewing Official (RO).

The purpose of the BPRP is to certify that each individual who is authorized access to Tier 1 BSAT meets high standards of integrity, trust, and personal reliability.

Multiple DoD entities, including USAMRIID, contain Biosafety Level (BSL) 2, BSL-3 and/or BSL- 4 laboratories and work with a variety of viral and bacterial agents resulting in a significant need for personnel enrolled in the Army’s BPRP.

Initial screening for BPRP certification includes initial interview, Personnel Security Investigation (PSI), medical evaluation, drug and substance abuse testing, and personnel records review.

To be enrolled in the BPRP all applicants require a current and favorably adjudicated T3 investigation (previously known as National Agency Check with Local and Credit Checks/Access National Agency Check with Written Inquiries and Credit Check) or greater.

Once in the BPRP, individuals are required to complete biosecurity training(s) relative to his/her position or function and report any infractions of biosecurity procedures. Training is designed to safeguard both the biological materials used in the laboratories (BSL-2 through BSL-4) and the personnel who work within and outside the laboratories. Training will cover, at a minimum, safety/biosafety, security (including security awareness), select agent and toxin training, incident response, insider threat and BPRP training.

Individuals enrolled in the BPRP shall also be medically qualified to wear appropriate respiratory protection and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Historically, the process to enroll an individual into the BPRP can take up to six months. During this time contractor personnel required to enter BSL-3 and/or BSL-4 laboratories are unable to fully perform the tasks required in the contract due to the time it takes to enroll in the BPRP, complete the required training, etc. As a result, the government ends up paying for higher level labor categories even though the contractor employees are unable to fully perform at the higher level labor category. For example, an individual is onboarded as a Scientist 3; however, due to BPRP enrollment process and additional training required to learn the specifics of working within a BSL-3 and/or BSL-4 laboratory, the individual is only performing as a Scientist 1 for the initial months.

Additionally, the government has experienced contract employees starting the enrollment process and then either submitting their resignation sometime during the process due to the time it takes to go through the process or being determined not eligible due to situations identified on their background investigation, health examination, etc. The enrollment process for BPRP is a costly process that the government funds and having to restart the process multiple times results in the government incurring duplicate costs in order for an organization to fill a specific labor category.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

The government is seeking information from businesses on contract, payment, and employee incentive structure for similar requirements. The Government will evaluate market information to help determine the best procurement vehicle and contract structure for future procurements with similar requirements for BPRP enrollment.

If your organization would like to submit information in response to this RFI, please include the following information in your submission:

1) Fill out the below chart (Organization name, address, website address, size, and type of ownership for the organization, Cage Code, Unity Entity ID (from SAM.gov)) and point of contact including their title, telephone number and email address.

2) Response package highlighting:

a. How prior contracts have been structured (e.g., Cost Plus Fixed Fee, Firm Fixed

Price, Hybrid contracts with Fixed Price and Cost CLINs, etc.);

b. How organizations incentivize its employees to stay on board and work through the process as quickly as possible;

c. How organizations incentivize its employees to stay on board after being enrolled in the BPRP and continue to provide services; and,

d. How organizations bill the government during periods when contract employees are not able to fully perform as the specific labor category (e.g., training rates until certain milestones are met).

e. Other method(s) recommended/used by industry to resolve this unique candidate qualifications issue.

3) Fill in the below table and include it with your submission:

Organization Name Organization Address Point of Contact Phone Number E-mail Address

All submissions shall be no more than 10 pages in length in Times New Roman font of no less than 10 pitch. All submissions shall be submitted in either Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (PDF).

Responding to this request with generic material only such as brochures, advertisements or other generic material is highly discouraged. The Government welcomes input and will accept questions pertaining to this RFI; however, the Government reserves the right to answer or not to answer all questions received. Questions pertaining to this RFI are due by 1300 Eastern Time on 23 May 2024. Only one set of questions per vendor will be accepted. Contact with Government personnel, other than those specified in this request, by potential vendors or their employee’s regarding this requirement is not permitted.

All responses to this RFI must be provided via email no later than (NLT) 1300 Eastern Time on 30 May 2024, via email, to Jayme L. Fletcher at jayme.l.fletcher2.civ@health.mil and Christina Lewis at christina.m.lewis14.civ@health.mil. No extensions will be granted.

Cage Code Unique Entity ID Company Web Page Company Location(s) Company is / is not a Small Business Company is / is not System for Award Management (SAM) Registered

Other Classifications (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, Woman-Owned, Veteran-Owned, Service- Disabled Veteran-Owned)

If 8(a), date that the company graduates from the program.

mailto:jayme.l.fletcher2.civ@health.mil mailto:christina.m.lewis14.civ@health.mil