Research Plan for the Study of Pre-Northridge Earthquake Weak Panel Zones and Welded Column Splices with PJP Groove Welds
INTRODUCTION This is a Small Business Sources Sought (SBSS) notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. This notice is issued to help determine the availability and type of qualified Small Business companies technically capable of meeting this potential government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. The notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. The information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method including small business socio-economic set-aside possibilities and to determine the availability of qualified Small Business companies technically capable of meeting the Government’s potential requirement. All Small Business companies with the capability and availability to perform the requirement under the applicable NAICS code are invited to submit a response to this notice. NORTH AMERICAN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE The NAICS code applicable to this requirement is 541990 -- All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services with associated business size standard $16.5 million. BACKGROUND The Earthquake Engineering Group (EEG) in the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducts experimental and analytical research on the seismic performance of the built environment to support NIST’s role in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). This potential acquisition for contractor services is required so that EEG can develop and support a nationally applicable research plan that incorporates stakeholder needs and encompasses the entire scope of work required to address the issues in a systematic process. The 1994 Nortidge earthquake was a 6.7 magnitude earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994 in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County. The earthquake had a duration of approximately 10–20 seconds, and its peak ground acceleration was the highest ever instrumentally recorded in an urban area in North America. Steel moment frame design and construction practice prior to the 1994 Nortidge Earthquake (1985-1994 era) tended to result in (1) panel zones that could yield before the adjacent beams, referred to as weak panel zones, and (2) some column splices constructed with partial joint penetration (PJP) groove welds. Welding requirements used during this era were not as stringent as modern requirements that were developed as a result of critical weld fractures that occurred during the Nortidge Earthquake. Weld fracture in these existing structural components can result in undesirable behavior of the framing system during a seismic event. Panel zones that yield before the adjacent beams (if the beams yield at all) can result in excessive shear deformation within the panel zone triggering column flange bending at the corners of the panel zone producing high strains in the welds connecting the beam flange to the column flange. This weld has been shown to fracture in this case, but no measures have been developed to evaluate the parameters that contribute to fracture nor retrofit options. Further, similar issues with weld material and construction practices that put beam-to-column connections at risk in the Nortidge earthquake (summarized in FEMA 350 series (FEMA 2000)) also put PJP welded column splices at risk for weld fracture. There is currently no guidance available on assessing these type column splices, and engineers consequently apply presumptively conservative and often costly retrofits to this component. Neither of these components have been comprehensively investigated nor has associated modeling guidance and applicable seismic performance metrics been developed. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES This potential requirement seeks a Contractor to develop a comprehensive, concise long-range program plan to research the seismic behavior of pre-Nortidge earthquake weak panel zones and welded column splices in steel frames. The research plan will outline a systematic process with balanced, applicable projects that NIST can fund in the future. This plan represents the first effort required to provide nationally accepted guidelines for seismically evaluating and retrofitting these two components. Retrofitting these components, when required by evaluation, will improve the seismic performance of the building during an earthquake to support the role the building plays in enhancing the resilience of the community it serves. This project will convene a group of steel and welding experts experienced in seismic design and construction to develop a comprehensive research plan. The plan shall include a combination of full-scale experiments and high-end analyses to develop an understanding of the seismic behavior of (1) pre-Nortidge earthquake weak panel zone assemblies and (2) column splices constructed with PJP groove welds. Proposed high-end analysis tasks shall be used to develop analytical models to replicate the tests and provide a testbed for conducting a parametric study to evaluate additional assemblies within the bounds of the tested assemblies. Tasks in the plan shall be outlined so that the result is the development of new, state-of-the-art criteria for modeling and assessment of pre-Nortidge earthquake weak panel zone assemblies and welded column splices with PJP groove welds. Ultimately, developed criteria will focus on incorporation into ASCE/SEI 41, and AISC 341 if applicable, and provide guidance on retrofit solutions. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS This Small Business Sources Sought notice seeks responses from qualified sources that are capable of providing the following salient service requirements of this potential government requirement, which is to produce a comprehensive, concise long-range program plan to research the seismic behavior of pre-Nortidge earthquake weak panel zones and welded column splices in steel frames that will outline a systematic process with balanced, applicable projects, which NIST may use as future funding initiatives, tough performing the following General Tasks: The Contractor shall lead a team to develop a comprehensive, concise long-range program plan to research the seismic behavior of (1) pre-Nortidge Earthquake weak panel zones and (2) welded column splices with PJP groove welds. The plan shall include the following, in no particular order: 1. A detailed description of the consequences of failure of the individual components and the scope of the issues, including a discussion about the state-of-practice regarding retrofit strategies for each component. 