88310327Q000008 RFQ PL Artifact Conservation DN.docx

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ)

Artifact Conservation Services —Vendor Pool

(i) STATEMENT OF COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products or commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in RFO FAR subpart 12. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Offers are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

(ii) SOLICITATION NUMBER AND TYPE

· Solicitation Number: 88310327Q00008

· Solicitation Type: This solicitation is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) to establish a Vendor pool conservation specialist to support the National Archives and Records Administration and the Presidential Libraries. This acquisition is not set-aside for small business concerns. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses by reference. The full text of provisions and clauses may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov.

· Acquisition Authority: RFO FAR Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services).

· Resulting Instrument: NARA intends to establish agreements with qualified vendors, collectively constituting the "Artifact Conservation Vendor Pool" (the "Pool"). See Section (vi) for Pool mechanics.

(iii) APPLICABLE FEDERAL ACQUISITION CIRCULAR This solicitation document and the incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2026-01, effective March 13, 2026.

(iv) SET-ASIDE, NAICS CODE, AND SIZE STANDARD

· Competition: This acquisition is full and open. It is not set aside for small business; however, NARA recognizes that the conservation industrial base consists predominantly of small businesses, independent practitioners, and nonprofit Regional Conservation Centers, and all such entities are strongly encouraged to respond.

· NAICS Code: 711510 — Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers and NAICS 541990 — All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services.

· Small Business Size Standard: $9.0 million in average annual receipts

· Product Service Code (PSC): R499 — Support-Professional: Other

(v) CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBERS (CLINs) This RFQ establishes the Pool only; no funds are obligated and no work is authorized by the establishment of this pool. Individual requirements will be competed among Pool members and will define the specific CLIN structure, quantities, and pricing for each conservation project. The following notional CLIN framework will be used for each order:

· Period of Performance for Vendor Pool: This Vendor Pool will cover a period of 3-years.

· Estimated Aggregate Value of the Pool: The total estimated value of all conservation services and directly related support to be ordered under the Pool is approximately $1,500,000.00. This figure is an estimate only and does not constitute a guarantee of any minimum or maximum order value to any Pool member.

(vi) DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENTS A. Statement of Need The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), acting through the Office of the Presidential Libraries (P) in partnership with Research Services, Preservation Programs (RPX), requires professional artifact conservation services to assess, stabilize, treat, and document highly significant and measurably fragile museum artifacts held across NARA's sixteen (16) Presidential Libraries and Museums (PLs).

NARA employs conservators specializing in paper, photographic, book, and audiovisual/dynamic-media holdings, but does not employ objects, paintings, or textile conservators. These latter specialized services must therefore be obtained by contract.

The requirement encompasses:

· More than sixty (60) discrete conservation projects;

· Affecting more than 2,600 individual artifacts;

· Including objects, furniture, paintings, works on paper (for survey only), sculpture, and textiles composed of diverse media.

The effort is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through an Interagency Agreement (IAA) and is timed in honor of t he nation's 250th anniversary ("America 250" / A250) commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The launch of this initiative in 2026 celebrates the Semiquincentennial, while looking forward toward innovations needed to meet long-standing and on-going museum artifact conservation needs at NARA’s Presidential Libraries and Museums.

A secondary but material purpose of this acquisition is to ensure a compliant, RFO FAR-based acquisition framework that enforces federal competition requirements and eliminates unauthorized commitments. This acquisition directly supports two NARA Strategic Goals: (1) ensuring the highest standards of preservation are applied to NARA's holdings, and (2) sharing NARA's holdings with the American people in bold and creative ways, including through the Semiquincentennial. It also reflects NARA's statutory obligation under 36 CFR to preserve, protect, and provide access to PL holdings.

B. Purpose and Mechanics of the Vendor Pool The Pool is being established as a mechanism to quickly and compliantly provide conservation support to the sixteen PLs as project needs arise. Vendors should understand the following:

· Nature of the Pool. Successful quoters will be admitted to the Pool. Admission to the Pool is a qualification determination only; it is not a contract for work, does not obligate funds, and does not guarantee that any Pool member will receive any order.

