B-2 RFQ attachment - Specifications.docx

Statement of Need / Required Specification NI Brand-Name-Only Software-Defined Radios

Background The Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division is the primary federal laboratory conducting research, development, testing, and evaluation for public safety communications technologies. It is housed in the Wireless Networks Division (WND) within the Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). PSCR addresses the research and development (R&D) necessary for critical features identified by public safety entities beyond the current generation of broadband technology.

WND has been supporting the PSCR program by developing measurement capabilities and tools to evaluate the performance of Mission Critical Voice services in 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE). However, the evolution of wireless broadband technologies to 5G New Radio (NR) requires new equipment capable of achieving very low latencies and increased data rates.

Developing and improving public safety communication is a CTL programmatic goal and supports the PSCR program. These items will enhance the capabilities of the testbed and support research and metrology for public safety communications.

Purpose The purpose of this acquisition is to obtain high-performance software-defined radios on a Brand-Name Only basis to items manufactured by National Instrument (NI) Corporation, located at 11500 N Mopac Expwy, Austin, TX 78759-3504, which will support wireless communication standards of relevance on the existing testbed to the research program of the lab. The items to be acquired include software-defined radios and connectivity cards to evaluate Mission Critical communications and device-to-device communication for public safety communication. These items will be used to prototype Radio Frequency (RF) systems in support of the PSCR program at NIST.

Description of Required Products

Specifically, the contractor shall provide the items listed in the table below manufactured by NI Corporation on a Brand-Name Only basis in accordance with the following specifications:

Warranty/Support Requirements The contractor shall warrant the entire product in accordance with the Original Equipment Manufacturers’ (OEM) standard commercial item warranty, to be effective for 12 months, and include the following warranty provisions: 1.) Labor, 2.) Parts and 3.) Cost and Liability for returns.

Delivery Requirements The items shall be delivered in a protective, foam-padded carrying case, fully complete and ready to operate upon delivery. Delivery shall be made F.O.B. destination. Delivery shall occur within the vendor’s standard commercial lead time, but no later than 8 weeks after contractor receipt of order. The product shall initially arrive for delivery and truck inspection at the NIST Shipping and Receiving address identified below.

NIST Shipping & Receiving 100 Bureau Drive Building 301 Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001

F.O.B. Destination means: The contractor shall pack and mark the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the purchase order, be responsible for any loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt and acceptance of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the purchase order; and pay all charges to the specified point of delivery.

Due to the current campus access restrictions at NIST, delivery shall occur at a mutually agreed upon date between the contractor and the NIST technical point of contact (TPOC). The contractor shall NOT deliver any items until the delivery date has been agreed upon in writing, and the contractor has received written approval from the NIST TPOC to proceed with delivery. Contractor failure to acquire written approval from NIST prior to shipping products shall release the Government of any liability and may result in the delivery being disallowed onto NIST’s campus. NIST is a controlled-access facility, therefore delivery personnel must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. permanent resident.

The Contractor shall comply with the NIST Visitor and Contractor Protocols for Mitigating COVID-19 Exposure on NIST Campuses as identified at this link: https://www.nist.gov/about-nist/visit/nist-visitor-and-contractor-protocols-mitigating-covid-19-exposure-nist-campuses

Inspection & Acceptance Inspection and Acceptance: NIST will inspect the delivered product within 14 business days after delivery to ensure conformance with the requirements identified in this Statement of Need. Specifically, NIST personnel will unpack the items and ensure their workability based on the following: 1) any damage to the packaging or item 2) quantity of items delivered 3) self-diagnostic tests of items when available. The Software Defined Radios must operate in accordance with the specifications listed in the Statement of Need. If all other requirements are also met, the product shall be accepted.

Payment Schedule The Contractor shall be paid, in accordance with Net 30-day payment terms, upon receipt and acceptance of a proper invoice, in accordance with the following schedule:

1. 100% after receipt and acceptance by the TPOC of fully delivered system.

2. The Government anticipates inspection will occur upon:

a. After the testing procedures set forth in this document have been complete.