IFB 26-02 Two Pump Laboratory Trainers.pdf

Invitation for Bids (IFB)

Two Pump Laboratory Trainers

IFB 26-02

Issued: November 17th, 2025 Bid Due Date: December 1st, 2025 at 2:00pm ET

Massachusetts Maritime Academy 101 Academy Drive

Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts 02532 Email: procurement@maritime.edu

Invitation for Bids IFB 26-02 Two Pump Laboratory Trainers

I. INTRODUCTION

The Academy is seeking to buy two (2) Pump Laboratory Trainers for students and instructors to utilize at Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) laboratory space.

Please take the time to carefully read and become familiar with the IFB requirements. All bids submitted for consideration must be received by the time specified above under "Bid Due Date”.

ACADEMY BACKGROUND

Massachusetts Maritime Academy was founded in 1891 as the Massachusetts Nautical Training School. MMA assumed its current name in 1946 and was authorized by the Massachusetts state legislature to grant the Bachelor of Science degree. The Academy is one of nine Massachusetts state universities. MMA currently offers seven undergraduate degree programs and three graduate degree programs.

MMA is one of only seven maritime institutions of higher education in the nation and MMA is presently the largest state maritime university. The Academy’s “Learn-Do-Lead” philosophy is central to its mission and offerings. The combination of academic coursework with hands-on lab work, experiential learning, cooperative learning, and at-sea experiences offers students a rich, well-rounded educational experience that readies them for the demands of the job market. The regimented lifestyle, in which nearly all undergraduates participate, also supports students’ preparation, by instilling leadership, discipline, and responsibility in the regiment of cadets. Although military service is not required after graduation, many cadets in the Marine Transportation and Marine Engineering programs join the Merchant Marine Reserves, and a number of students each year commission into a branch of the US Armed Services.

Over its 135-year history, the Academy has grown from an entering class of 40 cadets to nearly 1,400 undergraduate and graduate students. It has the highest job placement amongst the Massachusetts state universities and has received numerous positive rankings, including number 4 on Money Magazine’s 2022 list of best colleges in America for value.

VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

The bidder must provide relevant information about their company’s knowledge and experience with providing equipment related to the Pump Laboratory Trainer. Bidders shall provide, at a minimum, three (3) customer references from institutions requesting similar equipment and services to those described herein. See Attachment D for reference contact requirements. Vendor must also sign the Commonwealth of Massachusetts contract.

ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE

The successful vendor must provide an account representative who will be available to assist MMA in the commissioning and troubleshooting of the trainers. The account representative must be available during normal business hours via phone and email.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL

The vendor project manager will be responsible for preparing an internal test procedure in accordance with their company’s Quality Assurance program. The test will be made according to the test procedure and the equipment will be shipped to the Academy after successful completion of the test.

PROJECT TIMELINE

The Pump Laboratory Trainers need to be delivered to the Academy by February 15, 2026.

EQUIPMENT & TRAINING SPECIFICATIONS

The Academy is seeking to buy two (2) Pump Laboratory Trainers for students and instructors to utilize at MMA’s lab.

The Pump Laboratory Trainers must have the following capabilities:

Must allow students to measure the head, flow, power, and efficiency characteristics of a centrifugal pump at constant motor speed over a range of discharge back pressures and flow rates from zero (shutoff) to maximum pump capacity. At minimum, this requires the ability to measure all of the following parameters:

o Pressures both at the suction and discharge of the pump o Volume flow rate of the fluid o Applied torque and rotational speed of the motor driving the impeller.

Must have a throttling valve on the discharge side of the pump to vary the back pressure. This valve must be able to be fully closed to determine the shutoff head characteristics of the pump at zero flow.

This valve must be downstream of the discharge pressure sensor.

Must have the ability to maintain a constant motor speed across different discharge pressures with either manual or computer control.

Must have at least three (3) centrifugal impellers with forward swept, rearward swept, and straight vanes to permit the variation of the pump specific speed.

Must have the ability to lower the absolute suction side pressure to below the vapor pressure of the working fluid at room temperature to cause cavitation to permit measurement of the required net positive suction head (NPSH) characteristics of the pump over a range of flow rates. At minimum, this would require a throttling valve on the suction side of the pump upstream of the suction side pressure sensor.

Must have transparent suction and discharge piping and a transparent pump casing to allow the student to see and identify cavitation in low pressure regions of the system. Visualization of cavitation within the rotating impeller is facilitated using a stroboscope set to match the rotational frequency of the impeller.

