Combined Synopsis Solicitation_Scanning Electron Microscope.pdf

COMBINED SYNOPSIS SOLICITATION

FA700025Q0058

U. S. Air Force Academy

Scanning Electron Microscope

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with (IAW) the format in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation and quotes are being requested.

This solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ) in accordance with FAR part 12 and part 13 under solicitation number FA700025Q0058. The Request for Quotation (RFQ) number shall be used to reference any written quote provided under this RFQ. The RFQ document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2025-03, effective 17 Jan 25, DFARS change, effective 01 Jan 25, and Department of the Air Force Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DAFFARS) change, effective 16 Oct 24.

The associated North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) Code is 334516 with a size standard of 1,000 employees. The Product Service Code (PSC) 6640.

“Notice to Offeror(s)/Supplier(s): Funds are not presently available for this effort. No award will be made under this solicitation until funds are available. The Government reserves the right to cancel this solicitation, either before or after the closing date. In the event the Government cancels this solicitation, the Government has no obligation to reimburse an offeror for any costs.”

The Government bears no legal liability for the costs associated with preparing a quote. Vendors should not submit a quote unless they are willing to absorb all costs associated with submitting a quote.

Before submitting a quote, please read the instructions in the addenda to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items, listed below and comply with all requirements for submitting a quote. Failure to comply with all instructions contained within this synopsis/solicitation could result in the quote being ineligible for award. It is the quoter’s responsibility to ensure their quote meets all the requirements identified herein. Quoters must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions and provide complete accompanying rationale. The quotes will be evaluated IAW FAR 52.212-2, found herein.

I. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENTS

The purpose of this combined synopsis and solicitation is to procure a scanning electron microscope (SEM), see Attachment 1 – Salient Characteristics, as well as a sustainment and maintenance plan consisting of four option years beginning 12 months after the SEM has been delivered and passed inspection.

It is USAFA’s preference/intent to acquire only domestic end products per the Buy American Statute (41 USC Chapter 83), except as provided in FAR 25.103. Foreign offers will be evaluated per DFARS 225.502 when comparing domestic and foreign offers. This requirement is for commercial items; therefore, the manufacturing country of origin will determine if the quoted product is foreign or domestic. The Trade Agreement Certificate (DFARS 252.225- 7020), Attachment 3 –Trade Agreement Certificate, must be completed and submitted with the http://farsite.hill.af.mil/reghtml/regs/far2afmcfars/fardfars/far/FAR12.DOC#s126

U. S. Air Force Academy quote.

All contract line item numbers (CLIN) are firm fixed price (FFP). The offer schedule and contract CLIN schedule are below.

Item Supplies/Service Quantity Unit Unit Price Total Amount

Scanning Electron Microscope

(SEM)

Each

1001 Sustainment and Maintenance Plan (Option Year 1)

Beginning 12 months after the SEM has been delivered and passed inspection

1 Each

Sustainment and Maintenance Plan (Option Year 2)

1 Each

Sustainment and Maintenance Plan (Option Year 3)

1 Each

Sustainment and Maintenance Plan (Option Year 4)

1 Each

The Government will not provide IUID labeling.

Delivery Delivery must be F.O.B. Destination to United States Air Force Academy, CO 80840. Any applicable shipping costs must be factored into the unit price(s) of the line item(s). Do not include a separate line item for shipping charges.

FOB Destination (As defined in FAR 2.101—Definitions, the seller or consignor is responsible for the cost of shipping and risk of loss.

Delivery Schedule: Schedule to be submitted by vendor. Item must be delivered within 180 days after receipt of order (ARO).

Inspection and Acceptance The Government will inspect and accept supplies at the Government’s location, U.S. Air Force Academy, CO 80840. Payment on invoices cannot be made until the Government has accepted the supplies. The contract/purchase order number must be included when shipping.

The Government will not consider any quotes that contain used, reconditioned, refurbished, gray market, or liquidated stock.

II. SOLICITATION INSTRUCTIONS

1. In all instances throughout this solicitation, to include the applicable provisions and clauses, any use of the word "proposal" should be understood as "quote." All instances of the word "offeror" should be understood as "quoter." All instances of the word "award" should be understood as "purchase order."

Quotes supplied in response to this solicitation are not binding. Award of this requirement will be offered to the Quoter IAW 52.212-2, found herein.

2. The provision at FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Sep 2023), and the addenda listed below apply to this acquisition.

Addenda to FAR 52.212-1

Submission of offers. FAR 52.212-1 is amended to include the following:

(1) Paragraph (a) first sentence revised as follows: “The NAICS code and small business size standard for this acquisition appear above.”

(2) Paragraph (c) first sentence revised as follows: “The vendor agrees to hold the prices in its quote firm for 90 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of quotes, unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the quote.”

(3) Paragraph (g) Interchanges: The government intends to award a contract without interchanges with respective vendors. The government, however, reserves the right to conduct interchanges, with all, some, or none of the vendors in its best interest.

(4) Submit signed and dated quotes via e-mail to Ms. Brianna Morphis, brianna.morphis@us.af.mil, and Mr. Ronald Wilson, ronald.wilson.26@us.af.mil

Note: zip files are not an acceptable format for the Air Force Network and will not go through our email system.

(5) Quotes must be submitted by 21 July 2025, 10:00 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time.

Late Submissions: Quoters are responsible for submitting quotations so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation.

Any quotes received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of quotations is late and will not be considered.

mailto:brianna.morphis@us.af.mil mailto:ronald.wilson.26@us.af.mil

(6) All questions regarding this RFQ must be emailed to Ms. Brianna Morphis, brianna.morphis@us.af.mil, and Mr. Ronald Wilson, ronald.wilson.26@us.af.mil no later than 7 July 2025 10:00 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time. The questions and answers will be compiled and posted in SAM.gov under the solicitation notice.

(7) The Contracting Officer is not responsible for locating or obtaining any information not identified in the quote. If applicable, provide a written statement that the quote incorporates all amendments to the solicitation.

Quotation preparation instructions

(1) General Instructions. The quoter shall submit their quote to include the following:

solicitation number, contact name, address, e-mail, and telephone number of the offeror, CAGE code, UEI number, size of business, and warranty information.

(2) IAW FAR 12.602(a) when using the simplified acquisition procedures in FAR 13, contracting officers are not required to describe the relative importance of evaluation factors.

(3) The vendor acknowledges that should the quote terms and conditions and/or agreement conflict with mandatory provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and other Federal law applicable to commercial acquisitions, to the extent of such conflict the FAR and Federal law govern and conflicting vendor terms and conditions and/or agreement are unenforceable and are not considered incorporated into any resultant contract.

(4) Specific Instructions.

(a) PRICE QUOTATION. Submit the price quote in accordance with the line-item structure listed in the CLIN schedule of this solicitation. Price quotes must be firm-fixed price. Price quotes must include unit prices and extended amounts for each line item (i.e., multiply the unit price and quantity for each line item).

Include the total price (i.e., sum of all extended amounts) in the price quote.

Include delivery terms and schedule, any discounts, and payment terms (e.g., Net

30) with the price quote. Offerors must submit offers in the English language and in U.S. dollars rounded to the nearest cent. The Government will not provide contract financing for this acquisition. Invoice instruction shall be provided at time of award.

If a tariff must be paid, the vendor shall state the country and tariff percentage rate with the quote submission. Tariffs must be included with the total price amount and shall not be a separate CLIN item.

Quote shall not expire before 30 September 2025.

mailto:brianna.morphis@us.af.mil mailto:ronald.wilson.26@us.af.mil

(b) TECHNICAL

At a minimum, the equipment must meet the following salient characteristics, also identified in Attachment 1 – Salient Characteristics:

• Electron source must be Schottky-type Field Emission Gun

• Resolution in High Vacuum (HV) mode must be ≤ 1.2 nm at ≥20 kV acceleration voltage.

• Resolution in Low Vacuum (LV) mode must be ≤ 2.0 nm at 15-30 kV

• Accelerating voltage operational range: 500 V to ≥ 30 kV.

• Probe current range must include at least 100 pA to ≥300 nA, continuously adjustable.

• Magnification range:

o Minimum magnification ≤ 5x o Maximum magnification ≥ 1,000,000x

• Operational modes must include both High Vacuum (HV) and Low Vacuum (LV) modes.

• Chamber size and stage capabilities:

o Motorized, 5-axis stage with minimum travel range: X ≥ 80 mm, Y ≥ 60 mm, Z ≥ 50 mm o Tilt capability: at least -10° to +80° continuously o Rotation capability: continuous 360 degrees

• Automated vacuum sequencing with oil-free vacuum pumps.

Detectors:

• Must include an Everhart-Thornley type Secondary Electron (SE) detector.

• Must include Backscattered Electron (BSE) detector capable of live compositional and topographical imaging.

• Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) detector:

o Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) with ≥ 30 mm² active area o Energy resolution ≤130 eV (Mn-Kα)

• Includes all EDS software allowing elemental mapping and quantification.

Software and Computer:

• System must include software with automated optimization of beam alignment, focus, brightness, and contrast adjustments.

• Digital image resolution must support at least 4096x3072 pixels.

• Automated image stitching functionality for capturing large area imaging without user intervention.