2. A detailed overview of the seismic design and assessment provisions as well as construction practices for these two components used in southern and northern California (SC and NC, respectively), the Pacific Northwest (PNW), and the Central and Eastern U.S. (CEUS) starting 10-years prior to the Nortidge Earthquake until today. 3. A comprehensive literature review of peer-reviewed data covering these two components. 4. A systematic and balanced set of research activities that use full-scale testing and high-end analyses to address the fundamental mechanics of weld and base metal fracture applicable to the time period, the seismic behavior of representative full-scale models of these components based on applicable loading protocols, and a lump-sum cost estimate of each activity. Research activities shall build upon each other, concentrating on component-level performance and progressing to system-level performance. Specifically, the Contractor shall perform the following Tasks: 1. Recruit Project Team The Contractor shall assemble a Project Team consisting of individuals that fully meet the salient characteristics described in this section. The Contractor shall appoint a Project Technical Director (PTD) who shall have overall responsibility for the project technical development. The PTD shall be a licensed Structural Engineer practicing in California. In addition, the PTD shall be involved with the development of seismic code provisions for the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The PTD shall also be duly qualified based on experience with the development of the FEMA 350 series (FEMA 2000). The Contractor shall also appoint a Project Technical Committee (PTC) composed of the PTD as chair and five “primary” additional eminently qualified academic and practicing experts with significant experience in full-scale testing and professional seismic design of steel components. The team shall also include two “secondary” members that are subject matter experts to the primary team members, and they should not be required to participate in the development of the final research plan. The PTC shall include the following members: • Primary: The current chair of ASCE/SEI 41 committee or their designee. • Primary: Two researchers from academia, not from the same geographic region. • Primary: Two practicing licensed Structural Engineers, not from the same geographic region. • Secondary: The current manager of Engineering Services for Lincoln Electric or their designee. • Secondary: The current president of the American Institute of Steel Construction or their designee. The PTD selection shall be made in consultation with the NIST COR. Selection of the remaining PTC members shall be made in consultation with the NIST COR and PTD. The NIST COR will also be a member of the PTC. The PTC shall be responsible for the technical quality and practical direction of the project, under the direction of the PTD. The PTC shall also be responsible for reviewing project deliverables, providing advice and consultation toughout the project, and serving as a liaison to the materials industries and code organizations. All project documents shall be approved by the PTC prior to distribution. Within 30 calendar days of task order award, the Contractor shall confirm the availability of the PTD and the remaining PTC members for this task. 2. Develop Project Work Plan The Contractor shall develop a Project Work Plan that fully meets the essential elements described in this section. Within 45 calendar days of task order award, the Contractor shall confer with the NIST COR to review the Contractor’s technical proposal and develop an outline for the investigation of necessary information. Based on this conference and the requirements of this task order, the Contractor shall develop a Project Work Plan (PWP) that fulfills the following elements: • Outlines the overall project performance strategy. • Estimates Contractor resource requirements for task completion. • Provides details of all milestones required for project completion. • Ensures the PWP is fully compliant and consistent with stakeholder needs, specifically documented tough interaction with the American Institute of Steel Construction and American Society of Civil Engineers. The PWP outline shall specifically include a planned strategy for interaction with appropriate national model building code and standard organizations that ensures that the recommended research studies that are developed are consistent with stakeholder needs. At a minimum, interaction with the American Institute of Steel Construction and American Society of Civil Engineers shall be included. Within 60 calendar days of task order award, the Contractor shall submit a draft PWP to the NIST COR for review. 3. Conduct Literature Review The PTC shall perform an extensive literature review that meets the essential elements described herein. Specifically, the literature review will consist of current and past standards of practice, available research information from peer-reviewed data, funded investigations, and industry or jurisdictional guidelines for steel construction. For each source of information, the PTC shall write a one-page summary that outlines the source of information and briefly describes relevant data. All summaries shall be produced in a common format that is approved by the NIST COR. The PTC shall compile these summaries in a form that is suitable for publication in the final Program Plan as an appendix. This appendix shall serve as the basis for developing the needed experimental and analytical research activities, recommendations for practical application of their results, and directions for the development of evaluation guidance. The Contractor shall submit a draft of this appendix to the NIST COR for review no later than 180 calendar days following task order award. Review submittal shall be in Microsoft Word format and have line numbers clearly identified, with the first line of every page starting at unity (1). 