Cannabinoid Testing

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides answers to vendor questions regarding Solicitation Notice ID: 15DDHQ25Q00000121, specifically concerning pricing, period of performance, call order structure, budget ceilings, and contract terms.

• Pricing Sheet: Bidders should refer to pages 4-9 of the solicitation for the schedule of supplies/services. A cost breakdown is acceptable to support pricing.
• Period of Performance: The Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) is valid for up to 60 months. Call orders will be issued as needed and will fall within the BPA's period of performance, which includes a base year and four option years.
• Call Order Structure: Call orders can include all Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) 0001-0009 or be awarded as smaller groups of CLINs. Multiple call orders may be issued within the BPA's period of performance.
• Budget Ceilings: No single call order shall exceed $350,000. The total ceiling for all call orders over the 60-month period is not to exceed $2.5 million.
• Contract Terms: The relevant terms and conditions fall under the Medical Laboratory Testing & Analysis Services contract, associated with Product Service Code (PSC) Q301. Information on PSCs can be found in the PSC Manual April 2025.pdf.

These clarifications do not appear to alter submission deadlines or evaluation factors but provide essential details for bidders to accurately price and understand the scope and structure of the opportunity.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding Solicitation ID 15DDHQ25Q00000121 for Cannabinoid Testing.

• Pricing Sheet: Bidders should refer to pages 4-9 of the solicitation for the schedule of supplies/services. A breakdown to support costs can be provided.
• Period of Performance: The Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) is valid for up to 60 months. Call orders will be issued as needed and may include all Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) 0001-0009 or smaller groups of CLINs. Multiple call orders can be issued within the BPA's period of performance (base year + four option years).
• Budget Ceiling: Individual call orders cannot exceed $500,000. The total Not-to-Exceed (NTE) for the entire 60-month period is $2.5 million.
• BPA Terms & Conditions: The relevant terms and conditions fall under Product Service Code (PSC) Q301 – Medical – Laboratory Testing. Information on PSCs can be found in the PSC Manual April 2025.pdf.

These clarifications provide specific details on pricing, contract duration, call order issuance, budget limits, and the applicable terms and conditions, which bidders should consider when preparing their proposals.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides clarification on the solicitation for Cannabinoid Testing – Notice ID: 15DDHQ25Q00000121.

• Pricing Sheet Confirmation: Bidders inquired about the inclusion of a pricing sheet. The government confirmed that bidders should refer to the "schedule of supplies/services" starting on page 4 of the solicitation. Bidders are instructed to provide a cost breakdown to support their pricing.

This Q&A clarifies the expected format for pricing submissions and directs bidders to a specific section of the solicitation for guidance.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is a Request for Quote (RFQ) for the "Evaluation of Abuse Potential of Synthetic Cannabinoids and Phytocannabinoids Using In Vivo Pharmacological Studies." The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Diversion Control Division (DC) requires these evaluations to support domestic scheduling activities for drugs and chemicals, determining their abuse potential to support regulatory control under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

The contractor shall conduct preclinical studies, including but not limited to, locomotor activity studies, cannabinoid tetrad studies, and drug discrimination studies on various substances. The DEA will provide test substances that are not commercially available. The contractor must possess a Schedule I researcher registration with the DEA. Deliverables include study reports, data presentations, and a final study report for each substance tested.

This is a firm-fixed-price Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with a duration of five years, including an initial 12-month period plus four consecutive 12-month ordering periods. Call orders will be initiated on an as-needed basis and shall not exceed the Simplified Acquisition Threshold of $350,000.00.

Quotes must be submitted in two volumes: Volume I (Technical Quote) and Volume II (Business Quote). Evaluation will be based on a "Pass/Fail" basis for technical requirements and Lowest-Price-Technically Acceptable (LPTA) for the overall award. Key technical evaluation factors include Understanding of the Requirement and Experience/Past Performance. Price is also a factor. Quotes must adhere to specific formatting and page limits. The deadline for questions is January 22, 2026, by 2:00 pm EST. Quotes are due by the date and time specified in Block 8 of the SF1449.

This solicitation is unrestricted. The North American Industry Classification Standard (NAICS) code is 541380 (Testing Laboratories and Services) with a size standard of $30.5 million.

All Schedule I substances must be stored in a manner that provides effective prevention against theft and diversion, at the exact location specified on the DEA registration. This includes secure containers, double-lock systems, restricted access, segregation, and detailed inventory logs. Researchers must obtain an individual DEA research registration specifically for Schedule I substances.