Drinking Water Systems Maintenance and Support

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "Attachment 3: Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI)," outlines the U.S. Army Public Health Center's (APHC) categorization of service procurements for the purpose of identifying, avoiding, or mitigating Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 9.5.

• OCI Categories: Defines three categories:
  • Category 1: Command Wide Internal Support
  • Category 2: Program Management Support
  • Category 3: Product Support
• Purpose of Categorization: To inform prospective Offerors about potential OCIs, assist them in developing business strategies, and ensure fair competition.
• Offeror Requirements:
  • Contractors providing support in more than one category must perform a comparative analysis of potential new work against current/previous work.
  • If a real or apparent OCI may exist, an OCI Avoidance or Mitigation Plan must be submitted with the proposal.
  • Contractors must certify their OCI status.
• Government Review: The Contracting Officer will review submitted analyses and plans to determine award eligibility.
• Contractor Obligations: Contractors must obtain similar certifications from subcontractors and provide OCI training to employees.
• Self-Assessment Questions: Provides questions for Offerors to consider when determining if a conflict of interest exists.
• Certification Statement: Requires Offerors to certify their OCI status, either confirming no OCI or that an avoidance/mitigation plan is attached.

This attachment is critical for bidders to understand potential restrictions on their ability to compete for this and future APHC opportunities based on their current or past work. Bidders must carefully review the OCI categories and requirements, conduct their own analysis, and submit the required documentation (comparative analysis, mitigation plan, and certification) with their proposals to ensure eligibility for award. Failure to comply may result in disqualification.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) for the U.S. Army Public Health Center (APHC) analytical services of Drinking Water Sample Analysis contract. It outlines the government's systematic approach to monitoring the contractor's performance to ensure contract standards are met. The QASP details how the government will evaluate the services provided by the contractor, focusing on inspection as the primary evaluation criterion.

• Government Roles & Responsibilities: Identifies the Contracting Officer (KO) and Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and their duties in overseeing surveillance and technical administration.
• Contractor Representatives: Outlines the roles of the contractor's Program Manager and Task Manager.
• Procedures: Details the Quality Assurance Schedule, surveillance methods, and handling of unacceptable performance.
• Performance Requirements Summary Matrix: Lists specific performance objectives, standards, acceptable quality levels (e.g., >99% for sample analysis), and methods of surveillance for various tasks, including sample analysis timelines and technical acceptability of reports and electronic data deliverables (EDD).
• Forms: Includes templates for a Performance Report and a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) to document surveillance findings and corrective actions.

This QASP provides potential bidders with insight into how their performance will be monitored and evaluated if awarded the contract. It clearly defines the performance standards, acceptable quality levels, and the surveillance methods the government will employ. Understanding these requirements is crucial for bidders to propose a compliant and successful approach to the Drinking Water Analysis services.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Past Performance Questionnaire designed to gather candid feedback on a contractor's performance. The information collected will be used in the awarding of federal contracts and is crucial for evaluators to assess an offeror's past performance accurately and completely.

• Rating Definitions: Provides clear definitions for "Substantial Confidence," "Satisfactory Confidence," "Limited Confidence," and "No Confidence" to ensure consistent evaluation.
• Part I (Offeror): To be completed by the offeror, this section collects essential contract identification details (Contractor Name, Address, Program Title, Contract Number, Type, Dates, Effort Description, Total Value) and information about the offeror's representative.
• Part II (Evaluation): To be completed by a Point of Contact (respondent), this section requires ratings and rationale for various performance aspects, including:
  • Compliance of Products, Services, Documents, and Deliverables to Specifications
  • Effectiveness of Project Management (including subcontractors)
  • Timeliness of Performance
  • Effectiveness in Forecasting and Controlling Costs (for Cost Reimbursement Contracts)
  • Commitment to Customer Satisfaction
  • General Comments
  • Other Information Sources (awareness of other past efforts)
  • Respondent Identification
• Part III (Return Information): Instructions for returning the completed questionnaire to the Contracting Officer.

Bidders should use this questionnaire to understand the specific criteria and metrics the government uses to evaluate past performance. It outlines the types of information that will be sought from references and the rating scales that will be applied. Completing Part I accurately and providing this form to appropriate references is essential for a successful proposal submission, as past performance is often a significant evaluation factor.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is the "Small Business Participation Plan Evaluation Form." It requires all offerors, regardless of their size, to detail their proposed participation of small businesses (as a small business prime and/or small business subcontractors) in the performance of the acquisition.

