The following roundup is based on recently awarded federal contracts or official notices of intent to issue an award. We selectively cover acquisition activities for laboratory, medical and CBRN equipment and services for insight into the mission priorities of organizations as well as the competitive landscape for suppliers.
DTRA Award to BioFire Defense for Acceleration of Diagnostics Deployment Waiver
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) intends to award a sole source contract to BioFire Defense, Inc. This contract is for follow-on research to current DTRA contract HDTRA1-09-C-0068. The intent of this work will be for BioFire to study the feasibility of using whole blood rather than serum in the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-waived FilmArray system and undertake discussions with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine FDA’s stance on whether a CLIA-waived diagnostic can be suitably configured to analyze samples possibly containing biowarfare agents.
BAA Awards for Thermostable Vaccine Technologies
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has awarded several contracts under BAA-NIAID-DMID-NIHAI2013174 for the advanced development of candidate products which consist of a vaccine component in combination with a technology component (a dry formulation technology) to increase stability and minimize cold chain or preservative requirements. The amounts listed include initial and option totals.
- Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) $11,874,698 (30 Sep 2014)
- Soligenix, Inc. $24,733,014 (17 Sep 2014)
- PharmAthene, Inc. $28,119,635 (10 Sep 2014)
- Emergent BioSolutions $29,184,146 (8 Sep 2014)
USAMRICD Award to SwRI for Cyanide Countermeasure
The US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) is awarding a research support contract to Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) of San Antonio, Tx.
SWRI will develop the optimal formulation of candidate cyanide countermeasure dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS). The contractor will prepare DMTS solution in combinations of ethanol/surfactant and test solubility of DMTS in the solvent mixture. The estimated value of this action, including options is $75,000.
Cyanide is highly and rapidly toxic, inexpensive to manufacture, and available worldwide. Although used widely in a variety of industry manufacturing processes, cyanide is also considered a potential terrorist threat. SwRI has experience in maximizing solubility of hydrophobic drugs in a mixture of ethanol and polyethylene sorbitol ester surfactants based on solubility parameter calculation.
Radiation Standoff Detection Sensors for Small Vessels
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) will establish a two-year delivery order for the Small Vessel Standoff Detection (SVSD) program with Sensor Technology Engineering (STE).
DHS will procure STE Maritime RadPack Accessory Kits for the United States Coast Guard (USCG) on a sole-source basis with Sensor Technology Engineering, Inc. of Santa Barbara, Ca. The total contract is valued at $452,000.
USCG requires 55 STE RadPack Maritime Accessory Kits in FY14 with an option to procure an additional 58 STE RadPack Maritime Accessory Kits in FY 15.
The Coast Guard currently employs over 300 RadPack backpack radiation detection systems in their Wide Area Search mission. This system was tested for use in a new Small Vessel Standoff Detection mission and found to be effective and suitable if additional accessories available from the vendor were provided. Deploying this system for multiple missions leverages the training and maintenance infrastructure already in place for the Coast Guard reducing lifecycle sustainment costs.
The Maritime Accessory Kit’s Wireless Control Set was designed and integrated with the STE RadPack software and Control Module to provide wireless operations. The STE vendor provides the Wireless Control Set as an optional item, but is a required accessory for the SVSD mission. The RadPacks also require a firmware upgrade for the Wireless Control Set to communicate with the RadPack Control Module.
NMRC Award for Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Research
The Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) has awarded a $15,491,819 contract to The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. to provide R&D Support for the Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department (VRDD).
CBRNE Laboratory Supplies Award to MRIGlobal
Washington Headquarters Services Acquisition Division has awarded a $249,376 contract to MRIGlobal for unspecified supplies in support of a CBRNE laboratory.
DARPA SIGMA Radiation Detection Awards
The following awards have been made under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) SIGMA BAA for Advancing Personal and Large Area Radiation:
- Palo Alto Research Center $1,803,362 (1 Oct 2014)
- Proportional Technologies, Inc. $3,504,643 (8 Aug 2014)
- Kromek Ltd $1,230,990 (28 Jul 2014)
- SRI International $3,102,009 (24 Jul 2014)
- Arktis Radiation Detectors Ltd $1,248,068 (7 Jul 2014)
BAA Awards: S&T Applied to Medical Countermeasure Development
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has made the following awards under BARDA-BAA-12-100-SOL-00013:
- nanoMR, Inc $21,573,802 (unspecified)
- Atox Bio LTD $4,395,448.00 (not to exceed $23,895,535): Drug for Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
Microfiber Closures with Hermetic Sealing for CBRN Garments
The U.S. Army Contracting Command awarded $499,888.00 to NanoGriptech of Pittsburgh, Pa. The contractor will be performing research and development work Microfiber-Based Closures with Hermetic Sealing for Chem-Bio Protective Garments.
Development of Photovoltaic Flexible Fabrics – Phase II
The U.S. Army Contracting Command – Natick has awarded $588,307.00 to Parent Technology Group of Windham, ME to develop new organic photovoltaic (OPV) textile technologies that overcome technical limitations with prior photovoltaic textile designs.
