Site_Visit_Notice_Amendment_20190326_FBO_Posting.pdf

Subject: Notice Regarding Site Visit(s) for Solicitation Number 49100419R1001, Arctic Research Support and Logistics Services (ARSLS)

Date: March 19, 2019

As amended March 26, 2019

The National Science Foundation (NSF) expects to conduct site visits for solicitation number

49100419R1001, Arctic Research Support and Logistics Services. The site visits are being held at the discretion of NSF and out of an abundance of caution to clarify any contract requirements relating to the site visit locations. Please note that NSF cannot and will not accommodate the individual preferences of every prospective offeror by providing unlimited access to sites, facilities, and/or equipment for the purpose of the site visits. Rather, as discussed below, the site visits will generally involve a tour of the site and any relevant, reasonably accessible facilities and equipment at the site. Interested prospective offerors are encouraged to write and submit to the contracting officer any questions they might have concerning the solicitation as a result of the site visits. Any such questions shall be submitted to the contracting officer no later than close of business Friday, April 26, 2019.

Consistent with FAR 52.237-1, prospective offerors are urged and expected to inspect the site where services are to be performed and to satisfy themselves regarding all general and local conditions that may affect the cost of performance, to the extent that the information is reasonably obtainable. In no event shall failure to inspect the site constitute grounds for a claim after contract award.

Based on logistics, the remote location of the ARSLS facilities, the harsh Arctic weather and security, and potential safety concerns there will be no other site visits than those expected under this notice. In addition, this approach ensures fair competition as the same reasonably obtainable information regarding the site visits shall be available to all interested prospective offerors and on relatively equal terms.

The NSF considers the ARSLS Alaska Site Visit and the ARSLS Greenland Site Visit to be two separate site visits.

Alaska Site Visit Locations

Fairbanks, AK

Toolik Field Station, AK

Utqiagvik, AK

Alaska Site Visit Expected Time frame

April 8, 2019 to April 10, 2019

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

2415 Eisenhower Avenue ▪ Alexandria, VA 22314

Solicitation 49100419R1001 Page 2 of 3

Site Visit Notice as amended 03/26/19

Greenland Site Visit Locations

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

Summit Station, Greenland

Thule, Greenland

Greenland Site Visit Expected Time frame

April 16, 2019 to April 20, 2019

Interested attendees must complete and submit the attached ARSLS Site Visit Request Form(s).

A separate ARSLS Site Visit Request Form must be completed for both Alaska and Greenland.

ARSLS Site Visit Request Forms must be received by the NSF point of contact stated under the

ARSLS Site Visit Request Forms, no later than 3:00 PM (Alexandria, VA local time) March 28, 2019. After March 28, 2019, a team will not be permitted to change or switch out personnel.

ARSLS Site Visit Request Forms not fully completed will not be accepted. The NSF will only review an ARSLS Site Visit Request Form submitted by a business concern actively registered in SAM.gov.

Due to logistics, the harsh Arctic weather, remote locations and security, attendees will be limited to two people per Team/per site visit. Based upon the number of ARSLS Site Visit

Request Forms received for Alaska and Greenland, the NSF reserves the right to further restrict and/or increase the number of site visit attendees or cancel one or both site visits.

Alaska Site Visit

Day One. April 8, 2019. Site: Fairbanks, AK. The accepted visitor shall meet at the facilities.

The facilities address will be provided to accepted visitors. The NSF expects to allow attendees to see the ARSLS equipment stored at this location. One or more NSF employees are expected to be in attendance. The Fairbanks site visit is expected to last no longer than two hours or

08:00 AM to 10:00 AM local time. Note: A commercial Alaska Air flight is available from

Fairbanks (FAI), AK to Prudhoe Bay (SCC), AK at 01:00 PM local time on April 8, 2019.

Day Two. April 9, 2019. Toolik Field Station (TFS), AK. The accepted visitor shall meet at the

Prudhoe Bay Hotel. The NSF will provide a shuttle from the Prudhoe Bay Hotel to TFS. The shuttle will depart promptly at 07:00 AM local time. The shuttle bus trip to TFS is expected to be approximately four hours. Accepted visitors should bring a bag lunch because there will not be available food for purchase at TFS. The NSF expects to provide a tour of TFS. One or more

NSF employees and one or more University of Alaska, Institute of Arctic Biology personnel are expected to be in attendance. The TFS tour is expected to last no longer than three hours.

