Addendum 1 Answer to Bidder Questions.docx

Ethanol Dry Gas .080 Canisters Michigan State Police

RFP #190000000614

Bidder Questions and Answers

ADDENDUM #1

Question #1:

In regards to the shipping and handling charges for this bid. Can you please clarify if the charges should be: F.O.B. Destination or Prepaid and Add.

Answer #1:

Contractor must deliver all Contract Activities F.O.B. destination, within the State premises with transportation and handling charges paid by Contractor. All costs including HazMat charges, shipping, handling, etc., must be included in the unit price. No additional charges will be paid.

Question #2:

Schedule A, Section 1.1, Requirement #1. - We are not aware of NIST “standards for dry gas”.

a) Should this be interpreted to mean that the gas standards provided to the State are required to have direct traceability to NIST gaseous reference materials, such as NIST NTRMs?

b) What proof should be provided for this requirement?

Answer #2:

a) Yes.

b) Certificate of analysis, standard traceable to NIST, or other comparable document required.

Question #3:

Please explain what the guarantee for adherence to Daubert requirements means to the vendor. Is there a difference in how this applies between general court acceptance of dry gas use in the state as compared to use of a particular vendor’s product? Would the vendor be required to provide testimony in any court within the state in general support of dry gas, or specifically at a Daubert hearing? What does the guarantee imply in the case of “non-adherence” to Daubert requirements?

Answer #3:

The vendor must provide ethanol dry gas in cylinders whose accuracy and reliability are scientifically acceptable in the State of Michigan. The vendor may be required to provide court testimony if needed to support their product.

Question #4:

Within the Statement of Work there is no stated requirement for the volume of gas to be contained in each cylinder. Within the price matrix of Schedule B there is a reference to a 105-Liter volume. Should we assume that the requirement is to provide a cylinder containing “a minimum of” 105-liters of gas? Would a 108 liter tank suffice?

Answer #4:

No. A 105-liter tank is required.

Question #5:

Within the Statement of Work there is no stated requirement for the composition of the cylinder. Due to the reactive nature of ethanol and the low parts per million (PPM) concentrations involved, aluminum cylinders and brass valves are viewed as being superior to ensure that the ethanol concentration does not change over time, leading to inaccurate calibrations. Should we assume that aluminum cylinders with brass valves are required?

Answer #5:

Vendors may bid alternate tank compositions other than steel, but a 105-liter volume tank size is required.

Question #6:

The 3-year expiration date stated in this requirement is longer than industry standards by a factor of 50%.

a) Is it correct to assume that the requirement includes that the cylinders must remain within the stated +/- 2% tolerance over the potential 36-month life of the cylinder?

b) If so, what documentation is required by MSP that would also be sufficient for a Daubert hearing to prove that cylinders will maintain the required tolerance over the extended life requested? For example, historical data going back at least 5-years of periodic testing of retained cylinders from every batch of cylinders produced for 6-months beyond their stated expiration.

c) Will MSP consider an industry standard 2-year shelf life if this proof does not exist?

Answer #6:

a) Yes, cylinders must remain within the stated +/- 2% tolerance over the potential 36-month life of the cylinder.

b) The label on the tank would suffice for documentation required by MSP.

c) No. MSP requires a 3-year expiration date on the canisters.

Question #7:

The stated minimum order is 48-cylinders. Is it correct that all cylinders shipped against a single order are to be from the same production lot? Assuming this is correct, what is the maximum order/lot size the state requires? For example, the vendor must be capable of producing a single lot of gas consisting of 150 cylinders.

Answer #7:

MSP will order approximately 500 cylinders a year and they do not need to all be from the same production lot.

Question #8:

Is there any minimum requirement for quality assurance? For example is the gas manufacturer required to be ISO 17025 to help ensure that it meets calibration laboratory requirements and ISO 17034 accredited in order to qualify as a provider of Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) as most forensic laboratories require?

Answer #8:

Certificate of Analysis is the quality assurance requirement.