• Prime Offeror Classification: Check applicable boxes to identify the prime offeror's size and category (Large Prime, Small Business Prime with specific sub-categories like SDB, WOSB, HUBZone, VOSB, SDVOSB).
• Total Percentage of Work: Submit the combined percentage of work to be performed by both large and small businesses, ensuring the total equals 100%.
• Subcategory Participation: Indicate the percentage of work performed by specific small business subcategories (SDB, HUBZone, WOSB, Service Disabled Veteran Owned SB, Veteran Owned Small Business, HBCU/MI).
• Company and Service Listing: List the names of small businesses and the type of service/supply they will provide, noting if they qualify in multiple categories.
• Commitment Description: Describe the extent of commitment to use small businesses, including types of commitments (e.g., prime, written contract, joint venturing, mentor-protégé).

This form is crucial for bidders to outline their strategy for meeting small business participation goals. Offerors must accurately complete this form to demonstrate their commitment to utilizing small businesses, which may be a factor in the evaluation of proposals. Other than U.S. Small Businesses are specifically required to submit a subcontracting plan that aligns with the commitments made in this participation plan.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

To provide quality sample analysis on drinking water samples for various organic, inorganic, and biological contaminants, utilizing industry-standard, state-of-the-art instrumentation and methodologies.

• The Contractor shall provide non-personal services, including all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, materials, and supervision necessary to perform the services.

• Services include sample analysis for organic, inorganic, and biological contaminants in drinking water matrices.

• The Contractor is responsible for the receipt, storage, and handling of samples in accordance with applicable analytical method specifications.

• Turnaround Times (TAT) for analysis results are defined as: STANDARD (15 calendar days), HIGH PRIORITY (8 calendar days), TOP PRIORITY (5 calendar days), and URGENT (3 calendar days) from the date of sample receipt.

• Technical acceptability of results will be determined by qualified DCPH-A technical Subject Matter Experts.

• Liquidated damages may apply for late or technically deficient/unacceptable data packages.

• The work will be performed at the Contractor's or subcontractor's laboratory.

• Laboratory certifications: ISO 17025 accreditation and DoD Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) for PFAS testing are required.

• Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC): Strict adherence to DoD Quality Systems Manual (QSM), applicable analytical methods, and laboratory SOPs is required.

• Training: Contractor employees must complete Anti-Terrorism (AT) Level I and iWATCH training.

• Personnel: A Project Manager (PM) with specific experience is required. CVs must be submitted for approval.

• Reporting: Analytical reports and Electronic Data Deliverables (EDD) must be submitted electronically according to specified formats and timelines.

• Non-Disclosure: Contractor personnel must sign non-disclosure agreements.

• Subcontracting: Limited to three (3) other laboratories, which must meet the same quality requirements and be approved by DCPH-A.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation seeks proposals for Drinking Water Systems Maintenance and Support. The Army Public Health Command (APHC) mission requires the analysis of drinking water samples in Army operating environments and military bases to ensure safety and security. The Lab Sciences Directorate currently analyzes water samples but lacks the capacity to perform all required sampling analyses, particularly in deployment and disaster locations.

• Analysis of drinking water matrices for organic, inorganic, and biological organisms.

• Support for APHC mission in Army operating environments and military bases.

• Capability to perform sampling analyses in natural or man-made disaster locations and deployment locations.

• Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price (FFP)

• Period of Performance: Base period from June 26, 2026, to May 25, 2027, with four option periods extending to May 25, 2031.

• Estimated Value: USD 16,500,000.00 (Size Standard for NAICS 541380)

• Proposal Due Date: May 15, 2026, 11:00 AM Eastern Time.

• Proposal Questions Due Date: June 2, 2026, 11:00 AM Eastern Time.

• Submission Method: Electronic via email to roberto.a.gonzalez-echeverria.civ@health.mil.

• Proposal Structure: Two volumes - Volume I (Non-Cost/Price) and Volume II (Price/Business).

• Evaluation Method: Competitive best value tradeoff among price and non-price factors. Non-price factors are more important than price.

• Evaluation Factors (Descending Order of Importance):

  1. Technical Approach
  2. Experience
  3. Past Performance
  4. Small Business Participation Plan and Subcontracting Plan
  5. Price

• Past Performance will be evaluated independently.

• Proposals must receive an "Acceptable" or higher rating to be considered for award.

• This acquisition is unrestricted.

• NAICS Code: 541380

• Size Standard: $16.5 million

• The solicitation includes various FAR and DFARS clauses, including those related to payment instructions (WAWF), option to extend services, and prohibition on acquisition of covered defense telecommunications equipment or services.

• Attachments include: Performance Work Statement (PWS), Small Business Participation Form, Past Performance Questionnaire, OCI, and Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP).