OPTIC Contract for National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility

The Department of Homeland Security is planning to release a contract bid for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) Operational Planning and Technology Integration Contract (OPTIC).

NBAF will be a state-of-the-art biocontainment facility for the study of foreign animal, emerging and zoonotic diseases that threaten the U.S. animal agriculture and public health. The facility will assume the mission of the aging Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) when complete, and have a large Animal Bio-Safety Level 4 (ABSL-4) containment for the study of high-consequence diseases affecting large livestock.

The NBAF is currently in the construction phase for the site and infrastructure facilities and will soon be entering construction for the full laboratory. As construction progresses, DHS intends to award OPTIC as an Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract provide for management and coordination of subject matter experts to ensure the efficient transition from construction to full laboratory operations.

Activities and under NBAF OPTIC will include:

• Identify and work with key stakeholders to draft the NBAF Concept of Operations (CONOPS).
• Communications support including the developing of branding, messaging, graphic and video design and logistical support.
• Design an IT system architecture that meets requirements from stakeholders, identify the associated specifications for that design and then draft the procurement documentation.
• Update the Room Data Sheets to provide descriptions of the types of activities that will occur in each room in NBAF as well as the equipment expected to be installed in the space.

NBAF OPTIC will additionally be responsible for preparing the technical requirements and associated acquisition documentation to support development of a Request for Proposals for NBAF’s Management, Operations & Research Support (MORS) contract.

The MORS contract will support the laboratory fit-out, Select Agent registration and other certification processes and provide the steady-state operations of the NBAF within a Government-Owned, Government-Operated (GOGO) operations model utilizing heavy contractor support.

The full OPTIC solicitation is expected to be released on Jan. 21, 2016 under Solicitation Number: HSHQDC-16-R-00040.  DHS/S&T also plans to conduct an Industry Day event on February 4, 2016 at the NBAF Facility in Kansas.

Editor’s note: The anticipated solicitation release date has been delayed until February 16, 2016.