· Issuance of orders. When a conservation project is ready to proceed, the Contracting Officer will issue a Request for Quotation to Pool members possessing the relevant specialty (e.g., objects, paintings, textiles). NARA will seek competition among Pool members to the maximum extent practicable, consistent with the dollar value and urgency of each conservation project. Orders estimate at or below the micro-purchase threshold may be placed without soliciting competitive quotations where the price is determined to be reasonable.

· Project-Level Requirements. More specific requirements, tasks, deliverables, schedules, and Statements of Work (SOWs) will be communicated at the individual conservation project level. Each project level RFQ will include, at a minimum: the artifact(s) and PL involved, condition information available to NARA, the required scope of assessment and/or treatment, the location of performance (on-site or contractor studio), the period of performance, and the basis for selection (e.g., lowest-priced technically acceptable or best value).

· Reservation of Rights. NARA reserves the right to seek vendors outside of this Pool when doing so is in the best interest of the Government, including but not limited to circumstances where no Pool member possesses a required specialty, where Pool members are unavailable within the required timeframe, where Pool members are located in geographically distant regions relative to the Presidential Library site, or where market conditions indicate that competition outside the Pool would yield a better value.

· Open Season. NARA reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reopen this solicitation periodically to admit additional qualified vendors to the Pool.

· Ordering Limits. Individual conservation projects are anticipated to fall below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold ($350,000); the aggregate value of all projects across the Pool exceeds the SAT.

C. Scope of Services Pool members may be called upon to perform any or all of the following, as specified at the call level:

· Condition assessment and survey of individual artifacts or groups of artifacts, including risk prioritization for exhibition and loan.

· Written treatment proposals with cost estimates, materials, methods, and anticipated outcomes, submitted for curatorial and RPX approval prior to treatment.

· Stabilization and conservation treatment of objects, furniture, paintings, , sculpture, and textiles, performed in accordance with the AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice.

· Treatment documentation, including written reports and archival-quality photographic documentation before, during, and after treatment, delivered in a format specified by NARA.

· Exhibition and loan support, including recommendations for mounts, housings, environmental conditions, and handling protocols.

· Secure packing, transport, and handling of artifacts between PL facilities and contractor studios, where studio-based treatment is required.

· Consultation with PL curators, registrars, and RPX Preservation Program Officer .

D. Mandatory Professional Standards and Qualifications

· All conservation work must adhere to the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice.

· Lead Conservators must hold AIC Professional Member or Fellow status, or an equivalency consisting of a graduate conservation credential (e.g., a master's degree from a recognized graduate conservation program) plus qualifying professional experience.

· Where architectural elements are involved, the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties apply.

· Conservators must possess demonstrated specialization in the material type(s) for which they seek Pool admission (Objects, Paintings, Textiles, Furniture .

E. Place and Conditions of Performance

· Geographic Dispersion. The sixteen PL museum collections are located nationwide. A list of PL locations is provided in Section (vii). Work is performed either on-site at PL facilities or at the contractor's laboratory/studio following secure transport of the artifact(s), as determined at the project level.

· Government Property. The artifacts are Federal property and national cultural heritage of effectively irreplaceable value. Contractors must maintain custody controls, environmental conditions, and security appropriate to museum-quality collections. Specific requirements regarding chain of custody, condition reporting at transfer, and studio security will be set forth at the project level.

Insurance. Pool members will be required to carry, or to obtain prior to the first Project, fine-arts insurance ("all-risk" wall-to-wall coverage) at limits to be specified at the Project level, in addition to the insurance required by RFO FAR 52.228-5 / 52.212-4

Proof of coverage is not required at the time of quotation.

Funding. Work is funded by NEH through an IAA with NARA under the authority of the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 1535). A Determination and Findings (D&F) will be approved prior to the issuance of any Project.

