B08_-_RFP_140E0125R0004.pdf

140E0125R0004

SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD

4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION2. CONTRACT NUMBER 3. SOLICITATION NUMBER

7. ISSUED BY CODE 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item 7)

System (DPAS) - Code of Federal Regulations - at 15 CFR 700.

6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NUMBER

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations "offer" and "offeror" mean "bid" and "bidder".

NEGOTIATED (RFP) REQUEST FOR

SEALED BID (IFB) INVITATION FOR BID

5. DATE ISSUED

1. This Contract is a Rated Order under the Defense Priorities and Allocations RATING PAGE OF PAGES

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C. E-MAIL ADDRESS

EXT.NUMBERAREA CODE

B. TELEPHONE (NO COLLECT CALLS)A. NAME

10. FOR

INFORMATION

CALL:

CAUTION: LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

(Date)(Hour) local timeuntildepository located in copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in Item 8, or if hand carried, in the

SOLICITATION

9. Sealed offers in original and

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

CONTRACT CLAUSES

PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

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M SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

PACKAGING AND MARKING

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSESPART I - THE SCHEDULE

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SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S) (X) DESCRIPTION SEC. (X)

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

18. OFFER DATE17. SIGNATURE

SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.

IS DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE - ENTER

15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS

EXTENSIONNUMBERAREA CODE

15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER

(Type or print)AND

ADDRESS

OF

OFFEROR

CODE FACILITY

16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER15A. NAME

DATEAMENDMENT NO.DATEAMENDMENT NO.

and related documents numbered and dated):

amendments to the SOLICITATION for offerors

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of

14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENTS

CALENDAR DAYS (%)30 CALENDAR DAYS (%)20 CALENDAR DAYS (%)10 CALENDAR DAYS (%)

(See Section I, Clause No. 52.232.8)

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

by the offeror) from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the

NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

IMPORTANT - Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

28. AWARD DATE

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

CODE 24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 7)

ITEM

(4 copies unless otherwise specified)

23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN

41 U.S.C. 3304 (a) ( 10 U.S.C. 3204 (a) (

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION UNDER THE

21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION20. AMOUNT19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED

AWARD (To be completed by government)

CODE

E10

BSEE-Sterling ACQ Ops Branch 45600 Woodland Road, VAE-AMD Sterling VA 20166-9216

1700 ED 07/17/2025

Michelle Potter 703 michelle.potter@bsee.gov

787-1007

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PAGE(S)

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

Previous edition is unusable

STANDARD FORM 33 (REV. 12/2022)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.214(c)

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within _____0_________ calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted

PROPOSAL

UNITED STATES CODE AT:

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

NAME OF OFFEROR OR CONTRACTOR

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CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

140E0125R0004

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

(BSEE) is issuing this solicitation in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

Part 15, Contracting by Negotiation, for its

"Critical Energy Measurement" project.

OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

Sponsored by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.110

NSN 7540-01-152-8067

Critical Energy Measurement RFQ 140E0125R0004

SECTION B

SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 GENERAL

The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is issuing this solicitation in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15, Contracting by Negotiation, for its “Critical Energy Measurement” project.

B.2 CONTRACT LINE ITEM (CLIN) PRICING

The specific details and descriptions of the Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) are described as follows (Offeror shall fill in * and provide information as part of their proposal):

CLIN DESCRIPTION TOTAL FFP PRICE

00010 Critical Energy Measurement as described in Statement of Work (Section C)

$TBD*

CLIN 00010 is a Firm-Fixed Price line item with a period of performance as specified in Section F. The effort under CLIN 00010 shall be accomplished in accordance with the Statement of Work in Section C.

CLIN DESCRIPTION TOTAL FFP PRICE

00020 Optional CLIN: Crude Oil Chemical Characterization $TBD*

CLIN 00020 is an Optional CLIN Firm-Fixed Price line item with a period of performance as specified in Section F. The effort under CLIN 00020 shall be accomplished in accordance with the Statement of Work in Section C.

CLIN DESCRIPTION TOTAL FFP PRICE

00030 Optional CLIN: Burn Pan Experiments $TBD*

CLIN 00030 is an Optional CLIN Firm-Fixed Price line item with a period of performance as specified in Section F. The effort under CLIN 00030 shall be accomplished in accordance with the Statement of Work in Section C.

CLIN DESCRIPTION TOTAL FFP PRICE

00040 Optional CLIN: Acquisition Samples $TBD*

CLIN 00040 is an Optional CLIN Firm-Fixed Price line item with a period of performance as specified in Section F. The effort under CLIN 00040 shall be accomplished in accordance with the Statement of Work in Section C.

CLIN DESCRIPTION TOTAL AMOUNT

00050 Travel to Conferences NTE: $TBD*

CLIN 00050 is for travel and conference related costs, as needed and is reimbursable line item with a not-to-exceed ceiling that shall only be exceeded at the contractor’s own risk.

