Questions and Answers Updated 24 MAY.docx

Q1: Can the government extend the responses due date from May 28th to May 31st to allow potential responders sufficient time to review answers to questions and due to the Memorial Day holiday?

A: Yes

Q2: This sources sought notice is for Elastomeric Half-Mask Respirators (EHMRs) that protect against biological threats. Please confirm that DFARS 252.225-7061 Restriction on the Acquisition of Personal Protective Equipment and Certain Other Items from Non-Allied Foreign Nations, will not be applicable in any resultant solicitation, as per its definition, this DFARS clause is only for “Personal protective equipment for use in preventing spread of disease, such as by exposure to infected individuals or contamination or infection by infectious material,” which is a much more narrow category than for protection against biological agents.

A: We are open to all solicitations at this time.

Q3: Please define what is meant by “approved for use by civilians” in Question #5 under Specific Specifications. Would these civilians be in an OSHA required respiratory protection program?

A: No, just systems that are proven to be used by civilian vice military personnel.

Q4: Is the resultant procurement planned to be lowest price technically acceptable or best value?

A: Selection criteria is to be determined. A purpose of the RFI is to gauge what industry has available should further product specifications be refined and a procurement be executed.

Q5: If best value, what does the government consider as the relative importance of technical requirement and price?

A: Technical requirements are valued over price, however price is considered when evaluating RFI submissions should a product down select be required.

Q6: Must the filters, which are intended to be disposed of after use, be able to be decontaminated, or just the reusable facepieces?

A: Just the facepieces.

Q7: For Question #4 under Specific Specifications, please clarify the term decontamination in specific decontamination procedures.

A: The ability to remove contamination in order to restore the material to it’s original level of use.

Q8: Will the resultant solicitation likely be awarded to one or multiple contractors?

A: To be determined

Q9: What does “most users” mean in Question #1 under Specific Specifications, where it states “Must achieve an overall fit factor of more than 100 for most users....”

A: The majority of the population based on head size.

Q10: Will there be an Industry Day prior to the solicitation?

A: To be determined

Q11: Is the government willing to consider revised annual base year quantity requirements that would more evenly spread the quantities over the 5-year period? For example, rather than 1.5 million in FY2024, and 668,000 in FY2025, and 2 million in FY2026, etc. would an average of approximately 1 million per year for the 5 base years meet the government’s needs?

A: From a delivery perspective, yes.

Q12: Is the quantity of 1.5 million for FY2024 needed over a period of 12 months after award? Or, will the government consider a different, contractor-preferred ramp up schedule based on the contractor's demand/capabilities?

A: Open to alternative delivery schedules.

Q13: For Question #2 under Specific Specifications, what type of objective evidence would be required to validate, during user-performed seal checks, a claim for a fit factor below 100 in more than 90% of cases?

A: Test data (i.e. based on use of a mask fit tester) to show that the mask can meet this requirement.