(vii) DATES AND PLACES OF DELIVERY AND ACCEPTANCE

· Delivery Schedule: Delivery and performance dates for assessments, treatments, and documentation will be established at the individual project level.

· Acceptance: Acceptance of treatment and documentation deliverables will be performed by the designated Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and the RPX Preservation Program Officer in consultation with PL curatorial staff, in accordance with RFO FAR 52.212-4(a).

· Places of Performance: Work may be required at any of the following NARA Presidential Library and Museum sites, NARA collections storage locations, or at the contractor's facility:

(viii) RFO FAR 52.212-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS — COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (with Addendum) The provision at RFO FAR 52.212-1 applies to this acquisition and is incorporated by reference, as modified by the following addendum. Throughout this solicitation, the terms "offer," "offeror," and "proposal" in RFO FAR 52.212-1 shall be read as "quotation," "quoter," and "quotation," respectively.

Addendum to RFO FAR 52.212-1

1. Guiding Principle — Minimal Burden. NARA has deliberately designed this submission to be as light as possible. No pricing, no technical narrative, no management plan, and no page-count-heavy proposal is requested at this stage. Quoters should submit only the qualification materials described below. Pricing will be requested only at the individual Project level.

2. SAM Registration. Quoters must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov, with a Unique Entity ID (UEI), at the time of each order. Registration is free. Quoters not yet registered are encouraged to begin the process immediately, as it may take several weeks. Independent practitioners may register as sole proprietors.

3. Submission Method. Quotations shall be submitted by email only to damon.nevils@nara.gov. The subject line shall read: "RFQ 88310327Q00008 Artifact Conservation Pool — [Quoter Name]." Attachments shall be in PDF format and shall not exceed a total of 25 MB per email; multiple emails are permitted if clearly numbered (e.g., "1 of 2").

4. Content of Quotation. The quotation shall consist of the following three components. There is no minimum page count; quoters are encouraged to be concise.

· Component 1 — Cover Sheet (1 page). Using the format at Attachment A, provide:

· Legal business name, address, UEI, and CAGE code (if assigned);

· Point of contact name, phone, and email;

· Business size and type (small business, independent practitioner, nonprofit Regional Conservation Center, other);

· The specialty area(s) for which Pool admission is sought (check all that apply): Objects; Paintings; Textiles; Furniture; Works on Paper (survey only); Architectural Elements;

· Geographic service area (nationwide; specific regions; or on-site only within X miles of studio);

· Whether the quoter can perform work at its own studio, on-site at PL facilities, or both;

· A statement that the quoter agrees to the terms of this solicitation and the resulting orders.

· Component 2 — Recent Experience and Past Performance (recommended 3–8 pages). Provide a brief description of three (3) to five (5) conservation projects completed within the past five (5) years that are similar in nature to the work described in Section (vi). For each project, include:

· Client/institution name and point of contact (name, title, phone, email);

· Date(s) of performance and approximate value (a range is acceptable);

· Type(s) of artifact(s) and material(s) treated and the specialty area(s) demonstrated;

· A short narrative (one to two paragraphs) of the scope, including assessment, treatment, and documentation performed;

· Whether the work was performed on-site, in-studio, or both, and whether it involved transport of the artifact(s).

· Museum, archival, and cultural-heritage institution clients are preferred but not required. Work for federal, state, local, tribal, academic, private-collection, or nonprofit clients is all acceptable.

· NARA may contact the references provided, may use the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), and may use any other information available to the Government in evaluating past performance. Quoters need not submit CPARS reports or past performance questionnaires.

· Component 3 — Certifications and Qualifications of Key Personnel (no page limit; typically 2–6 pages). For each proposed Lead Conservator, provide:

· Full name and specialty area(s);

· Evidence of AIC Professional Member or Fellow status (e.g., a screenshot or letter from the AIC "Find a Conservator" directory or membership confirmation); or, if relying on the equivalency standard, a copy or description of the graduate conservation degree (institution, program, year) and a summary of qualifying professional experience (minimum [five (5)] years post-graduate practice in the specialty area);

· A current résumé or curriculum vitae (a brief CV of 1–3 pages is sufficient);

· A statement that the individual adheres to the AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice.

