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SYNOPSIS: This Sources Sought Announcement is to assist the Joint Project Manager for Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Protection (JPM CBRN P) to identify potential sources to provide a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1990; Standard for Protective Ensembles for Hazardous Materials and CBRN Operations 2022 edition, and specifically NFPA 1994 standard for Class 3 protective ensembles. Items of interest include certified Class 3 ensembles, developmental ensembles or designs intended to meet NFPA 1994, and material and/or fabric systems that are capable of being manufactured into certified ensembles.

The Government requests that responses be submitted electronically to mary.k.prebensen.civ@army.mil, robin.b.childs.civ@army.mil and celia.s.powell.civ@army.mil by 12 June 2023 by 5pm EST.

Background: The Government (JPM CBRN P) is in need of an ensemble or materials that will meet the requirements for NFPA 1994 Class 3 protection as defined in NFPA 1990, Standard for Protective Ensembles for Hazardous Materials and CBRN Operations 2022 edition. These ensembles must be interoperable with other fielded components including footwear, NIOSH respirators (PAPR and APR), and gloves if applicable. Compatibility or ability to be tested with government respirators, gloves and footwear also desired.

Description: JPM CBRN P requests information on commercially available, certified ensembles, developmental ensembles or designs intended to meet NFPA 1990 (Class 3), and material/fabric systems that will offer the properties (including reduced heat burden when compared to higher levels of protection) of current commercial items. The government desires a lightweight and breathable materials to the maximum extent possible to provide comfort during extended response operations. The material/ensemble must be able to protect against liquid, vapor and particulate CBRN agents at levels below Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH).

Specific Specifications:

Note this is not a comprehensive list, respondents are encouraged to submit information that partially meets the below capabilities. Fabric materials should be Berry Amendment compliant (As applicable to CBRN protective ensembles) and preferably avoid the use of Poly Fluorinated or Perflorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) as coatings, finishes or components. Please specify if PFAS is used in the material or the manufacture of the material.

Ensemble or design:

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  Lightweight and form-fitting for excellent mobility

  
  


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  Breathable barrier fabric allows heat and sweat vapor to dissipate away from the body for greater comfort and extended wear time (up to 8 hours)

  
  


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  Front-entry design preferred to allow for self-donning if necessary, other entry designs may be considered

  
  

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  Integrated glove system and booties

  
  


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  Approved for use with tactical-style boots if applicable

  
  


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  Price point appropriate for mass distribution and cache strategies

  
  


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  Approved with or capable of being approved with current commercial CBRN Cap1 PAPR/APRs

  
  


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  Compatible with current Government APR (M53, M50)

  
  

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  Approved with or capable of being approved with commercial Hazmat Boots or similar certified to (NFPA 1951, NFPA 1971, NFPA 1991, NFPA 1992, NFPA 1994 or NFPA 1999

  
  


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  Ruggedized fabric and extra-strength seams to allow for safer operations in demanding tactical and patrol situations.

  
  


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  Washable for multiple uses if not grossly contaminated

  
  

Fabric or Material:

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  Fabric systems of interest include commercially available woven, knitted, non-woven, selectively and or semi-permeable fabrics capable of protecting protect against liquid, vapor and particulate CBRN agents at levels below IDLH as described in NFPA 1990 Class 3 Standard.

  
  


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  Able to be manufactured into CBRN protective ensembles via standard sewing, seaming (including tape, heat welds, etc) techniques.

  
  

Deliverables:

Vendors who believe they have ensembles or fabric systems capable of meeting any of the above requirements are requested to submit a short (no more than 5 pages total per item) summary, by the date and to the address noted below. NOTE: The title page is not included in the page limitation but shall only include company information and any distribution or dissemination statements.

The summary will need to include the following general information about the respondent:

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  Company name and address

  
  


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  Point of contact with phone number

  
  


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  Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

  
  

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  CAGE Code

  
  

Responses must include the following information specific to each of the items capable of meeting any of the above requirements:

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  A description of the ensembles, designs or fabric system(s) being submitted.

  
  


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  Estimated cost of the ensemble or material per linear yard for a purchase volume of 75 to 100 yards.

  
  


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  Fiber blend percentages and any finishes added to the fabric should be specified.

  
  

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  Data sheets including textile evaluations if available.

  
  


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  If the system is a whole Commercial Product, provide the unit cost of a system for varying sizes.

  
  


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  A statement confirming or denying the use of PFAS (perfluoro or polyfluoro alkyl substances) at any stage in the material production and/or processing. PFAS refers to all substances with Carbon-Fluorine bonds, not just perfluoro octanoic acids (PFOAs). If confirming use of PFAS, the statement should include identification of the PFAS used in manufacture.

  
  

If desired, respondents may submit physical samples including; textile sample(s) (equivalent to a minimum of one (1) linear yard (in any color)), or one (1) whole system. If physical samples are intended to be provided, delivery should be coordinated with POCs.

A statement regarding current United States or other Government products, if any, made from the submitted composites is requested.

Respondents may submit up to eight (8) different fabric system or ensemble candidates but should clearly identify the advantages/disadvantages of each.

The submissions may be used by the Government to assess the performance of the submitted fabric systems for functionality in a CB training suit. While there is no guarantee that a subsequent solicitation will be issued and/or a contract awarded, currently, it is the Government’s interest to explore the feasibility of procuring fabric systems with the above properties.

The respondents may be asked to respond to a purchase request of several hundred yards for the construction of 30 garment prototypes for further testing, or if submitting whole systems a request for up to 30 suits for further testing.

Delivery Date: Please identify production lead times for ensembles and materials, and an estimated schedule to produce protypes and tech readiness assessments if applicable.

Government Furnished Property (Equipment/Materials/Information/Computer Utilization): N/A

Interested parties are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Announcement. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY

This Sources Sought Announcement is issued solely for information and planning purposes and to identify interested sources. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. No contract will be awarded from this announcement. This Sources Sought does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. It is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. Further, unsolicited proposals will not be accepted. Funding is not available at this time. The United States Army has not made a commitment to procure any of the items/services discussed, and release of this Sources Sought Announcement should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. Response to this Sources Sought Announcement is voluntary and no reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this and any follow-on information requests. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

Not responding to this Sources Sought Announcement does not preclude participation in any future RFP if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized in the SAM.gov website. It is the responsibility of the potential responders to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this subject.

RESPONSES:

Interested parties may identify their interest and capability by sending responses regarding this requirement to DEVCOM Soldier Center via e-mail ONLY to mary.k.prebensen.civ@army.mil robin.b.childs.civ@army.mil and celia.s.powell.civ@army.mil no later than 12 June 2023 by 5:00 p.m. EST. The U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this Notice. All costs associated with responding to this Notice will be solely at the expense of the interested party.

Please provide business size (indicate your socioeconomic status), applicable NAICS code, and CAGE code. If you hold a GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract, please identify your contract number.

QUESTIONS:

Any questions for clarification may be emailed to mary.k.prebensen.civ@army.mil, robin.b.childs.civ@army.mil and celia.s.powell.civ@army.mil no later than 30 May 2023 by 5:00 p.m. EST. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. An unattributed list of questions and answers will be published at the same web location of this Sources Sought Announcement.

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