CSS_19-002273.pdf

CLASSIFICATION CODE: 66 - Instruments and Laboratory Equipment

TITLE: - Procurement of a Magnet System for a 100 g Kibble Balance

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 1333ND19QNB680346

RESPONSE DATE: 07/19/2019

CONTACT POINTS: Robert Cowins, Contracting Officer, (301) 975-8335

DESCRIPTION:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a requirement for a Magnet System for a 100 g Kibble Balance to be utilized by the Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) at NIST, Gaithersburg, MD.

THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL

ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR SUBPART 12.6-

STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION

FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY

SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A SEPARATE WRITTEN

SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED. THE SOLICITATION IS BEING ISSUED

USING SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF FAR PART 13.

This solicitation is a Request for Quotations (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2019-03 dated 06/12/2019.

1352.215-72 INQUIRIES (APR 2010)

Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to robert.cowins@nist.gov.

Questions should be received no later than 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.

(End of Provision)

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 332999 - All Other Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing, with a small business size standard of 750 employees.

This acquisition is 100% set-aside for small business.

All offerors shall provide a quotation for the following line items:

mailto:robert.cowins@nist.gov

CLIN 0001:

Design and Calculation of Permanent Magnet System (See Statement of Work and Attachment A & B for details) Quantity: 1 Unit of Issue: EA

CLIN 0002:

Magnet System for a 100 g Kibble Balance (See Statement of Work and Attachment A & B for details) Quantity: 1 Unit of Issue: EA

Statement of Work

Background

The National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Fundamental Electrical Metrology Group, requires the purchase of a permanent magnet system, i.e. active permanent magnet material mounted in a magnetic circuit, comprised of mild steel. This permanent magnet system will provide the magnetic field for the NIST 100 g Kibble balance.

A Kibble balance experiment is a two-step process:

In the first step an induction coil is moved with nearly constant velocity through a magnetic field and an induced voltage is measured. The ratio of induced voltage and velocity is called the geometry factor and is measured in units Tesla-meter. Roughly speaking, the geometry factor is proportional to the magnetic flux density times the length of the wire that intersects the flux perpendicular.

In the second step the coil is placed at the center of the magnetic field and a current is passed through the coil to produce a force that is equivalent to the weight force of a test mass in the earth’s gravitational field. The ratio of force to current is equal to the geometry factor that was determined in the first step.

With this experiment the mass can be measured traceable to the International System of Units (SI).

In order to achieve precision in a Kibble balance experiment it is important that the magnetic field is stable in time, independent of the current in the coil (heating, hysteresis), and immune to external magnetic fields. NIST plans to make measurements with relative uncertainties lower than 2·10-8. Besides the stability, it is required that the magnetic flux density in horizontal direction is constant along the travel distance of the coil, 4 cm, and does not vary by more than ±0.01 %.

The desired magnet system is envisioned as using two permanent magnet rings imbedded in an iron yoke to deliver a radial magnetic field with a flux density of at least 0.24 T over a 2.6 cm wide, cylindrical air gap, of which a central 4 cm has a magnetic field that meets the required limits as specified in this document. The magnet shall be separable into two main sections in order to allow access to the induction coil, which will be placed in the air gap. A magnet splitter, which is integrated to the system, is used to separate the magnet in situ. This splitter is part of the design.

The contractor shall provide the following:

