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DESCRIPTION:

This initiative is a new requirement to allow Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to have unknown samples, specifically cotton, analyzed for location of origin using isotope ration mass spectrometry (IRMS). In addition, the statistical analysis, based on the IRMS data, shall be fully licensed using vendor methods such that the Government can perform the entire analysis process in-house.

The Laboratory and Scientific Services Directorate (LSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is assessing industry’s ability to provide CBP/DHS with suitable services which meet the government’s preliminarily identified requirements.

This announcement constitutes an official Request for Information (RFI). This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only – it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that the U.S. 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 SAM.gov website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

INFORMATION REQUESTED:

1. Company Name, Company Address, Point of Contact, Telephone Number, and e-mail Address. Are you U.S. or foreign owned?

2. Are you under NAICS code 541990 All Other Professional Scientific and Technical Services? If not, what NAICS code do you use? What size business are you registered as in SAM.gov with this code? What is your company Unique Entity Identification (UEI) number?

3. Provide the following capability information:

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  • Are you currently providing a geolocation of unknown samples, specifically cotton, by stable light isotope analysis service commercially?
  
  
  
  

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  • What is the duration of commercial work performed in the field of geolocation of unknown samples by stable light isotope (H, C, N, O, S) analysis in general and of cotton products specifically?
  
  
  
  

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  • Is your laboratory performing this work accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standards for isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) methods in general and its use in the geolocation of cotton in particular?
  
  
  
  

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  • For each commodity that you analyze by IRMS methods, describe the scope of your reference database(s) including:
    
    
    
    • overall size (i.e., number of unique samples);
    
    
    • the respective number of unique reference samples from each country represented in the database;
    
    
    • time frame (i.e., range of years) during which reference samples were collected; and
    
    
    • a brief description of the sources of reference materials (e.g., obtained directly by you, commercial sample, etc) and whether reference materials are vouchered and/or accompanied by a chain of custody.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

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  • Briefly describe the process by which CBP would obtain and maintain access to reference material data and metadata.
  
  
  
  

RESPONSES:

Responses shall be the minimum length necessary to accommodate all requested information and submitted via e-mail only. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information.

QUESTIONS:

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the Contracting Officer, email address listed above. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions, if not answered directly to the respondee, will be answered by posting on the SAM.gov website; accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary, sensitive, or classified information.

SUMMARY:

This Request for Information (RFI) and Presolicitation Notice is for planning purposes only and should not be construed as a Request for Proposal or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any services or hardware. Your response to this RFI will be treated as information only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses to this announcement or Government use of such information. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort. The information provided may be used by CBP in developing and refining its Acquisition Strategy, Statement of Work, and Performance Specifications. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to award a contract solely on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information submitted in response to same. The information provided herein is subject to change and in no way binds the Government to pursue any course of action described herein. The U.S. Government is not obligated to notify respondents of the results of this survey.

The purpose of this RFI is to conduct market research for potential IRMS analysis service providers. All RFI submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

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