The NSF will provide a shuttle bus from TFS to the Prudhoe Bay Hotel. The shuttle bus is expected to arrive back at the Prudhoe Bay Hotel approximately 06:00 PM local time. Note: A commercial Alaska Air flight is available from Prudhoe Bay (SCC), AK to Barrow (BRW), AK at 10:20 AM local time on April 10, 2019.

Day Three. April 10, 2019. Utqiagvik, AK. The NSF expects to provide a tour of the Barrow

Arctic Research Center (BARC) and the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO), typical research lodging and ARSLS equipment at the location. One or more NSF employees are

Solicitation 49100419R1001 Page 3 of 3 expected to be in attendance. The Utqiagvik tour is expected to last no longer than four hours.

Note: A commercial Alaska Air flight is available from Barrow (BRW), AK to Anchorage

(ANC), AK at 07:10 PM local time on April 10, 2019.

Greenland Site Visit

Medical considerations for Greenland: Most of Greenland is a remote, austere, and harsh environment, particularly in the non-summer months. Summit Station’s pressure altitude ranges from 11,000 to 12,000 ft. and you will not have a chance to acclimatize before arriving there.

Any pulmonary, respiratory, circulatory, or mobility health concerns should be discussed with your doctor before joining the site visit. There will not be a paramedic at Summit Station during the time of the site visit and there is no hospital in Kangerlussuaq.

Day One. Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. April 16, 2019. The NSF expects to allow attendees to see the ARSLS equipment stored at this location and arrange a tour of the Kangerlussuaq

International Science Support (KISS) Facility. The equipment review and KISS tour are expected to last no longer than two hours. NSF will loan cold weather gear for Summit Station.

Two or more NSF employees are expected to be in attendance.

Day Two. Summit Station, Greenland. April 17, 2019. The NSF expects to provide a tour of

Summit Station. The Summit Station tour is expected to include round trip transportation between a designated Kangerlussuaq meeting location and Summit Station. The designated

Kangerlussuaq meeting location will be provided to accepted attendees. Two or more NSF employees are expected to be in attendance. The Summit Station tour is expected to last two to three hours but may be shortened due to weather or other circumstances. Participants are expected to bring their own sack lunch for consumption during the flights to/from Summit

Station. Cold weather gear will be collected upon return to Kangerlussuaq.

Day Three. Thule Air Base (TAB), Greenland. April 18, 2019. The NSF expects to allow attendees to see the ARSLS equipment stored at this location. The Government expects to provide round trip transportation from a designated Kangerlussuaq meeting location and TAB.

The designated Kangerlussuaq meeting location will be provided to accepted attendees. The time spent at TAB is expected to be no longer than three to four hours. Two or more NSF employees are expected to be in attendance.

Due to weather conditions, all, some or none of the site visits may occur. The weather in the Arctic is unpredictable and may change quickly, especially at locations such as

Summit Station and TAB. The NSF may change the itinerary, eliminate locations and/or cancel a site visit(s) in its entirety. However, the NSF has planned two contingent days for adverse conditions or other circumstances. For example: Reaching Summit Station during days two and three may be impossible. Under this circumstance, the NSF may wait to see if the weather changes on day four or day five. If the NSF waits until day five and the weather conditions are still too adverse for a Summit Station visit, then the visit to Summit Station will be canceled and not rescheduled.

Additional site visit details will be provided in the email confirming ARSLS Site Visit

Attendance. All attendees will be required to provide their own commercial lodging and

Solicitation 49100419R1001 Page 4 of 3 commercial transportation to and from the site visit beginning and ending points. Lodging in

Greenland will be in Kangerlussuaq for the duration of the Greenland site visit. Further, all attendees are responsible for their own meals. Site Visit Attendees are solely responsible for all costs. The NSF will not reimburse any costs for an attendee’s site visit(s) including but not limited to costs associated with rescheduling flights and lodging and other costs associated with planned contingency days.