The Contractor may be required to travel during performance of the contract and will be reimbursed for actual, allowable, and reasonable travel costs incurred, exclusive of any fee. Travel will be reimbursed in accordance with FAR Subpart 31.205-46. All travel must be approved by the COR prior to travel arrangements being made.

CLIN DESCRIPTION TOTAL FFP PRICE

00060 Optional CLIN: Journal Manuscript Submission $TBD*

CLIN 00060 is an Optional CLIN Firm-Fixed Price line item with a period of performance as specified in Section F. The effort under CLIN 00040 shall be accomplished in accordance with the Statement of Work in Section C.

B.3 PARTIAL DELIVERY PAYMENT SCHEDULE

For CLIN 00010: Payment will be made to the Contractor once the following deliverables have been received and accepted by the Government in accordance with FAR Clause 52.232-2. The payment arrangement will be based upon distinct portions of the work (deliverables) completed by the Contractor and accepted by the government as detailed below:

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) Payment Amount 1 Deliverable/Milestone No. 1 $TBD* 2 Deliverable/Milestone No. 2 $TBD*

3 ………………….. $TBD*

TOTAL FIRM FIXED PRICE $TBD*

[* = Offeror shall complete these items and include it in its price proposal. Final delivery payment amount and schedule to be determined by BSEE.]

SECTION C

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

C.1 INTRODUCTION

In Situ Burning (ISB) of crude oil can be an effective means of quickly remediating spilled crude oil on water. However, as crude oil weathers and emulsifies, ignition becomes more difficult due to the loss of flammable volatiles and heat absorption by water (Garo et al, 2004). For some crude oils not readily ignitable, the addition of heat energy can produce sufficient flammable vapors to ignite the slick. Accelerants, such as gelled gasoline or diesel, can be used to provide sufficient heat to ignite oil spills. Critical heat flux is the amount of heat energy required to produce sufficient volatile vapors to ignite a material, referred to as critical energy for this research effort. Understanding the critical energy required to initiate ISB for weathered and emulsified oil is necessary for spill responders to determine if ISB is possible.

Currently no data repository or model exists that can predict the critical energy required ignite specific materials (Rivera et al. 2023). This project aims to measure the critical energy of fresh, weathered, and/or emulsified crude oils to provide valuable decision-making information for oil spill responders. Understanding the ignitability of crude oil on water is necessary for identifying if ISB is a viable response strategy.

References

Garo JP, Vantelon JP, Souil JM, Breillat C. 2004. Burning of weathering and emulsified oil spills.

Exp Therm Fluid Sci. 28(7):753–61.

Rivera J, San Martin D, Gollner M, Torres CE, Fernandez-Pello C. 2023. A machine learning approach to predict the critical heat flux for ignition of solid fuels. Fire Saf J.

141:103968.

C.2 PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE

The overall objective of this project is to identify the conditions under which ISB is a viable response option for on water oil spill response.

The objectives of this project will be as follows:

1. Measure the critical heat flux required to ignite fresh, weathered, and/or emulsified crude oil on water.

2. Prepare collection of critical heat flux data for use as a decision-making dataset.

3. Optional:

• Chemically analyze crude oil samples for the purpose of attempting to determine sample ignitability based on chemical composition.

• Perform larger burn pan measurements for purpose of understanding the variation of results due to scaling.

• Acquire crude oil samples in addition to samples provided by the government.

• Present results at a BSEE approved conference.

• Prepare a manuscript for submission to a BSEE approved publication.

C.3 SCOPE OF WORK

C.3.1 Phase 1: Critical Energy Measurement Proof of Concept

The goal of phase 1 is to identify the proper sample preparation and data collection techniques with a small number of crude oil samples. The study will focus on measuring the critical heat flux of distinctive crude oil samples from the Gulf of America region, in water mimicking the lowest temperatures expected in the region. The critical heat flux measurements will be collected into a decision-making dataset for determining the viability of ISB as a response measure.

C.3.1.1 Literature Review

A literature review should examine scientific literature, established databases, and other sources, with the following goals:

o Identifying existing data that could be incorporated into the proposed Critical Energy dataset. This data may include but is not limited to the critical heat flux and chemical compositions of specific materials.

o Identifying potential analytical techniques for the purpose of chemically characterizing crude oil samples. The purpose of this chemical analysis would be to identify if a spilled crude oil sample is a candidate for ISB. Emphasis should be on identifying analytical techniques that are easily deployable at spill scenarios.

C.3.1.2 Sample Preparation

Crude oil samples will be neat (fresh), weathered to various stages, including photooxidation, and/or emulsified with various amounts of sea water in sufficient quantities for repeatable measurements of critical heat flux. The protocol for weathering and emulsification will be agreed upon by BSEE and the contractor prior to the beginning of sample preparation.

The crude oil will be provided by BSEE and shipped to the contractor’s facility.

o The contractor must demonstrate that personnel are trained in the safe and proper handling and storage of hydrocarbon samples, such as HAZWOPER.