Must have a student-programmable controller that will allow feedback PID control using either flow rate or discharge pressure as the controlled process variables.

II. BID REQUIREMENTS

PROJECT BID EXPECTATIONS

Massachusetts Maritime Academy reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and/or discontinue any bid at any time, without obligation or notice to the proposing bidder. The Academy reserves the right to reject any or all bids, wholly or in part; to waive technicalities, irregularities, and omissions; to make the award in a manner deemed to be in the best interest of the Academy; and to correct any award erroneously made because of a clerical error on the part of the Academy.

This IFB in no manner obligates the Academy to the eventual purchase of any products or services described, implied, or which may be proposed, until confirmed by written agreement, and may be terminated by the Academy without penalty or obligation at any time prior to the signing of an agreement.

The Bidder’s proposal shall be signed by an officer who is authorized to make such commitments for the Bidder. Expenses for developing and presenting proposals shall be the entire responsibility of the Bidder and shall not be chargeable to the Academy. All supporting documentation and manuals submitted with this proposal will become the property of the Academy unless requested by the Bidder, in writing, at the time of the submission, and agreed to, in writing, by the Academy.

The response to the IFB will be considered as the Bidder’s offer to proceed in the IFB process. Immediately following the IFB process, final negotiations on the offer that receives the highest evaluation by the Academy will be conducted to resolve any minor differences and informalities that do not materially alter the offer. Once the final negotiations have been completed, the Academy’s acceptance of the IFB will be issued.

This IFB document is available on COMMBUYS.com and can be obtained by e-mailing procurement@maritime.edu. COMMBUYS is the electronic marketplace for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The IFB is being posted on COMMBUYS strictly for the sake of advertising to the widest possible audience. All questions to this IFB should be addressed directly to procurement@maritime.edu.

BID TIMELINE

Listed below are the key dates for the IFB process.

IFB Action: Due Date / Time (EST) IFB Issue Date November 17th, 2025 by 2pm Bidder Questions Due November 20th, 2025 by 2pm MMA will Respond to Questions November 25th, 2025 by 5pm Sealed Bid Responses Due December 1st, 2025 by 2pm Notification of Award on or before December 15th, 2025 by 5 pm Fully Executed Agreement on or before December 22nd, 2025

If, at the time of the scheduled proposal deadline, the Academy is closed due to uncontrolled events such as fire, snow, ice, wind, or building evacuation, the proposal deadline will be postponed until 2:00 p.m. on the next normal business day. Bids will be accepted until that date and time.

QUESTIONS

Questions must be submitted via email to the contact person at procurement@maritime.edu by November 20th, 2025 by 2pm. E-mailed questions should contain a request for a read receipt to ensure delivery. Bidders shall not, under any circumstances, contact (directly or indirectly) any other person within the Academy in regards to this IFB. All material communications between MMA Procurement Office and potential respondents shall be in writing, as provided in this IFB. The Academy will not be responsible for any oral instructions. Answers to questions will be remitted to all entities having requested the proposal as an Addendum to this IFB and will be posted on COMMBUYS. MMA reserves the right to determine, at its sole discretion, the appropriate and adequate responses to comments, questions, and requests for clarification.

OPTIONAL DEMONSTRATIONS

Vendors may be required to conduct an on-site or virtual demonstration of their proposed support model, at no cost to MMA, prior to final vendor selection.

BID SUBMISSION

Bid responses must be submitted no later than 2:00 PM on December 1st, 2025, to Business Office, Harrington Building, 101 Academy Drive, Buzzards Bay, MA 02532. No fax or email responses will be accepted. No incomplete proposals will be considered.

The IFB response must include a detailed description of the equipment quoted in the IFB.

Prices quoted must be available for acceptance for at least sixty (60) days after the proposal opening date, unless otherwise noted in your proposal.

Bidders are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of the Academy except as specified in this IFB and no other individual employee or representative is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry concerning this IFB. The bidder may e-mail the contact person at procurement@maritime.edu, for this IFB in the event this IFB is incomplete or the bidder is having trouble obtaining any required attachments electronically through COMMBUYS.

Should the bidder find discrepancies in or omissions from the specifications, or shall be in doubt as to their meaning, he/she shall at once notify the Academy purchasing email. The Academy will not be responsible for any oral instructions. In turn, if the Academy desires, it will post responses on COMMBUYS.

CONTRACT AWARD

The Academy shall award this contract to the responsive and responsible bidder that provides the greatest overall value to the Academy considering the evaluation criteria described herein as well as cost. MMA reserves the right to negotiate best and final offer with respect to the contract award.

