5G SA Core and gNB UE Emulator
THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN SUBPART 12.6 STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS, AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTES ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. This solicitation is a Request for Quote RFQ. RFQ number is NB6720302101216. This is a combined synopsis solicitation conducted under FAR 12.6 and 13.5 and procedures from FAR 15 will not be used. This synopsis/solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses in effect tough Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2021-05 (effective 03/10/2021). The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334515 Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals, which has a size standard of 750 Employees. This combined synopsis/solicitation is 100% set-aside for Small Business (SB). Defense Priorities and Allocations Systems (DPAS) and assigned rating is not applicable to this request for quote (RFQ). Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing, via email, to the Contracting Officer, Lia Arthofer at lia.arthofer@nist.gov .Questions should be received no later than five (5)calendar days after the issuance date of this solicitation. All responses to the 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, the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract. Background/Scope: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Public Safety Communications Research Division has a requirement for two (2) Virtual 5G SA Cores and two (2) gNB/UE Emulators in accordance with the requirements listed below. The Public Safety Communications Research Division (PSCR) provide research, development, testing, and, evaluation to foster nationwide communications interoperability. This requirement is needed to build upon PSCR’s existing 4G network to promote interoperability and compatibility as the network evolves to support 5G and everything that it has to offer to the public safety community. PSCR has a requirement to build upon PSCR’s existing 4G network to promote interoperability and compatibility as the network evolves to support 5G and what capabilities that 5G has to offer for the public safety community. This network will be used to explore, research, and test functionality enabled by 5G. In order to support this effort PSCR requires two (2) commercial 5G SA Cores and two (2) gNB/UE Emulators. All offerors shall provide a firm fixed price (FFP) quotation for the following line item: (All equipment must be new. Used, refurbished, prototype, or remanufactured will not be considered for award). Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) QTY UNIT UNIT PRICE APPLICABLE DISCOUNTS TOTAL CLIN 0001 – Two (2) Virtual 5G Cores and Two (2) gNB/UE Emulators in accordance with NIST Specifications Document below. 1 EA Minimum Requirements The system shall meet or exceed the minimum requirements identified below. All line items shall be shipped in the original manufacturer’s packaging and include all original documentation and software, when applicable. CLIN 0001: Quantity of two (2) Virtual 5G Cores and two (2) gNB/UE Emulators which meets or exceeds the minimum requirements identified below: The Virtual 5G SA Core (v5GC) software shall have the following technical characteristics: Support Access and Mobility Management function (AWF), Session Management Function (SMF), User Plane Function (UPF). Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Network Exposure Function (NEF), NF repository function (NRF), Policy Control Function (PCF), Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Unified Data Repository (UDR), and Application Function (AF) for 5G NR. Support release 15 of 3GPP specifications (or newer) for v5GC and roadmap to support future specifications. Support for new 5G features such as Network Slicing, different Service and Session Continuity modes, and different types of PDU Sessions. Support gNBs from major manufacturers (e.g., Nokia, Ericsson, etc.) Support inter and intra cells Hand Overs (HO). Support SA (standalone) NR (new radio 5G). Support up to 10,000 Virtual and Real UEs. Support the provisioning and connection of UEs from major manufacturers (e.g., Apple, Samsung, Sony, etc.) Support UEs with VOLTE capability to attach to v5GC. Support for MCPTT application server connection for MCPTT, MCData and MCVideo. Support ability to connect the UEs to internet and other application servers (e.g., Iperf). Support multiple Access Point Name (APN)s. Support multiple Quality of Service Flows (QoS Flows) for each of the UEs. The software shall be capable of collecting system logs for debugging purposes. Web-based Console for configuration and control of the network functions. The software tool shall be compatible with the Windows 10 or Linux operating system. NIST will install the software on a computer or server. The license must be portable to other NIST owned computers or servers. The system shall be compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) operating system. The system shall be able to run as a virtual machine running on VMware. The provided software shall be the most current stable release available from the manufacturer. The contractor shall install and configure the software to work with at least one NIST owned gNB, one UE, and the gNB/UE emulator relevant to this procurement. This installation may be performed on-site, or remotely. The gNB/UE Emulators shall have the following technical characteristics: Support for testing 5G NR base stations (gNBs) and 5G Core Network Functions for release 15 of 3GPP specifications (or newer) for v5GC and roadmap to support future specifications. Support for new 5G features such as Network Slicing, different Service and Session Continuity modes, and different types of PDU Sessions. Support for the following signaling operations and services of the 5G cellular network. 