ECBC Award to ChemImage for Raman Testbed Integration
Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) has awarded $49,534.00 to ChemImage Bio Threat LLC of Pittsburgh, Pa. for the evaluation, repair and integration of a Government-furnished Raman hyperspectral imaging system. The system shall be integrated into an ultraviolet (UV) Raman imaging testbed being developed by ECBC, with the intent to further advance knowledge of Raman hyperspectral imaging.
In 2012, Chemlmage supplied a standoff hyperspectral imaging test system referred to as the Chemlmage Prototype Detection System (CPDS) to the Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center (ECBC). This system was built and delivered as part of the Multi-Mission Multi-Threat Detection (M3TD) program and went into storage at the completion of M3TD.
ECBC has a requirement to build a state of the a1t UV Raman imaging testbed. A central component of this testbed is a UV Raman spectrometer. Using the available GFE, CPDS is the only in-house option, and is the most cost-efficient system, with the shortest turnaround time. This requirement is to evaluate the current condition of the CPDS, perform any necessary repairs, install the system at the testbed site, and provide the necessary training and support to the ECBC users.
NIH Awards for B-Cell Epitope Discovery (Ebola, Hep C)
Integral Molecular, Inc. was awarded $3,499,900 by NIH/NIAID to discover and characterize B-Cell epitopes on the surface of the enveloped viral pathogens HCV (E1/E2) and EBOV (GP1/GP2), and to determine their contribution to the humoral protection and viral pathogenesis.
Pharmaceutical Supply Award to Golden State
Golden State Medical Supply of Camarillo, California, has been awarded a maximum $14,070,220 firm-fixed-price, requirements contract for pharmaceuticals. This contract was a competitive acquisition and three offers were received.
This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Location of performance is California and Canada with a Sept. 22, 2015, performance completion date. Using services are eligible federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D2-14-D-0009).
Airworthy Defibrillators Contract Awards
Zoll Medical Corp., Chelmsford, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $39,848,375 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for access to airworthy defibrillators inventory. This contract was a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. This is a five-year base contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Massachusetts with a Sept. 22, 2019, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2015 war-stopper funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1-14-D-0009).
Philips Healthcare, Andover, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $27,366,537 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for access to airworthy defibrillators inventory. This contract was a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. This is a five-year base contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Massachusetts with a Sept. 22, 2019, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2015 war-stopper funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1-14-D-0010).
Nuclear Radiation Training Simulator
Department of the Army has awarded $81,495.84 to J.G.W. (International) Ltd. of Reston VA for a Nuclear Radiation Training Simulator RDS Radioactive plume creation/detection systems (one parent system and three player units) and two simulation probe sets with two additional simulation probes compatible with existing U.S. Army detectors (ANNDR-2 and AN/PDR-77) already in use by Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (D/PNE) laboratories.
NetApp Maintenance and Support
The US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) in support of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) is soliciting a brand name only acquisition for NetApp Maintenance and Support. The manufacturer is NetApp of Sunnyvale, CA.
The requirement is for procurement maintenance support for NetApp equipment currently located at the Bank of America (BoA) building in San Antonio, TX. DHA utilizes NetApp equipment throughout its network and server infrastructure. This renewal will provide maintenance support for equipment currently supporting DHA users in San Antonio. The equipment supports several hundred users of the DHA Network at the BoA building.
DHS SBIR Web Portal Award to REI Systems Inc.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is entering a Phase III Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract with REI Systems, Inc. of Chantilly, Va. to procure support services for the DHS SBIR BAA web portal. The estimated contract value is $5,340,494.
The SBIR BAA web portal, a DHS Science & Technology enterprise-wide system, automates the administration of BAA and SBIR solicitation, submission, evaluation, award and deliverable activity. It is the primary face to industry and is key to receiving innovative solutions to DHS research and development subjects.
Mass Spec Instrument for NIST
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded a $178,106 to Agilent Technologies, Inc. for a triple quadrupole mass spectrometry detector for liquid chromatography, inclusive of training.
The Organic Chemical Measurement Science Group within the Chemical Sciences Division of the Material Measurement Laboratory, NIST is responsible for chemical measurements leading to the certification of a large number of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). Currently, the group is performing fundamental measurement research, developing analytical methods, and producing SRMs to support forensic, clinical, and environmental activities in industry and government using a variety of analytical methods. On-going work in all areas requires sensitive and selective instrumentation that can accurately separate and measure trace analytes in complex matrices.
There are multiple types of research that require the high sensitivity and high selectivity of liquid chromatography (LC) with triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (QqQ-MS) detection. One example is the identification and quantification of the various components in trace explosives. Another is the sensitive detection of trace contaminants in natural and processed water systems. A third example is the identification and quantification of biomarkers and other analytes of clinical importance in complex matrices such as serum and urine where pg/mL detection is essential. An especially sensitive QqQ mass spectrometry detector is required to provide the high sensitivity necessary for accurate, precise quantitation at such low levels.