Upon notification of the award, the respondent shall execute the following documents: Commonwealth of MA Standard Contact Form and W-9 Taxpayers ID form within 10 working days. If the respondent fails to provide the aforementioned requested documents by the deadline, MMA may determine that the respondent is non-responsive to the terms of this IFB and reject the submission. If MMA determines that the apparent best-value proposal is non-responsive and rejects the submission, the remaining responsive proposals will be reviewed to determine the new apparent best-value proposal.

IFB REQUIREMENTS

The bidder must meet all of the requirements listed in this IFB to be deemed responsible and responsive. All necessary forms are attached to this IFB. Respondents who do not include all completed forms in their proposals will be considered non-responsive. The required forms are as follows:

1) Attachment A: Bidder Information Form

2) Attachment B: Tax Compliance Certificate

3) Attachment C: Certificate of Non-Collusion

4) Attachment D: References

Respondents must submit a list of three (3) institutions currently using the proposed technology.

References will be checked. NOTE: Poor references may be a basis for a determination that the vendor is not a responsible bidder.

5) Attachment E: Debarment and Suspension Certification

6) Attachment F: Price Proposal Form

Vendor must also sign the Commonwealth of Massachusetts contract.

III. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

COMMONWEALTHS’S IT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Upon award of the IFB, the awarded bidder will be required to execute the Commonwealth Standard Contract.

The Commonwealth IT Terms and Conditions should be reviewed wholly and thoroughly. No alterations or modifications shall be made to the Commonwealth’s IT Terms and Conditions.

Your submission shall serve as acceptance and acknowledgment of all terms and conditions as expressed within the Commonwealth IT Terms and Conditions. Any required adjustments to these terms to which your company is unable to abide, may be grounds for the Academy to deem the contract process as failed.

MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC RECORDS LAW

Access to Academy records is made in accordance with the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L. c.66,

s. 10. All Responses received are subject to M.G.L. c. 4, s. 7, ss. 26, and M.G.L. c. 66, s. 10 regarding public access to such documents. Statements or endorsements inconsistent with those statutes will be disregarded.

The Academy will withhold the Responses or sections of Responses until such time that they have been opened. The Academy will make available the documents within those Responses only upon the finalization of those records.

SENSITIVE/CONFIDENTIAL INFORAMTION

During the course of the assessment and/or project, the contractor may have access to sensitive and/or confidential information, the privacy of which is legally protected or the disclosure of which is legally prohibited. The contractor will be required to keep such information confidential to fullest extent provided by state or federal law.

From the date of issuance of the IFB until the opening date, the Bidder must not make available or discuss its proposal, or any part thereof, with any employee or agent of the Academy. The Bidder is hereby warned that any part of its proposal or any other material marked as confidential, proprietary, or trade secret, can only be protected to the extent permitted by Commonwealth of Massachusetts laws

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND AND SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY CHECKS

The Contractor agrees to conduct criminal background and sexual offender registry checks on all employees, contractors, representatives, and agents who will work on any Academy owned or leased property.

The results of such checks must be satisfactory to the Academy, in its sole discretion. Debarment Submission of a signed proposal in response to this solicitation is certification that your firm (or any subcontractor) is not currently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any State or Federal department or agency. Submission is also agreement that the Academy will be notified of any change in this status.

RECORDKEEPING, AUDITS AND INSPECTION OF RECORDS

The vendor shall maintain books, records, documents, and other compilations of data pertaining to the requirements of the contract to the extent and in such detail as shall properly substantiate claims for payment under the contract. All such records shall be kept for a period of seven (7) years. All retention periods start on the first day after final payment under this contract. If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit or other action involving the records is commenced prior to the expiration of the applicable retention period, all records shall be retained until completion of the action of resolution of all issues resulting there from, or until the end of the applicable retention period, whichever is later.

The Federal grantor agency, the Academy, or any of their duly authorized representatives or designees shall have the right at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice, to examine and copy at a reasonable expense, the books, records, and other compilations of date of the vendor which pertain to the provisions and requirements of this contract. Such access shall include on-site audits, review, and copying of records. Vendors providing services over $10,000.00 within a twelve (12) month period to the Academy hereby consent to grant the Federal Controller General, or their agents, access to the vendor’s books, documents, or records as per the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1980.

Interpretation of the wording of this document shall be the responsibility of the Academy and that interpretation shall be final.