5G Registration Connection Management PDU Session Establishment QoS Flow Management, UE Mobility Paging Roaming Emergency Sessions Location Services Congestion and Overload Control Support gNBs from major manufacturers (e.g., Nokia, Ericsson, etc.) Support for 1,000 gNBs with 10,000 Virtual UEs. Support SA (standalone) NR (new radio 5G). Support multiple Access Point Name (APN)s. Support multiple Quality of Service Flows (QoS Flows) for each of the UEs. Ability to generate SIP calls for testing Voice and Video with IMS. Support ability to connect the UEs to internet and other application servers (e.g., Iperf). Support for MCPTT application server connection for MCPTT, MCData and MCVideo. Ability to use gNB/UE emulator to generate load along with real gNBs and UEs at the same time. Ability to simulate different types of devices on the network for priority and emergency services. The software shall provide a graphical editor to create test scripts, run tests and view test results. The software tool shall be compatible with the Windows 10 or Linux operating system. NIST will install the software on a computer or server. The license must be portable to other NIST owned computers or servers. The system shall be compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) or Ubuntu LTS operating systems. The system shall be able to run as a virtual machine running on VMware. The provided software shall be the most current stable release available from the manufacturer. The contractor shall install and configure the software to work with at least one PSCR owned gNB and one UE. This installation may be performed on-site, or remotely. The Contractor shall provide a license for the software with the following characteristics: The license for this tool must be provided on a USB dongle (or similar). The computer using this software tool shall not be required to connect to the internet to activate or “check-out” a license. The license (or license dongle) must be capable of being transported for use in another machine. Support for simultaneous use on multiple machines is not required (i.e., only a single dongle is required). The license for this software tool shall be perpetual in nature and have no required annual (or otherwise recurring) licensing expenses. Future software updates and technical support are excluded from this requirement. Software technical support shall be provided as part of the system for tee (3) years. This support shall be available during normal business hours. No after-hours support is required. To the extent that software updates become available, they shall be provided to NIST for period of tee (3) years. The Contractor shall include the cost of shipping to the NIST site in Boulder, CO Inspection and Acceptance In addition to the inspection and acceptance terms articulated in 52.212-4, the Government reserves the right to perform such performance tests and evaluations as defined below to verify specified system performance. Such tests and evaluations, if performed, shall be conducted within the environment that the system is to be operated. The Contractor has the right to be present during the tests and evaluations, if performed, at the Contractor’s expense. Inspection and acceptance shall occur within thirty (30) business days after receipt of two (2) Virtual 5G SA Cores and two (2) gNB/UE Emulators at NIST. A visual inspection of the four (4) systems will be performed by the NIST TPOC to identify surface defects or any form of indication that any of the four (4) systems was damaged during transport to NIST. The Government shall have sole discretion to require repair or replacement of damaged and/or nonconforming supplies at no cost to the Government. The Government at any time prior to acceptance shall reject any of the four (4) systems due to defects and/or nonconformance. The vendor is responsible for latent defects discovered any time after final inspection. The place of acceptance shall be: NIST: Shipping/Receiving 325 Broadway Boulder, CO 80305 Ownership (title) of the two (2) Virtual 5G SA Cores and two (2) gNB/UE Emulators shall transfer to NIST upon acceptance. Delivery Delivery shall be FOB DESTINATION and shall occur not later than (NLT) 30 days ARO. Delivery shall be FOB destination and shall occur within the vendor’s standard commercial lead time. FOB Destination means: The contractor shall pack and mark the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the purchase order, be responsible for any loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt and acceptance of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the purchase order; and pay all charges to the specified point of delivery. The contractor shall deliver all Line Items (in accordance with the specifications document) to: The National Institute of Standards and Technology 325 Broadway Boulder, CO 80305 Warranty The contractor shall warrant the entire system in accordance with the contractor’s standard commercial timeframe. Warranty shall commence after receipt and acceptance of the equipment and shall be in accordance with terms in FAR 52.212-4 Payment Schedule The Contractor shall be paid, in accordance with Net 30-day payment terms, upon receipt and acceptance of a proper invoice, in accordance with the following schedule: 100% after receipt and acceptance by the TPOC of fully delivered system. The Government anticipates inspection will occur upon: After the inspection/acceptance procedures set forth in this document have been complete NOTE: Partial shipments and partial invoices will not be accepted, unless otherwise requested and accepted by the Contracting Officer prior to award offer. Proposed payment schedules shall be submitted with vendor’s response to the RFQ for consideration. 