RFI - Elastomeric Half Mask Respirators

SYNOPSIS: This Sources Sought Announcement is to assist the US Army DEVCOM Soldier Center to identify potential sources to provide the availability and associated specifications on Elastomeric Half-Mask Respirators (EHMRs) that protect against biological threats.

The Government requests that responses be submitted electronically to DEVCOM Soldier Center via e-mail ONLY to mary.k.prebensen.civ@army.mil and thomas.w.kloehn.civ@army.mil by May 28, 2024 by 5pm EST.

Background: During COVID-19, the DoD relied heavily on PPE for non-medical personnel. The DoD used PPE and other non-pharmaceutical interventions to continue operations in contaminated environments for over a year, and shifted to relying on vaccines once they became broadly available.  The Government (JPEO-CBRND) is in the need of a solution to address the issue that low burden respiratory protection systems do not exist for military operations.

Description: This effort seeks to evaluate EHMRs that would provide respiratory protection against biological agents while minimizing physical and physiological burden and increasing Warfighter lethality.  This effort does not seek assault/riot respirator-like systems.

Specific Specifications: 

1. Must achieve an overall fit factor of more than 100 for most users (i.e., prevent inward leakage of more than 1% of 0.5-1μm particles in practice, and/or meeting N100/P100 respirator standards).
2. Must have apparent fit and apparent loss of fit (i.e., leakage into the mask will be obvious to the user after donning). User-performed seal checks should be easy to execute and should detect a fit factor below 100 in more than 90% of cases.
3. Must remain comfortable for long-term use in physical working environments (i.e., high comfort ratings, little-to-no irritation on face and skin, no headaches, and no other common negative responses from prolonged use).
4. Must be simple to don and decontaminate to reduce risks of incorrect donning or contamination during deconning, respectively.
5. Must be NIOSH-certified and approved for use by civilians.

Additional Optional Specifications:

1. Possess source control in addition to respiratory protection (i.e., prevent outflow of viral particles in addition to inhalation of viral particles, as could be demonstrated by the use of a valved system/Particulate Air Purifying Respirator). 

Deliverables:

1. Product specification, to include particulate protection values, wear/performance duration, weight, sizing, and filter compatibility/data.
2. Packaging specifications
3. Operating/training instructions
4. Product availability
5. Unit cost
6. Storage requirements
7. Shelf-life information
8. Disposal information
9. Estimated yearly production rates

Delivery Date: The Government anticipates 4-8 weeks lead time for this item. Please identify timeframe required for delivery.

Government Furnished Property (Equipment/Materials/Information/Computer Utilization): N/A

Interested parties are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Announcement. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY

This Sources Sought Announcement is issued solely for information and planning purposes and to identify interested sources. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. No contract will be awarded from this announcement. This Sources Sought does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. It is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. Further, unsolicited proposals will not be accepted. Funding is not available at this time. The United States Army has not made a commitment to procure any of the items/services discussed, and release of this Sources Sought Announcement should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. Response to this Sources Sought Announcement is voluntary and no reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this and any follow-on information requests. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

Not responding to this Sources Sought Announcement does not preclude participation in any future RFP if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized in the SAM.gov website. It is the responsibility of the potential responders to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this subject.

RESPONSES:
Interested parties may identify their interest and capability by sending responses regarding this requirement to DEVCOM Soldier Center via e-mail ONLY to mary.k.prebensen.civ@army.mil and thomas.w.kloehn.civ@army.mil no later than May 28, 2024 by 5:00 p.m. EST. The U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this Notice. All costs associated with responding to this Notice will be solely at the expense of the interested party.

Please provide business size (indicate your socioeconomic status), applicable NAICS code, and CAGE code. If you hold a GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract, please identify your contract number.

QUESTIONS:
Any questions for clarification may be emailed to mary.k.prebensen.civ@army.mil and thomas.w.kloehn.civ@army.mil no later than May 28, 2024 by 5:00 p.m. EST. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. An unattributed list of questions and answers will be published at the same web location of this Sources Sought Announcement.