Description
NAICS Code: 9241 State of Science Report on Bioengineering for Pollution Prevention (A) EPA requires completion of the State of Science Report for Bioengineering for Pollution Prevention as outlined in the attached Statement of Work and Schedule of Deliverables. (B) The period of performance is from the date of issuance of the Purchase Order through March 30, 2003. (C) The pricing summary and cost breakdown must be completed. Refer to the Price Quotation Instructions (See Attachment IV) for specific instructions. Pricing Summary Estimated Ceiling Price $ TABLE OF CONTENTS Request for Quote (RFQ) Statement of Work (Attachment I) Technical Evaluation Criteria (Attachment II) Price Quotation and Technical Response Instructions (Attachment III) STATEMENT OF WORK State of Science Report on Bioengineering for Pollution Prevention Period of Performance: The period of performance is from the date of issuance of this Purchase Order through March 30, 2003. BACKGROUND: The National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) of the Office of Research and Development (ORD) has a need for the preparation of a State of the Science Report on Bioengineering for Pollution Prevention. Since 1995, NCER in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF) has sponsored a program of research grants on this topic. The two agencies have supported more than 150 grants for periods of three years, with the most recent grants scheduled to terminate in 2005. A significant amount of work is also occurring in other university and government laboratories. Recently, there has been considerable interest in bioengineering for pollution prevention. For example, engineering of enzymatic processes, using biomass as a feedstock, and biocatalysis offer technologies that eliminate pollution at its source and reduce energy consumption. A considerable body of research and an intellectual infrastructure has been focused on this topic. The time is right for a state-of-the-science report which summarizes and critically reviews what we know about bioengineering for pollution prevention. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this requirement is to obtain contractor assistance in summarizing information currently available on the subject and present it in the form of a draft report and full report. The principal audiences for the paper are the EPA Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances, the Office of Air, the Office of Water, Office of Solid Waste, and the Office of Research and Development. NCER may also use the paper to consider future research initiatives in this and related subjects. A secondary audience will be the community of scientists and engineers who work in this research area, including those in both academia and industry. SCOPE OF WORK: The contractor shall prepare a paper on the State of Science of Bioengineering for Pollution Prevention. The preparer shall isolate the important timely conference information and key studies in the field which inform the question implied by the title of the paper and critically assess them with respect to the status of bioengineering processes in industry and further research needs. The final paper should be 30-50 pages in length, excluding references and appendices. The format of the paper shall follow the format of an established peer-reviewed journal in the field, to be selected by the contractor. The overall goals of the paper are to: (1) Assess the extent to which existing research supports realistic applications of bioengineering. (2) Identify knowledge gaps where additional research?fundamental or applied?is needed to support realistic applications. (3) Evaluate the impact of grants funded under the joint EPA/NSF program, Technology for a Sustainable Environment (TSE), on the state of science. To achieve these goals, the paper shall: (1) Discuss the important key elements of the current literature, which will include: (A) an assessment of the current state of knowledge with respect to the fundamental aspects of the chemistry and engineering problems involved in bioengineering with particular emphasis on research done under the TSE program. (B) examples of successful applications that result in environmentally friendly processes (considering the life cycle of the process). (C) significant and feasible future developments by synthesizing the most recent conference results, and providing a summary of how the current research under TSE fits into the state of science for environmentally benign bioengineering applications. (2) Recommend areas where future research is needed, in particular, identify significant and feasible future developments. (3) Sources of information for the paper shall include the following: (A) Published papers from the grantees in the TSE program, annual progress reports from the grantees, and other information obtained by NCER or NSF from the grantees; (B) Patent literature. (C) Peer reviewed literature publications from other experts in the field. (D) Pertinent conference proceedings. NOTE: The NCER Project Officer shall supply materials from its grantees. Other materials shall be obtained by the contractor. It should be noted that the report is intended to be a critical state of the science paper, not an encyclopedic review. PEER REVIEW: The draft paper will be subjected to an internal and external peer review upon submission. The external peer review will require written evaluation from up to five recognized technical experts. Reviewers will be provided with review questions and will participate in a teleconference to discuss the reviews. Feedback from the reviewers and from NCER staff shall be considered by the contractor in revising the draft paper. The final paper must be of publishable quality. The contractor will be recognized as the lead author of the paper in any publication which may result. DELIVERABLES AND SCHEDULE: 1. An outline paper (in electronic form) shall be submitted to the Project Officer for internal review two months after the date of issuance of the purchase order. 2. The contractor shall submit the first draft of the full paper in electronic form to the Project Officer for internal review six months after the date of issuance of the purchase order. This internal review shall take no longer than 30 days. The contractor shall prepare a second draft after peer review. 3. The contractor shall submit the revised report to the Project Officer for external peer review within fifteen (15) days of the receipt of the revisions. The external peer review will require no more than 30 days. 4. The contractor shall submit the final completed paper incorporating or addressing peer review comments within one month of return of peer review comments. The final paper shall be submitted by the contractor electronically and in unbound hard copy. Any graphics, tables, or figures must be in a commonly used software program such as Microsoft Word or Word Perfect. 5. The contractor shall present a lecture based on the content of the paper in 2003 to interested EPA staff in a special session or as a part of an external symposium or workshop on the topic organized by others. (D) Submit a Technical Response. Specific instructions are located under Attachment IV. The following FAR and EPAAR clauses are applicable to this requirement, and will be incorporated by reference. FAR52.217-5 Evaluation of Options (JUL 1990) FAR52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (AUG 1989) FAR52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 1989) EPAAR 1552.227-76 - Project Employee Confidentiality Agreement (MAY 1994) EPAAR 1552.235-79 - Release of Contractor Confidential Business Information (APR 1996) ______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________ ___________ Signature of Person Authorized DATE To Sign Proposal ____________________________________ Printed or Typed Name ____________________________________ Tax Identification Number ____________________________________ Business Size Standard ____________________________________ Discount Terms or Net 30? TECHNICAL PROPOSAL: Offerors shall prepare a succinct written proposal that addresses each task described in the Statement of Work (SOW), a schedule of deliverables, and a budget. 