General Notice : This is a Sources Sought Notice for Glove and Mitten Manufacturing. This notice is for information purposes only and IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, QUOTATIONS OR BIDS. The SBA is performing market research to determine if one or more small businesses manufacture woven and knit impregnated with flat dipped rubber/plastic gloves and are requesting identification of such from businesses concerning the product(s) described below. Business who are identified as small business manufacturers of said product should send the company name, address, contact information, and a brief description of the company's manufacturing facility, number of employees worldwide, and years in business to the SBA representative listed below. Responses to this sources sought announcement will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. NO SOLICITATION IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Small Business Size Standards: Waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice of intent to waive the Nonmanufacturer Rule for Woven and Knit impregnated with Flat Dipped Rubber/Plastic Gloves. SUMMARY: The U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is considering granting a class waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule for Glove and Mitten Manufacturing. On August 13, 2010, SBA received a request that a class waiver be granted for woven and knit impregnated with flat dipped rubber/plastic gloves, under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 315992 (Glove and Mitten Manufacturing). According to the request, no small business manufacturers supply this class of products to the Federal government. Thus, SBA is seeking information on whether there are small business Woven and Knit impregnated with Flat Dipped Rubber/Plastic Gloves manufacturers. If granted, the waiver would allow otherwise qualified small businesses to supply the products of any manufacturer on a Federal contract set aside for small businesses, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVO) small businesses or Participants in the SBA's 8(a) Business Development (BD) program. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments and source information to Amy Garcia, Procurement Analyst, Small Business Administration, Office of Government Contracting, 409 3rd Street, SW, Suite 8800, Washington, DC 20416. FOR FURTHER INFORMATI0N CONTACT: Ms. Amy Garcia, Procurement Analyst, by telephone at (202) 205-6842; by FAX at (202) 481-1630; or by email at
[email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 8(a)(17) of the Small Business Act (Act), 15 U.S.C.§ 637(a)(17), and SBA's implementing regulations require that recipients of Federal supply contracts set aside for small businesses, SDVO small businesses, or Participants in the SBA's 8(a) BD Program provide the product of a small business manufacturer or processor, if the recipient is other than the actual manufacturer or processor of the product. This requirement is commonly referred to as the Nonmanufacturer Rule. 13 CFR §121.406(b), 125.15(c). Section 8(a)(17)(b)(iv) of the Act authorizes SBA to waive the Nonmanufacturer Rule for any "class of products" for which there are no small business manufacturers or processors available to participate in the Federal market. In order to be considered available to participate in the Federal market for a class of products, a small business manufacturer must have submitted a proposal for a contract solicitation or received a contract from the Federal government within the last 24 months. 13 C.F.R. §121.1202(c). The SBA defines "class of products" based on the Office of Management and Budget's NAICS. The SBA is currently processing a request to waive the Nonmanufacturer Rule for Woven and Knit impregnated with Flat Dipped Rubber/Plastic Gloves, under NAICS code 315992 (Glove and Mitten Manufacturing). The public is invited to comment or provide source information to SBA on the proposed waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule for the product within 15 days after date of publication on FedBizOpps.gov.