Sources sought 36C5524Q0171.pdf

Sources Sought Notice

*= Required Field Sources Sought Notice

SUBJECT* MRI Helium Refills, CO, 589-24-2-5380-0038

GENERAL INFORMATION

CONTRACTING OFFICE’S ZIP CODE* 66048

SOLICITATION NUMBER* 36C25524Q0171

RESPONSE DATE/TIME/ZONE 2/20/2024 11AM CENTRAL TIME, CHICAGO,

USA

ARCHIVE 60 DAYS AFTER THE RESPONSE DATE

RECOVERY ACT FUNDS N

SET-ASIDE

PRODUCT SERVICE CODE* 6830

NAICS CODE* 424690

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS Department of Veterans Affairs

Network Contracting Office (NCO) 15

3450 S 4th Street Trafficway

Leavenworth KS 66048

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contract Specialist

Jon Lutmer

Jonathan.lutmer@va.gov

913-946-1144

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

ADDRESS Harry S. Truman VA Medical Center

800 Hospital Dr.

Columbia, MO

POSTAL CODE 65201

COUNTRY USA

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS Jonathan.lutmer@va.gov

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

SOW: VA-BIC 7T MRI Helium Refills Contract

Purpose:

This contract will assure that we maintain continuous operational status of the 7T MRI by providing the necessary cryogen fills as specified by the MRI magnet operations manual. The contract will assure that the cryogens are delivered, and the MRI magnet is filled in a safe and timely manner.

Scope of Work:

The vendor must provide the helium fill service to maintain the liquid helium level of a 7 Tesla MRI above the operator’s manual directed minimal 679L level (probe 1 reading of 760) throughout the 12-month contract period.

The vendor must provide personnel that are trained in both cryogen handling and the hazards involved with a high field strength MRI magnet.

The vendor must provide the liquid Helium and all personal protective equipment (PPE) for their service personnel to wear while performing the helium fills.

The vendor will coordinate delivery of the liquid Helium with the VA BIC MRI staff so that the cryogens are on-site and adjacent to the MRI suite at the time of re-fill.

The Truman VA Research Service will provide all hardware necessary to conduct the fills including a liquid helium transfer line, helium gas regulator, and all related connectors/tubing to connect high purity helium gas to the liquid helium dewar. If the items are not deemed suitable by the vendor, the vendor will inform the Truman VA BIC staff and/or provide their own hardware.

Location of Work:

The work will be performed at the Truman VA Research Service in Rooms F017/F019, where the 7T MRI system is located.

The vendor must schedule the cryogen fill with the VA BIC MRI staff at least 30 days prior to the intended fill date in order for the instrument and VA BIC staff to be available for the fill.

On the day of the scheduled fill, the VA BIC staff must escort the vendor at all times while the vendor is in the secure area as well as to provide a second person to call for assistance in the event of a safety issue while the fill is in progress.

Period of Performance:

The vendor must perform liquid Helium Refills (requesting 5 helium fills during a 12-month period using 250 liters of liquid helium per fill; each fill must reach to 100% of the magnet helium level which is indicated by Probe 1 reading of 1220) in order keep the helium level above the operator’s manual directed minimal 679L level (probe 1 reading of 760) which ensures normal operation of the Truman VA Research Service 7T MRI system.

No vendor contacted was willing to commit to a base + 4 contract for quotes

Deliverables Schedule:

The vendor must perform liquid helium fills (requesting 5 helium fills during a 12-month period using 250 Liters of liquid helium per fill; each fill must reach to 100% of the magnet helium level which is indicated by Probe 1 reading of 1220) in order keep the helium level above the operator’s manual directed minimal 679L level (probe 1 reading of 760) which ensures normal operation of the Truman VA Research Service 7T MRI system.

The vendor must schedule the fill with the Truman VA BIC MRI staff at least 30 days prior to the intended fill date in order for the instrument to be available for the fill.

The vendor must arrange for the delivery of the liquid helium to be available for the scheduled fill.

On the day of the scheduled fill, the VA BIC staff must escort the vendor at all times while the vendor is in the secure area as well as to provide a second person to call for assistance in the event of a safety issue while the fill is in progress.

Applicable Standards:

There are no published standards related to the routine performance of MRI cryogen refilling.

The vendor must perform liquid helium fills in order keep the helium level above the operator’s manual directed minimal 679L level (probe 1 reading of 760) which ensures normal operation of the Truman VA Research Service 7T MRI system.

Acceptance Criteria:

Following completion of each liquid Helium Refill, VA BIC staff will verify that the liquid Helium level has been topped off (Probe 1 reading of >/= 1220) and that the magnet has been restored to fully operational status (All fill ports and vent ports closed and secured).

Special Requirements:

The personnel conducting the liquid helium fill must be proficient in both cryogen handling as well as the hazards involved with a high field strength MRI.

The vendor must arrange for the delivery of the liquid helium to be available for the scheduled fill.

The vendor must schedule the fill with the VA BIC MRI staff at least 30 days prior to the intended fill date in order for the instrument and VA BIC staff to be available for the fill.

On the day of the scheduled fill, the VA BIC staff must escort the vendor at all times while the vendor is in the secure area as well as to provide a second person to call for assistance in the event of a safety issue while the fill is in progress.

THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)/SOURCES SOUGHT

DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation.

All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly.

Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

The submission of pricing, capabilities for planning purposes, and other market information is highly encouraged and allowed under this RFI In Accordance With (IAW) FAR Part 15.201(e).

SOURCES SOUGHT DESCRIPTION

This is NOT a solicitation announcement. This is a RFI/sources sought only. The purpose of this sources sought/RFI is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to

NAICS 424690. Responses to this sources sought will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. After review of the responses to this sources sought, a solicitation announcement may be published. Responses to this sources sought synopsis are not considered adequate responses for a solicitation announcement.

The information identified below is intended to be descriptive, not restrictive, and to indicate the quality of the supplies/services that will be satisfactory. It is the responsibility of the interested source to demonstrate to the government that the interested parties can provide the supplies/services that fulfill the required specifications, or brand name equal.

If you are interested and are capable of providing the sought out supplies/services, please provide the requested information as well as the information indicated below. Response to this notice should include company name, address, point of contact, size of business pursuant to the following questions:

Please indicate the size status and representations of your business, such as but not limited to: Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Hubzone, Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), Large Business, etc.)?

Is your company considered small under the NAICS code identified under this RFI?

Are you the manufacturer, distributor, or an equivalent solution to the items being referenced above?

Does your company have an FSS contract with GSA, VA NAC, NASA SEWP, or any other federal contract, that can be utilized to procure the requirement listed above? If so, please provide the contract number.

Please submit your capabilities that show clear, compelling, and convincing evidence that you can meet the requirement described in the attached SOW.

Please provide your UEI number.

Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to Jon Lutmer at Jonathan.lutmer@va.gov.

Telephone responses shall not be accepted. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this sources sought. Responses to this sources sought notice are not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), VISN 15 Network Contracting Office, is seeking sources that can provide the following,