4. Produce Program Plan The Contractor shall use the literature review conducted in task 3 to develop a Program Plan that outlines the needed full-scale experimental and analytical research activities that will culminate in nationally accepted guidance for assessing and retrofitting pre-Nortidge Earthquake weak panel zones and welded column splices with PJP groove welds. The PTC shall synthesize model building code and standards requirements, leading practitioner-recognized techniques, and state-of-the art research results, to produce clear and concise experimental, analytical, and design-based recommended activities. The Contractor shall submit a draft of this document to the NIST COR for review no later than 540 calendar days following task award. Review submittal shall be in Word format and have line numbers clearly identified, with the first line of every page starting at unity (1). After receipt of NIST COR review comments, the Contractor shall prepare the final print-ready Program Plan and submit to the NIST COR in PDF format within 60 days. A Performance Work Statement (PWS) will be generated for this potential requirement that the Contractor shall use in performing the Tasks identified herein. Offerors submitting a response to this Small Business Sources Sought notice shall possess the ability to achieve the salient characteristics and essential elements identified in this notice. Offerors shall provide documented evidence to be able to fully achieve the subject requirement described herein. The Government shall use Quality Assurance Surveillance Monitoring methods in determining whether performance standards have been met, as will be cited in any solicitation, and will help to ensure that the topics and assessment are maintained at the required levels tough the Period of Performance, and will provide the NIST COR with a proactive way to avoid unacceptable or deficient performance. The Project Work Plan (PWP) shall include all desired virtual meetings. When project meetings are conducted, the NIST COR reserves the latitude to invite other participants to them. As a minimum, the following Virtual Project Meetings shall be conducted as part of the PWP: 1. The Contractor shall host and conduct a kick-off meeting within 30 days of approval by the NIST COR of the Project Technical Committee. 2. The Contractor shall host and conduct a progress review meeting 30 days prior to the submission deadline for the draft literature review. 3. The Contractor shall host and conduct a progress review meeting 30 days prior to the submission deadline for the draft Program Plan. Place of Performance The Place of Performance shall be at the Contractor’s work site/place of business. All work supporting this task order shall be performed virtually and will use online video conferencing tools as required. Reporting requirements also include submission of Monthly Progress Reports. Period of Performance/Contract Type The anticipated Period of Performance of this potential requirement shall become effective on September 15, 2020 tough September 14, 2022. A Fixed-Price type of Purchase Order award is anticipated for any contract resulting from this requirement. The anticipated award date is on or around September 1, 2020. CAPABILITY STATEMENT / INFORMATION SOUGHT Interested parties are expected to review this notice to familiarize itself with the requirements of this project. Failure to do so will be at your firm's own risk. Respondents must provide clear and convincing evidence of possessing the knowledge, skills, abilities and experience to successfully perform the requirements described in this announcement. Offerors shall submit a Curriculum Vitea (CV) to document personnel qualifications and past experience. Detailed past experience in implementing similar requirements to the requirement described in this announcement must be clearly defined in any response provided. Technical experience can include, but is not limited to, documented evidence of education and experience in Structural Engineering. Evidence of any published manuscripts or other documentation produced in a relevant field shall be provided and used to support past experience. Respondents must provide clear and convincing documentation of their capability in providing quality control and any other requirements and services specified in this notice. Respondents must provide a general overview of the respondents' opinions about the difficulty and /or feasibility of the potential requirement, and any information regarding innovative ideas or concepts. The Respondent must also provide information in sufficient detail of the respondents' (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information. The respondent must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc.) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. One (1) copy of the response is required and must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2” x 11” paper size, with 1” top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing. The response is limited to ten (10) pages. The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, CV’s or references, if requested. The information submitted must be in an outline format that addresses each of the elements of the product or service requirement. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required. The response must include the respondents’ technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. All responses to this notice must be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer. Facsimile responses are NOT accepted. The response MUST reference the solicitation number and be submitted to Mr. Hunter Tjugum at hunter.tjugum@nist.gov prior to the closing date specified in this announcement. The response must be received on or before the closing date/time specified in this announcement. CONCLUDING STATEMENTS Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). AMDTC-20-02587 Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology
6/24/20, 4:11 PM Research Plan for the Study of Pre-Northridge Earthquake Weak Panel Zones and Welded Column Splices with PJP Groove Welds
(i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. (ii) The solicitation number is SB1341-20-RQ-2587 and the solicitation is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) on a Full and Open competitive basis. This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures; and FAR Part 12—Acquisition of Commercial Items. This acquisition is NOT expected to exceed the simplified acquisition teshold of $250,000.00. A Fixed-Price type of contract is contemplated for any resulting contract entered into as a result of this solicitation. (iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect tough Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) Number/Effective Date: 2020-07 / 07-02-2020. (iv) The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541990 -- All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services with associated business size standard $16.5 million. This requirement is released under full and open competition with no set-aside restriction. (v) Background: This requirement is for the Earthquake Engineering Group (EEG) in the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The NIST runs a number of laboratories to assist in its mission to promote innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. The EL promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness in areas of critical national priority by anticipating and meeting the measurement science and standards needs for technology-intensive manufacturing, construction, and cyber-physical systems, including the Smart Grid Program Office. The EEG is within the Materials and Structural Systems Division and develops, advances, and deploys measurement science for earthquake hazards reduction for buildings and infrastructure lifelines in ways that enhance public safety, community resilience, and economic security. The EEG conducts experimental and analytical research on the seismic performance of the built environment to support NIST’s role in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). The NEHRP is a multi-agency initiative that works in close coordination to improve the Nation's understanding of earthquake hazards and to mitigate their effects. The subject acquisition requires contractor services to enable EEG to develop and support a nationally applicable research plan that incorporates stakeholder needs and encompasses the entire scope of work required to address the issues in a systematic process. The 1994 Nortidge Earthquake was a magnitude 6.7 earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994 in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County in southern California. The earthquake had a duration of approximately 10–20 seconds, and its peak ground acceleration was the highest ever instrumentally recorded in an urban area in North America. After the earthquake, Congress appropriated $13 million in emergency supplemental funding tough the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support research on the performance of steel moment frames. (vi) Purpose: The purpose of this acquisition is to obtain contractor services to develop a comprehensive, concise long-range program plan to research the seismic behavior of pre-Nortidge earthquake weak panel zones and welded column splices in steel frames, which will outline a systematic process with balanced, applicable projects that NIST can fund in the future. The Program Plan represents the first effort required to provide nationally accepted guidelines for seismically evaluating and retrofitting these two components. Retrofitting the components, when required by evaluation, will improve the seismic performance of the building during an earthquake to support the role the building plays in enhancing the resilience of the community it serves. Statement of Work (Performance Work Statement): Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to perform the work statement. See the attached Performance Work Statement for additional detail. Data Rights: Any data generated as a result of this contract will be the property of NIST. NIST shall have unlimited rights to and ownership of all data including reports. In addition, it includes any additional deliverables required by contract change. The definition of “unlimited rights” is contained in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 27.401, “Definitions.” FAR clause 52.227-14, “Rights in Data-General,” is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this contract/order. Any data schemas will be the exclusive right of the government. Section 508—Electronic and Information Technology Standards: Contractor will not be involved in EIT Standards. No EIT is anticipated to be generated as a result of this requirement. Publications and Publicity: Contractor will not publish results of the work. Confidentiality of Information: Contractor will keep the results of the acquisition confidential. (vii) The Government anticipates award of a firm fixed-price purchase order for this acquisition. The Period of Performance shall become effective on September 15, 2020 tough September 14, 2022. The anticipated award date is on or around September 1, 2020. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS The Offeror’s quotation shall be submitted electronically via email and shall consist of two volumes as detailed below. Each quotation volume shall include the Offeror’s name, DUNS number, and point of contact information in a cover page, header/footer, or other easily identified location. The Contracting Officer intends to award a purchase order without discussions but reserves the right to enter into discussions if in the best interest of the Government. Volume 1: Technical Response This volume shall contain the Offeror’s technical response. The technical response (not including table of contents) shall not exceed fifteen (15) single sided pages. Text shall be no less than 12-point Arial or otherwise reasonably legible font in read-only Microsoft Word or searchable Adobe PDF format. The technical response shall include the name, title, phone number, and email address of the Offeror’s primary point of contact and the individual authorized to negotiate on behalf of the Offeror (if negotiations are determined to be necessary). The technical response shall include a narrative description of the Offeror’s technical approach, copies of the CV/resume of the proposed key personnel, and past performance. 