Questions_and_Answers_0002.pdf

Questions and Answers

1. Who is the current supplier for the USGS?

• General Air

2. Are there any specific issues that you are trying to resolve with the current supplier through looking to other suppliers, and if so, what are those issues?

• USGS has initiated a new competitive solicitation in accordance with federal acquisition requirements. This solicitation is part of the routine recompete cycle and is not driven by any specific performance issues with the current supplier.

3. In this solicitation, it appears that bulk tanks are requested.

QA. Can you confirm that the USGS does not own their own bulk tanks and that these will be rented from the supplier?

• USGS does not own the bulk tanks. All bulk tanks referenced in the solicitation are vendor-supplied and vendor-owned; they are rented as part of the service agreement.

QB. If the bulk tanks are rented…

· Please provide specifications of the required bulk tank, flow rates and pressure requirements, as well as estimated usage history for the Bulk Argon tank located at Bldg 95.

1500 gallons liquid argon, usage is approximately 1 fill per week, pressure and flow rate requirements are controlled by the regulator at the tank.

requirements, as well as estimated usage history for the Bulk Nitrogen tank located at Bldg 95.

3200 gallons liquid nitrogen, usage is approximately 1 fill per week, no pressure or flow rate requirements

· Please confirm if there is or is not a Bulk Nitrogen tank at Bldg 21. If there is, Please provide specifications of the required bulk tank, flow rates and pressure requirements, as well as estimated usage history for the Bulk Nitrogen tank located at Bldg 21. – n/a

There is no bulk Nitrogen tank at Bldg 21 which requires servicing at this time.

requirements, as well as estimated usage history for the Bulk Argon tank located at Bldg 20.

There is no bulk Argon tank at Bldg 20 which requires servicing at this time.

QC. If the bulk tanks are rented, what is the expected timeline for removal of the previous supplier and installation of the new suppliers bulk tanks.

• Transition timelines will be coordinated after award. Typically:

• Removal of existing vendor tanks must occur after contract start and government coordination.

• Installation of new tanks must align with safety, access, and continuity-of-operations needs. A detailed transition schedule will be finalized at kickoff with the selected vendor.

4. In this solicitation, it appears that Liquid Cylinders (Dewars) are rented or perhaps owned, but I am not seeing product delivery of the individual liquid cylinders. Based on what I am seeing, it would appear that these are being filled on site.

QA. Can you confirm if cylinders are owned or rented or a combination thereof?

• Combination:

o Liquid cylinders (dewars) used explicitly for NWQL are vendor-owned, rented under the agreement.

o Other cylinders (dewars) are owned.

QB. Can you confirm if the cylinders are being filled on site?

• Yes — the solicitation specifies that liquid dewars are filled onsite via ORCA truck, rather than exchanged. (Items 4020D, 4052D).

QC. Can an alternate means of supply be proposed or if the filling on site a requirement?

We typically deliver the liquid cylinders and pick-up empty cylinders much like a compressed gas cylinder is handled.

• Vendors may propose an alternate delivery method only if it meets all functional requirements (e.g., purity, availability, safety) and provides for uninterrupted service.

o If proposing cylinder exchange rather than onsite filling, vendors should clearly outline:

o Operational impacts o Safety considerations o Cost implications

• The Government will evaluate alternative approaches during the proposal review.

Statement of Work Questions

1. Under specifications in the fourth paragraph, it is stated “In the event of deficiencies concerning bulk tanks (venting, etc.) the contractor shall respond within four (4) hours of notification by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or the Contracting Officer

(CO)”

QA. Issues with cryogenic bulk tanks can happen and we do have a skilled team to handle these types of issues. Can you clarify what the expectation of “respond” means? I am concerned as in some cases the ability to fix the problem may take more than four hours.

• Respond” refers to initiating corrective action within four hours, including:

o Acknowledging the issue o Establishing communication with the COR o Dispatching qualified personnel

• The clause does not require resolution within four hours; only a timely response.

QB. How does access work in the case of an after-hours issue?