a) The detailed design and calculation of the magnet system

b) Manufacturing of the magnet including the integrated magnet splitter

Overview of the Magnet System

Figure 1 shows a vertical cut cross sectional view of the magnet system. The figure is a simplified schematic drawing. The magnet system consists of at least eight components, indicated by the circled numbers in the figure. The active magnetic components of the magnet system are two composite, identical rings formed from TC-16 (Sm2Co17Gd) arc segments. Temperature compensated magnets with a maximum temperature coefficient of 0.001 %/K for the residual induction Br are used. The dimensions of each ring are: 16 cm outer diameter, 4 cm inner diameter, and 3.5 cm height. The rings are magnetized along the z-direction (see figure 1) and the magnetization of the upper ring is equal and opposite to that of the lower magnet. The magnetic flux is confined and focused by iron yoke segments, numbered one through three (outer yoke) and five through seven (inner yoke). All six parts are machined from the same low-carbon, mild steel, such as AISI 1010 or 1026. Between the inner and outer yoke segments is a cylindrical air gap (inner diameter 17.4 cm, outer diameter 22.6 cm). The total vertical extent of the air gap is 11.5 cm. The center section of the air gap with a height of 6 cm is called precision air gap throughout this text. The central 4 cm of the precision air gap has to produce the high-quality flux density as specified below. At the center of the gap the radial magnetic flux density is at least 0.24 T (the exact value is less important than uniformity and symmetry of the flux). The field within the precision air gap is radially symmetric and homogeneous (see Fig. 4) along the vertical z-direction. The total mass of the magnet system is estimated to be 110 kg.

Figure 1 Cross sectional view of the magnet system. The cross hatched rings indicate the TC-16 magnet, with the arrows denoting the direction of magnetization. Shown in gray are soft iron components that form the yoke. The magnet system has up-down symmetry about the middle plane, and azimuthal symmetry about the vertical axis, z. The numbers in circles identify the basic components of the magnet system. The dashed circles in the gap indicate the position of the induction coil, which is not part of this solicitation.

An important feature of the magnet system is that it can be separated into a lower and upper part (referred to as opening the magnet) to provide access to and to allow installation of the induction coil that will be placed in the air gap. At NIST, the magnet will be supported from the top by fixing the component 1. The opened magnet consists of the top part (components one, two and four through six) and the bottom part (components three, seven, and eight), as indicated in Figure

2. The components in each part need to be fastened together by screws of other means. A magnet splitter is necessary that allows careful opening and closing of the magnet. Attachment A shows a vision of the magnet splitter. This splitter can be realized, for instance, by using rods to guide the bottom part and a screw system used to move the bottom part. The splitter must be carefully designed in order to attend to the requirements of the magnet system. Simulation results show that a traction force of approximately 260 N is necessary to open the magnet. The mass of the bottom part is estimated to be 28 kg. For this configuration the weight force in the moving part is enough to open the magnet. The screw system is used to move and keep the position of the bottom part. In open state, a minimum distance of 10 cm between the bottom part and the top part is necessary to access the coil. The splitter must be designed in a way that is possible to slide the coil through the 10 cm gap in open state. The coil, which is not part of this solicitation, will have a maximum diameter of 22.6 cm. For some operations it will be necessary to remove the bottom part from the magnet splitter. For this reason, the bottom part of the splitter must be removable. After accessing the coil, the magnet will be closed again. Opening and closing the magnet should be reproducible and reversible procedures. Especially, the concentricity of the parts two and six should not be affected within the tolerance quoted below by opening and closing the magnet. In the closed state the bottom part should be fastened to the top part by screws or clamps.

Figure 3 shows the top/bottom view of the assembled magnet system. Nine through holes in components one and three will allow external access to the air gap. Each hole has a 26 mm diameter and their centers are located on a circle with 10 cm radius (each hole centered on the air gap). Another two holes are at the center of the components 1 and 3, and have a diameter of 40

mm. Additionally, 18 threaded blind holes are required (1/4”-20 threads).

Figure 2 Separating the Magnet. Figure 3 Top/Bottom view of the Magnet.

The design presented in this document is a conceptual draft. The detailed design work (requirement A) may produce additional parts and features, in order to assemble, to keep the system together, and to allow separation as shown in Figure 2. For example, it may not be permissible to have component 4 (the upper magnet ring) define the relative positions of components 1 and 5. Instead an additional stainless support ring around the magnet will have to be introduced to define the relative positions of the two components.

In addition to the holes shown in the top view, threaded holes are needed on the outside of components one and three, (for mounting support and component fastening). The attachment B shows the approximate positions and sizes of these holes.