1. Offerors shall provide evidence of sufficient planning to show that the work will be accomplished and how it will be accomplished within time and other constraints specified in the SOW or as applicable. The Offeror shall utilize all available resources to include controlling the execution of assigned activities, tasks, sub-tasks, monitoring progress, status reporting, resolving critical issues and/or mitigating risks and fulfilling all delivery requirements. 2. Offerors shall also submit resumes/CVs of proposed Key Personnel describing professional experience related to the subject requirement. Specific and specialized relevant experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and education of Key Personnel shall be clearly documented. The offeror must demonstrate their knowledge, qualifications and professional experience as it correlates to the experience outlined in this requirement. 3. The technical response shall also include past performance information for at least tee (3) purchase orders or contracts completed during the past five (5) years and / or contracts awarded currently in process in which the Offeror performed work that is similar in nature, size and complexity to the scope of this requirement. Contracts listed may include those entered into by the Federal Government, agencies of state and local governments and commercial concerns. Newly formed entities without prior contracts should list contracts and subcontracts as required above for such key personnel. For each contract, subcontract, or reference include: (i) Name of Contracting Organization; (ii) Contract Number (for subcontracts, provide the prime and subcontract numbers); (iii) Contract Type; (iv) Total Contract Value; (v) Description of Requirement; (vi) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code Volume 2: Price Quotation This volume shall contain the Offeror’s price quotation in read-only Microsoft Excel format, or in searchable PDF format. All figures must be rounded to the nearest hundredth. Price quotations shall be submitted on a firm fixed price basis in accordance with the contract line item numbering structure identified in this solicitation. Quotations shall be valid for 90 days after solicitation close. To assist the Government in evaluating firm fixed price quotations, the offeror shall provide a breakdown of the proposed labor categories to be used and estimated hours per labor category. Offerors shall include estimated hourly rates and estimated hours per labor category, to demonstrate how the total firm-fixed price was derived. Offerors shall also include a proposed fixed-price payment schedule based on requirement milestones/deliverables. For the payment schedule to be acceptable, at a minimum, every payment must be tied to a deliverable or benefit that the Government obtains as a result of contractor performance. CONTRACT LINE ITEM STRUCTURE: Responsible Offerors shall provide pricing for the following line items: LINE ITEM 001: Task 1- Develop Project Team in accordance with the attached Statement of Work (Performance Work Statement). LINE ITEM 002: Task 2- Develop Project Work Plan in accordance with the attached Statement of Work (Performance Work Statement). LINE ITEM 003: Task 3- Conduct Literature Review in accordance with the attached Statement of Work (Performance Work Statement). LINE ITEM 004: Task 4- Develop Program Plan in accordance with the attached Statement of Work (Performance Work Statement). EVALUATION CRITERIA AND BASIS FOR AWARD: Responses received to this RFQ will be evaluated on a Trade-Off basis. The award will be made on a competitive best value basis, using “trade-off” among price-cost and non-price-cost factors. The Government may elect to award to other than the lowest priced offeror, or other than the offeror with the highest rated non-price-cost proposal. In either case, a tradeoff will be conducted. The Government reserves such right of flexibility in conducting the evaluation as necessary to assure an award with the contractor providing the best value to the government. Although technical factors are of paramount consideration in the award, cost or price is also important to the overall award decision. All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. However, cost or price may become a critical factor in source selection in the event two or more offerors are determined to be essentially equal following the evaluation of all factors other than cost or price. Each quotation will be evaluated in strict conformity with the evaluation factors, utilizing written critiques. The evaluation will be based upon the demonstrated capabilities of the prospective contractor in relation to the needs of the project as set forth in the RFQ. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers, listed in order of relative importance: A) Technical Capability: Ability of the Offeror to understand the SOW and requirements, adequately describe the proposed technical approach, identify problems and potential challenges, and demonstrate how all contract requirements will be met. The Government will also consider the experience and qualifications of the proposed key personnel on the extent to which they demonstrate knowledge, qualifications and professional experience relevant to the requirements of the PWS. B) Past performance [see FAR 13.106-2(b)(3)] The Offeror’s past performance will be evaluated to determine the extent to which the offeror has demonstrated the ability to successfully complete work of similar scope and complexity as the work described in the PWS. The government will consider performance on efforts completed or substantially completed within the past five (5) years. Evidence of prior performance may include official evaluation information