CSS 1333ND20QNB730491_Final.pdf

CLASSIFICATION CODE: 66 - Instruments and Laboratory Equipment

TITLE: Procurement of a Benchtop Thermal Cycling and Humidity Chamber with Reservoirs and Cartridges

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 1333ND20QNB730491

RESPONSE DATE: 07/232020

CONTACT POINTS: Robert Cowins, Contract Specialist, (301) 975-8335

Lauren Roller, Contracting Officer, (301) 975-3062

DESCRIPTION:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a requirement for a benchtop thermal cycling and humidity chamber for PV materials Testing to be utilized by the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at NIST, Gaithersburg, MD.

THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL

ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR SUBPART 12.6-STREAMLINED

PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION

FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN

THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE

BEING REQUESTED, AND A SEPARATE WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE

ISSUED. THE SOLICITATION IS BEING ISSUED USING SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES

UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF FAR PART 13.

This solicitation is a Request for Quotations (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2020-06 dated 06/05/2020.

1352.215-72 INQUIRIES (APR 2010)

Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to robert.cowins@nist.gov. Questions should be received no later than three calendar days after the issuance date of this solicitation. Any responses to questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation. Even if provided in other form, only the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract.

(End of Provision)

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334516 - Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, with a small business size standard of 1000 employees.

This acquisition is being solicited using full and open competition.

All offerors shall provide a quotation for the following line items:

CLIN 0001:

Description: The contractor shall provide a benchtop thermal cycling and humidity chamber for PV materials testing. in accordance with the incorporated Statement of Work.

QTY: 1

Unit of Issue: LO Delivery Date: No later than 120 days after receipt of order mailto:robert.cowins@nist.gov

Statement of Work

TITLE: Benchtop Thermal Cycling and Humidity Chamber with Reservoirs and Cartridges for Photovoltaic Materials Testing

Background The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Engineering Laboratory (EL) Materials and Structural Systems Division (MSSD) studies the durability and service life of polymer systems and engineering materials for resilience infrastructure applications. One of the key research focuses is to understand the long-term aging properties of photovoltaic (PV) backsheet materials when exposed to conditions of elevated temperature/humidity and thermal cycling conditions simulating practical usage in the field.

NIST requires a benchtop thermal cycling and humidity chamber to operate thermal cycling conditions according to IEC61215 standard (-40°C to +85 °C with a relative humidity range 10-95%) to test the durability of PV materials and glass/polymer coupons to withstand repeated temperature cycling with varying amounts of moisture in the air. The new thermal cycling humidity chamber must reach the required temperature and relative humidity for designed experiments, and a low humidity control system with dry air purge at low temperature region is also required for research needed. The acquisition of this chamber will expand MSSD environmental test capability which is critical for collaboration with PV researchers in PV industries and other government agency and standard communities. The required thermal cycling humidity chamber will be used for efforts related to the “Net Zero Energy Research” program for accelerated weathering of photovoltaic (PV) materials and for accelerated weathering of various infrastructure materials in the “Engineered Materials for Resilient Infrastructure” and “Earthquake Risk Reduction in Buildings and Infrastructure” programs.

Objective(s) The purpose of this acquisition is to procure one benchtop thermal cycling and humidity chamber for PV materials testing.

Requirements The Contractor shall provide one benchtop thermal cycling humidity chamber that meets the following minimum technical requirements:

a. The chamber shall have the capacity to operate thermal cycling conditions according to the IEC 61215 standard (-40°C to +85 °C with a relative humidity (RH) range of 10-95%)

b. The thermal cycling humidity chamber shall be able to reach the following temperature and relative humidity (RH) requirements:

o 55 °C / 75% RH o 70 °C / 70% RH o 85 °C / 60% RH o 5 °C / 15% RH)

c. The chamber shall have a low humidity control system (control at approximately 15% RH) with dry air purge at low temperature region (between 5 and 10°C)

d. Temperature accuracy shall be + or – 2 °C. Humidity accuracy shall be + or – 5 % RH.

e. Chamber size shall be at least 19” (~48cm) wide x 15” (38 cm) deep x 23”(58cm) tall and with interior capability of at least 4 cu ft or working area

f. The height and width of the chamber shall not exceed 52”, to ensure that it is truly a benchtop chamber.

g. Chamber shall include two adjustable wire shelves with a capability of 15lb load per shelf

h. Stainless steel exterior and interior

i. Thermal break around door frame of chamber shall be provided.

j. The chamber shall have overheating and overcooling protection.

k. Chambers shall run using a 120 V power supply.

l. The chamber shall be supplied with appropriate filters to purify municipal water prior to supply of water to the reservoir and chamber.

m. Chamber shall be supplied with a reservoir system (and cartridges) capable of supplying the chamber with water for 72 hours or more without refilling at all of the conditions specified in item b) above.