The contractor must also demonstrate that the facility is suitable for the same storage and handling of hydrocarbons samples.

o The contractor should provide a waste disposal plan documenting how used oil and oily waste generated during this experimental effort will be safely and properly disposed.

o Any unused oil samples and all oil shipping containers must be returned to BSEE’s Ohmsett facility at the conclusion of this project.

C.3.1.3 Critical Heat Flux Measurements

The contractor must identify a suitable facility for performing Critical Heat Flux measurement experiments. The facility must be permitted and insured for combustion related research and possess all appropriate safety equipment.

The critical heat flux measurements will be made of fresh, weathered, and emulsified crude oil samples on water using cone calorimetry or similar method agreed upon by BSEE. Samples should be tested in the coldest expected water temperature range from the Gulf of America (8.9°C to 12.8°C), to simulate the coldest expected conditions ISB could be performed. Additionally, time to ignition, flame spread rate, burn efficiency, and combustion efficiency will be measured for each sample.

o Samples should be identified as ignitable or not ignitable compared to common methods of igniting crude oil spills on water. The threshold for ignitable will be determined by observing stable, sustained ignition.

C.3.1.4 Optional CLIN 20: Crude Oil Chemical Characterization – Phase 1

The contractor may propose analytical techniques for the purpose of chemically characterizing crude oil samples in order to connect chemical composition of a sample to sample ignitability. The chemical analysis could be used to identify chemical indicators that can be used to predict if a crude oil sample is ignitable, such as determining specific volatiles needed for ignition, and/or chemical constituents inhibiting ignition. Preference will be placed on analytical techniques that can field portable and potentially performed at spill sites and/or on spill response vessels.

With approval from BSEE, if this optional task is exercised, the contractor will analyze all samples prepared for Critical Heat Flux Measurement experiments. The contractor will use the critical heat flux and chemical data to identify trends in sample ignitability.

C.3.2 Phase 2: Critical Energy Measurement Expansion

The goal of phase 2 is to expand the Critical Energy dataset with measurements of critical heat flux of crude oil samples from additional source regions.

C.3.2.1 Sample Preparation

Crude oil samples will be neat (fresh), weathered to various stages, including photooxidation, and/or emulsified with various amounts of sea water in sufficient quantities for repeatable measurements of critical heat flux. The protocol for weathering and emulsification will be agreed upon by BSEE and the contractor prior to the beginning of sample preparation.

The crude oil will be provided by BSEE and shipped to the contractor’s facility.

o The contractor must demonstrate that personnel are trained in the safe and proper handling and storage of hydrocarbon samples, such as HAZWOPER.

The contractor must also demonstrate that the facility is suitable for the same storage and handling of hydrocarbons samples.

o The contractor should provide a waste disposal plan documenting how used oil and oily waste generated during this experimental effort will be safely and properly disposed.

o Any unused oil samples and all oil shipping containers must be returned to BSEE’s Ohmsett facility at the conclusion of this project.

C.3.2.2 Critical Energy Measurements

The contractor must identify a suitable facility for performing Critical Heat Flux measurement experiments. The facility must be permitted and insured for combustion related research and possess all appropriate safety equipment.

The critical heat flux measurements will be made of fresh, weathered, and emulsified crude oil samples on water using cone calorimetry or similar method agreed upon by BSEE. Samples should be tested within the coldest expected water temperature range from source region, to simulate the coldest expected conditions ISB could be performed. Additionally, time to ignition, flame spread rate, burn efficiency, and combustion efficiency will be measured for each sample.

o Samples should be identified as ignitable or not ignitable compared to common methods of igniting crude oil spills on water. The threshold for ignitable will be determined by observing stable, sustained ignition.

Optional CLIN 30: Burn Pan Experiments – If this optional task is exercised, the Contractor shall burn crude oil at various states of weathering and/or emulsification in a larger water-cooled burn pan to compare ignition at different scales. Additionally, time to ignition, burn efficiency, and flame spread rate measurements should be taken.

The contractor should indicate the facility where these tests will be performed in their proposal. The proposed facility must be permitted and insured for combustion related experimentation on this scale, and possess all necessary safety equipment.

C.3.2.3 Optional CLIN 20: Crude Oil Chemical Characterization – Phase 2

With the approval of BSEE, if this optional task is exercised, chemical characterization will continue with crude oil samples from Phase 2, based on the methods established in relation to Section 3.1.4. The chemical analysis will be examined to for indicators that can be used to predict if a crude oil sample is ignitable.

C.4.1 OPTIONAL CLIN 40: SAMPLE ACQUISITION

While BSEE has crude oils for this study, this optional CLIN is for any additional crude oil samples or related samples for tests the contractor may need to acquire, beyond samples provided by BSEE. The contractor should include any oil acquired through this contract option in the waste disposal plan.

C4.2 CLIN 50: TRAVEL

Possible travel may include:

• Travel to facility for Burn Pan Experiments as described in Section C.3.2.2.

