Sources Sought for a Co-Brand Agreement for Assorted Bio-based Cleaning Concentrates Manufacturer
On behalf of the U.S. AbilityOne Commission (operating name for the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled), the independent federal agency that administers the AbilityOne Program, National Industries for the Blind (NIB), a designated central nonprofit agency, is pursuing a potential partnerships with U.S. commercial manufacturers of Assorted Cleaning Chemical Concentrates 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(s) 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. A line of cleaning chemical concentrates that include one or more of the items below, but is not limited to:
a. Biobased Rug and Upholstery Cleaning Compound - a concentrated, low foaming shampoo that cleans, brightens, and deodorizes colorfast carpet, upholstery, and other fabrics. For use with extraction, spin bonnet or hand cleaning systems. The product shall be biodegradable, non-toxic, non-corrosive, non-alkaline and phosphate free. Minimum Biobased Content: 54%
b. Biobased General Purpose Detergent - product shall be a non-toxic, biobased, biodegradable, phosphate free, NPE-free concentrated, heavy duty citrus-based cleaner/degreaser strong enough for difficult cleaning. It shall be capable of spray-on/wipe-off cleaning, damp mopping, automatic or manual scrubbing and through high-pressure washers and steam cleaners. Minimum Biobased Content: 41%
c. Disinfectant, Solvent-Detergent Cleaning Compound - product shall disinfect, clean, and deodorize floors, walls, metal surfaces, stainless steel surfaces, glazed porcelain, plastic surfaces, and other hard non-porous surfaces. It shall be a concentrated, quaternary-based germicidal detergent, and deodorizer. It shall be effective against antibiotic resistant bacteria strains. It shall be effective against the HIV-1 virus, Hepatitis-B virus, and Hanta Virus. Neutral formula will not dull floor finishes.
d. Biobased Glass Cleaner - product shall be a non-streaking cleaner for glass, mirrors, stainless steel, Formica, ceramic tile, plastic and other polished surfaces. It shall be concentrated, alcohol-free, solvent-free, non-ammoniated, non-flammable, non-toxic, phosphate free, and NPE-Free. Minimum Biobased Content: 49%
e. Biobased Hard Surface-Floor Cleaning Compound - a biodegradable, nontoxic, concentrated, low foam liquid cleaner for removing soils from floors, walls and other hard surfaces. The product shall be suitable for routine damp mopping and automatic scrubbing. Minimum Biobased Content: 77%
f. Biobased Porcelain Cleaning Compound - product shall be a non-toxic, phosphate free, NPE-free, concentrated washroom and fixture cleaner. Its mild food-grade acidic formulation removes soap film, body oils, make up, mineral deposits, and stains from tile, grout and other hard surfaces. Minimum Biobased Content: 74%
2. Where appropriate, be capable of receiving one or more of the following environmental certifications: Green Seal, Ecologo or Design for the Environment (DfE)
3. Where designated by USDA, meet the minimum biobased content % as identified by the USDA BioPreferred Program (www.biopreferred.gov).
4. Meet and/or exceed the FAR and other published Federal standards, including Executive Orders and applicable agency-unique requirements.
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. Manufacturer's response must include the material safety data sheets (MSDS) and general product information and applicable biobased test results showing compliance to USDA Bioppreferred Program.
3. 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 the to the nonprofit agency's facility in the BULK 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.
4. The chosen commercial manufacturer must be willing to set a high priority for delivering the materials to the nonprofit agency in order to assure the agency of on-time deliveries to the end-use customers.
5. Commitment to working cooperatively with AbilityOne personnel to market the products to government customers under the AbilityOne Program.
6. 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.
7. 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 November 18, 2016.
The WRITTEN, ELECTRONIC, response should be directed to the contact listed in this Notice. Responses should address each of the product and manufacturer criteria specified above.
Questions should be directed, in writing, to Judy Szabo at jszabo@nib.org
NOTE: The e-mail's subject line should begin with ‘Question: Sources Sought CP-10-20-16-01
Product Name/Categor
Judy Szabo, Phone 703-310-0352, Email jszabo@nib.org
