Site_Visit_Notice_Amendment_20190403_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 April 3, 2019

If you submitted a site visit application and did not receive a confirmation then you must notify the Contracting Officer by April 4, 2019 Your notification must include submission proof of your timely site visit application.

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.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

2415 Eisenhower Avenue ▪ Alexandria, VA 22314

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Site Visit Notice as amended 04/03/19

SITE VISIT RULES

Any site visitor not following the site visit rules may be prohibited from further participation in the site visit(s). Each site visit will be limited to the NSF’s site visit agenda. The NSF reserves the right to limit, in part or in full, the site visit(s) participation of a site visitor.

1. Visitors shall not seek information, for solicitation 49100419R1001, that would violate

41 U.S.C. 2102(b) entitled “Prohibition on Obtaining Information”.

2. Audio and video recording are strictly prohibited.

3. The contracting officer and his assigned representatives will identify themselves at the beginning of the site visit.

4. Photographs of the airfield at TAB are strictly prohibited.

5. Drones and aerial photography are strictly prohibited.

6. Photographs of people are strictly prohibited.

7. Touching equipment is strictly prohibited.

8. Photographs of ARSLS equipment are permitted.

9. Photographs of NSF facilities, the outside of contractor-leased facilities and the outside of contractor-owned facilities are permitted.

10. Photographs of anything not referenced in these rules requires authorization of the CO or CO’s representative during the site visit.

11. Visitors shall follow the directions of the NSF employees.

12. Visitors shall follow the directions of the aircraft charter employees.

13. Visitors shall follow the directions of the Thule Air Base personnel.

14. Visitors shall behave in a courteous and professional manner.

15. Visitors shall not open or attempt to open any desks, drawers, cabinets or other storage items.

16. Visitors shall not touch any written materials at the NSF facilities, contractor-leased facilities and contractor-owned facilities unless directly authorized by the CO during the site visit.

17. Visitors shall always remain with the tour group during tours.

18. Visitors shall not leave anything on aircraft or in vehicles.

19. Visitors shall not communicate with personnel at any of the facilities unless authorized by the COR or CO.

20. The NSF solely reserves the right to add, delete or change these site visit rules at any time.

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

Only accepted visitors will be allowed to participate in site visits. All accepted visitors received a written confirmation from the Contracting Officer.

Alaska Site Visit

Visitors shall dress appropriately for the unpredictable harsh Arctic weather.

Date: April 8, 2019

Time: 08:00 AM to 10:00 AM local time (Fairbanks, AK)

Site: Equipment Warehouse

2325 King Road

Fairbanks, AK 99709

The accepted visitor shall meet at the site listed above. The NSF expects to allow accepted visitors to see the ARSLS equipment stored at this location. Accepted visitors shall wait outside the facilities until the site visit begins. This site is a contractor-leased facility.

Date: April 9, 2019

Time: 07:00 AM to 06:00 PM local time

Site: Toolik Field Station (TFS)

Visitors shall be prepared for the cold weather and possible road emergencies. The NSF expects to provide a shuttle bus from the Prudhoe Bay Hotel, 123 Lake Colleen Road, Prudhoe Bay, AK

99734 to TFS. TFS is located approximately 130 miles south of Deadhorse. Each accepted visitor must be ready to depart at 07:00 AM from the Prudhoe Bay Hotel. The shuttle bus trip between the Prudhoe Bay Hotel and TFS is expected to take approximately four (4) hours.

However, the weather and condition of the roads will impact the duration of the shuttle bus trip.

Accepted visitors should bring a sack lunch, drinks and snacks to last the day because there will not be available food for purchase at TFS. The NSF with the aid of UAF expects to provide a tour of TFS. 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 return to the Prudhoe Bay Hotel at approximately 06:00 PM local time. Attached is a TFS site plan and

TFS handout from UAF-BIO. For purposes of this site tour, TFS is considered NSF facilities.

Date: April 10, 2019

Time: 11:05 AM to 03:00 PM local time

Site: Utqiagvik, AK

The NSF expects to provide a tour of the Barrow Arctic Research Center (BARC), typical research lodging and ARSLS equipment stored at this location. In addition, the tour will provide a view of the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) entrance. The Utqiagvik tour is expected to last no longer than four hours. The NSF expects to provide a shuttle bus from

Barrow Airport for arrivals on Alaska Air flight 55. The respective flight is expected to arrive at

11:05 AM local time. The Utqiagvik site visit is expected to begin when the shuttle bus arrives at the facilities. The NSF expects to provide a shuttle back to Barrow Airport immediately after the

Solicitation 49100419R1001 Page 4 of 5 tour ends. Attached are Barrow maps and a Barrow Facilities handout. All the Utqiagvik facilities are contractor-owned.

Greenland Site Visit

Visitors shall dress appropriately for the unpredictable harsh Arctic weather.

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.

Date: April 15, 2019

Time: 02:30 PM to 05:00 PM local time

Site: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

The NSF expects to provide a shuttle bus from the Kangerlussuaq Airport lobby. All visitors are expected to meet in the lobby. The shuttle bus is expected to depart at 02:30 PM. The NSF expects to allow attendees to see the ARSLS equipment stored in Kangerlussuaq. In addition, the NSF expect to provide 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.

The NSF will loan cold weather gear for Summit Station. The Kangerlussuaq facilities are contractor-leased.

Date: April 16, 2019

Time: Time will be provided to visitors on April 15

Site: Summit Station, Greenland

The NSF expects to provide a tour of Summit Station. The Summit Station tour is expected to include round trip transportation between Kangerlussuaq and Summit Station. Visitors are expected to meet in the airport lobby at the designated meeting time on April 15. 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, water, and snacks for consumption during the flights to/from Summit Station. Cold weather gear will be collected upon return to Kangerlussuaq. Facilities at Summit Station are NSF-owned.

Date: April 17, 2019

Time: Time will be provided to visitors on April 16

Site: Air Base (TAB), Greenland.

The NSF expects to allow attendees to see the ARSLS equipment and NSF-leased facilities at this location. The Government expects to provide round trip transportation between

Kangerlussuaq and TAB. Visitors are expected to meet in the airport lobby at the designated meeting time on April 17. The time spent at TAB is expected to be no longer than three to four hours. Food and drink will be available for purchase in Thule. Facilities at TAB are NSF-leased.

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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.

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