For safety purposes, chambers having reservoir systems shall provide documentation for approximately how long a filled reservoir will last.

n. Chamber shall be supplied with a web controller and web-based remote chamber management with a digital input controller to set desired temperature and relative humidity for the chamber.

o. Chamber shall be able to output recording of temperature and humidity data over time.

p. The chamber noise level shall remain under 65 Db.

Warranty Requirements:

The Contractor shall provide, at a minimum, a one-year warranty for the equipment. The warranty shall cover all parts, labor, and travel. The warranty shall commence upon successful completion of delivery, installation, and training.

Delivery Requirements:

The Contractor shall deliver products F.O.B Destination within 120 days after receipt of order. Delivery shall be made to the address below:

National Institute of Standards and Technology 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Shipping and Receiving Gaithersburg, MD 20899

Due to ongoing limited site access of the NIST facilities, NIST is only accepting deliveries by appointment. The Contractor SHALL confirm with the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) and the Contracting Officer prior to ANY shipment to NIST. Failure to confirm shipment arrangements and Government ability to receive products shall release the Government of any liability.

The Contractor shall also send pictures of the actual items by email to (and confirm receipt and conformity of the pictures by) the Designated Government Official (DGO) and the Contracting Officer prior to shipment. The pictures shall include, at a minimum, a picture of the actual supplies in the unopened retail packaging from the original equipment manufacturer as well as a picture that shows the supplies in the packaging in which it will be shipped to NIST. Contractor failure to send (and confirm receipt and conformity of) these pictures shall release the Government of any liability and may result in payment being withheld until the campus access restrictions have been lifted and the item can be physically inspected.

Installation Requirements:

The Contractor shall install delivered equipment at a time mutually agreeable between the Government and the Contractor no later than 30 days following delivery. The Contractor shall provide installation for the humidity chamber. Installation shall include, at a minimum, uncrating/unpacking of all equipment, set-up and hook-up of all equipment, start-up, demonstration of specifications, and removal of all trash.

Installation shall be completed no later than 150 days after receipt of order.

Training Requirements:

Equipment use training shall be provided on-site at NIST immediately after installation. Training shall be provided for up to five NIST personnel, on-site at the NIST Gaithersburg, MD campus. The training shall provide a thorough demonstration of all equipment functions, equipment operation, and basic troubleshooting.

Inspection and Acceptance:

Inspection and acceptance shall take place in two phases as follows:

1. Delivery

NIST shall review the photographs taken before shipment of the ordered products in their original packaging and in the packaging for which they will be shipped to NIST. Upon confirmation of delivery by the NIST Shipping & Receiving Division, and verification that received packaging is in conformance with photographs provided before shipment, delivery shall be accepted.

2. Installation and Training

Upon successful completion of installation and training, as identified in this requirements document, NIST will accept the rest of the order in full.

Payment Schedule:

Payment will be made on a NET 30 basis following receipt of a proper invoice in accordance with a negotiated firm fixed payment schedule. The firm fixed price payment schedule shall include two installments: 1) Delivery and 2) Installation and Training which shall be invoiced separately

Provisions and Clauses:

The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are hereby incorporated by reference.

All FAR clauses may be viewed at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/.

FAR Provisions

52.204-7, System for Award Management 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting FAR 52.204-17, Ownership or Control of Offeror (JUL 2016) 52.204-24, Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment 52.204-26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation 52.209-2 Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations – Representation

52.225-25, Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in Sanctioned Activities Relating to Iran 52.203-18 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements-Representation.

52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items

52.204-20 Predecessor of Offeror

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision– “Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code” means–

(1) An identifier assigned to entities located in the United States and its outlying areas by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Contractor and Government Entity (CAGE) Branch to identify a commercial or government entity, or

(2) An identifier assigned by a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or by NATO’s Support Agency (NSPA) to entities located outside the United States and its outlying areas that DLA Contractor and Government Entity (CAGE) Branch records and maintains in the CAGE master file.

This type of code is known as an NCAGE code.

“Predecessor” means an entity that is replaced by a successor and includes any predecessors of the predecessor.

“Successor” means an entity that has replaced a predecessor by acquiring the assets and carrying out the affairs of the predecessor under a new name (often through acquisition or merger). The term “successor” does not include new offices/divisions of the same company or a company that only changes its name. The extent of the responsibility of the successor for the liabilities of the predecessor may vary, depending on State law and specific circumstances.