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items (oct 2016) And the attached addendum, applies to this acquisition. The provision at 52.212-2, Evaluation—Commercial Items, as modified applies to this acquisition. Offerors shall include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Items, with its offer. Offerors shall have an active registration at www.sam.gov . The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial items, applies to this acquisition. The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition as noted in the attached. The following addenda has been attached to this provision: FAR 52.212-1, INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS-COMMERCIAL ITEMS Instructions: Offerors shall submit their quotations so that NIST receives them not later than 2:00 PM Mountain Standard Time on 07/27/2021 FAX quotations shall not be accepted. E-mail quotations shall be accepted at lia.arthofer@nist.gov . Please reference the RFQ number in the subject line of email communications and packages mailed. Offerors’ quotations shall not be deemed received by the Government until the quotation is entered in the e-mail box set forth above. Quotation Submission Requirements: 1). Price Quotation: The offeror shall submit an one (1) original copy of the completed price quotation electronically to lia.arthofer@nist.gov . Pricing quotation shall be separate from any other portion of the quotation. The offeror shall provide a firm-fixed-price, FOB Destination is required, for each CLIN. Price quotations shall remain valid for a period of 90 days from the date quotations are due. 2). Technical Quotation: The technical quotation shall address the following: Technical Capability: The offeror shall submit a technical description, product literature, and/or drawings for the system it is proposing, which clearly identifies each requirement listed above. The offeror must demonstrate that its proposed system meets or exceeds each minimum requirement described above, by providing a citation to the relevant section of its technical description or product literature. The contractor must not simply state they will meet the requirement; evidence must be provided. If applicable, evidence that the Offeror is authorized by the original provider to provide the item(s) in the quotation should be included. 3). Acceptance of RFQ terms and conditions: This is an open-market solicitation for equipment as defined herein. The Government intends to award a Purchase Order as a result of this solicitation that will include the clauses set forth herein. The quotation should include one of the following statements: “The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition.” OR “The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following: Offeror shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s) Note: This procurement is not being conducted under the GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) program or another Government-Wide Area Contract (GWAC). If an offeror submits a quotation based upon an FSS or GWAC contract, the Government will accept the quoted price. However, the terms and conditions stated herein will be included in any resultant Purchase Order, not the terms and conditions of the offeror’s FSS or GWAC contract, and the statement required above shall be included in the quotation. 4). The Dun and Bradstreet Number (DUNS number) for the quoter’s active System for Award Management (SAM) registration. Quoters must have an active registration at www.SAM.Gov to receive an award. 5). Quoters shall include a completed copy of the below provisions, “Representation by Corporations Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction Under Any Federal Law (Class Deviation) (March 2015)” and “Free Trade Agreements Certificate” with their quotation. FAR 52.212-2, EVALUATION - COMMERCIAL ITEMS (Oct 2014) The specific evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of that provision are as follows: The Government intends to award a single purchase order (PO) from this solicitation utilizing simplified acquisitions procedures in accordance with FAR part 13. The Government reserves the right not to award a PO and to make an award without discussions based solely upon initial quotes. EVALUATION CRITERIA: An award shall be made to the offeror whose quotation is deemed to be the best value to the Government. The Government will evaluate quotations based on the following evaluation criteria: 1) Technical Capability and 2) Price. 