SOURCES SOUGHT
81 -- 8145 SPECIALIZED SHIPPING CONTAINERS
- Notice Date
- 3/23/2006
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 322211
— Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Acquisitions and Agreements Section, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mail drop 5230, Beltsville, MD, 20705
- ZIP Code
- 20705
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-FSIS-35-B-06
- Response Due
- 4/5/2006
- Archive Date
- 4/6/2006
- Description
- This serves as a sources sought notice and market survey to locate qualified businesses capable of providing specialized shipping containers. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has a requirement for shipping containers to ship meat, poultry and egg products test samples to FSIS laboratories in St. Louis, MO, Athens, GA and Alameda, CA. The test samples are required under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act. The Government anticipates using an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) type contract for the period of one base year with four one year option periods. The shipping containers shall meet the following specifications. INTERIOR DIMENSION REQUIREMENTS: very small - the inside of the container must provide a 7.5" x 7.5" x 3" space for sample material; small - the inside of the container must provide a 7.75" x 7.75" x 4.5" space for sample material; large - the inside of the container must provide a 13" x 9" x 8" space for sample material. The shipping containers shall meet the program requirements for both frozen and refrigerated samples. The shipping containers shall be a semi-disposable item. The inner components shall be durable to last a minimum of ten (10) round trips from the plant to the laboratory and return. The shipping containers shall provide leakage control of the sample contained within, in the event of secondary containment failure. The very small and small container shall be no more than five (5) pounds total weight. The large container shall be no more than ten (10) pounds total weight. The containers shall incorporate replaceable component parts to facilitate longevity of the container and support cost efficiency of the sampling program. The very small and small container shall be self sealing using a velcro type closure. The large container shall be sealed with sealing tape. The containers must have a method/component in place to limit movement of the sample held in the box to prevent rupture, breakage, and leakage (i.e. a plug or top). No fire retardant is to be used in any of the materials or components of the shipping containers. Must be able to stack the very small and small container at least six (6) units high without collapsing or crushing the contents. The large container must be able to stack four (4) units high without collapsing or crushing the contents. The sealing material must adhere properly to the surface of the container. See Directive 7355.1 pages 6 & 7. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/7355.1Rev2.pdf The containers must be relatively easy to pack and unpack by FSIS employees with minimal time and effort. Specifications for components: CORRUGATED BOX OVER WRAP-#200 bursting strength, single wall, c-flute, custom USDA printing; CLOSURE-plug, saw cut flexible polyurethane, 2 mil plastic, laminated to one face; ABSORBENT PAD-cellulose tissue, plastic on one side; REFRIGERANT PACK-one 24 oz polar type hard pack for the very small and small container, two 24 oz polar type hard pack for the large container; POLYURETHANE CONTAINER-CFC free, rigid polyurethane, 2.0 lbs/cu/ft density, wall thickness 1" for very small container, wall thickness 1 ?" for small and large container; SPACER PAD-#200 bursting strength, double wall B/C flute; LINER-thermoform low density polyethylene. No materials that contain polybrominated dipehenyl ethers can be used in any of the components of the containers. TEMPERATURE CONTROL REQUIREMENTS: The method or product used must be leak proof, durable and reusable. Dry ice cannot be used as a standard method but occasionally the container will be shipped with dry ice. The surface of the sample shipping container will be subjected for a twenty (20) hour period to an integrated temperature of 87 degrees Fahrenheit. For frozen samples, the hamburger is placed in the container at a temperature less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and the surface temperature of the hamburger may not exceed 32 degrees Fahrenheit at any time, based upon the conditions above (20 hour period at an integrated temperature of 87 degrees Fahrenheit). For refrigerated samples, the hamburger is placed in the containers at a uniform 34 degrees Fahrenheit, and the hamburger surface temperature may neither fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit nor exceed 50 degrees Fahrenheit at any time, based upon the conditions above. EXTERIOR SURFACE REQUIREMENTS: The outside of each container must contain the following: The capability to affix a clear plastic pouch for an air bill that is 9.25" x 10.5" and our current container seal material form 7355.1 2A. MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS: The outside of the container must not be slick or waxed. The outer container must be removable to allow replacement/recycling after four (4) round trips. However, the container must protect the samples and other contents of the container. The containers shall meet the EPA?s recommendations for the use of recycled content paper/structural fiberboard, and laminated paperboard. The containers must be easily stackable, and must allow for ease of opening and sealing. The containers shall meet all U.S. Department of Transportation shipping requirements as well as those of the Federal Government contractor for overnight package deliveries. USE OF THE CONTAINERS: The samples which are shipped from plants throughout the United States, to the laboratories in St. Louis, MO, Athens, GA and Alameda, Ca, include tissues from beef, swine, or poultry, such as muscles, liver, or kidney, and meat and poultry products such as hotdogs and chicken pot pies. Other samples matrices include liquid and dry eggs, urine, blood, sponges soaked in broth, and rinses from animal carcasses. Neither regulated hazardous waste nor concentrated pathogens are transported using these containers. Generally, one to three pounds of sample is shipped in the very small container, six to nine pounds in the small container, and up to ten to fifteen pounds in the large container. Some samples are frozen at the plants to 32 degrees Fahrenheit before being shipped. Most microbiology samples cannot be frozen, so they generally are shipped from the plant at 34 degrees Fahrenheit with a gel pack frozen to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Additional information on shipping container usage at FSIS can be viewed at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/7355.1Rev2.pdf This is not a request for competitive quotations. No solicitation is available for this requirement. The Government is not requesting technical/management proposals and no contract will be awarded as a result of this sources sought notice. Your responses will be used solely for market research purposes of the Government. The Government will not pay for any materials provided in response to this synopsis and submittals will not be returned to the sender. Interested businesses having the capability necessary to provide the specialized shipping containers are invited to submit appropriate documentation which will demonstrate that it has the ability to provide the items. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 322211, Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing, and the small business size standard is 500 employees. Interested businesses are requested to submit a package delineating qualifications, capabilities, and experience for meeting the requirement described herein. Include information on your company's managerial and technical resources to be able to meet the requirement. Responses should include a capability statement and may submit exhibits/drawings. Responses should also include the following: name and address of firm; size of business; number of years in business; and list of customers covering the past three years (highlight relevant work performed, contract numbers, contract type, dollar value of each procurement, and point of contact with address and phone number). Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. Responses may be submitted by email to karen.chapman@fsis.usda.gov; or by mail to Karen G. Chapman at USDA, FSIS, ASD, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Maildrop 5230, Beltsville MD 20705-5230; or by fax at 301-504-4276. The information requested is due by 4:00 p.m. local time on April 05, 2006.
- Record
- SN01013172-W 20060325/060323211740 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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