Design and Construction of a Modernized Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility (Bioplant) at Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RFAAP)
Closed Pre-Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- W519TC-26-R-BIOR
- Agency
-
ACC Rock Island
Army Contracting Command, Department of Defense
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 325920 Explosives Manufacturing
- PSC
- M1EA Operation Of Ammunition Facilities
- Place of performance
- Radford, Virginia 24141, United States
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
Army Contracting Command - Rock Island Arsenal is procuring design and construction of a modernized industrial wastewater treatment facility (bioplant) at Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RFAAP) in Radford, Virginia, with proposals due 28 August 2026. The procurement is not set-aside and will be awarded as a firm-fixed-price Other Transaction Agreement under 10 U.S.C. § 2808a authority. Offerors must meet one of three statutory conditions: include a nontraditional defense contractor or nonprofit research institution with significant participation; ensure all significant participants are small businesses or nontraditional contractors; or provide at least one-third of total project costs from non-federal sources.
The facility must treat 1.5 million gallons per day of complex industrial wastewater containing solvents and propellant residues from nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin, and propellant manufacturing, with surge capacity to 2.5 million gallons per day, while maintaining Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) permit compliance for discharge to the New River. The legacy bioplant, constructed in 1980s, is past its useful service life and located within the 100-year floodplain; it registered 14 permit violations across three incidents in 16 months, primarily due to inadequate Biochemical Oxygen Demand processing. The modernized facility must be sited outside the 100-year floodplain (500-year preferred) and comply with explosives safety requirements.
The procurement is structured in two phases. Phase I (24 months) covers technology charrette, pilot studies, preliminary and final 30% and 90% design packages, environmental and explosives safety permitting, siting investigations, and long-lead equipment procurement. Phase II (26 months) covers Issue for Construction specifications, construction, commissioning, and operations turnover. The Government intends to award Phase I competitively and may award Phase II non-competitively if Phase I succeeds.
Proposals require four volumes: technical approach and bioplant experience (maximum 20 pages), schedule with Integrated Master Schedule (maximum 5 pages), price, and cover letter with representations and certifications. Deliverables are Government property with unlimited rights; vendor proprietary information shall be consolidated separately. The contractor must obtain Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Level 2 CMMC certification. Offerors must register in SAM.gov, possess DUNS and CAGE codes, and comply with Section 889 telecommunications equipment restrictions.
Notice text
3 versions
Update #3 · Latest ·
Constructed in the 1940s, Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RFAAP) is a critical national security asset, serving as the last remaining CONUS Government-owned facility capable of manufacturing nitrocellulose (NC), nitroglycerin (NG), single-base, multi-base, and solventless propellants. The industrial wastewater generated by these manufacturing processes contains complex chemical components—including solvents and propellant residues (solid, dissolved, or suspended energetic materials)—which must be rigorously treated prior to discharge into the New River.
The legacy RFAAP Bioplant, constructed in the 1980s, is significantly past its useful service life and acts as a single point of failure for plant operations. Crucially, the facility is located within the 100-year floodplain, exposing it to severe operational risks, as demonstrated by an emergency shutdown during Hurricane Helene in 2024. Due to these critical vulnerabilities, project funding has been accelerated to FY26.
Furthermore, the aging facility is increasingly incapable of consistently treating the plant's evolving wastewater streams. RFAAP discharge is strictly regulated by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) via a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) permit under the Clean Water Act. Recently, the legacy plant has suffered a high rate of compliance failure, registering 14 permit violations across three separate incidents within a 16-month period. These violations primarily resulted from an inability to adequately process Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical
The overarching goal is for the offeror(s) to develop design and construction of a wastewater treatment process and deliver a completed solution to the Government. Follow-On Contracts or Transactions (Phase II): In accordance with the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 2808a, the potential award of a future Other Transaction may result in the award of a follow-on contract or transaction for site preparation and construction without the use of competitive procedures, provided that the initial transaction was competitively awarded, the participant(s) successfully completed the project, and the follow-on is for the same or similar scope of work. Therefore, upon determination that the participant(s) in the transaction successfully completed the design project provided for in the transaction, or in the event that a particularly favorable or unexpected result is accomplished that justifies transition to production, this design project may result in the award of a follow-on contract for advancement to Issue for Construction (IFC) status,
site preparation, construction, commissioning, and transition without the use of competitive procedures.