• The contractor may propose attending conference(s) to present the research results., The contractor may consider conferences such as, but not limited to:

the 2027 International Oil Spill Conference in Savannah, GA, or U.S. National Combustion Meeting. The contractor can assume travel of 3 – 5 days for each conference proposed. The contractor will require approval from BSEE prior to presentation at a conference. The Contractor must receive approval by the COR PRIOR to making any travel reservations.

C.5.1 OPTIONAL CLIN 60: Journal Manuscript Submission

The contractor will price out the cost of submission of a manuscript to a peer reviewed, combustion focused publication. If accepted, the article must be publicly available.

SECTION D

PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1 All deliverables submitted under the contract shall be prepared and packaged in a cost-effective manner equivalent to standard commercial quality. Elaborate artwork, expensive paper and bindings are neither necessary nor desired.

D.2 Unless otherwise directed by the contracting officer (CO), if not hand delivered or electronically delivered by the Contractor, all reports shall be delivered by First Class mail or regulated package carrier. The cost of delivery by more expensive means will be denied unless approval is obtained in advance from the CO.

D.3 All paper deliverables shall meet the minimum requirements for post-consumer recycled content, set forth in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (https://www.epa.gov/smm/comprehensive-procurement-guideline-cpg-program).

SECTION E

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 FAR 52.252-2 – CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

https://www.acquisition.gov/far

CLAUSE TITLE

52.246-9 Inspection of Research and Development (Short Form) (APR 1984)

E.2 GENERAL ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

As set forth below, general quality measures will be applied to each work product received from the contractor under this statement of work:

Accuracy – Work Products shall be accurate in presentation, technical content, and adherence to accepted style elements.

Clarity – Work Products shall be clear and concise. Any/All diagrams shall be easy to understand and be relevant to the supporting narrative.

Consistency to Requirements – All work products must satisfy the requirements of this statement of work.

File Editing – All text and diagrammatic files shall be editable by the Government.

Format – Work Products shall be submitted in hard copy (where applicable) and in media mutually agreed upon prior to submission. Hard copy formats shall follow any specified Directives or Manuals.

Timeliness – Work Products shall be submitted on or before the due date specified in this statement of work or submitted in accordance with a later scheduled date determined by the Government.

E.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE

The COR, or designated inspector, shall review for completeness, preliminary or draft documentation that the Contractor submits, and may return it to the Contractor for correction.

Absence of any comments by the COR will not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility for complying with the requirements of this project. Final approval and acceptance of documentation required herein shall be by letter of approval and acceptance by the COR, CO and/or by other representatives designated by the CO under this contract. The Contractor shall not construe any letter of acknowledgment of receipt material as a waiver of review, or as an acknowledgment that the material is in conformance with this project. Any approval given during preparation of the documentation, or approval for shipment shall not guarantee the final acceptance of the completed documentation.

E.4 SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY

Scientific integrity is vital to Department of the Interior (DOI) activities under which scientific research, data, summaries, syntheses, interpretations, presentations, and/or publications are developed and used. Failure to uphold the highest degree of scientific integrity will result not only in potentially flawed scientific results, interpretations, and applications but will damage DOI's reputation and ability to uphold the public's trust. All work performed must comply with the DOI Scientific Integrity Policy posted at https://www.doi.gov/scientificintegrity or its equivalent as provided by the contractor's organization or State law.

E.5 SECTION 508 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (found at 29 U.S.C. 794d) requires access to and use of information by individuals with disabilities. A deliverable such as electronic reports (ex:

PDF files) to be placed on the web (either on the agency's web server of the company's), video footage, or other electronic data such as CD-ROMs to be distributed, are subject to Section 508 guidelines. Simplified, this means that PDF files need to be formatted so that they are "readable" by assistive technology devices such as screen readers. Video footage must be closed captioned.

CD-ROMs which contain HTML, PDF, or word processor files must be accessible.

For further information and inquiries about 508 Compliance, see below:

508 Compliance Coordinator: BOEM/BSEE: Robert Garcia, 703-787-1067 DOI website on 508 Compliance: Section 508 | US Department of the Interior (doi.gov) GSA website- guidance for federal agencies: Manage an IT Accessibility/508 Program |

Section508.gov Manage an IT Accessibility/508 Program - Section508.gov Information about the Section508.gov website, GSA's Government-wide IT

Accessibility Team, and guidance to Federal agencies on accessible information and communication technology (ICT) is located on the following website below:

www.section508.gov

E.6 DELIVERABLE ACCEPTANCE TIME PERIOD

The Government will have 15 days to review and comment on draft task deliverable items and 30 days to review and comment (iterative process) on each Draft Final Report. The Contractor is required to be objective and provide independent analysis for this project. If the Government disapproves a deliverable, the COR will submit remedial directions to the Contractor within the review period, and the Contractor will have a maximum of 15 days from the receipt of such directions to adopt remedies and submit a final deliverable to the Government.