from prior engagements, such as CPARS records. However, the Government may consider additional sources of past performance information. C) Price: Price evaluation will determine whether the proposed prices are complete and reasonable in relation to the RFQ requirements. Price evaluation will also determine whether the proposed level of effort is reasonable in relation to the RFQ requirements. Offerors submitting a response must provide a completed Firm-Fixed-Price Quote to be evaluated and considered for award. Price will be evaluated to determine the extent to which the pricing is fair and reasonable. Basic cost and price information in the Offerors’ quote must contain sufficient information to allow the Government to perform a basic analysis of the reasonableness of the Offeror to supply the required services. For a price to be reasonable, it must represent a price to the government that a prudent person would pay when consideration is given to prices in the market. (viii) The provision at FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at these addresses: https://www.acquisition.gov/?q=browsefar http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48cfrv5_02.tpl (End of provision) The following provisions apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference: • FAR 52.203-18, Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements-Representation (Jan 2017) • FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Oct 2018) • FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Jul 2016) • FAR 52.204-17, Ownership or Control of Offeror (Jul 2016) • FAR 52.204-20, Predecessor of Offeror (Jul 2016) • FAR 52.204-26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation (Dec 2019) • FAR 52.209-2, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations-Representation (Nov 2015) • FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (Oct 2018) • FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (Oct 2018) • FAR 52.222-52, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Certain Services-Certification (May 2014) The clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), applies to this acquisition. This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at these addresses: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48cfrv5_02.tpl (End of clause) The following clauses apply to this acquisition and are incorporated by reference: • FAR 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018) • FAR 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Jul 2016) • FAR 52-204-19, Incorporation by Reference of Representations and Certifications (Dec 2014) • FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items (Oct 2018) • FAR 52.232-39, Availability of Funds for the Next Fiscal Year (Apr 1984) The provisions of FAR clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Items (AUG 2019) is applicable to this solicitation: 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Jun 2020) 52.209-6, Protecting the Government’s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment (Jun 2020) 52.219-28, Post-Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (May 2020) 52.222-3 Convict Labor (June 2003) 52.222-19 Child Labor-Cooperation With Authorities and Remedies (Jan 2020) 52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Apr 2015) 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity (Sep 2016) 52.222-36 Equal Opportunity for Workers With Disabilities (Jun 2020) 52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons (Jan 2019) 52.223-18 Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (Jun 2020) 52.225-13, Restrictions on certain foreign purchases (Jun 2008) 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-- System for Award Management (Oct 2018) The following provisions apply to this acquisition and are incorporated as an attachment, and MUST be completed and submitted with any response to this RFQ: • FAR 52.204-24, Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Aug 2019) • FAR 52.209-11, Representation by Corporations Regarding Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction under any Federal Law (Feb 2016) (ix) The provision at FAR clause 52.212-2, Evaluation – Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. Quotations shall be evaluated against two (2) non-price evaluation factors and price. Non-price factors include the following in descending order of importance: 1) Technical Capability, and 2) Past Performance. Non-price factors when combined shall be considered more important than Price. (x) The Offerors to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with its offer. (xi) The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. (xii) The clause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and is incorporated by reference. (xiii) The provision at CAR 1352.233-70 AGENCY PROTESTS (APR 2010) applies to this acquisition and incorporated in full text: An agency protest may be filed with either (1) the Contracting Officer, or (2) at a level above the Contracting Officer, with the agency Protest Decision Authority. See 64 Fed. Reg. 16,651 (April 6, 1999). Agency protests filed with the Contracting Officer shall be sent to the following address: NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION ATTN: KEITH BUBAR, CONTRACTING OFFICER 100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 Agency protests filed with the Protest Decision Authority shall be sent to the following address: NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION ATTN: HEAD OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICE (HCO) 100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 A complete copy of all agency protest, including all attachments, shall be served upon the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel within one day of filing a protest with either the Contracting Officer or the Protest Decision Authority. Service upon the Contract law Division shall be made as follows: U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the General Counsel Chief, Contract Law Division Room 5893 Herbert C. Hoover Building 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230 FAX: (202) 482-5858 (End of Provision) (xiv) The