(b) The Offeror represents that it □ is or □ is not a successor to a predecessor that held a Federal contract or grant within the last three years.

(c) If the Offeror has indicated “is” in paragraph (b) of this provision, enter the following information for all predecessors that held a Federal contract or grant within the last three years (if more than one predecessor, list in reverse chronological order):

Predecessor CAGE code: ________ (or mark “Unknown”) Predecessor legal name: _________________________ (Do not use a “doing business as” name)

(End of provision)

52.209-11 Representation by Corporations Regarding Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction under any Federal Law.

(a) As required by sections 744 and 745 of Division E of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235), and similar provisions, if contained in subsequent appropriations acts, the Government will not enter into a contract with any corporation that—

(1) Has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability, unless an agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that suspension or debarment is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or

(2) Was convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless an agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

(b) The Offeror represents that—

(1) It is □ is not □ a corporation that has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability; and

(2) It is □ is not □ a corporation that was convicted of a felony criminal violation under a Federal law within the preceding 24 months.

52.212-2 Evaluation - Commercial Items

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

The Government will award a purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the lowest price technical acceptable Offeror. To be technically acceptable, the quotation must clearly demonstrate compliance with the requirements of proposed CLIN structure and the incorporated specifications.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer`s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

52.225-4 Buy American-Free Trade Agreements-Israeli Trade Act Certificate.

As prescribed in 25.1101 (b)(2)(i), insert the following provision:

https://www.acquisition.gov/content/part-25-foreign-acquisition#i1090819

BUY AMERICAN-FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS-ISRAELI TRADE ACT CERTIFICATE (MAY 2014)

(a)The offeror certifies that each end product, except those listed in paragraph (b) or (c) of this provision, is a domestic end product and that for other than COTS items, the offeror has considered components of unknown origin to have been mined, produced, or manufactured outside the United States. The terms “Bahrainian, Moroccan, Omani, Panamanian, or Peruvian end product,” “commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) item,” “component,” “domestic end product,” “end product,” “foreign end product,” “Free Trade Agreement country,” “Free Trade Agreement country end product,” “Israeli end product,” and” “United States” are defined in the clause of this solicitation entitled “Buy American-Free Trade Agreements–Israeli Trade Act.”

(b)The offeror certifies that the following supplies are Free Trade Agreement country end products (other than Bahrainian, Moroccan, Omani, Panamanian, or Peruvian end products) or Israeli end products as defined in the clause of this solicitation entitled “Buy American-Free Trade Agreements-Israeli Trade Act”:

FREE TRADE AGREEMENT COUNTRY END PRODUCTS (OTHER THAN BAHRAINIAN, MOROCCAN,

OMANI, PANAMANIAN, OR PERUVIAN END PRODUCTS) OR ISRAELI END PRODUCTS:

Line Item No. Country of Origin

[List as necessary]

(c)The offeror shall list those supplies that are foreign end products (other than those listed in paragraph

(b) of this provision) as defined in the clause of this solicitation entitled “Buy American-Free Trade Agreements-Israeli Trade Act.” The offeror shall list as other foreign end products those end products manufactured in the United States that do not qualify as domestic end products, i.e., an end product that is not a COTS item and does not meet the component test in paragraph (2) of the definition of “domestic end product.”

Other Foreign End Products:

Line Item No. Country of Origin

[List as necessary]

(d)The Government will evaluate offers in accordance with the policies and procedures of part 25 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference.

This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions 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. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR): www.acquisition.gov/far/ Commerce Acquisition Regulation (CAR): http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8b5f22b07c12a52e8b29841ad60f1fd9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48chapter13.tpl

FAR Clauses

FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference.

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):

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR): www.acquisition.gov/far/ Commerce Acquisition Regulation (CAR): http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8b5f22b07c12a52e8b29841ad60f1fd9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48chapter13.tpl

52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance 52.204-19, Incorporation by Reference of Representations and Certifications 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items 52.232-39 Unenforceability of Unauthorized Obligations https://www.acquisition.gov/content/part-25-foreign-acquisition#i1093771 http://www.acquisition.gov/far/ http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8b5f22b07c12a52e8b29841ad60f1fd9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48chapter13.tpl http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8b5f22b07c12a52e8b29841ad60f1fd9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48chapter13.tpl

52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (Deviation Apr 2020) 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders— Commercial Items (MAR 2020)-- including subparagraphs:

