81 -- 6 oz and 12 oz CONTAINERS

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), is issuing this RFI for interested parties who could provide potential products for rearing Gypsy Moths. Products currently in use are: 6 oz thermal formed polystyrene plastic cups with lids and 16 oz untreated paper containers with lids as per specifications listed below CURRENT SPECIFICATIONS: 6 oz cup – shall be constructed of 15 ml (plus or minus 2 ml) thermal formed translucent polystyrene plastic, so objects inside cannot be clearly distinguished. This squat-shaped container shall have a rolled lip. The outside height shall be two and one-sixteenth inches; the container mouth shall be three and thirteen sixteenth inches, outside diameter; outside height shall be two and one sixteenth inches; the base of the container shall have an outside diameter of two and nine sixteenth inches. The side walls may be fluted, but it is not mandatory. 6 oz CUP LID The lid, used in conjunction with the 6 oz cup shall be constructed of untreated white paperboard of a nominal thickness of .026 inches and fit the 6 oz cup tightly. The lid may have a polycoating on one side ONLY. Polycoating on both sides of the lid is NOT acceptable. 16 oz CUP – a squat container, shall be constructed of untreated paper; sides shall be 120 lb stock paper with a .009 caliber; bottom, shall be constructed using 185 lb stock paper with a .018 caliber. The container shall be round, with the side seam pressure welded with the bottom, interlocked and recessed. The rim shall be tightly rolled. The container shall have a capacity of 16 oz with a height of three and one eighths inches; top diameter of four and one half inches; bottom diameter of three and three fourths inches. The paper CANNOT be polycoated as this will hold in the gas produced by the pupae causing malformation and death in the adult gypsy moth. 16 oz CUP LID shall be constructed of acrylic translucent multi-polymer plastic; and must fit tightly on the 16 oz paper container and have a minimum .010 thickness in the center. The lid shall be flat, with a 4.690 inch diameter and height of thirteen thirtyseconds inches; the edge shall be curved to fit tightly over the edge of the container. Please include your business size classification in your response. Any vendor responding to this RFI must submit a quantity of 50 each of their commercial, suitably similar product to our current product: 6 oz cups and lids, and 50 each of the 16 oz cups and lids for testing purposes, at no cost to the USDA. Testing will be for a period of three (3) months. Any unused cups or lids will not be returned to the offeror. The estimated requirement for one year is 500,000 cups. ALL SAMPLES SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO: John Tanner, USDA APHIS PPQ, Otis Pest Survey, Detection & Exclusion Lab, Building 1398, Otis ANGB, MA 02542. Please provide a response in regard to your ability to provide the current product or a suitable alternate to Joanne Mann, Contracting Officer. Fax number 612 370 2136