1. Technical Capability: Evaluation of technical capability shall be based on the information provided in the quotation. NIST will evaluate whether the offeror has demonstrated that its proposed equipment meets or exceeds all technical specifications. Quotations that do not demonstrate the proposed equipment meets all requirements will not be considered further for award. If an offeror does not indicate whether its proposed equipment meets a certain minimum requirement, NIST will determine that it does not. 2. Price: Price will be evaluated for reasonableness. A price realism analysis will not be conducted. PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES: The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition. Those incorporated by reference may be found at the following: All Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses may be viewed at: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far . All Commerce Acquisition Regulation (CAR) clauses and provisions can be accessed at: https://www.acquisition.gov/car . Provisions In accordance with FAR 52.204-7, the awardee must be registered in the system for award management (www.sam.gov) prior to award. Refusal to register shall forfeit award. * 52.204-13 -- System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018) 52.204-18 -- Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020) 52.204-16 -- Commercial and Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020) (a) Definition. As used in this provision – Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code means– (1) An identifier assigned to entities located in the United States or its outlying areas by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Branch to identify a commercial or government entity by unique location; or (2) An identifier assigned by a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to entities located outside the United States and its outlying areas that the DLA Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Branch records and maintains in the CAGE master file. This type of code is known as a NATO CAGE (NCAGE) code. (b) The Offeror shall provide its CAGE code with its offer with its name and location address or otherwise include it prominently in its proposal. The CAGE code must be for that name and location address. Insert the word "CAGE" before the number. The CAGE code is required prior to award. (c) CAGE codes may be obtained via– (1) Registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov. If the Offeror is located in the United States or its outlying areas and does not already have a CAGE code assigned, the DLA Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Branch will assign a CAGE code as a part of the SAM registration process. SAM registrants located outside the United States and its outlying areas shall obtain a NCAGE code prior to registration in SAM (see paragraph (c)(3) of this provision). (2) The DLA Contractor and Government Entity (CAGE) Branch. If registration in SAM is not required for the subject procurement, and the Offeror does not otherwise register in SAM, an Offeror located in the United States or its outlying areas may request that a CAGE code be assigned by submitting a request at https://cage.dla.mil. (3) The appropriate country codification bureau. Entities located outside the United States and its outlying areas may obtain an NCAGE code by contacting the Codification Bureau in the foreign entity's country if that country is a member of NATO or a sponsored nation. NCAGE codes may be obtained from the NSPA at https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx if the foreign entity’s country is not a member of NATO or a sponsored nation. Points of contact for codification bureaus, as well as additional information on obtaining NCAGE codes, are available at http://www.nato.int/structur/AC/135/main/links/contacts.htm. (d) Additional guidance for establishing and maintaining CAGE codes is available at https://cage.dla.mil. (e) When a CAGE code is required for the immediate owner and/or the highest-level owner by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.204-17 or 52.212-3(p), the Offeror shall obtain the respective CAGE code from that entity to supply the CAGE code to the Government. (f) Do not delay submission of the offer pending receipt of a CAGE code. (g) If the solicitation includes FAR clause 52.204-2, Security Requirements, a subcontractor requiring access to classified information under a contract shall be identified with a CAGE code on the DD Form 254. The Contractor shall require a subcontractor requiring access to classified information to provide its CAGE code with its name and location address or otherwise include it prominently in the proposal. Each location of subcontractor performance listed on the DD Form 254 is required to reflect a corresponding unique CAGE code for each listed location unless the work is being performed at a Government facility, in which case the agency location code shall be used. The CAGE code must be for that name and location address. Insert the word "CAGE" before the number. The CAGE code is required prior to award. (End of provision) 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items (Feb 2021) The Offeror shall complete only paragraphs (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certification electronically in the System for Award Management (SAM) accessed tough https://www/sam/gov . If the Offeror has not completed the annual representations and certifications electronically, the Offeror shall complete only paragraphs (c) tough (v) of this provision. 