SECTION F

DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 TERM OF THE CONTRACT

The total period of performance (POP) for this effort shall be 18 months from date of award.

Phase 1 – 0 - 6 months after award - Initial efforts will focus on Gulf of America crude oil samples. Work to include:

o Cone Calorimetry o Option: Chemical Characterization

Phase 2 – 6 - 18 months after award - Expansion of the sample size to include more samples from different regions. Work to include:

o Cone Calorimetry o Option: Burn Pan Experiments o Option: Chemical Characterization continued

The period of performance shall encompass all tasks through final acceptance of all deliverables.

The Contractor shall provide all required deliverables in accordance with Sections C, E, and F.

F.2 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Work will be performed at the Contractor’s facility. Teleconferences will be coordinated between the Contractor and the Contracting Officer’s Representative as necessary.

Possible travel (CLIN 00020) includes 3 – 5 nights at Savannah, GA for IOSC 2027.

F.3 52.252-2 – CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

https://www.acquisition.gov/far

CLAUSE TITLE

52.242-15 Stop-Work Order (AUG 1989)

F.4 MEETINGS, REPORTS, AND OTHER DELIVERABLES

The Contractor is responsible for editing and proofreading all material in order to prepare products that are as error-free as possible prior to delivery. All reports shall be written as non-proprietary, releasable by BSEE to the public either through posting on the BSEE webpage or by other means.

The following details the deliverables to be submitted and meetings to be held.

F.4.1 Meetings

Contract Kick-off meeting – This approximately one-hour meeting will be conducted as soon as practical after the award date. The contractor shall prepare and deliver meeting minutes within five (5) business days after the meeting, which capture date of meeting, attendees, discussion items, key decisions made, and pending actions.

Quarterly contract progress meetings - Throughout the period of performance – The contractor shall incorporate key items discussed and pending action items into the Quarterly Progress Report (see Section 4.2.1) within five (5) business days after each meeting.

Contract Close-out meeting – The contractor shall prepare and submit an approximately 40-minute PowerPoint presentation summarizing the results and takeaways of the project. The presentation shall be delivered by the contractor via a one-hour web- based meeting to an audience of BSEE personnel. Time will be allowed for group discussion and Q&A session following the presentation. No meeting minutes will be required.

F4.2 Reports

PMP: The Contractor shall develop and maintain a detailed Project Management Plan.

The PMP shall include the Technical Approach, and Milestone Payment Schedule, prepared as part of the Contractor’s proposal. In addition, the PMP shall specify the resources required for the planning, execution, control, and completion of the stated performance objectives. At a minimum, the PMP shall include the following sections:

technical approach, performance objectives in accordance with the SOO, organization and integration of the project team, schedule management and project controls, risk management, quality management, project communications, and procurement management.

Quarterly Progress Reports (six total due at the 3-, 6-, 9-, and 15-,month points in the project) to include:

o Person preparing report;

o Report date;

o Reporting period;

o Funds billed to date and funds remaining;

o Progress to-date;

o Planned activities for the next quarter; and o Problems encountered (if any).

o relevant discussions from Quarterly Progress Meeting (see Section 4.1.2)

Annual Progress Report: A yearly progress report one year after start of the project summarize the work performed over the last year. This report counts as the 12-month quarterly report.

Literature Review – a summary of scientific literature and database search related to crude oil ignition and chemical characterization.

o Due with first quarterly progress report

Final report shall be delivered before the end of the period of performance, service as the 18-month quarterly report. The report should detail the methodologies and data collected during this project and provide data-based conclusions and recommendations.

This report should conform to the BSEE format requirement and should be reviewed by a copy editor and technical editor to ensure the report is free of grammatical, typographical, and technical errors.

o Requirements for the final report can be found in the BSEE Style Guide and template available for download at https://www.bsee.gov/2021-ospd-report-specifications.

o First draft due 60 days before end of contract period of performance (POP) for BSEE internal peer review.

o Second draft due 30 days before end of contract period of performance (POP).

This version will go through BSEE peer review.

o Final draft due prior to the end of contract period of performance (POP).

Graphical Abstract: The Contractor shall deliver a Graphical Abstract, a concise, pictorial and visual summary of the main findings of the research, which captures the content of the research at a single glance.

o Requirements for the Graphical Abstract can be found in the BSEE Style Guide and template available for download at https://www.bsee.gov/2021-ospd-report- specifications.

o Specifications: The Graphical Abstract should be one image file and should visualize one process or make one point clear. For ease of browsing, the Graphical Abstract should have a clear start and end, preferably “reading” from top to bottom or left to right. Distraction and cluttering elements should be reduced as much as possible.

o Image size: An image with a minimum of 531 x 1328 pixels (h×w) using a minimum resolution of 300 dpi, should be submitted. If a larger image is submitted, then it must be at the same ratio (200 high × 500 wide).

o Contractor should consider using graphic artist to assist on developing graphical abstract.

o First draft due 60 days before end of contract period of performance (POP).

o Second draft due 30 days before end of contract period of performance (POP).

