Added: May 22, 2008 9:55 am
THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS FOR WRITTEN INFORMATION ONLY. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE MADE FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY FOLLOW-UP REQUESTS. NO TELEPHONE CALLS REQUESTING A SOLICITATION WILL BE ACCEPTED OR ACKNOWLEDGED.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is performing market research to identify the capabilities of firms that can provide support to the EPA National Homeland Security Research Center s (NHSRC) Security Team by providing Security Product Appraisal and Review (SPAR). The NHSRC Security Team is charged with identifying, handling and securing both controlled unclassified information (CUI) and classified National Security Information (NSI). The Security Team ensures that CUI and NSI are quickly identified and controlled to prevent release to our adversaries.
Contractor support includes:
1. Providing personnel who are both experts in the field of classification and are also technically knowledgable in the following areas*:
a. Threat evaluation and infrastructure vulnerability assessment;
b. Chemical and biological agent research, including, but not limited to;
i. Live biological agents
ii. Chemical and biological simulants and synthetic toxins
iii. Weaponizing agents and delivery methods
iv. Detection technology, assessment and evaluation v. Modeling and Dispersal
vi. Emergency Response Actions
vii. Decontamination
viii. Disposal
c. Radiological agent research, including, but not limited to;
i. Radiological agents
ii. Weaponizing agents and delivery methods
iii. Detection technology, assessment and evaluation iv. Modeling and Dispersal
v. Emergency Response Actions
vi. Decontamination
vii. Disposal
* Note: This requirement is critical. The contractor shall possess both expertise in classifying NSI and the scientific knowledge to recognize the emergence of NSI in research efforts on chemical, biological and radiological attack agents.
2. Providing services to identify, mark and control sensitive information possessing risk to persons, programs, missions or National Security, thus mitigating both CUI and NSI risks emerging from NHSRC research.
3. Providing services for the revision of existing classification guidance and the development of new guidance, including project-by-project classification guidance.
4. Providing services to support information security (INFOSEC) requirements for the management and safeguarding of classified NSI.
The contractor shall require access to classified information. The facility clearance required and level of safeguarding required is a SECRET level clearance. On-site performance at NHSRC facilities in Cincinnati, OH, is required up to 50% of the time.
A draft copy of the performance work statement (PWS) is included as an attachment.
Interested parties should submit a capability statement with information that clearly demonstrates their capabilities to provide the services described above, including personnel, experience and qualifications. A description of similar services previously or currently provided shall be provided. Standard company brochures will not be considered a sufficient response to this Sources Sought Synopsis. The applicable NAICS code is 541690 with a size standard of $6.5 million in average annual receipts. In the capabilities statements, contractors must provide their size status for the above referenced NAICS code, (i.e. large, small) and whether or not they are a certified hub zone, 8(a), women-owned, small-disadvantaged and/or service disabled veteran owned concern. As a reminder, small businesses are required to perform at least 50 percent of the costs of the contract performance with their own personnel (See FAR 52.219-14) under a procurement set aside for small businesses. The EPA reserves the right to set this action aside for small businesses. Responses to the above should be submitted to Tammy Thomas at thomas.tammya@epa.gov by 5:00 p.m. EST, on June 6, 2008. This sources sought notice and draft performance work statement can also be found on EPA's website: http://www.epa.gov/oam/cinn_cmd.
