Sources Sought for a Co-Brand Agreement for Type IV Biobased Aircraft Surface Cleaning Compound

On behalf of the The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled (Committee), the independent federal agency that administers the AbilityOne Program, National Industries for the Blind (NIB), a designated central nonprofit agency, is pursuing potential partnerships with U.S. commercial manufacturers of Type IV Biobased Aircraft Surface Cleaning Compounds for the purpose of providing employment for people who are blind or severely disabled by furnishing such products to the federal government under the AbilityOne Program. If successful, the result will be a co-brand agreement between the manufacturer and the AbilityOne Program, and its registered brands. The ultimate expectation is that the co-branded product will be placed on the AbilityOne Procurement List (PL). At minimum, the following product requirements must be met: 1. Aircraft surface cleaner must be a Type IV, heavy-duty, water solvent, concentrated, cleaning compound that conforms to all requirements of the MIL-PRF-87937D. 2. To the maximum extent possible, the cleaning compound should conform to the following requirements: a. Be Biobased b. Have no adverse effect to the health of personnel or the environment when used for its intended purpose and with proper personal protective equipment (when required). c. Show a 100% survival rate for both species when tested at 1 ppm and 10 ppm concentration levels for aquatic toxicity with a 96-hour Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) bioassay and a 48-hour Ceriodaphnia dubia bioassay in accordance with Methods for Measuring the Acute Toxicity of Effluents and Receiving Waters to Freshwater and Marine Organisms, EPA/600/4-90/027. The percent survival at 1, 10, 50 and 100 ppm shall be reported for both organisms. d. Finished product shall be a minimum of 88% biodegradable at the end of a 28-day period, Shake Flask Method, Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) monitored analysis. Biodegradability testing shall be accomplished on the finished product by an independent laboratory according to 40 CFR 796.3100: Aerobic Aquatic Biodegradation. e. Shall have the capability to be used undiluted (RTU) up to a 1:9 dilution (10% solution), depending upon the amount of soil on the surface. f. Concentrated product shall have no flashpoint to the initial boiling point of 212F. g. Shall have a cleaning efficiency of 90% or greater when reported as the average of three test results. h. Product must be able to pass long-term storage stability (LTSS) test after being stored for a period of 12 months or greater. The cleaning compound shall not layer, separate, precipitate or corrode the shipping container after long term storage. Plastic containers shall not show leakage or cracking, crazing or softening. As part of the LTSS testing, all cleaning compounds shall meet the requirements of paragraphs 3.5.1 Chemical Requirements, 3.7.1 Hydrogen Embrittlement, 3.7.2 Total Immersion Corrosion, 3.15 Rubber Compatibility and 3.16 Effect on Polyimide Insulated Wire of the MIL-PRF-87937D specification. i. Be made available in highly concentrated formulations that reduce packaging size and material used, saving on natural recourses. j. Have a Mild pH and corrosion inhibiting properties. k. Be VOC compliant to California Air Resource Board (CARB) l. Contain no ozone depleting ingredients 3. Meet and/or exceed the FAR and other published Federal standards, including Executive Orders and applicable agency-unique requirements. NOTE: All product test claims must be supported with test results from the independent laboratory that conducted the test. Documentation must be included with response submission. To be considered for the partner opportunity, the following criteria at a minimum must be met by the commercial manufacturer: 1. Possession of a nationally-known brand name that can be demonstrated to have significant appeal through evidence of substantial sales and market share. 2. Possession of an outside sales force . 3. Manufacturer's response must include the material safety data sheets (MSDS) and general product information. 4. Willingness to enter into a multi-year agreement, which includes on-going technical and production assistance while enabling the selected nonprofit agency to meet the suitability criteria of the AbilityOne Program in the production process by delivering component materials to the nonprofit agency's facility in the BULK or concentrated form and instructing the nonprofit agency in proper techniques to complete the manufacturing and subsequent packaging of the products, thereby creating employment for people who are blind or severely disabled. 5. The chosen commercial manufacturer must be willing to set a high priority for delivering the component materials to the nonprofit agency within 4 days after the material order's submission in order to ensure the nonprofit agency's ability to make on-time deliveries to the end-use customer. 6. Commitment to working cooperatively with AbilityOne personnel to market the products to government customers under the AbilityOne Program. 7. Willingness to work with the selected nonprofit agency, NIB and the Committee to ensure that the products' price to end-users is a fair and reasonable price. 8. All products must be manufactured and lab tested, certified and customer tested to be effective according to their purpose. Test results and proof of certification MUST be provided WITH solicitation response. 9. Manufacturer's submission must demonstrate that the specific products meet the various criteria, as well as indicate what functions the nonprofit agency's employees would perform. Submission should recommend ways to maximize the employment for people who are blind or severely disabled in the fulfillment of the products. The deadline for response is (30 days from date of publication) The WRITTEN, ELECTRONIC, response should be directed to the contact listed in this Notice. Proposals should address each of the product and manufacturer criteria specified above. Questions should be directed, in writing, to Michelle Grant at [email protected]. NOTE: The e-mail's subject line should begin with ‘Question: Sources Sought CP-11-28-12-02 Biobased Aircraft Soap