· For quoters seeking admission in the Architectural Elements specialty, a statement of familiarity with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

· Quoters may also list supporting conservators, technicians, and subcontractors, but qualification documentation is required only for Lead Conservators.

5. What NOT to Submit. To reduce burden, quoters should not submit: pricing or labor rates; treatment proposals for NARA artifacts; general marketing materials; financial statements; insurance certificates; or completed representations if the quoter's representations are current in SAM.

6. Questions. Questions regarding this solicitation shall be submitted in writing by email to the Contracting Officer no later than October 15, 2026, 2:00 PM Eastern Time. Answers to all questions received will be posted as an amendment to this notice on SAM.gov. Quoters are responsible for monitoring SAM.gov for amendments.

7. Late Quotations. Quotations received after the due date and time may be considered at the discretion of the Contracting Officer if doing so would not unduly delay the establishment of the Pool; however, quoters should not rely on this discretion.

8. Multiple Awards. NARA anticipates establishing the pool with all quoters determined to be technically acceptable under the evaluation criteria in Section (ix). There is no predetermined limit on the number of Pool members.

(ix) RFO FAR 52.212-2, EVALUATION — COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (Tailored) The provision at RFO FAR 52.212-2 applies to this acquisition, tailored as follows:

(a) Basis for Pool Admission. The Government will admit to the Pool, every responsible quoter whose quotation is determined to be Acceptable under all three evaluation factors below. This is an acceptability-based (pass/fail) qualification; quotations will not be comparatively ranked against one another for purposes of Pool admission, and price will not be evaluated at the Pool level. Price and best-value determinations will be made at the individual order level.

(b) Evaluation Factors. Each quotation will be evaluated on the following factors. A quotation must be rated "Acceptable" on all three factors to be admitted to the Pool. Admission will be granted by specialty area; a quoter may be admitted in some specialty areas and not others.

(c) Ratings.

· Acceptable: The quotation meets the standard for the factor.

· Unacceptable: The quotation does not meet the standard, or the information provided is insufficient to determine that the standard is met.

(d) Clarifications. The Government may, but is not obligated to, seek clarifications from quoters regarding missing or ambiguous information (e.g., an incomplete reference contact or a missing AIC status confirmation). The Government reserves the right to admit quoters to the Pool without seeking clarifications.

(e) Responsibility. Prior to issuance of any awards, the Contracting Officer will confirm each quoter's active SAM registration and review exclusion records.

(f) order-Level Evaluation. Each order will state its own evaluation basis, which may include price, technical approach (treatment proposal), schedule, and the Lead Conservator's specific experience with the artifact type at issue. Pool members are not required to respond to every order; declining to quote on a Project will have no adverse effect on Pool membership.

(x) Additional Provisions (See Separate Terms and Conditions File)

(xi) RFO FAR 52.212-4, CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS — COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (with Addendum) The clause at RFO FAR 52.212-4 applies to this acquisition and to each order issued hereunder, and is incorporated by reference, as modified by the following addendum.

Addendum to RFO FAR 52.212-4

1. Government-Furnished Property and Care of Artifacts.

· Artifacts entrusted to the Contractor for studio-based treatment are Government property of irreplaceable cultural value. The Contractor assumes full responsibility and liability for such property from the moment of transfer of custody until return, notwithstanding RFO FAR 52.212-4(j) or any other provision.

· The Contractor shall execute a condition report and custody receipt at each transfer, maintain the artifact under environmental and security conditions consistent with AIC and museum best practices, and shall not permit access to the artifact by any person not disclosed to NARA.

· The Contractor shall not undertake any treatment beyond the approved treatment proposal without written approval of the COR, PL curator, and RPX Preservation Program Officer . Any unexpected conditions discovered during treatment shall be reported immediately, and work on the affected artifact shall pause pending direction.