In addition, it is critical to maximize the number of data points acquired across an LC peak. As faster chromatographic techniques are used, LC peak widths become narrower. It is essential that the QqQ-MS system can acquire data rapidly enough to obtain a sufficient number of data points across an LC peak for accurate quantitative results. This means that the MRM dwell time have a value of 1 ms or less so that data can be collected rapidly enough to accurately characterize the separated LC peak.
High sensitivity is also required to meet emerging measurement needs for ultra-trace detection and quantitation in matrix samples. For example, many biomarkers must be quantitated at pg/mL in biological matrix samples such as serum and urine. High sensitivity is defined as the ability to detect 1 pg of reserpine with a Signal to Noise ratio of 50,000.
ATF Award for HazMaster Decision Support System
Alluviam LLC of Castro Valley CA has been awarded a $122,419.62 contract for HazMasterG3 Extended Edition 10″ Table Based HazMat/CBRNE/IED/HME Decision Support System (35 ea.) by the Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).
NIH Awards for Large Scale T Cell Epitope Discovery
The primary purpose of this initiative is to establish multiple highly interactive, multi-disciplinary teams to support large scale discovery of human T cell epitopes associated with protection against microorganisms responsible for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and potential agents of bioterrorism and their toxins (BAA-NIAID-DAIT-NIHAI2013167).
The following contracts were awarded:
- University of Washington $2,084,973
- University of Massachusetts Medical School $2,556,933
- The Scripps Research Institute $1,420,165
- La Jolla Research Institute $4,745,745
NIH Award for B Cell Epitope Discovery and Mechanisms of Antibody Protection
The primary goal of this effort is the delineation of epitopes recognized by potently neutralizing antibodies and developing correlates of protection that can aid in the development of vaccines and therapeutics against human pathogens. The following awards were made by NIH/NIAID:
- Health Research, Inc./New York State Department of Health $7,627,823
- New York University School of Medicine $6,588,725
- Washington University in St. Louis $11,781,768
NIH Award for Influenza-Neutralizing Antibodies
Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been awarded an NIH/NIAID contract for $3,500,000. The focus of the application is on the study of human monoclonal antibodies that neutralize influenza viruses, as antibody-mediated virus neutralization is a clear correlate of protection for most viral infections for which we understand the pathogenesis.
Adjuvant Discovery Program Awards
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the following contracts under a BAA for Adjuvant Discovery:
- University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc. $8,353,317
- Oregon Health & Science University $2,008,369
- Duke University $3,360,262
- Vaxine PTY LTD $7,748,631
- Children’s Hospital Corporation, d.b.a. Boston Children’s Hospital $1,957,706
- Corixa Corporation d.b.a. GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines $5,082,137
- University of California, San Diego $7,925,626
DHS Awards $516M to MITRE for Operation of HSSEDI
DHS S&T intends to award an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract for the renewal and continued operation of the Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute (HSSEDI) to the MITRE Corporation of McLean, Va. This action will maintain the unique and essential engineering, research, and development capabilities provided by the MITRE Corporation under the HSSEDI.
The total estimated ceiling amount of the proposed ID/IQ award is $516,000,000 over a five year ordering period.
HAZMAT CBRNE Emergency Response Trailer Guam AFB
The U.S. Navy NAVFAC MARIANAS has awarded $49,995.00 to Verde, Inc. for a HAZMAT CBRNE emergency response trailer.
BioTek Plate Washer for DoD Malaria Serology Laboratory
The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), on behalf of the Walter Reed Army Institute Of Research (WRAIR), seeks to purchase a BioTek Instruments manufactured Plate Washer.
The Malaria Serology Laboratory is looking to purchase another Plate washer to match the high output of ELISAs being produced on a daily basis. The BioTek 405LSRVS is a plate washer that aspirates and dispenses buffer into a 96-well ELISA plate, is robot compatible, full plate washer incorporating BioTek’s patented Dual-Action manifold with independent filling and evacuation control for precise overfill washing and overflow protection.
The research and development being conducted at the MVB Malaria Serology Lab is at the cutting edge of science and is considered by peers as the International Reference Serology Lab for Malaria testing. The demand on the core serology services offered by this lab has increased by ~60% this year (2014) compared to last year (2013).
This upsurge in testing requirements requires expanding capabilities and therefore having the BioTek 405LSRVS is “essential for consistency in reporting results to customers. Having this particular brand and model ensures that all ELISA results will be comparable with past clinical trial study results performed on identical machines in our laboratory. Having this particular brand ensures that the level of accuracy and precision of our results will continue to be maintained over time,” states the announcement.
Additionally, the announcement highlights BioTek washers as the only products available today with built-in ultrasonic cleaners able to automatically prime with cleaning solution, sonicate tubes to remove any protein or salt crystal build up and re-prime with rinse or wash buffer leaving the instrument clean and ready for its next wash.
US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity Award to AB Sciex
Contract number W81XWH-14-P-0631 for unspecified laboratory equipment was awarded to AB Sciex LLC in the amount of $316,893.40 by the US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA).
Sources: FedBizOpps, Defense.gov
