Biodegradable Use of Foam Materials in Western Rivers Buoys Construction
Closed Pre-Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- 70Z03225RRDC0001
- Agency
-
Coast Guard
Department of Homeland Security
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 3261 Plastics Product Manufacturing
- PSC
- 8135 Packaging And Packing Bulk Materials
- Place of performance
- New London, Connecticut, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is conducting a Request for Information (RFI) to identify environmentally sound, biodegradable alternatives to the foam core currently used in steel river buoys. The agency manages approximately 15,000 steel-hulled buoys in the Mississippi, Ohio, and Missouri River System and seeks innovative foam materials that can naturally degrade over 5-10 years while maintaining critical performance characteristics. Vendors must submit responses by May 12, 2025, to specified USCG email contacts, with submissions limited to 10 pages per foam production and requiring a Technical Readiness Level (TRL) of 7 or higher. The evaluation will focus on technical specifications including foam description, biodegradation timeline, operational temperatures, scalability, and product delivery methods. Interested companies must submit a one-page cover letter with company information and detailed technical documentation demonstrating their proposed solution's environmental sustainability and functional equivalence to current petroleum-based polyurethane foam cores.
There are no specific set-aside designations for this RFI, and the opportunity is open to manufacturers within the Plastics Product Manufacturing (NAICS 3261) and Packaging and Packing Bulk Materials (PSC 8135) categories. While no specific award value or budget range is disclosed, the RFI suggests a potential future procurement for replacing foam materials in river aids to navigation (ATON) buoys. The scope targets North American manufacturers capable of producing biodegradable foam solutions that can withstand marine environments and naturally decompose within 5-10 years. The USCG's ultimate objective is to minimize environmental impact by transitioning from current petroleum-based foam materials to more sustainable alternatives. Vendors demonstrating technological readiness and innovative approaches to biodegradable foam materials are encouraged to participate in this market research effort.
Notice text
This Request for Information (RFI) is part of a market research effort by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to determine if there is an environmentally sound, biodegradable, and cost-efficient alternative to the foam core used in steel river buoys that provides similar performance characteristics but naturally degrades over time and minimizes foam waste in the environment. Ultimately, the RFI will support the USCG with identifying environmentally sound alternatives to plastic foam in river ATON buoys.
The goal of this RFI is to investigate/identify biodegradable foam materials that are environmentally friendly.
All submissions of technology for this RFI should be a Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 7 or higher as defined in Figure 1 of the US Government Accountability Office’s Technology Readiness Assessment Guide.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Biodegradable Foam RFI.pdf |
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