1. Offerors shall include a budget that documents the project expenditures by task, clearly displaying the labor categories, labor rates, labor hours, other direct costs (odcs), and travel. 2. Offerors shall provide supporting documentation that: 1. Demonstrates their ability to perform the task outlined in the SOW; 2. Identifies the individuals proposed that will comprise the technical team, and their respective labor categories; 3. Supports qualifications of contractor staff, e.g., curriculum vitae, resumes, etc. 4. Provides evidence of past performance. Please provide three references with contact names and telephone numbers that can be contacted to verify performance of similar work. AWARD EVALUATION FACTORS The Government will award to the responsible offeror whose offer provides the best value, considering the scope of services offered, hourly rates and other factors, as appropriate. A list of weighted factors that will be considered for each proposal received for this requirement. These factors will be used, along with proposed costs, to rate each proposal. Partial points may be awarded under each evaluation criterion. Provide the following information as a part of your proposal: 1. A description of the contractor's knowledge and expertise on the subject of bioengineering, including a detailed curriculum vitae or description of the contractor's personnel containing background and qualifications for preparing a paper on this subject. Please include a description of the need for any additional personnel to assist in this project. (50 points) 2. A stated approach to the subject matter of the paper, and how the objectives of this Request for Quote will be accomplished (35 points) 3. A time line for project completion, with milestones. (5 points) 4. A budget for accomplishment of the project. (10 points) EVALUATION CRITERIA: Evaluation of proposals will be based on the items listed above under "AWARD EVALUATION FACTORS," with points awarded for items 1-4 as shown. The maximum total number of points that may be awarded is 100. COST PROPOSAL: Include a breakdown of your expectations in regard to reimbursement for preparation of the state-of-the-science paper, as well as any travel and accommodations needed during its preparation. Include travel and accommodation costs for 2 one-day meetings in the Washington, DC area, one to meet with the Project Officer at the beginning of the project to discuss EPA grants to be included and one at the end for presentation of the report to EPA. A fixed price purchase order will be issued to the successful offeror. Price Quotation Instructions Each offeror should submit two (2) copies of the Price Quote, that includes a cost breakdown of the labor hours, labor categories, direct costs, and other direct costs (ODCs), if any. The attached format is preferred; however, the number of labor categories proposed is at the contractor's discretion. The awarded total ceiling price of the Purchase Order will represent the contractor's estimated total price of the proposal. The contractor is expected to provide an estimate of the number of staff by labor category. All other terms and conditions of the contractor's specified GSA schedule apply. During performance the contractor may be permitted to adjust the labor hours among the proposed labor categories as long as the total cost to the Government is within the annual total ceiling amount specified, the changed categories are approved by the Contracting Officer, and quality is not adversely affected. The offeror must submit the technical response separately. ESTIMATED COSTS HOURLY LABOR CATEGORY HOURS RATE COST __________________ _______ __________ _____________ __________________ _______ __________ _____________ __________________ _______ __________ _____________ __________________ _______ __________ _____________ __________________ _______ __________ _____________ _________________ ____ ___ __________ _____________ __________________ _______ __________ _____________ __________________ _______ __________ _____________ __________________ _______ __________ _____________ __________________ _______ __________ _____________ __________________ _______ __________ _____________ __________________ _______ __________ _____________ SUBTOTAL _______ __________ _____________ TOTAL LABOR COST ________ OTHER DIRECT COSTS ________ ________ SUBTOTAL ODC'S ________ G&A ON ODC'S ________ TOTAL ODC'S ________ SUBTOTAL (LABOR & ODC'S) _________ Technical Response Instructions The Government will award to the responsible offeror(s) whose offer conforms to the Statement of Work, and is most advantageous to the Government, cost or price and other factors considered. For this solicitation, all evaluation factors other than cost or price when combined are significantly more important than cost or price. Offerors should submit two (2) copies of the technical response as a separate part of the total quotation package. All references to cost or pricing details should be omitted from the technical response. The technical response should not exceed fifteen (15) pages in length (excluding cover sheet, table contents, resumes, and references). The following elements should be included in the technical response (please refer to the Statement of Work and the Technical Evaluation Criteria): Section 1 - Cover Letter and the Table of Contents This section should include the offeror's transmittal letter and a table of contents for the technical response. Section 2 - Corporate Experience & Past Performance This section should contain a discussion of the offeror's current and recently completed projects that are similar in type, scope, and complexity to the work outlined in the Statement of Work. The offeror shall also provide the name, organization, and telephone number of three (3) references who may be contacted by the Contracting Officer regarding past performance on projects described above. Section 3 - Technical Approach The offeror should submit a project management plan which addresses all of the tasks included in the Statement of Work. The plan should include: (1) A schedule outlining major milestones for all project phases; (2) The proposed research to monitoring and ensuring the high level of quality and ability to maintain continuity of performance throughout the life of the Purchase Order. (3) Methods for promptly informing the Project Officer of circumstances which impact expenditures, production schedules, or any other significant issues; (4) Methods and procedures for tracking progress and productivity. (5) Methods and procedures for training staff and keeping staff informed regarding changes in technical direction. Section 4 - Personnel The offeror shall submit resumes of additional staff, if applicable. At a minimum, resumes must include the following information: (1) Educational Background; (2) Years of experience in the position the individual is proposed for and any additional relevant experience. PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR PRICE QUOTE SEPARATELY.