52.204-10 - Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards 52.219-4 - Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns 52.219-28 - Post Award Small Business Program Representation 52.222-3 - Convict Labor 52.222-19 - Child Labor - Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies;

52.222-21 - Prohibition of Segregated Facilities 52-222-26 - Equal Opportunity 52.222-36 - Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities 52.222-50 - Combating Trafficking in Persons 52.223-18 - Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving 52.225-3 - Buy American--Free Trade Agreements--Israeli Trade Act 52.225-13 - Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases;

52.232-33 - Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer- System for Award Management 52.232-40 - Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (APR 2020)

(End of clause)

Department of Commerce Acquisition Regulation (CAR) clauses. Please view the full text of these clauses at http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8b5f22b07c12a52e8b29841ad60f1fd9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48chapter13.tpl.

Commerce Acquisition Regulations (CAR) Provisions and Clauses:

CAR Provisions CAR 1352.233-70 Agency Protests

(a) An agency protest may be filed with either: (1) the contracting officer, or (2) at a level above the contracting officer, with the appropriate agency Protest Decision Authority. See 64 Fed. Reg. 16,651 (April 6, 1999)

(b) Agency protests filed with the Contracting Officer shall be sent to the following address:

NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION

ATTN: LAUREN ROLLER, CONTRACTING OFFICER

100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640 Gaithersburg, MD 20899

(c) Agency protests filed with the agency Protest Decision Authority shall be sent to the following address:

NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION

ATTN: HEAD OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICE (HCO)

100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8b5f22b07c12a52e8b29841ad60f1fd9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48chapter13.tpl http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=8b5f22b07c12a52e8b29841ad60f1fd9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title48/48chapter13.tpl

(d) A complete copy of all agency protests, including all attachments, shall be served upon the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel within one day of filing a protest with either the Contracting Officer or the Protest Decision Authority.

(e) Service upon the Contract Law Division shall be made as follows:

U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the General Counsel Chief, Contract Law Division Room 5893, Herbert C. Hoover Building 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230.

FAX: (202) 482-5858

CAR 1352.233-71 GAO and Court of Federal Claims Protests

(a) A protest may be filed with either the Government Accountability Office (GAO) or the Court of Federal Claims unless an agency protest has been filed.

(b) A complete copy of all GAO or Court of Federal Claims protests, including all attachments, shall be served upon (i) the Contracting Officer, and (ii) the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel, within one day of filing a protest with either GAO or the Court of Federal Claims.

(c) Service upon the Contract Law Division shall be made as follows:

U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the General Counsel Chief, Contract Law Division Room 5893 Herbert C. Hoover Building 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20230.

FAX: (202) 482-5858

CAR Clauses

1352.201-70 Contracting Officer’s Authority 1352.209-73 Compliance with The Laws 1352.209-74 Organizational Conflict of Interest

NIST Local Clauses

NIST LOCAL-53 Contract Performance During Changes in NIST Operating Status Unless otherwise stated in the contract terms and conditions, normal days of business operation are Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays. However, throughout the contract period of performance, there may be circumstances beyond the control of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), that will impact normal days of business operation, such as inclement weather, power outages, etc. In circumstances such as these, the Contractor must call the appropriate NIST campus status line to verify the operating status:

Gaithersburg Campus Operating Status Line:

(301) 975-8000

(800) 437-4385 x8000 (toll free)

Boulder Campus Operating Status Line:

(303) 497-4000

During a lapse in appropriation, access to Government facilities and resources, including equipment and systems, will be limited to excepted personnel for both Federal employees and Contractor personnel. If performance of the contract is onsite and/or requires Government interaction, unless you have been, or are notified that you are to work under an excepted status, you will automatically enter a temporary work stoppage. The work stoppage shall remain in effect until the lapse is resolved and notification is provided via the NIST website at https://www.nist.gov/ and/or the NIST operating status lines. Additionally, Contractors are encouraged to monitor public broadcasts or the Office of Personnel Management’s website at www.opm.gov for the Federal Government operating status.

NIST will provide notification to all contractors that are determined to have excepted status. All excepted contractors are required to continue performance and communicate with the appointed Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for further guidance, or NIST Contracting Officer if a COR is not appointed.

Contractors with supply or service contracts that are fully funded at the time of contract award and do not require access to Government facilities, resources, or active administration by Government personnel in a manner that would cause the government to incur additional obligations during the lapse in appropriation may continue performance.

NIST LOCAL-54 Electronic Billing Instructions

NIST requires that Invoice/Voucher submissions are sent electronically via email to

INVOICE@NIST.GOV.