This version will go through BSEE peer review.

o Final draft due prior to the end of the contract period of performance (POP).

Optional Journal Manuscript: The contractor will prepare a manuscript for submittal to an appropriate combustion focused publication. The manuscript will be submitted with permission and approval from BSEE.

All deliverables must be Section 508 (of the Rehabilitation Act) compliant.

F.6 CORRESPONDENCE

All correspondence shall be clearly marked with the Contract number on the first page. Emails pertaining to this Contract shall include the contract number in the subject line.

F.7 ADDRESSES FOR DELIVERABLES

All deliverables shall be submitted to the CO and the COR at the addresses listed in section G.1.

SECTION G

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 ADMINISTRATIVE POINTS OF CONTACT

G.1.1 CONTRACTING OFFICER (CO): The Contracting Officer (CO) for this effort is as follows:

Michelle Potter Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Acquisition Operations Branch 45600 Woodland Road, VAE-AMD Sterling, Virginia 20166

Phone: 703-787-1007 Email: michelle.potter@bsee.gov

G.1.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR): The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for this effort is as follows:

To be determined at the time of award Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Response Research Branch 45600 Woodland Road, VAE-AMD Sterling, Virginia 20166

Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX Email: xxxx.xxxxxx@bsee.gov

G.2 DIAR 1452.201-70 AUTHORITIES AND DELEGATIONS (SEP 2011)

(a) The Contracting Officer is the only individual authorized to enter into or terminate this contract, modify any term or condition of this contract, waive any requirement of this contract, or accept nonconforming work.

(b) The Contracting Officer will designate a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) at time of award. The COR will be responsible for technical monitoring of the contractor's performance and deliveries. The COR will be appointed in writing, and a copy of the appointment will be furnished to the Contractor. Changes to this delegation will be made by written changes to the existing appointment or by issuance of a new appointment.

(c) The COR is not authorized to perform, formally or informally, any of the following actions:

(1) Promise, award, agree to award, or execute any contract, contract modification, or notice of intent that changes or may change this contract;

(2) Waive or agree to modification of the delivery schedule;

(3) Make any final decision on any contract matter subject to the Disputes Clause;

(4) Terminate, for any reason, the Contractor's right to proceed;

(5) Obligate in any way, the payment of money by the Government.

(d) The Contractor shall comply with the written or oral direction of the Contracting Officer or authorized representative(s) acting within the scope and authority of the appointment memorandum. The Contractor need not proceed with direction that it considers to have been issued without proper authority. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing, with as much detail as possible, when the COR has taken an action or has issued direction (written or oral) that the Contractor considers to exceed the COR's appointment, within 3 days of the occurrence. Unless otherwise provided in this contract, the Contractor assumes all costs, risks, liabilities, and consequences of performing any work it is directed to perform that falls within any of the categories defined in paragraph (c) prior to receipt of the Contracting Officer's response issued under paragraph (e) of this clause.

(e) The Contracting Officer shall respond in writing within 30 days to any notice made under paragraph (d) of this clause. A failure of the parties to agree upon the nature of a direction, or upon the contract action to be taken with respect thereto, shall be subject to the provisions of the Disputes clause of this contract.

(f) The Contractor shall provide copies of all correspondence to the Contracting Officer and the

COR.

(g) Any action(s) taken by the Contractor, in response to any direction given by any person acting on behalf of the Government or any Government official other than the Contracting Officer or the COR acting within his or her appointment, shall be at the Contractor's risk.

G.3 CONTRACTOR’S PROJECT MANAGER

The Contractor shall be responsible for managing and overseeing the activities of all Contractor personnel, as well as any subcontractor efforts, used in performance of this contract. The Contractor’s management responsibilities shall include all activities necessary to ensure the accomplishment of timely and effective support, performed in accordance with the requirements contained herein.

The Contractor shall provide a Project Manager to facilitate Government-Contractor communications. The Project Manager shall be the primary technical and managerial interface between the Contractor and Government. The Contractor’s designated Project Manager for this contract is: TO BE COMPLETED AT TIME OF AWARD

The Contractor’s designated Project Manager for this contract shall have the authority to make any no-cost contract technical, hiring and dismissal decision, or special arrangements regarding this contract.

The Project Manager shall have full authority to act for the Contractor in the performance of the required services. The Project Manager or a designated representative shall meet with the COR to discuss problem areas as they occur.

G.4 PAYMENTS

G.4.1 ELECTRONIC INVOICING AND PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS – INVOICE

PROCESSING PLATFORM (IPP) (FEBRUARY 2021)

Payment requests must be submitted electronically through the U. S. Department of the Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform System (IPP).

"Payment request" means any request for contract financing payment or invoice payment by the Contractor. To constitute a proper invoice, the payment request must comply with the requirements identified in the applicable Prompt Payment clause included in the contract, or the clause 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items included in commercial item contracts. The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov.