• Access to USGS facilities during after-hours or holidays must be coordinated with:

o The COR o On-site security at the Denver Federal Center o Procedures already exist for emergency access; details will be provided to the awarded contractor.

QC. How does access work for an issue that arises at the end of a normal workday or just before a holiday for the USGS?

• Access to USGS facilities during after-hours or holidays must be coordinated with:

o The COR o On-site security at the Denver Federal Center o Procedures already exist for emergency access; details will be provided to the awarded contractor.

2. Under specifications in the fourth paragraph, it is stated “For cylinder deficiencies, any product loss resulting out of contractor equipment malfunction shall be replaced at no charge within eight (8) working hours”

QA. In most cases this is not an issue except for specialty blends. I do not foresee any issues, but how would this be handled in this case?

• For specialty mixtures where immediate replacement is not feasible, the vendor should:

o Notify the COR promptly o Provide the earliest possible delivery timeline o Document the outage and mitigation steps o USGS will work collaboratively in such cases.

QB. How does the 8-hour window work with the USGS delivery time windows? For example, if I am notified of an issue on a Friday afternoon, would a Monday delivery be okay?

• Notifications received Friday afternoon may be serviced the next business day.

• “Eight working hours” refers to USGS operating hours listed in the solicitation.

3. Under Place of Delivery in the second paragraph, it is stated “All items shall be delivered within one (1) working day from the time the order was issued, except custom mixtures (3-5 blends) which shall be delivered within three (3) working days from the time the order was issued”

QA. For the custom blends: Depending on the blend tolerances, some blends may take longer than three days. Would the USGS agree to having stock inventory at our location to meet this requirement? There would be an obligation by the USGS to purchase this stocked inventory.

• Stocked inventory is not acceptable, negotiation would need to be made at the time of award to extend the requirement past 3 days. Please submit the proposed timeline in your proposal and it will be taken into consideration.

4. Under Invoicing Requirements in the first paragraph it states “Separate invoices for all orders placed during the previous month shall be submitted by the 15th of the following month”

QA. Our invoicing is the same day as the delivery for each individual delivery. Is this acceptable?

• The solicitation requires monthly consolidated invoices submitted by the 15th of the following month.

• Daily individual invoices are not compliant unless the Government approves an alternative method under:

o Invoicing flexibility for cost centers o IPP requirements

5. Under Invoicing Requirements in the third paragraph it states “The contractor will work with the individual delivery order cost centers to establish methods of invoicing to suit unique center requirements as necessary”

QA. Can you clarify what this means or provide an example of what this looks like?

• The clause allows individual cost centers to request unique formats such as:

o Combined rental + product invoices o Separate rental invoices o Cost-center-specific formatting (e.g., breakouts, sub-account tagging)

• An example: the NWQL may require separate line-item rollups per lab group.

1. Overall, I am seeing variations of specified volumes. In most cases it would appear to be the same size cylinder, but I am not sure of the source for the information on your list. I am providing what I feel is the correct size. Please review and confirm that our cylinder volumes are acceptable.

2. Relating to volumes, in some cases our standard packaging conflicts with your request. Can you confirm that the size provided will work for your request?

USGS Item ID# 4011D – the proposed size is satisfactory

4017D – the proposed size is satisfactory

4022D – please note specifications in your proposal for equivalent product and it will be evaluated with your proposal

4027D – please note in your proposal that it is unavailable in the size requested

4030D – Specifications are Carbon Dioxide (99.9999%), Research grade: H20 <2 ppm, O2 <1 ppm, N2<1 ppm, CO <0.1ppm, H2 <1ppm, CH4 <0.5ppm. the proposed size is satisfactory

4038D – if the purity meets or exceeds the specifications listed, then it is ok (O2 <1ppm, H2O <3ppm, THC <1ppm, N2 <5ppm). The proposed size is satisfactory.

