Tobacco Filler Reference Material

General Information:
Document Type: Sources Sought - FDA-SS-1116263
Release Date: March 21, 2013
Response Date: April 3, 2013 at 4:00pm EST via email to Natalie.Mitchell@fda.hhs.gov
Contracting Office Address: Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fisher Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857; Attn: Natalie Mitchell, Contract Specialist

Description of Services/Supplies: Tobacco Filler Reference Material

CONTRACTING OFFICE
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Food and Drug Administration Agency (FDA) / Office of Acquisitions and Grants Services (OAGS)

DESCRIPTION
This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE to determine the availability and capability of small businesses (including certified 8(a), Small Disadvantaged, and HUBZone firms; veteran and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and women-owned small businesses) to supply tobacco filler reference material.

The Contractor's capability statement shall demonstrate the company's ability to meet the following requirements. Please provide a detailed description of your company's (including its teammates, if applicable) experience and demonstrated abilities to deliver the following:
Capability Requirement:
The Contractor shall deliver 2,500 kilograms of tobacco filler (per requirements listed below) to the designated Delivery Point 75 days after contract award. The tobacco filler shall be homogenous. The tobacco filler shall contain the minimal amount of additional ingredients or processing aids as possible. The Contractor shall provide a written report containing a detailed account of the exact procedures used to manufacture and blend the tobacco filler. The Contractor shall allow representatives from FDA and NIST to observe the blending and packaging of the tobacco filler, if requested by the agencies. The Contractor shall take three random samples of tobacco filler from each shipping container. The samples will be sealed, shipped, and analyzed by an independent third party ISO 17025 accredited laboratory for oven volatiles, nicotine, NNN, and NNK to verify the tobacco filler meets the desired specifications. The results of the analyses are to be delivered directly to FDA within 21 days of the packaging date.

Requirements for Tobacco Filler Reference Material

Table 2

Product Property Desired Specification
Filler
Tobacco Type specified by contractor*
Oven Volatiles 13%
Tobacco Size 30 cuts per inch
Nicotine Content 0.3 mg/g or less
NNN (N-nitrosonornicotine) Content - 1000 ng/g or less
NNK (4-(methylnitrosamino)1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone) Content - 250 ng/g or less
Other ingredients Least amount possible

Interested small business potential offerors are encouraged to respond to this notice. However, be advised that generic capability statements are not sufficient for effective evaluation of respondents' capacity and capability to deliver the specific equipment as required.
Responses to this notice shall be limited to 5 pages, and must include:
1. Company name, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone and FAX numbers, website address (if available), and the name, telephone number, and e-mail address of a point of contact having the authority and knowledge to clarify responses with Government representatives.
2. Name, title, telephone number, and e-mail addresses of individuals who can verify the demonstrated capabilities identified in the responses.
3. Business size for NAICS 312230 (size standard $ or number of employees) and status, if qualified as an 8(a) firm (must be certified by SBA), Small Disadvantaged Business (must be certified by SBA), Woman-Owned Small Business, HUBZone firm (must be certified by SBA), and/or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (must be listed in the VetBiz Vendor Information Pages).
4. DUNS number, CAGE Code, Tax Identification Number, and company structure (Corporation, LLC, partnership, joint venture, etc.). Companies also must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) to be considered as potential sources.
5. If applicable, identification of the firm's GSA Schedule contract(s) by Schedule number and contract number and SINs that are applicable to this potential requirement are also requested.
6. If the company has a Government approved accounting system, please identify the agency that approved the system.
Please submit copies of any documentation such as letters or certificates to indicate the firm's status (see item #3, above).
Teaming arrangements are acceptable, and the information required above on the company responding to this announcement, should also be provided for each entity expected to be teammates of the respondent for performance of this work.
To the maximum extent possible, please submit non-proprietary information. Any proprietary information submitted should be identified as such and will be properly protected from disclosure.
This notice is for planning purposes only, and does not constitute an Invitation for Bids, Request for Proposals, Solicitation, Request for Quotes, or an indication the Government will contract for the items contained in this announcement. This request is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract, nor does the Government intend to pay for any information submitted as a result of this request. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any cost associated with submission of the information being requested or reimburse expenses incurred to interested parties for responses to this announcement.
Responses to this notice must be received via email to Contract Specialist Natalie Mitchell at email address Natalie.Mitchell@fda.hhs.gov no later than 4:00 PM Eastern Standard time on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 for consideration.
Responses to this announcement will not be returned, nor any ensuing discussions or debriefings of any responses. However, information obtained as a result of this announcement may be reflected in the subsequent solicitation, and the FDA may contact one or more respondents for clarifications and to enhance the Governments understanding. This announcement is Government market research, and may result in revisions in both its requirements and its acquisition strategy based on industry responses.