Minimum Requirements of the Magnet System

a. The permanent magnets shall have a temperature coefficient with magnitude less than or equal to 0.001 %/K for the residual induction Br.

b. The radial flux density shall be at least 0.24 T at a radial distance of 10 cm from the center of the magnet, i.e. in the middle of the gap.

c. The air gap shall be at least 2.6 cm wide.

d. The magnetic circuit shall be up down symmetric. This ensures a field minimum or maximum at the center of the air gap.

e. The magnet can be repeatedly and reproducibly opened and closed. The open state of the magnet is indicated by Figure 2. In this state, a minimum separation of 10 cm between the top and bottom parts is required. The splitter shall be designed in a way that is possible to slide the coil in the magnet through the 10 cm separation gap during the open state. The coil, which is not part of this solicitation, will have a maximum diameter of 22.6 cm. Additionally, the bottom part of the magnet system must be removable from the splitter. The closed and assembled magnet adheres to the specifications below. Tongues and grooves or, better, kinematic elements aid the reproducibility of the closing process.

f. The width of the precision air gap (between components 2 and 6) shall be uniform to within 50 μm (around azimuthal and along vertical direction). This requirement must be tested to include distortions from the magnet as supported by component 1.

g. The deviation from roundness of the inner yoke (component 6) cannot be more than 100 μm. This requirement must be met, when the magnet is supported from component 1. Note that the out of roundness can only be tolerated, if the gap width stays within the specification 3f.

h. The total air gap shall be at least 11.5 cm in height. The uniformity and symmetry of the flux is most important in the precision air gap. The precision air gap is at least 6 cm in height. The components 2 and 6 should each be made from a single piece of iron. The surfaces facing the air gap should be ground polished and cannot have any holes nor dents. These surfaces cannot be plated.

i. The radial magnetic flux density shall be uniform along the vertical direction within

0.01 % from the value at the symmetry plane; see the inset in Figure 4. This uniformity is required over a 4 cm long stretch centered about the symmetry plane.

j. The radial magnetic flux density shall be azimuthally symmetric in the precision air gap. The flux density in one azimuthal direction cannot differ by more than 0.15% of the flux density in a different azimuthal direction. Note that an azimuthal variation of the flux density is mostly caused by a variation of the gap. Meeting requirement (3f) will most likely ensure this requirement. However, it is the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure that this requirement is met.

k. Components 1 and 3 each have 9 holes to access the gap. The rotational orientation of these two components shall be such that the holes are aligned (within 0.5 mm).

l. The average value of the magnetization of the two magnet rings shall not differ more than 0.2 %. Within one ring the azimuthal variation of the magnetization shall not exceed 0.5 %.

m. The yokes shall be manufactured from the same mild steel. Plain carbon steel (Mn 1.00% max) with a carbon content between 0.1 % and 0.26 % shall be used (AISI 1010 to 1026). A different material is allowable, if the contractor can show that the use of this material will improve the overall performance of the magnet system in the Kibble balance. Higher performance of the magnet system is, for example, if the suggested material results in a system whose magnetic field in the precision gap is less dependent on the current in the induction coil.

n. The magnet should be vacuum compatible to a base pressure of 10-6 Torr, i.e. volatile components cannot be used. All enclosed volumes must have a venting path to the outside of the magnet (small vent holes, commonly drilled down the center of assembly bolts). Note that it is permissible to have some anti-rust solution applied to the pole faces upon delivery, as long as it can be wiped off before installation in the vacuum system.

o. The thickness of the iron on the outer yoke must be such that the iron is not magnetically saturated to provide sufficient shielding against environmental magnetic fields. The effective relative permeability in the circuit of the iron in the magnetic circuit shall be at least 100.

p. The iron components, except the inside of the gap, shall be Nickel plated.

q. The TC-16 rings shall be assembled using vacuum compatible epoxy.

Figure 4 FEA calculation of the flux density as a function of vertical distance, z, from the plane of symmetry. The inset shows the requirement: The radial flux density should remain between ±0.01 percent of the field in the center for z values ranging from -2 cm to 2 cm.