provision at CAR 1352.233-71 GAO AND COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS PROTESTS (APR 2010) is applicable to this solicitation and incorporated in full text. (a) A protest may be filed with either the Government Accountability Office (GAO) or the Court of Federal Claims unless an agency protest has been filed. (b) A complete copy of all GAO or Court of Federal Claims protests, including all attachments, shall be served upon (i) the Contracting Officer, and (ii) the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel, within one day of filing a protest with either GAO or the Court of Federal Claims. (c) Service upon the Contract Law Division shall be made as follows: U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the General Counsel Chief, Contract Law Division Room 5893 Herbert C. Hoover Building 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230. FAX: (202) 482-5858 (End of Provision) (xv) The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are hereby incorporated by reference. All CAR clauses may be viewed at http://www.ecfr.gov 1352.201-70 – Contracting Officers Authority 1352.209-73 – Compliance with the Laws (APR 2010) 1352.209-74 – Organizational Conflict of Interest 1352.246-70 – Place of Acceptance (a) The Contracting Officer or the duly authorized representative will accept supplies and services to be provided under this contract. (b) The place of acceptance will be: 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD. 20899 NIST LOCAL 54 – BILLING INSTRUCTIONS NIST requires that Invoice/Voucher submissions are sent electronically via email to INVOICE@NIST.GOV. Each Invoice or Voucher submitted shall include the following: (1) Contract number; (2) Contractor name and address; (3) Unique entity identifier (see www.sam.gov for the designated entity for establishing unique entity identifiers); (4) Date of invoice; (5) Invoice number; (6) Amount of invoice and cumulative amount invoiced to-date; (7) Contract Line Item Number (CLIN); (8) Description, quantity, unit of measure, unit price, and extended price of supplies/services delivered; (9) Prompt payment discount terms, if offered; and (10) Any other information or documentation required by the contract. (End of Clause) NIST LOCAL 53 – CONTRACT PERFORMANCE DURING CHANGES IN NIST OPERATING STATUS Unless otherwise stated in the contract terms and conditions, normal days of business operation are Monday tough Friday, excluding Federal Holidays. However, toughout the contract period of performance, there may be circumstances beyond the control of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), that will impact normal days of business operation, such as inclement weather, power outages, etc. In circumstances such as these, the Contractor must call the appropriate NIST campus status line to verify the operating status: Gaithersburg Campus Operating Status Line: (301) 975-8000 (800) 437-4385 x8000 (toll free) Boulder Campus Operating Status Line: (303) 497-4000 During a lapse in appropriation, access to Government facilities and resources, including equipment and systems, will be limited to excepted personnel for both Federal employees and Contractor personnel. If performance of the contract is onsite and/or requires Government interaction, unless you have been, or are notified that you are to work under an excepted status, you will automatically enter a temporary work stoppage. The work stoppage shall remain in effect until the lapse is resolved and notification is provided via the NIST website at https://www.nist.gov/ and/or the NIST operating status lines. Additionally, Contractors are encouraged to monitor public broadcasts or the Office of Personnel Management’s website at www.opm.gov for the Federal Government operating status. NIST will provide notification to all contractors that are determined to have excepted status. All excepted contractors are required to continue performance and communicate with the appointed Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for further guidance, or NIST Contracting Officer if a COR is not appointed. Contractors with supply or service contracts that are fully funded at the time of contract award and do not require access to Government facilities, resources, or active administration by Government personnel in a manner that would cause the government to incur additional obligations during the lapse in appropriation may continue performance. (End of Clause) (xvi) The following additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions as determined by the contracting officer are necessary for this acquisition and consistent with customary commercial practices. There are no additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions applicable to this acquisition. (xvii) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement. (xviii) Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror’s capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the technical evaluation criteria. The Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov and the offeror representation and declaration in FAR Provisions 52.204-24 and 52.209-11, which is attached as a single document, MUST be completed and submitted with any quotation or response to this RFQ. (xix) Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to hunter.tjugum@nist.gov. Questions should be received no later than FIVE (5) calendar days after the issuance date of this solicitation. Any responses to questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation. Even if provided in other form, only the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract. All quotations must be received no later than the date specified in this announcement. Late responses will not be accepted. All responses must reference the subject solicitation number. Responses must be submitted electronically to hunter.tjugum@nist.gov. Facsimile responses will not be accepted. For information regarding this solicitation, contact Hunter Tjugum by email at hunter.tjugum@nist.gov or by phone at 301-975-2015. SB1341-20-RQ-2587 Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology
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