Industrial Base Expansion (IBx) Related to the Manufacturing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (HHS/ASPR) intends to award six contracts for industrial base expansion related to the manufacture of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the United States.  The total value of the contracts is estimated at $385M.  Contracts will be awarded by September 30, 2023.

Through an assisted acquisition agreement with the Department of Defense /Department of Airforce (DoD/DAF) that ends this month, solution briefs were solicited through a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) for the following HHS/ASPR areas of interest:

• Domestic industrial base expansion capacity preservation of N95 respirator manufacturing
• Domestic industrial base expansion of key chemicals for use in acrylonitrile butadiene rubber
• Domestic industrial base expansion of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber for nitrile medical gloves

A Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) is a competitive process to obtain solutions or new capabilities that fulfill requirements, close capability gaps, or provide potential technological advances.  CSO procedures are similar to those for Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), with the exception that a CSO can be used to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, or services.

The original CSO was published by DoD/DAF on October 29, 2021.  On November 2, 2021, the CSO was amended to include the HHS/ASPR areas of interest.  Through a multi-phase competitive down select process (referred to as “Spirals”), six solution briefs were selected for award:    

1. 3M Company – Solution Brief for domestic industrial base expansion capacity preservation of N95respirator manufacturing
2. Louis M. Gerson Company, Inc. – Solution Brief for domestic industrial base expansion capacity preservation of N95respirator manufacturing
3. Shawmut Corporation – Solution Brief for domestic industrial base expansion capacity preservation of N95respirator manufacturing
4. QYK Brands, LLC – Solution Brief for domestic industrial base expansion of key chemicals for use in acrylonitrile butadiene rubber
5. Ascend Performance Materials Texas, Inc. – Solution Brief for domestic industrial base expansion of key chemicals for use in acrylonitrile butadiene rubber
6. Safe Source Direct LLC – Solution brief for domestic industrial base expansion of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber for nitrile medical gloves

Vendors who proposed solutions that were not selected for an award for an HHS/ASPR area of interest were notified by DoD/DAF at the end of each spiral.

The HHS/ASPR awards for the six solution briefs selected for award are based on the DoD/DAF CSO solicitation, as amended to include the HHS/ASPR areas of interest on November 2, 2021.  The HHS/ASPR awards are based the results of the competitive down select (spiral) process utilized by DoD/DAF in accordance with the terms of the CSO.  HHS/ASPR has determined that the awards are in the best interests of the United States.  This Special Notice is being published in accordance with FAR Part 5, Publicizing Contract Actions.