Attachment_1_-_RFQ_Details.doc

U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)

RFQ # 693JK319Q0007

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Attachment A

Attachment A: RFQ Details

“Lithium Battery Packaging Evaluation”

PHMSA RFQ #693JK319Q0007

1. Request for Quotation (RFQ) Objective/Requirements:

The mission of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS) is to protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives. PHMSA administers a national program devoted to the safe and secure transportation of hazardous materials by air, rail, vessel, and highway. Our oversight extends to all parts of the hazardous materials transportation system-from classification of materials, to packaging, handling, moving, and unloading of hazardous materials shipments in commerce.

PHMSA’s hazardous materials safety program focuses on preventing the release of hazardous materials, minimizing the extent and impact of releases that do occur, and responding effectively to mitigate the consequences of incidents. We identify emerging threats posed by the shipment of hazardous materials and address them through a mix of research, standards, regulations, outreach, training, enforcement, grants, and the dissemination of information. Continuous improvement in program effectiveness is necessary to offset the growing risks posed by increasing volumes of increasingly complex hazardous materials moving through a strained transportation system.

Lithium batteries are regulated as hazardous materials. They pose special risks during transportation since they can overheat and ignite under certain conditions and, once ignited, can be especially difficult to extinguish. Lithium batteries present both chemical (e.g. flammable electrolyte) and electrical hazards. Lithium batteries can short circuit, overheat, and sometimes cause a fire when misused, mishandled, improperly packaged, improperly stored, overcharged or subject to failure due to latent or evolving internal defect(s).

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, seeks to acquire services to perform research evaluating the current packaging practices for lithium ion cells and batteries in the air transport environment, and if any, make recommendations on packaging improvements in accordance to PHMSA’s report to Congress as required by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.

The Statement of Work (SOW) (Attachment B) contains the description of the services to be purchased under this RFQ.

2. Required Quotation Content

The quotation must include the following:

a. A Technical Capability Section

This section must address the following subjects:

i. Plan/approach for accomplishing the SOW;

ii. Qualifications of the company to perform the SOW;

iii. Resources to fulfill the requirements in the SOW; and

iv. Resumes of proposed key personnel who will accomplish the tasks in the SOW. Quotations may provide no more than eight resumes.

b. A Past Performance Section This section should describe the contractor’s relevant experience in providing the required services.

Quoters must provide two references (customers) who received similar services from the contractor within the past five years. For each reference, quoters should provide: organization name, contact name, e-mail address, telephone number, a summary of specific services performed, and dates of performance.

c. A Price Section

Quoters must submit pricing that is equal to open market pricing. Price discounts are highly encouraged.

Prices must not be mentioned by the quoter in the Technical Capability and Past Performance sections of the quotation package.

d. Additional Required Content Quoters must also provide the following additional information in their quotation package:

i. Tax Identification Number (TIN);

ii. Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number;

iii. One copy of all RFQ amendments issued (if any) signed by an authorized official of the quoting company.

e. Page Limitations

The entire quotation package, including cover page and table of contents (if included) must be no longer than 20 pages total in length, 8 ½ by 11-inch paper using font size no smaller than eleven (11) font. Resumes will count toward the 20-page limitation, but RFQ amendments (if any) will not count toward the 20-page limitation.

If the quoter exceeds this page limit then the quotation package will not be determined to be non-responsive; however, only the first 20 pages of that package will be reviewed. For purposes of this page limitation the Government will count quotation package pages in the following order: (1) Price Section, (2) Technical Capability Section, then (3) Past Performance Section.

3. Evaluation of Quotations:

The award will be made to the responsible quoter whose quote conforms to the RFQ and offers the Best Value to the Government, in accordance with FAR Part 13. The Government will use tradeoff analysis when making the best value determination and award, based on the following three factors:

Evaluation Factor 1 - Technical Approach:

This criterion will be used to evaluate the following areas:

a. Technical/Management Approach: The quoter’s understanding of the requirements; the reasonableness and logic of approach; and the availability of the dedicated resource(s) to fulfill the requirements.

b. Demonstrated experience of proposed staff in the performance of work outlined in the Statement of Work;

c. Whether the proposed staff qualifications match those required for the proposed labor categories in accordance to open market pricing.

Evaluation Factor 2 –Past Experience:

This criterion will be used to evaluate the quoter’s past experience in supporting similar work as described in the SOW. The quoter must clearly relate the past experience (technical, administrative, creative) to the effort being proposed. The quoter must demonstrate experience in the development of comprehensive strategic workforce plans. The quoter must provide at least two (2) past experience references for relevant and similar work performed within the past five (5) years. Each reference must include the following:

· Company Name and Address

· Contract/Order Number and Award Date

· Contract Order Period of Performance and Dollar Value

· Agency Point of Contact (name, telephone number, and e-mail address)

· Description of Services provided (Summary of Project) relative to this RFQ and SOW including the outcome of projects/activities.

**NOTE**

Prior to issuing any award, the Government will perform a search of Active Exclusions in the System for Award Management (SAM) to ensure that the prospective awardee is not on the list of parties excluded from receiving federal contracts and sub-contracts.

Evaluation Factor 3 - Price:

The PHMSA Acquisition Services Division (PHF-20) will evaluate the quoter’s price. All prices (including the labor categories provided) must be fair and reasonable in accordance with open market pricing and rates. The quoter must propose the level of effort they expect will be needed to complete the work in the SOW. Despite this being a firm fixed-price order, the price section of a quotation must include both the total number of hours and the labor rate of each task/phase included in the solicitation. Price will be evaluated for reasonableness of proposed rates, price reasonableness of total price, as well as for the appropriate mix of labor category(ies) and hours proposed.

4. Evaluation Order of Importance

Evaluation Factor 1 (Technical Capability) is more important than Evaluation Factor 2 (Past Performance). Evaluation Factors 1 and 2, when combined, are significantly more important than Evaluation Factor 3 (Price).

5. Incorporation of Contract Terms

Any resultant order from this RFQ will incorporate the terms and conditions stated in the SOW and the clauses and special requirements specified in Attachment C: FAR, TAR, and PHMSA Clauses and Special Requirements, are applicable to the order.

6. Contract/Order Type and Award:

The Government intends to issue a fixed price task purchase order under the provisions of FAR Parts 12 and 13.5 from this RFQ to a small business. The applicable NAICS CODE for this RFQ is 541990 – “ALL OTHER PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND TECHNICAL SERVIVCES.

7. RFQ QUESTIONS:

Questions regarding the RFQ must be received via email by Mr. Stephen Jones (Stephen.jones.ctr@dot.gov) with a cc: to Mr. Ben Patterson (ben.patterson@dot.gov) on or before June 7, 2019 at 11:00 AM, Eastern Standard Time. Emails must reference RFQ # 693JK319Q0007 with the company name in the subject line. PHMSA will consolidate all questions and issue response(s) to questions via email no later than (June 12, 2019 at 5:00PM), Eastern Daylight Time. Do not contact any other PHMSA personnel during the RFQ (pre-award) phase.

8. SUBMISSION OF QUOTES:

Quotes must be received via email in PDF format by Mr. Stephen Jones at (Stephen.jones.ctr@dot.gov) with a cc: to Mr. Ben Patterson at (Ben.Patterson@dot.gov) and no later than June 17, 2019 at 5:00PM, Eastern Daylight Time.