· Detailed custody, handling, packing, transport, and security requirements will be specified at the Project level.

3. Invoicing and Payment. Invoices shall be submitted electronically to Invoice Payment Platform (ipp.gov), unless the order is below the Micro Purchase Threshold, and shall include: order number, description of services, period of service, and the COR's name. Payment will be made in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act. Partial payments tied to defined milestones (e.g., approval of treatment proposal; completion of treatment; delivery of documentation) may be established at the order level.

4. Deliverables and Data Rights. All treatment reports, photographic documentation, condition assessments, and related records produced under any Project are deliverables belonging to the Government. NARA retains unlimited rights in all documentation in accordance. The Contractor may retain copies for its professional records and may reference the work in its professional portfolio only with NARA's prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.

5. Publicity and Confidentiality. The Contractor shall not publish, present, or publicly disclose information regarding NARA artifacts or treatments without prior written consent of the COR. Certain artifacts may be subject to security, loan, or donor-restriction requirements that will be communicated at the order level.

6. Contracting Officer's Representative. A COR will be designated in writing. The COR is responsible for technical oversight, inspection, and acceptance, but has no authority to change the scope, price, terms, or period of any order.

7. Federal Travel Regulation. Travel required for on-site work will be reimbursed at actual cost not to exceed the applicable per diem and mileage rates in the Federal Travel Regulation, when authorized in the Project.

9. Economy Act / Interagency Funding. Performance under any Project is contingent upon the availability of funds transferred to NARA by NEH under the applicable IAA. NARA will not issue an order, and the Contractor shall not perform work, until the Contracting Officer confirms in writing that funds are available.

(xii) Additional Clauses (See Separate Terms and Conditions File)

Agency-Specific Requirements:

· NARA Security and Access Requirements. Contractor personnel performing work on-site at PL facilities will be subject to NARA facility access procedures, which may include a background screening (e.g., NACI or equivalent) and issuance of a visitor or contractor badge. Specific requirements will be communicated at the order level.

· NARA Records Management. Contractor shall comply with NARA records management requirements for federal records as specified at the order level.

· Section 508 Accessibility. Electronic deliverables (reports, photographic documentation) shall conform to applicable Section 508 standards (36 CFR Part 1194) to the extent practicable.

(xiii) DEFENSE PRIORITIES AND ALLOCATIONS SYSTEM (DPAS) RATING Not applicable. This acquisition is not rated under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System.

(xiv) DATE, TIME, AND PLACE QUOTATIONS ARE DUE

· Quotations are due no later than October 22, 2026, at 2:00 PM Eastern Time.

· Quotations shall be submitted by email to: damon.nevils@nara.gov, subject line "RFQ 88310327Q00008 Artifact Conservation Pool — [Quoter Name]."

· Hard-copy, facsimile, or hand-delivered quotations will not be accepted.

· The Government will acknowledge receipt of each quotation by return email within two (2) business days. Quoters who do not receive an acknowledgment should contact the Contracting Officer.

(xv) POINT OF CONTACT Questions and quotations shall be directed to:

· Damon Nevils, Contracting Officer

· National Archives and Records Administration, Office of the Chief Acquisition Officer

· Email: damon.nevils@nara.gov

· Telephone: 301-837-0771

ATTACHMENTS

· Attachment A — Quotation Cover Sheet (fillable, 1 page)

· Attachment B — List of Presidential Library Facilities and Points of Contact for Site Logistics (provided to Pool members after selection establishment)

ATTACHMENT A — QUOTATION COVER SHEET

Legal Business Name

Doing-Business-As Name (if any)

Business Address

Unique Entity ID (UEI)

CAGE Code (if assigned)

Point of Contact (name, title)

Phone / Email

Number of Lead Conservators Proposed

Number of Past Performance References Provided

Authorized Signature / Date

End of Combined Synopsis/Solicitation