Under this contract, the following documents are required to be submitted as an attachment to the IPP invoice:

For CLIN 00010, 00020, 00030, 00040, 00060:

o Documentation required by FAR 32.905(b).

For CLIN 00050:

o All travel receipts documenting actual costs incurred.

The Contractor must use the IPP website to register access and use IPP for submitting requests for payment. The Contractor Government Business Point of Contact (as listed in SAM) will receive enrollment instructions via email from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRBSTL) within 3 - 5 business days of the contract award date. Contractor assistance with enrollment can be obtained by contacting the IPP Production Helpdesk via email IPPCustomerSupport@fiscal.treasury.gov or phone (866) 973-3131.

If the Contractor is unable to comply with the requirement to use IPP for submitting invoices for payment, the Contractor must submit a waiver request in writing to the Contracting Officer with its proposal or quotation.

G.4.2 PAYMENT FREQUENCY

For CLIN 00010, payments will be made for deliverables submitted by the Contractor and accepted by the government in accordance with the Partial Delivery Payment Schedule in Section B.3 of the contract and G.4.1 above.

For CLIN 00020, payments will be paid in two invoices, with the first portion invoiced after the Phase 1 effort, and the remainder provided after phase 2.

For CLIN 00030, 00040, 00060, payment will be invoiced once at the completion of the task.

For CLIN 00050, an invoice may be submitted upon the completion of travel and approved by the COR.

G.5 CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT REPORTING SYSTEM (DEC

2015)

(a) FAR 42.1502 directs all Federal agencies to collect past performance information on contracts. The Department of the Interior (DOI) has implemented the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) to comply with this regulation. One or more past performance evaluations will be conducted in order to record your contract performance as required by FAR 42.15.

(b) The past performance evaluation process is a totally paperless process using CPARS.

CPARS is a web-based system that allows for electronic processing of the performance evaluation report. Once the report is processed, it is available in the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) for Government use in evaluating past performance as part of a source selection action.

(c) We request that you furnish the CO with the name, position title, phone number, and email address for each person designated to have access to your firm’s past performance evaluation(s) for the contract no later than 30 days after award. Each person granted access will have the ability to provide comments in the Contractor portion of the report and state whether or not the Contractor agrees with the evaluation, before returning the report to the Assessing Official. The report information must be protected as source selection sensitive information not releasable to the public.

(d) When your Contractor Representative(s) (Past Performance Points of Contact) are registered in CPARS, they will receive an automatically-generated email with detailed login instructions.

Further details, systems requirements, and training information for CPARS is available at http://www.cpars.csd.disa.mil/. The CPARS User Manual, registration for On Line Training for Contractor Representatives, and a practice application may be found at this site.

(e) Within 60 days after the end of a performance period, the CO will complete an interim or final past performance evaluation, and the report will be accessible at http://www.cpars.csd.disa.mil/. Contractor Representatives may then provide comments in response to the evaluation, or return the evaluation without comment. Comments are limited to the space provided in Block 22. Your comments shall focus on objective facts in the Assessing Official’s narrative and shall provide your views on the causes and ramifications of the assessed performance. In addition to the ratings and supporting narratives, blocks 1 – 17 shall be reviewed for accuracy, as these include key fields that will be used by the Government to identify your firm in future source selection actions. If you elect not to provide comments, please acknowledge receipt of the evaluation by indicating “No comment” in Block 22, and then signing and dating Block 23 of the form. Without a statement in Block 22, you will be unable to sign and submit the evaluation back to the Government. If you do not sign and submit the CPAR within 30 days, it will automatically be returned to the Government and will be annotated: “The report was delivered/received by the Contractor on (date). The Contractor neither signed nor offered comment in response to this assessment.” Your response is due within 30 calendar days after receipt of the CPAR.

(f) The following guidelines apply concerning your use of the past performance evaluation:

(1) Protect the evaluation as “source selection information.” After review, transmit the evaluation by completing and submitting the form through CPARS. If for some reason you are unable to view and/or submit the form through CPARS, contact the CO for instructions.

(2) Strictly control access to the evaluation within your organization. Ensure the evaluation is never released to persons or entities outside of your control.

(3) Prohibit the use of or reference to evaluation data for advertising, promotional material, pre-award surveys, responsibility determinations, production readiness reviews, or other similar purposes.

(g) If you wish to discuss a past performance evaluation, you shall request a meeting in writing to the CO no later than seven days following your receipt of the evaluation. The meeting will be held in person or via telephone or other means during your 30-day review period.

(h) A copy of the completed past performance evaluation will be available in CPARS for your viewing and for Government use supporting source selection actions after it has been finalized.

SECTION H

SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 ADVERTISING OF AWARD

(a) The Contractor shall not refer to this award in commercial advertising, or similar promotions in such a manner as to state or to imply the product or services provided is endorsed, preferred, or is considered superior to other products or services by the Department of the Interior (DOI), BSEE. This includes advertising or similar promotions in all forms of electronic, broadcast, and print media.

