Summary
The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking one highly qualified organization to develop and deliver specialized biosafety guidance and technical assistance for US-based facilities that handle live poliovirus materials. This effort is designed to support these facilities – known as poliovirus designated facilities – in strengthening their biorisk management systems in alignment with updated national and international containment standards. This initiative is part of ongoing national efforts to uphold and enhance poliovirus containment as global eradication of the disease nears completion.
The selected applicant will be responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive technical assistance program focused on strengthening biorisk management practices and supporting comprehensive, facility-wide risk assessments at designated facilities. Potential formats may include but are not limited to a series of regularly scheduled individual or cohorted interactive group meetings/lectures, targeted technical assistance provision directly with facilities, working sessions and provision of practical tools such as fact sheets, checklists, templates and other guidance documents. Over a nine to twelve month period, technical assistance will be delivered to up to ten poliovirus designated facilities, with the goal of helping each facility make measurable progress toward meeting key milestones of the U.S. National Authority for Containment of Poliovirus (US NAC) Biorisk Management Systems Framework.
Additionally, the selected applicant will develop supplemental educational and guidance materials — such as factsheets or templates—that can be shared more broadly with both participating facilities and the wider high-containment laboratory community. The overall goal of this program is to support facilities in improving biorisk management and bio-containment practices.
Eligibility
This is an open and competitive process. Successful applicants must be able to meet the expectations outlined in Appendix A. To be considered, applicants must ensure APHL has the complete proposal by no later than the Proposal Due Date specified in the Anticipated RFP Schedule section below.
Anticipated RFP Schedule
February 9, 2026 – RFP Issued
February 19, 2026 – Informational Teleconference at 12:00 pm ET (optional)
February 25, 2026 – Letter of Intent Due to APHL by 11:59 pm ET
March 6, 2026 – RFP Responses Due to APHL by 11:59 pm ET
March 20, 2026 – Proposal review completed
March 23-26, 2026 – Follow-up interviews as needed
March 27, 2026 – Final review completed and awardees selected
May 1, 2026 – Anticipated Contract Start Date
APHL will communicate any modification to this anticipated schedule on APHL’s procurement website (
www.aphl.org/rfp).
Response Submittal
Confirmation of Intent to Respond
APHL requires that prospective applicants submit a brief email statement to
elizabeth.toure@aphl.org and
infectious.diseases@aphl.org indicating an intent to submit a proposal. APHL must receive this email by no later than 11:59 pm ET on February 25, 2026. To allow for appropriate review process planning, a letter of intent is required for consideration.
Final Response
APHL must receive complete responses by 11:59 pm ET on March 6, 2026. Please see the Proposal-Required Submissions section for items that must be included in the completed proposal. Applicants should send proposals via email to
elizabeth.toure@aphl.org and
infectious.diseases@aphl.org.
APHL will send an email acknowledging receipt of your application; if you do not receive an acknowledgement within 48 hours, please call Liz Toure at (240) 485-3860 to confirm receipt.
RFP Materials
The
Official RFP Document 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.
Questions and Answers
What type of contract vehicle would be used?
A: The contract will be developed using APHL’s standard template which includes standard language as required from our federal funder (CDC). It will include deliverables, milestones, payment structure, scope of work, etc. The payment structure will depend on the selected applicant’s proposed budget.
May the contractor propose on a Cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) basis?
A: APHL prefers contracts for this project to be structured on firm, fixed pricing but would consider a cost-plus-fixed-fee or hourly structure if justified.
What types of facilities will be included?
A: The types of facilities targeted for this technical assistance include a variety of public, private and academic institutions that conduct research, public health and vaccine manufacturing.
Will facilities already be selected by APHL and the US NAC, or will there be a review process to select them?
A: The list of facilities will be determined ahead of the project and the list will be provided to the selected applicant.
Is there a minimum duration of on-site time required at each facility?
A: We do not anticipate any required in-person site visits; we anticipate virtual technical assistance. However, if travel meaningfully supports and aligns with your proposed plan, it may be included and considered as part of your submission. Please ensure that any proposed travel is clearly justified within the context of your overall plan and objectives. Including travel in your budget does not mean that it will be approved.
Is the US NAC Biorisk Management Systems Framework already complete?
A: The US NAC is currently working on finalizing their Biorisk Management Systems Framework. The timeline for completion is unknown. However, we do know that it will largely be based off of the WHO Global Action Plan for Poliovirus Containment (GAPIV) as well as ISO35001, ISO15190, ISO15189, ISO9001, ISO4500 and other standards.
Can we use 10-pt font for tables and figures/captions?
A: Please keep all font size to >11pt.