Each Invoice or Voucher submitted shall include the following:

(1) Contract number;

(2) Contractor name and address;

(3) Unique entity identifier (see www.sam.gov for the designated entity for establishing unique entity identifiers);

(4) Date of invoice;

(5) Invoice number;

(6) Amount of invoice and cumulative amount invoiced to-date;

(7) Contract Line Item Number (CLIN);

(8) Description, quantity, unit of measure, unit price, and extended price of supplies/services delivered;

(9) Prompt payment discount terms, if offered; and

(10) Any other information or documentation required by the contract.

INSTRUCTIONS:

System for Award Management (SAM)

In accordance with FAR 52.204-7, the awardee must be registered in SAM (www.sam.gov) prior to award. Refusal to register shall forfeit consideration for award.

Required Information

The government will not consider any quotation without the information required by this solicitation.

Completion of all applicable provisions are required by this solicitation.

Due Date for Quotations

Offerors shall submit their quotations so that NIST receives them not later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 07/23/2020. FAX and hard-copy quotations shall not be accepted. E-mail quotations shall be accepted at robert.cowins@nist.gov. Offerors’ quotations shall not be deemed received by the Government until the quotation is entered the e-mail address inbox set forth above. Late quotes will not be accepted.

Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Quotation Preparation Instructions

1) Price Quotation: The pricing quotation shall be separate from any other portion of the quotation. The offeror shall propose a firm-fixed-price for each CLIN. Price quotations shall remain valid for a period of 90 days from the date quotations are due.

2) Technical Quotation: The technical quotation shall address the following:

Technical Capability: The offeror shall submit a technical description or product literature for the equipment it is proposing, which clearly identifies the manufacturer, make and model. The offeror shall demonstrate that its proposed equipment meets each minimum requirement described in the specifications by providing a citation to the relevant section of its technical description or product literature. Evidence that the Offeror is authorized by the original equipment manufacturer to provide the item(s) should be included in the quotation if the offeror is not the manufacturer.

Past Performance: The offeror shall provide past performance information regarding relevant contracts over the past three (3) years with Federal, state, or local governments, or commercial customers. If the offeror intends to subcontract with another firm(s) for part of this requirement, that firm’s past performance information shall also be provided. If the offeror has no relevant past performance, it may include a statement to that effect in its proposal. The government reserves the right to consider data obtained from sources other than those described by the offeror in its proposal. It is recommended that approximately 3-5 contracts be referenced.

The description of each contract/order described in this section shall not exceed one half page in length.

For each contract/order, the offeror shall provide the following information:

1. Contract number;

2. Description and relevance to solicitation requirements including dollar value;

http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:robert.cowins@nist.gov

3. Period of Performance – indicate by month and year the state and completion (or “ongoing”) dates for the contract;

4. Reference Contact – If a non-Government contract, identify the name and address of the client with current telephone number and email address of a point of contact of the client responsible for the contract;

5. Contracting Office – If a Government contract (Federal or state), identify the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO), Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO), and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and their names, current telephone numbers and email addresses.

6. Problems Encountered – include information regarding information regarding any problems encountered on the contracts described above and corrective actions taken to resolve those problems.

Acceptance of Terms and Conditions: This is an open-market solicitation for equipment as defined herein. The Government intends to award a Purchase Order as a result of this solicitation that will include the clauses set forth herein. The quotation should include one of the following statements:

“The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition.”

OR

“The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following:

Offeror shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s)

Note: This procurement is not being conducted under the GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) program or another Government-Wide Area Contract (GWAC). If an offeror submits a quotation based upon an FSS or GWAC contract, the Government will accept the quoted price. However, the terms and conditions stated herein will be included in any resultant Purchase Order, not the terms and conditions of the offeror’s FSS or GWAC contract, and the statement required above shall be included in the quotation.

QUOTATION EVALUATION:

The Government reserves the right to make an award without discussions based solely upon initial quotations. Therefore, offerors should ensure that their initial quotation constitutes their best offer in terms of both price and the technical solution being proposed.

Basis of Award

An award will be made to the offeror whose quotation offers the lowest priced technically acceptable offer.

Technical Capability: No prototypes, demonstration models, used or refurbished instruments will be considered. Evaluation of technical capability shall be based on the information provided in the quotation. The Government will evaluate whether the offeror has demonstrated that its proposed equipment meets all minimum requirements. Quotations that do not demonstrate the proposed equipment meets all requirements will not be considered further for award. If an offeror does not indicate whether its proposed equipment meets a certain minimum requirement, the Contracting Officer will determine that it does not.

Price: The Government will evaluate price for reasonableness.