MMF RFI Q and A.pdf

Q and A

MMF RFI

09/06/2022

1. What is the anticipated level of investing/funding for this industrial base expansion project? One of the goals of the RFI is to determine the investment need for this project. We are therefore looking for feedback to better understand this parameter.

2. Is there a maximum number of companies USG is seeking to partner with on this expansion project?

No.

3. Are there any other projects outside of the ones provided that USG is interested in funding (WPT Nonwovens e.g. manufactures soft, absorbent, hypo-allergenic non-wovens for wound dressing materials)? Not at this time.

4. How do you expect the domestic production of resins (i.e. petrochemical companies) to grow/keep up with this added non-woven capacity? One of the goals of the RFI and future RFP is to better understand how commercially sustainable this work would be. We are looking to the companies as the experts on commercialization to help us understand the impact of any new capacity on the global market.

5. Will USG pay for ongoing cost to maintain and staff these assets during the 5-year expansion period? Yes, but the vendor will be expected to have a plan to maintain and staff the assets after the end of this period.

6. Will special consideration be made for small business socio-economic categories? That decision has not been made and will be informed in part by the responses to this RFI.

7. What are the most important attributes or capabilities a company can demonstrate to be considered for this investment/funding (longevity, expertise, current capacity)? That will also be informed by the responses to this RFI, but the ones we are currently most interested in are outlined in the “technical requirements” section of the RFI.

8. Will this feed into any future Surgical Gown acquisition? Are finished Surgical Gowns included in this RFI in any way? No, that is not anticipated at this time. The purpose of an MMF solicitation would be to expand the industrial base for production of MMF, but there is not any specific end product in mind. No, finished surgical gowns are not included.

9. Will this feed into the ongoing Isolation Gown acquisition? No.

10. Will any possible future acquisition of Surgical Gowns be required to use the manufacturing capacity of this MMF to produce the Surgical Gowns? No, that is not anticipated at this time.

11. Is this requirement expected to include the production of Polypropylene, polyethylene and SMS? The goal of this RFI is inform USG understanding of which materials would be best suited for expanded medical grade MMF production in the US and whether these materials would be commercially competitive on the global market. So, whether those materials are likely to be produced is something that we are hoping to learn from this RFI.

12. We are excited to respond to the RFI regarding the Domestic Industrial Base Expansion of Medical Grade Man-Made Fibers for Production of PPE, however, the response time period is extremely short. We are formally requesting this response period be extended until Sept. 23. We are extending the time for responses until September 16th.