4039D – the proposed size is satisfactory

4040D - the proposed size is satisfactory

4044D- please note in your proposal that it is unavailable in the size requested

4047D - please note in your proposal that it is unavailable in the size requested

4055D - please note in your proposal that it is unavailable in the size requested

4057D - if the purity meets or exceeds the specifications listed, then it is ok (AR <40ppm, H2O <3ppm, N2 <10ppm, THC <0.5ppm). The proposed size is satisfactory.

4062D- the proposed size is satisfactory

4067D - please note in your proposal that it is unavailable in the size requested

4069D- please note in your proposal that it is unavailable in the size requested

4070D - please note in your proposal that it is unavailable in the size requested

Other than the bulk Argon and liquid Nitrogen, the following are the most important.

• 4050D - Nitrogen Ultra-High Purity, 99.999% min., 304CF

• 4056D - Oxygen Ultra-High Purity, 99.993% min, H2O <2ppm, 337CF

• 4036D - Helium Ultra-High Purity, 99.999%, 291CF

The specs listed are accurate, all cylinders are size T cylinders

3. There are several Items that I have requested more clarity on with the description is.

Can you assist in providing more detail?

USGS Item ID# 4018D - please note specifications in your proposal for equivalent product and it will be evaluated with your proposal

4019D - please note specifications in your proposal for equivalent product and it will be evaluated with your proposal

4022D – duplicate of 4018D

4031D – refer to 4033D

4032D - refer to 4033D

4033D - the proposed size is satisfactory

4074D – no longer required at NWQL

4075D - no longer required at NWQL

4076D - no longer required at NWQL

4. For the Acetylene cylinders, the first two lines are specified for 2.6 (99.6%) Atomic Absorption grade, but the remaining four lines only specify, Grade A. Grade A has a requirement of minimum purity at 99.6% pure. Is this in fact a requirement for the for the items listed as USGS Item ID# 4003D to 4006D or would grade B be acceptable for these specific items? Yes, all Acetylene is required to be Grade A, they are listed as different sizes.

5. For the Air Zero Grade, two of the lines specify a check for (NO) Nitric Oxide. This is not a normal item checked for this product. We supply Ultra Zero Air and NO is also not normally checked in this product. Is this listed in error or are you needing this item checked in the analysis? Yes, Nitric Oxide is required to be checked for this product.

6. For USGS Item ID 4016D, a basic description is provided listing O2 at <1. I am assuming this is Less than 1 ppm. UHP (5.0) grade is <2ppm. Is research grade needed or is UHP at <2ppm okay?

UHP Specification: O2 <2 ppm, H20 <2 ppm, THC <0.5ppm

Research Specification: O2 <0.15 ppm, H20 <0.15 ppm, N2 <0.40 ppm, THC <0.1ppm, CO/Co2 < 0.10ppm

UHP Specification is ok, this is a typo and should be O2 < 2ppm

7. For Bulk Argon, there are a couple of different descriptions provided. Our bulk product Min. Purity 99.998% by difference with analysis of O2 <2 ppm, H20 <1 ppm, N2 <10 ppm, THC <1 ppm. Is this acceptable for your requirements?

Yes, those specifications meet our requirements

8. For USGS Item ID 4028D, 4038D, 4057D, and 4058D our standard product mix exceeds your request, is this acceptable?

Meeting and/or exceeding the listed requirements is ok.

9. For Bulk Nitrogen, there are a couple of different descriptions provided. Our bulk product Min. Purity 99.999% by difference with analysis of CO <=5ppm, O2 <=2 ppm, H20 <1 ppm, THC <1 ppm, Odor None Detected. Is this acceptable for your requirements?

Yes, those specifications meet our requirements

10. For USGS Item ID 4073D, it is not showing any volume for this product. Can you provide volume details?

The size is 1-4 lbs.

Given the extent of the requirements in this solicitation, particularly related to bulk product supply and Liquid Cylinder supply…

Q1. Is it possible to set up an on-site meeting to review the site in detail to ensure an understanding of the scope and overall requirements?

• Should your proposal be selected, a post-offer on-site meeting can be arranged prior to accepting the award.

Q2. Is it possible to extend the solicitation deadline to accommodate for a better evaluation of the requirements

• The deadline has been extended.