Accessories and Operational Considerations:

• System must operate on standard laboratory utilities (e.g., 120V/60Hz or 230V options, clean compressed air, oil-free vacuum pumps).

Include on-site installation, commissioning, training, and orientation by manufacturer-trained personnel.

• Include a minimum 1-year warranty covering parts, labor, and standard repair services.

• Provide operator manuals and documentation in print and digital formats in English.

• Include basic user training course at vendor training facility or on-site within one year from installation.

• All software necessary for operating the SEM and EDS must be a perpetual license.

DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE. For the quote to be considered by the Government, it must meet the description specified in Attachment 1 – Salient Characteristics. Include any applicable descriptive literature, such as illustrations, specification sheets, or product brochures that clearly identify that the quote meets the Government’s requirements.

Include your best warranty and delivery schedule, as applicable.

The purpose of Department of Defense Information Network Approved Products List (DODIN APL) is to maintain a single consolidated list of products that have completed Interoperability (IO) and Cybersecurity certification. Use of the DODIN APL allows DOD Components to purchase and operate systems over all DOD network infrastructures. All software or information technology products to include items embedded in commercial products submitted with your quote must be on the approved product list or a waiver must be able to be obtained by the Government technical personnel to meet interoperability and cybersecurity standards. If a waiver cannot be obtained by the Government technical personnel, the product will be evaluated as unacceptable. The APL list can be found at: https://storefront.disa.mil/kinetic/disa/service-catalog#/forms/dod-information-network-dodin-apl-testing-and-certification or https://aplits.disa.mil/apl

(c) PAST PERFORMANCE. The vendor’s exclusions will be checked on sam.gov. In addition, the vendor’s supplier performance risk system (SPRS) will be assessed. Authorized representatives of the Offeror for which the assessment was conducted may access SPRS to view their own summary level scores, in accordance with the SPRS Software User’s Guide for Awardees/Contractors available at https://www.sprs.csd.disa.mil/pdf/SPRS_Awardee.pdf

(d) CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION.

i. Quoters are required to be registered, and have an active registration, in the

System of Award Management (SAM) (https://www.sam.gov) at the time the quotation is submitted in order to comply with the annual representations and certifications requirements. Quoters that do not have an active registration in SAM at the time the quotation is submitted will not be considered.

ii. Quotes must include a completed copy of the following provisions that require fill-in text:

• FAR 52.212-3 The Offeror shall complete only paragraph (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certification electronically in the System for Award Management (SAM) accessed through https://www.sam.gov. If the Offeror has not completed the annual representations and certifications electronically, the Offeror https://storefront.disa.mil/kinetic/disa/service-catalog#/forms/dod-information-network-dodin-apl-testing-and-certification https://storefront.disa.mil/kinetic/disa/service-catalog#/forms/dod-information-network-dodin-apl-testing-and-certification https://aplits.disa.mil/apl https://www.sprs.csd.disa.mil/pdf/SPRS_Awardee.pdf http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ shall complete only paragraphs (c) through (v) of this provision.

• DFARS 252.225-7020 Trade Agreements Certificate The Offeror shall identify the country that the SEM is manufactured in by completing Attachment 3 – Trade Agreement Certificate

b. The addenda listed below at FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021) applies to this acquisition.

Pursuant to FAR 12.602 contract award will be made using Simplified Acquisition Procedures IAW FAR 13.106. Vendor’s submissions will be evaluated based upon the following:

Addenda to FAR 52.212-2

Basis For Award

This is a competitive acquisition in accordance with FAR part 12 and part 13. The Government will make an award in the form of a purchase order to the quoter that represents the best value to the Government. All quotes submitted will be reviewed for completeness.

Quotes that are incomplete or missing information may be considered non-compliant and excluded from the evaluation. The Government will select the awardee that represents the best value based on price, technical, and other terms and conditions to award a best value purchase order that is most advantageous to the Government.

Addenda to FAR 52.212-4

The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Products and Commercial Services, and the addendum listed below apply to this acquisition.

Text in paragraph (c) is deleted and replaced with the following:

(c) Changes. Changes in terms and conditions of this contract may be made only by written agreement of the parties with the exception of certain changes such as administrative changes including changes in paying office, appropriation data, etc. authorized by the Federal Acquisition Regulation and its supplements that may be made unilaterally by the Contracting Officer, for a complete list of changes that may be made unilaterally, see FAR 43.103(b).

FAR clause 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Products and Commercial Services. (Jan 2025) applies to this acquisition. See provision and clause attachment.

Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) and assigned rating do not apply to this acquisition.

Attachments to this Solicitation

Attachment 1 – Salient Characteristics Attachment 2 – Provisions and Clauses

Attachment 3 – Trade Agreement Certificate