52.225-4, Buy American-Free Trade Agreements-Israeli Trade Act Certificate, Alternate III (FEB 2021) CLAUSES: 52.204-13 – System for Award Management Maintenance. (Oct 2018) 52.212-4 – Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items (Oct 2018) 52.232-40 – Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (Dec 2013) 52.212-5 – Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items. (Jan 2021) -52.204-10 – Clause Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Jun 2020) -52.209-6 – Protecting the Government’s interest When Subcontracting with Contractor’s Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment (Jun 2020) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note). -52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Oct 2018) (15 U.S.C. 637 (d) (2) and (3)) -52.219-28 – Post Award Small Business Program Representation (Nov 2020) (15 U.S.C. 632(a)(2)). -(ii) Alternate I (Mar 2020) of 52.219-28 -52.222-3, Convict Labor (Jun 2002) (E.O. 11755). -52.222-19, Child Labor—Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Jan 2020) (E.O 13126). -52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Apr 2015) -52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Sep 2016) (E.O. 11246) -52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (Jun 2020) (38 U.S.C. 4212) -52.222-36, Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (Jul 2014) (29 U.S.C. 793) -52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (Jun 2020) (38 U.S.C. 4212) -52.222-50, Combatting Trafficking in Persons (Oct 2020) (22 U.S.C. chapter 78 and E.O. 13627) -52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging while Driving (Jun 2020)(E.O.13513) -52.225-1, Buy American-Supplies (JAN 2021) -52.225-2, Buy American Certificate (FEB 2021) -52.225-3, Buy American-Free Trade Agreements-Israeli Trade Act--Alternate II (JAN 2021) -52.233-3, Protest After Award (AUG 1996) (31 U.S.C. 3553) -52.233-4, Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim -52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer – System for Award Management (Oct 2018) (31 U.S.C. 3332) (End of clause) The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are hereby incorporated by reference. All CAR clauses may be viewed at https://www.acquisition.gov/car 1352.213-70 – Evaluation Utilizing Simplified Acquisition Procedures The Government will issue an order resulting from this request for quotation to the responsible offeror whose quotation results in the best value to the Government, considering both price and non-price factors. The following factors will be used to evaluate quotations: Technical and Price (for reasonableness) sections is to be tailored to conform to individual procurements. Text is provided as an example only. Stating relative importance of the evaluation factors is not required. (1) Personnel Qualifications. The experience, education, and qualifications of personnel proposed to work on the contract will be evaluated to determine their ability to perform their proposed duties. (2) Technical Approach and Capability. The offeror’s approach to performing contract requirements and its capability to successfully perform the contract will be evaluated. (3) Past Performance. The Offeror’s past performance on related contracts will be evaluated to determine, as appropriate, successful performance of contract requirements, quality and timeliness of delivery and goods and services, cost management, communications between contracting parties, proactive management, and customer satisfaction. (4) Price. (End of clause) 1352.201-70 – Contracting Officers Authority (Apr 2010) 1352.209-73 – Compliance with the Laws (Apr 2010) 1352.233-70 – Agency Protests (Apr 2010) 1352.233-71 – GAO and Court of Federal Claims Protest (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: NIST: Shipping/Receiving 325 Broadway Boulder, CO 80305 1352.237-71 -- Security Processing Requirements – Low Risk Contracts (Apr 2010) (a) Investigative Requirements for Low Risk Contracts. All contractor (and subcontractor) personnel proposed to be employed under a low risk contract shall undergo security processing by the Department’s Office of Security before being eligible to work on the premises of any Department of Commerce owned, leased, or controlled facility in the United States or overseas, or to obtain access to a Department of Commerce IT system. All Department of Commerce security processing pertinent to this contract will be conducted at no cost to the contractor. (b) Investigative requirements for Non-IT Service contracts are: (1) Contracts more than 180 days – National Agency Check and Inquiries (NACI) NIST LOCAL—-39 Marking/Packing Instructions (1) if the total contract/order includes multiple quantities of the same of like item(s), segregated as separate CLIN/Item Numbers, deliverables shall be packed accordingly. Each individual package/container in the shipment shall include deliverables on a per-CLIN or Item basis. (2) For each shipment made under this contract/order, the Contractor shall furnish itemized packing list(s), enumerating the specific contents of each shipping container and what specific individual components constitute a full and complete "unit" for each bid item. The packing list shall include the brief description of each item found in the Schedule. If more than one container is required for each unit, each container should be marked accordingly, e.g., "Box 1 of 2," "Box 2 of 2," and the boxes, where feasible, should be taped or sink-wrapped together as an issuable unit. (3) The contract number AND CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER (CLIN) OR ORDER ITEM NUMBER shall be placed on the exterior of all containers. (End of Clause) NIST LOCAL--54 Electronic 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.
NB6710002101583 Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology
7/15/21, 3:48 PM