MILESTONES AND TIMELINE

a) Design review

Progress on the designs shall be communicated at least monthly via telecon to the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) of the Fundamental Electrical Measurements Group.

No later than two months after receipt of the order the contractor shall provide the technical drawings and an analysis of the magnetic circuit to NIST for review. The TPOC will provide written comments on the design. If the design is accepted manufacturing can begin, otherwise the design shall be modified to satisfy the written comments from the TPOC.

b) Manufacturing

The manufacturing process shall begin after acceptance of technical drawings are accepted by the TPOC.

c) Assembly and test measurements

Upon component manufacture, the complete magnet shall be assembled and properly supported for testing purposes. Measurements will be performed in order to determine the magnitude of the radial magnetic flux density in the precision air gap. The measurement results shall be provided to NIST no later than four months after acceptance of the drawings. If the measurement results are accepted the magnet shall be delivered, otherwise modifications shall be performed to fulfill the requirements.

d) Delivery

The magnet shall be delivered no later than one month after approval of the measurement results.

After the magnet is delivered to NIST, additional measurements of the magnetic flux density in the precision air gap and the temperature sensitivity will be performed. In case the requirements are not fulfilled, modifications shall be performed to fulfill the requirements.

Testing and Delivery

a) Testing

The system shall be assembled and tested the system at the contractor’s facility to ensure the system meets specifications prior shipping. The Contractor shall document measurements of the field before and after opening and closing of the magnet system. Measurements to determine the radial field uniformity shall be acquired through all nine holes, and the contractor shall communicate with the TPOC to perform these measurements on the magnet to ensure that the specifications are met.

b) Delivery

Delivery shall be provided not later than one month after the progress visit. Delivery shall be FOB Destination. 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 should deliver all line items to NIST, Building 301, Shipping and Receiving, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640.

Required Documentation

The contractor shall provide one overview drawing and detail drawings of all parts in electronic format. The contractor shall provide data of the measurements detailed in (5a). The contractor shall provide data sheets of materials used in the magnetic circuit.

Provisions and Clauses:

The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are hereby incorporated by reference.

All FAR clauses may be viewed at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/.

Provisions

52.204-7, System for Award Management 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting FAR 52.204-17, Ownership or Control of Offeror (JUL 2016) FAR 52.204-17 Commercial And Government Entity Code Reporting (JUL 2016) 52.209-2 Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations – Representation 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Items 52.225-25, Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in Sanctioned Activities Relating to Iran 52.203-18 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements-Representation.

52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items

52.204-20 Predecessor of Offeror

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision– “Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code” means–

(1) An identifier assigned to entities located in the United States and its outlying areas by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Contractor and Government Entity (CAGE) Branch to identify a commercial or government entity, or

(2) An identifier assigned by a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or by NATO’s Support Agency (NSPA) to entities located outside the United States and its outlying areas that DLA Contractor and Government Entity (CAGE) Branch records and maintains in the CAGE master file.

This type of code is known as an NCAGE code.

“Predecessor” means an entity that is replaced by a successor and includes any predecessors of the predecessor.

“Successor” means an entity that has replaced a predecessor by acquiring the assets and carrying out the affairs of the predecessor under a new name (often through acquisition or merger). The term “successor” does not include new offices/divisions of the same company or a company that only changes its name. The extent of the responsibility of the successor for the liabilities of the predecessor may vary, depending on State law and specific circumstances.

(b) The Offeror represents that it □ is or □ is not a successor to a predecessor that held a Federal contract or grant within the last three years.

(c) If the Offeror has indicated “is” in paragraph (b) of this provision, enter the following information for all predecessors that held a Federal contract or grant within the last three years (if more than one predecessor, list in reverse chronological order):

Predecessor CAGE code: ________ (or mark “Unknown”) Predecessor legal name: _________________________ (Do not use a “doing business as” name)

(End of provision)

52.209-11 Representation by Corporations Regarding Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction under any Federal Law.