(b) In addition, the Contractor is restricted from reproducing the image(s) of the DOI/BSEE in any form of commercial advertising, or similar promotion. This includes images of official seals and buildings. The reproduction of official seals and the images of buildings is a matter controlled by regulation and Executive Order. Any proposed usage of such symbols must be brought to the attention of the CO.

H.2 PRINTING

The Contractor shall not engage in, nor sub-contract for, any printing (as that term is defined in Title I of the Government Printing and Binding Regulations in effect on the effective date of this contract) in connection with the performance of work under this contract provided, however, that performance of a requirement under this contract involving the reproduction of less than 5,000 production units of any one page, or less than 25,000 production units in the aggregate of multiple pages, will not be deemed to be printing. A production unit is defined as one sheet, size 8 and 1/2 × 11 inches, one side only, and one color.

H.3 CONTRACTOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST

(a) It is the policy of the Department of the Interior to avoid contract awards which could result in or create conflicts of interest, whether actual or apparent. Such a situation could occur in the instance when the Contractor or any subcontractors or teaming arrangement partners have business, financial, real property, mineral rights, or other interests, as well as professional activities that create conflicting roles which could potentially bias a contractor’s judgment or result in unfair competitive advantage to the Contractor, and thus impede the government’s objective to obtain an impartial, technically sound and objective performance of this contract.

(b) Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation must identify any actual or potential conflict of interest described in paragraph (a) and include a Conflict of Interest Mitigation Plan if the Contractor believes such persons or entities are indispensable to its quotation. The Government’s approval of any proposed Conflict of Interest Mitigation Plan shall be at the sole discretion of the Contracting Officer.

(c) Absent a written approval of a Conflict of Interest Mitigation Plan from the Contracting Officer, the Contractor, or any of its officers, representatives, employees, sub-contractors, or teaming arrangement members, shall not be involved in any situation during the performance of this contract which may result in conflicts as contemplated in paragraph (a) above. Failure to comply with this provision may be cause for termination for default.

(d) The Contractor shall disclose, upon discovery, any interest which may develop after contract award that may result in a conflict as contemplated in paragraph (a) above. Failure to comply with this provision may be cause for termination of this award for default.

(e) The Contractor shall include this clause, including this paragraph in all subcontracts and consultant agreements; however, subcontractors and consultants shall be directed to send any mitigation plan to the Contractor who shall then inform the Contracting Officer.

(f) The Contractor, its employees, subcontractors and teaming arrangement partners, shall not engage in any communication regarding any aspect of performance of this contract with any person or entity described in paragraph (a) above without express permission from the Contracting Officer. Failure to comply with this provision may be cause for termination of this award for default.

H.4 TITLE TO MATERIALS

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this contract, ownership of all study products shall remain with the Contractor. However, the Government is provided royalty-free non-exclusive license to use or reproduce any such materials or to authorize others to do so.

These rights shall allow the Government to freely use the subject matter at any time, through any method of projection, transmission or distribution.

H.5 NOTICE REGARDING LATE DELIVERY/DELAYED PERFORMANCE

(a) In the event the Contractor anticipates difficulty in meeting performance requirements, or when it anticipates difficulty in complying with any delivery schedule contained in the contract, or any date, or whenever the Contractor has knowledge that any actual or potential situation is delaying or threatens to delay the timely performance of this contract, the Contractor shall immediately notify the CO and the COR in writing, giving pertinent details, provided these data shall be informational only in character and that this provision shall not be construed as a waiver by the Government of any contract delivery schedule, or date or any rights or remedies provided by law under this contract.

(b) If the Contractor fails to respond in a timely manner to any portion of the contract, delay will be attributed to the Contractor. Although the period of performance may change due to delay, the price may be subject to a downward adjustment.

(c) If the Government delays performance of this contract, the period of performance and/or price may be revised upon mutual agreement between the Government and the Contractor.

H.6 PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

H.6.1 KEY PERSONNEL

Certain skilled experienced professional and/or technical personnel are essential for accomplishing the work to be performed. These individuals are defined as “Key Personnel” and are those persons whose resumes were submitted and identified by the contractor as “Key

Personnel.” The following individuals are considered to be essential to the work being performed under this contract:

Name Position

TO BE COMPLETED AT TIME OF AWARD

H.6.2 SUBSTITUTION OF KEY PERSONNEL

(a) The Contractor agrees to assign those persons identified above and who are necessary to fulfill the requirements of the contract as key personnel. No substitutions shall be made except in accordance with this clause.

(b) During the first 90 calendar days of the contract, the Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death or termination of employment. Prior to removing, replacing or diverting any of the specified individuals, the Contractor shall promptly notify the Contracting Officer (CO) and obtain approval.

(c) All proposed substitutions shall be submitted to the CO for approval at least…