Design and Construction of a Modernized Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility (Bioplant) at Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RFAAP)

Constructed in the 1940s, Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RFAAP) is a critical national security asset, serving as the last remaining CONUS Government-owned facility capable of manufacturing nitrocellulose (NC), nitroglycerin (NG), single-base, multi-base, and solventless propellants. The industrial wastewater generated by these manufacturing processes contains complex chemical components—including solvents and propellant residues (solid, dissolved, or suspended energetic materials)—which must be rigorously treated prior to discharge into the New River.

The legacy RFAAP Bioplant, constructed in the 1980s, is significantly past its useful service life and acts as a single point of failure for plant operations. Crucially, the facility is located within the 100-year floodplain, exposing it to severe operational risks, as demonstrated by an emergency shutdown during Hurricane Helene in 2024. Due to these critical vulnerabilities, project funding has been accelerated to FY26.

Furthermore, the aging facility is increasingly incapable of consistently treating the plant's evolving wastewater streams. RFAAP discharge is strictly regulated by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) via a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) permit under the Clean Water Act. Recently, the legacy plant has suffered a high rate of compliance failure, registering 14 permit violations across three separate incidents within a 16-month period. These violations primarily resulted from an inability to adequately process Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical

The overarching goal is for the offeror(s) to develop design and construction of a wastewater treatment process and deliver a completed solution to the Government. Follow-On Contracts or Transactions (Phase II): In accordance with the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 2808a, the potential award of a future Other Transaction may result in the award of a follow-on contract or transaction for site preparation and construction without the use of competitive procedures, provided that the initial transaction was competitively awarded, the participant(s) successfully completed the project, and the follow-on is for the same or similar scope of work. Therefore, upon determination that the participant(s) in the transaction successfully completed the design project provided for in the transaction, or in the event that a particularly favorable or unexpected result is accomplished that justifies transition to production, this design project may result in the award of a follow-on contract for advancement to Issue for Construction (IFC) status,
site preparation, construction, commissioning, and transition without the use of competitive procedures.

This RFS is for a contemplated OTA that, if awarded, will be awarded in accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 2028a, Facility construction or repair: transactions other than contracts and grants.

Interest & Question Submittal Deadline: 7 AUG 2026 / 1500CDT

18 August 2026: Update has been made to the .pdf attachment RFS to correct typographical errors wherein an incorrect citation was used (10 U.S.C. 2028a). Those errors have been corrected to 10 U.S.C. 2808a. 

Proposal Due Date/Time: extended to 28 August 2026 / 1600CT