Summary

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), in partnership with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Viral Diseases (DVD), is seeking proposals to designate up to four (4) CaliciNet certified public health laboratories as CaliciNet Outbreak Support Center Sites (CNOSCs) to enhance national norovirus surveillance efforts. These OSCs will serve as certified laboratories responsible for sequencing norovirus positive stool specimens from outbreaks reported by state and local public health laboratories that are not certified for direct participation in CaliciNet. This initiative aims to expand the reach of the U.S. norovirus surveillance network, facilitating comprehensive
outbreak monitoring and timely public health response.​

Eligibility

Eligible applicants must be CaliciNet certified laboratories with the following capabilities, resources and
facilities in place.​

  • The eligible applicant must be able to contract directly with APHL or have an existing relationship with a third-party organization that can contract directly with APHL. Acceptance of the award means agreement with the compensation structure and amounts agreed upon with the awardee and APHL.
  • Recipients must be legally able to contract within the United States and not be disbarred or prohibited from contracting with businesses or the federal government.
  • Specific expectations regarding the methodologies to be used are outlined in Appendix A: Expectations.
  • All applicants are required to agree to the following minimum requirements as outlined in Appendix B: Minimum Requirements

Anticipated RFP Schedule​

2/14/2025 - APHL issues RFP APHL procurement site www.aphl.org/rfp
2/21/2025 - Informational teleconference to answer any questions (optional) Join Zoom Meeting
3/7/2025 - Required Letter of Intent Due to APHL by 5:00 pm EST. Send an email to foodsafety@aphl.org and cc:calicinet1@cdc.gov
3/21/2025 - RFP Responses Due by 5:00 pm EST. Submit proposal including exhibits via email to foodsafety@aphl.org and cc:calicinet1@cdc.gov​
4/4/2025 - Proposal Review Completed (estimated date)
4/21/2025 - Follow-up interviews and updated proposals due (if needed)
5/5/2025 - Final Review completed and awardees notified (estimated date)
7/1/2025 - Estimated contract start date 
6/30/2026 - Estimated contract end date Laboratories will be eligible for annual contract renewal, contingent on performance, funding availability, and expressed interest, for up to five years.​

Contact for Questions and Submissions

Please submit any questions via email to Rhodel Bradshaw (foodsafety@aphl.org).​

RFP Materials​

The Official RFP Doc​ument​​​ will provide detailed information. APHL will post all RFP-related documents, current schedule information, and answers to submitted questions and clarifications on APHL's procurement site, www.aphl.org/rfp​​​.​​​​