UPLC™ Acquity™ High Resolution Columns and Guards

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) issued solely for information and planning purposes only and is subject to change.  All submissions become Government property and will not be returned, and submittals will not be returned to the responder.

1.2  The purpose of this Request for Information is to obtain feedback from interested parties, which can provide UPLC™ Acquity™ high resolution columns and guards. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the Government is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. The RFI respondees are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the website: https://www.sam.gov/ and the GSA E-Commerce Central website: http://www.gsa.gov. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

2.0  BACKGROUND

2.1  The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a public health regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), protects consumers by ensuring that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled. The USDA-FSIS has three analytical laboratories in their system with addresses as follows:

USDA, FSIS, OPHS, Midwestern Laboratory

4300 Good Fellow Blvd Bldg. 105-D

St. Louis, MO 63120

USDA, FSIS, OPHS, Western Laboratory

800 Buchanan Street

Albany, CA 94710

USDA, FSIS, OPHS, Eastern Laboratory

950 College Station Rd.

Athens, GA 30605

FSIS is a public health regulatory agency that protects consumers by ensuring meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled. As part of the FSIS, the all three labs are regulatory laboratories responsible for analyzing meat, poultry, egg products, and fish of the order Siluriformes to ensure they are free of adulteration.

The National Residue Program (NRP) is a program developed by FSIS and implemented by OPHS in support of our public health function as it is related to chemical residues. The NRP has domestic and import sampling plans, which generate nationwide data to document prevalence estimates of food contaminants. The NRP also supports enforcement regulatory work and select exploratory projects.

3.0 OBJECTIVE

3.1 The USDA-FSIS laboratories perform regulatory testing and confirmation for antibiotics and drug residue in meat animal tissue.  This analytical work is performed using Ion Trap and Triple Stage Mass Spectrometers coupled with Liquid Chromatographs used for separation and detection of the chemical contaminates.  Liquid Chromatographs, which separate the chemicals prior to mass spectral analysis, use analytical and guard columns manufactured by Waters Corporation.  These columns are UPLC™ Acquity™ high resolution columns and guards.  The columns are specified in USDA-FSIS analytical methods used for analysis and cannot be substituted. Analytical UPLC columns are used for the chromatographic separation of analytical compounds by liquid chromatography or liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry.  The column separates analytes of interest based on molecular characteristics, most commonly hydrophobicity. The analytical UPLC columns provided must meet the requirements listed below.  Delivery within 14 days of the below Analytical Columns and Guard Columns requisitioned to the laboratory initiating the request.

Requirement

Waters part number:  176000863

Description:  Acquity UPLC BEH C18 Column 2.1 X 50mm, 1.7µm particle size

Quantity: 3 columns / package

Waters part number: 176001093

Description: Acquity UPLC BEH Hilic Column 2.1 X 100mm, 1.7µm particle size

Quantity: 3 columns / package

Waters part number: 186003975

Description: Acquity BEH C18 VanGuard pre-column, 1.7µm, 2.1mm x 5mm

Quantity: 3 pre columns / package

Waters part number: 186000404

Description: XTerra MS C18 Column, 125Å, 3.5 µm, 2.1 mm X 100 mm, 1/pkg

Quantity: 1 column / package

Waters part number: 186002352

Description: Acquity BEH C18, 130Å, 1.7 μm, 2.1mm x 100 mm

Quantity: 1 column / package

4.0       MEETING AND DISCUSSIONS

The Government representatives may or may not choose to meet with potential RFI provider. Such meetings and discussions would only be intended to get further clarification of potential capability, especially any development and certification risks.

5.0       RESPONSES

5.1       QUESTIONS

Questions regarding this RFI should be submitted in writing by e-mail to Barbara Nelson, Contract Specialist, Barbara.nelson@usda.gov, and due NLT Wednesday, May 22, 2024@ 1:00 pm EST.

5.2       RFI DEADLINE

The RFI response should be in Microsoft Word for Office 365 compatible format and due NLT Friday, May 31, 2024@ 1:00 pm EST.  The response is limited to 3 single-sided pages and submitted via e-mail only to the Government Point of Contract (POC): Barbara Nelson, Contract Specialist, barbara.nelson@usda.gov.

Proprietary information, if any, should be kept to minimum and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. If any respondee does not currently have a Proprietary Data Protection Agreement (PDPA) that would permit the Government’s personnel to review and evaluate the submitted in response to this RFI, the respondee should request to sign PDPAs with the Government.

5.3       COMPANY INFORMATION

Companies are encouraged to respond if they have the capability and capacity to provide UPLC™ Acquity™ high resolution columns and guards. Responses to this RFI shall be limited to 3 pages and must include:

1. Company Information. Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, and e-mail of designated point of contact.
2. Government Software Development Contractual Vehicle Information. Identify the Government service contract vehicle that services can be provided for FSIS and the recommended contracting strategy.
3. Proprietary Information. Respondees company proprietary information should include either: 1) Copies of executed NDAs with the Government or 2) A statement stating the respondee will not allow the Government to release its proprietary data for the RFI response evaluation.
4. Business size for NAICS 334516 with size limitation standards of 1,000 employees and status, if qualified as an 8(a) firm (must be certified by the Small Business Administration (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)
5. SAM UEI number, CAGE Code, Tax Identification Number (TIN), and company structure (Corporation, LLC, partnership, joint venture, etc). Companies also must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov to be considered as potential sources.

FSIS will use the information submitted in response to this notice at its discretion and will not provide comments to any submission; however, the content of any responses to this notice may be reflected in subsequent solicitation. FSIS reserves the right to contact any respondent to this notice for the sole purpose of enhancing FSIS's understanding of the notice submission.

This announcement is Government market research and may result in revisions in both its requirements and its acquisition strategy based on industry responses.

It is emphasized that this is a notice for planning and information purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contractual agreement, nor will the Government pay for supplies/information solicited.