Sources_Sought_Notice_AMDTC-16-009.pdf

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE for market research purposes. THIS IS NOT A

REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS. INFORMATION RECEIVED WILL BE USED FOR

MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY.

Document Type: Sources Sought Notice

Notice Number: AMDTC-16-009

Response Deadline: February 29, 2016, 3:00 PM, EST.

Title: NIST Standard Reference Material Cigarette (SRM) 1196 for NIST Engineering

Laboratory (EL)

Anticipated NAICS Code: 312230, Tobacco Manufacturing

Contracting Office Address

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Office of Acquisition and Agreements Management

Acquisition Management Division

100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1640

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640

This Notice is for planning purposes only and is not a Request for Proposal, Request for

Quotation, or an obligation on the part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology

(NIST) for conducting a follow-on acquisition. NIST does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this Notice, or otherwise pay for the information requested. No entitlement or payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by NIST will arise as a result of submission of responses to this Notice and NIST use of such information.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking to identify small businesses capable of providing the next batch (a 10 year supply) of SRM 1196 cigarettes. The

SRM 1196 shall have the same physical specifications of the current test cigarette (CTC). This particular cigarette had been selected because early data indicated that it had the highest ignition propensity of any of the cigarettes examined. Consumer Products Safety Commission’s (CPSC) federal standard for mattresses and mattress pads (16 CFR part 1632), proposed standard for upholstered furniture (16 CFR part 1634), and flammability standard for cellulose insulation (16

CFR part 1209) all require using SRM 1196 cigarettes.

Background Information

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Engineering Laboratory (EL) enables the development of regulations, standards, and consumer products that reduce the risk of fire threat in residences by addressing materials-based measurement science needs. Cigarette ignitions was the single largest cause of fire deaths in the U.S.. Over the past decade these fire losses have dropped by at least 30% because the NIST standard reference cigarette (SRM 1196) provided the regulators with an ignition source needed for a reproducible cigarette ignition flammability regulation.

Cigarette ignition of soft furnishings (upholstered furniture and mattresses) is the largest single cause of fire deaths in the US. NIST’s standard reference material cigarette (SRM 1196) has enabled the development of several federal regulations and voluntary standards that are reducing the number of deaths, injuries, and property losses associated with cigarette ignition. SRM 1196 is also required in National Fire Protection Association’s standard methods for measuring the cigarette ignition resistance of upholstered furniture products (NFPA 260) and upholstered furniture mock-ups (NFPA 261).

Description of Requirement

In all these tests, the current test cigarette (CTC) is a commercial product, specified by its length

(85 mm 2 mm), a tobacco packing density (0.270 g/cm3 0.020 g/cm3), mass (1.1 g 0.1 g), and the absence of a filter tip. This particular cigarette had been selected because early data indicated that it had the highest ignition propensity of any of the cigarettes examined. As furnishing items resisting ignition by the CTC have replaced older pieces, there has been a sizable reduction in the number of furnishings fires and casualties.

Cigarette Specifications

The SRM 1196a shall have the same physical specifications of the CTC (Table 1). Ignition strength will be measured using the modified procedure defined in Gann, R.G. and E. J.

Hnetkovsky, "Modification of ASTM E 2187 for Measuring the Ignition Propensity of

Conventional Cigarettes," NIST Technical Note 1627, National Institute of Standards and

Technology, Gaithersburg, June, 2009. Further references to this manuscript shall be only by

NIST Technical Note 1627.

Table 1. Cigarette Specifications

Property Value

Filter None

Length 83 mm 2 mm

Mass 1.1 g 0.1 g

Packing Density 0.270 g/cm3 0.020 g/cm3

Circumference – for guidance only Nominally 24.8 mm

Ignition Strength 70 PFLB to 95 PFLB

Instructions / Required Submissions

Interested parties shall describe the capabilities of their organization as it relates to the services described above.

The small business size standard associated with the anticipated NAICS code for this effort, is

312221 – Cigarette Manufacturing, with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees.

Interested parties shall include their business size classification and socio-economic status in response to this notice.

http://www.nist.gov/customcf/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=902075 http://www.nist.gov/customcf/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=902075

The following information is required in response to this sources sought notice:

1. Documentation/Description of capabilities, which clearly demonstrates the capability of providing the required support services;

2. Documentation of any relevant experience in providing the required services;

3. Name, Address, DUNS number, CAGE code, business size, and point of contact information of the company;

4. Any other relevant information that is not listed above, which the Government should consider in finalizing its market research.

5. Indication of whether the instrument is currently on one or more GSA Federal Supply

Schedule contracts. If so please provide the GSA FSS contract number(s).

All information considered pertinent to the covered requirement must be sent to Judith Hicklin, via e-mail at judith.hicklin@nist.gov. Information submitted must be specific and address the aforementioned requirement.

Submissions must be received not later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 29, 2016.

General Information

After the results of this market research are obtained and analyzed, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a contract. If at least two small businesses are identified during this market research, then a competitive procurement that results may be conducted as a small business set-aside.

mailto:judith.hicklin@nist.gov