This RFS is for a contemplated OTA that, if awarded, will be awarded in accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 2028a, Facility construction or repair: transactions other than contracts and grants.
Interest & Question Submittal Deadline: 7 AUG 2026 / 1500CDT
18 August 2026: Update has been made to the .pdf attachment RFS to correct typographical errors wherein an incorrect citation was used (10 U.S.C. 2028a). Those errors have been corrected to 10 U.S.C. 2808a.
Proposal Due Date/Time: extended to 28 August 2026 / 1600CT
Update #2 ·
Constructed in the 1940s, Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RFAAP) is a critical national security asset, serving as the last remaining CONUS Government-owned facility capable of manufacturing nitrocellulose (NC), nitroglycerin (NG), single-base, multi-base, and solventless propellants. The industrial wastewater generated by these manufacturing processes contains complex chemical components—including solvents and propellant residues (solid, dissolved, or suspended energetic materials)—which must be rigorously treated prior to discharge into the New River.
The legacy RFAAP Bioplant, constructed in the 1980s, is significantly past its useful service life and acts as a single point of failure for plant operations. Crucially, the facility is located within the 100-year floodplain, exposing it to severe operational risks, as demonstrated by an emergency shutdown during Hurricane Helene in 2024. Due to these critical vulnerabilities, project funding has been accelerated to FY26.
Furthermore, the aging facility is increasingly incapable of consistently treating the plant's evolving wastewater streams. RFAAP discharge is strictly regulated by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) via a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) permit under the Clean Water Act. Recently, the legacy plant has suffered a high rate of compliance failure, registering 14 permit violations across three separate incidents within a 16-month period. These violations primarily resulted from an inability to adequately process Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical
The overarching goal is for the offeror(s) to develop design and construction of a wastewater treatment process and deliver a completed solution to the Government. Follow-On Contracts or Transactions (Phase II): In accordance with the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 2808a, the potential award of a future Other Transaction may result in the award of a follow-on contract or transaction for site preparation and construction without the use of competitive procedures, provided that the initial transaction was competitively awarded, the participant(s) successfully completed the project, and the follow-on is for the same or similar scope of work. Therefore, upon determination that the participant(s) in the transaction successfully completed the design project provided for in the transaction, or in the event that a particularly favorable or unexpected result is accomplished that justifies transition to production, this design project may result in the award of a follow-on contract for advancement to Issue for Construction (IFC) status,
site preparation, construction, commissioning, and transition without the use of competitive procedures.
This RFS is for a contemplated OTA that, if awarded, will be awarded in accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 2028a, Facility construction or repair: transactions other than contracts and grants.
Interest & Question Submittal Deadline: 7 AUG 2026 / 1500CDT
Proposal Due Date/Time: 20 August 2026 / 1600CT
Update #1 ·
NOTICE: This is a DRAFT Request for Solutions - RFS - issued for the purpose of obtaining industry comments and feedback on the project and the attached draft Statement of Work. NO PROPOSALS ARE BEING REQUESTED OR ACCEPTED AT THIS TIME. The requirement is for design and construction of a new bioplant facility for industrial wastewater treatment (Phase I) located at Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RFAAP) in Radford, VA. All general concerns, feedback, or questions are greatly appreciated. All questions and comments regarding this DRAFT RFS are due via e-mail to the Agreements Officer, Emily Sheppard, at emily.l.sheppard.civ@army.mil and the Agreement Specialists, Steffanie Adams, at steffanie.l.adams.civ@army.mil and Mallory Schmitt at mallory.d.schmitt.civ@army.mil no later than August 7, 2026 at 1500 CDT. Please reference DRAFT RFS number W519TC-26-R-BIOR in the subject line of all correspondence. This DRAFT RFS does not commit the Government to make any award or to obligate any funds for this project. The language and content in this DRAFT RFS are subject to change prior to the release of a future RFS.
Files
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Notice history
| Notice | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| This notice | Pre-Solicitation | |
| Design and Construction of a Modernized Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility (Bioplant) at Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RFAAP) | Pre-Solicitation |
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