(a) As required by sections 744 and 745 of Division E of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235), and similar provisions, if contained in subsequent appropriations acts, the Government will not enter into a contract with any corporation that—

(1) Has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability, unless an agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that suspension or debarment is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or

(2) Was convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless an agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

(b) The Offeror represents that—

(1) It is □ is not □ a corporation that has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability; and

(2) It is □ is not □ a corporation that was convicted of a felony criminal violation under a Federal law within the preceding 24 months.

52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference.

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 this/these address(es):

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR): www.acquisition.gov/far/ Commerce Acquisition Regulation (CAR): http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8b5f22b07c12a52e8b29841ad60f1fd9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48chapter13.tpl

(End of provision)

52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance 52.204-19, Incorporation by Reference of Representations and Certifications 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items 52.232-39 Unenforceability of Unauthorized Obligations 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders— Commercial Items (APR 2010)-- including subparagraphs:

52.204-10 - Reporting Executive Compensation and First Tier Subcontract Awards 52.219-6 - Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside 52.219-8 - Utilization of Small Business Concerns http://www.acquisition.gov/far/ http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8b5f22b07c12a52e8b29841ad60f1fd9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48chapter13.tpl http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8b5f22b07c12a52e8b29841ad60f1fd9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48chapter13.tpl

52.219-13 - Notice of Set-Aside of Orders 52.219-14 - Limitations on Subcontracting 52.219-28 - Post Award Small Business Program Representation 52.222-3 - Convict Labor 52.222-19 - Child Labor - Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies;

52.222-21 - Prohibition of Segregated Facilities 52-222-26 - Equal Opportunity;

52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans 52.222-36 - Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans 52.222-50 - Combating Trafficking in Persons 52.223-18 - Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving 52.225-13 - Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases;

52.232-33 - Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer- System for Award Management.

(End of clause)

Department of Commerce Acquisition Regulation (CAR) clauses. Please view the full text of these clauses at http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8b5f22b07c12a52e8b29841ad60f1fd9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48chapter13.tpl.

Commerce Acquisition Regulations (CAR) Provisions and Clauses:

1352.201-70 Contracting Officer’s Authority 1352.201-72 Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) 1352.209-73 Compliance with The Laws 1352.209-74 Organizational Conflict of Interest

NIST Local Clauses

NIST LOCAL-04 BILLING INSTRUCTIONS

(a) NIST prefers electronic Invoice/Voucher submissions and they should be emailed to INVOICE@NIST.GOV. (b) Each Invoice or Voucher submitted shall include the following: (1) Contract Number. (2) Contractor Name and Address. (3) Date of Invoice. (4) Invoice Number. (5) Amount of Invoice and Cumulative Amount Invoiced to-date. (6) Contract Line Item Number (CLIN).

(7) Description, Quantity, Unit of Measure, Unit Price, and Extended Price of Supplies/Services Delivered. (8) Prompt Payment Discount Terms, if Offered. (9) Any other information or documentation required by the contract. (c) In the event electronic submissions are not used, The Contractor shall submit an original invoice or voucher in accordance with the payment provisions of this contract to: NIST: Accounts Payable Office 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1621 Gaithersburg, MD 20899- 1621.

NIST LOCAL-54 ELECTRONIC BILLING INSTRUCTIONS

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8b5f22b07c12a52e8b29841ad60f1fd9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48chapter13.tpl http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8b5f22b07c12a52e8b29841ad60f1fd9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48chapter13.tpl

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.

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 through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays. However, throughout 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.

INSTRUCTIONS:

System for Award Management (SAM)

In accordance with FAR 52.204-7, the awardee must be registered in SAM (www.sam.gov) prior to award. Refusal to register shall forfeit award.

Required Information

The government will not consider any quotation without the information required by this solicitation.

Due Date for Quotations

Offerors shall submit their quotations so that NIST receives them not later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, 07/19/2019. FAX and hard-copy quotations shall not be accepted. E-mail quotations shall be accepted at robert.cowins@nist.gov. Offerors’ quotations shall not be deemed received by the Government until the quotation is entered the e-mail address inbox set forth above.

Late quotes will not be accepted.

Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Quotation Preparation Instructions

1) Price Quotation: The pricing quotation shall be separate from any other portion of the quotation. The offeror shall propose a firm-fixed-price 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 or product literature for the equipment it is proposing, which clearly identifies the manufacturer, make and model. The offeror shall demonstrate that its proposed equipment meets each minimum requirement described in the specifications by providing a citation to the relevant section of its technical description or product literature. Evidence that the Offeror is authorized by the original equipment manufacturer to provide the item(s) should be included in the quotation if the offeror is not the manufacturer.

Past Performance: The offeror shall provide past performance information regarding relevant contracts over the past three (3) years with Federal, state, or local governments, or commercial customers. If the offeror intends to subcontract with another firm(s) for part of this requirement, that firm’s past performance information shall also be provided. If the offeror has no relevant past performance, it may include a statement to that effect in its proposal. The government reserves the right to consider data obtained from sources other than those described by the offeror in its proposal. It is recommended that approximately 3-5 contracts be referenced.

The description of each contract/order described in this section shall not exceed one half page in length.

For each contract/order, the offeror shall provide the following information:

http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:robert.cowins@nist.gov

1. Contract number;

2. Description and relevance to solicitation requirements including dollar value;

3. Period of Performance – indicate by month and year the state and completion (or “ongoing”) dates for the contract;

4. Reference Contact – If a non-Government contract, identify the name and address of the client with current telephone number and email address of a point of contact of the client responsible for the contract;

5. Contracting Office – If a Government contract (Federal or state), identify the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO), Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO), and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and their names, current telephone numbers and email addresses.

6. Problems Encountered – include information regarding information regarding any problems encountered on the contracts described above and corrective actions taken to resolve those problems.

Acceptance of 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.

QUOTATION EVALUATION:

Evaluation Factors

An award will be made to the offeror whose quotation offers the best value to the Government price and other factors considered. In determining best value, non-price factors when combined, are more important than price. The Non-Price factors are listed in descending order of importance: 1) Technical Capability, 2) Past Performance 3) Experience.

Technical Capability: No prototypes, demonstration models, used or refurbished instruments will be considered. Evaluation of technical capability shall be based on the information provided in the quotation. The quotation shall include comments on the ability to meet the minimum requirements, where the requirements a, b, e, i and n have higher priority. The Government will evaluate whether the offeror has demonstrated that its proposed equipment meets or exceeds all minimum requirements. 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, the Contracting Officer will determine that it does not.

Experience: The Government will evaluate the extent of the offeror’s experience providing similar equipment. The Government will give preference to offerors who demonstrate they have experience delivering similar equipment.

Past Performance: The Government will evaluate the Offeror's past performance information and, if appropriate, its proposed subcontractors' past performance to determine its relevance to the current requirement and the extent to which it demonstrates that the offeror has successfully completed relevant contracts in the past five years. In assessing the offeror's past performance information, the Government will evaluate the quality, timeliness, and ability to control cost and schedule of the past work. The Government will evaluate past performance information by contacting appropriate references, including local agency references, if applicable. The Government may also consider other available information in evaluating the Offeror’s past performance. The Government will assign a neutral rating if the offeror has no relevant past performance information.

Price: The Government will evaluate price for reasonableness.

Past Performance, Experience, and Price shall not be evaluated on quotations that are determined technically unacceptable under the Technical Capability evaluation factor.

1352.233-70 AGENCY PROTESTS (APR 2010)

(a) An agency protest may be filed with either: (1) the contracting officer, or (2) at a level above the contracting officer, with the appropriate agency Protest Decision Authority. See 64 Fed. Reg. 16,651 (April 6, 1999)

(b) Agency protests filed with the Contracting Officer shall be sent to the following address:

NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION

ATTN: COWINS, ROBERT, CONTRACTING OFFICER

100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640 Gaithersburg, MD 20899

(c) Agency protests filed with the agency 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

(d) A complete copy of all agency protests, 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.

(e) 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

1352.233-71 GAO AND COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS PROTESTS (APR 2010)

(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

Required Documentation