INDEMNIFICATION

The Vendor shall indemnify and hold harmless Massachusetts Maritime Academy and its agents and employees from and against all claims, for infringement of any United State Patent, or damages, losses, and expenses including attorney fees arising out of or resulting from the performance of the work, furnishing of services, or furnishing of materials, good, or equipment, as required by the Invitation for Bid, including but not limited to claims regarding defects in materials, good, or equipment, which is caused in whole or in part by any breach of contract, or omission of the successful bidder(s), any sub vendor(s), or anyone directly or indirectly employed by any of them or anyone for whose acts any of them may be liable.

NON-DICRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

The vendor shall not discriminate against any qualified employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, religion, physical or mental handicap, or sexual orientation. The vendor agrees to comply with all applicable Federal and State statues, rules and regulations prohibiting discrimination in employment including but not limited to: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the American with Disabilities Act of 1900; and Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 151 B.

NON-COLLUSION

Respondents certify that submitted cost proposals are arrived at independently and without consultation, communication, or agreement with any other vendor, vendor, or potential vendor. Respondents further certify that cost proposals are made without previous understanding, agreement, or connection with any person, firm or corporation making a proposal for the same item(s) and is in all respects fair, without outside control, collusion, fraud, or otherwise illegal action. Respondents agree that no member of the firm’s ownership, management or staff has a vested interest in any aspect or department of MMA. Any or all proposals will be rejected if there is reason to believe that collusion exists between bidders, and respondents understand that any misstatement in this affidavit is and shall be treated as fraudulent concealment of the true facts relating to submission of cost proposals under this IFB.

DEBARMENT

Respondents certify, to the best of their knowledge and belief, that the firm and its principals:

A. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or state department or agency;

B. Have not within a three (3) year period preceding this Contract been convicted of, or had a civil C. Judgment rendered against them from commission of fraud, or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining or attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State or Local) transaction or grant under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification, or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property; are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a government entity (Federal, State, or Local) with commission of any of the offenses listed in section b. above; and

D. Have not within a three (3) year period preceding this Contract had one or more public transactions (Federal, State, or Local) terminated for cause or default.

COMMBUYS

This IFB has been distributed electronically using the COMMBUYS system. Bidders are solely responsible for obtaining and completing the required attachments that are identified in this IFB and for checking COMMBUYS for any addenda or modifications that are subsequently made to this IFB or attachments. The Commonwealth and its subdivisions accept no liability and will provide no accommodation to bidders who fail to check for amended IFBs and submit inadequate or incorrect responses. Bidders are advised to check the COMMBUYS posting after the responses to questions have been posted to ensure that they have the most recent information. Bidders may not alter (manually or electronically) the IFB language or any IFB activity files.

CONTRACT TERMINATION

The Academy reserves the right to amend or terminate the contract in whole, or with any number of contractors, with or without cause, at any time, without prior notice and upon any time felt necessary by the department.

Contract may be canceled at any time based on funding availability and responder performance.

IFB 26-02 Required Form Attachment A

Bidder Information Sheet

Company Name:

Size of Company:

Incorporation Status:

Years of Operation:

Contact Individual:

Address:

Telephone Number:

Fax:

E-mail:

____: I have received and reviewed all of the proposal information and attachments to IFB# 26-02

Authorized Signature: Date:

IFB 26-02 REQUIRED FORM Attachment B

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

WITH STATE TAX LAW AND UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION CONTRIBUITON REQUIREMENTS

Pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 62C, S 49A, and MGL Ch.151A, Section 19A, I , authorized signatory for

Name & Title

, whose principal place of business is located at do hereby certify under penalties of perjury that the above business has filed all state tax returns and paid all taxes as required by law and has complied with all state laws pertaining to contributions to the unemployment compensation fund and to payments in lieu of contributions.

The Business Organization Social Security Number or Federal Identification Number is

Signed under the penalties of perjury this day of , Authorized Signature

Title

IFB 26-02 REQUIRED FORM Attachment C

Certification of Non-Collusion

The undersigned certifies under penalties of perjury that this Bid or Proposal has been made and submitted in good faith and without collusion or fraud with any other person. As used in this certification, the word “person” shall mean any natural person, business, partnership, corporation, union, committee, club, or other organization, entity, or group of individuals.

Authorized Signature Date

Printed Name of person signing bid or proposal)

(Name of business)

IFB 26-02 REQUIRED FORM Attachment D

Business References

Please submit a list of three (3) customer references from institutions requesting similar services to those requested as part of this request. References will be checked.

Reference Name: _______________________ Contact Phone #: ____________________ Reference Address: _____________________ Contact Email: ____________________

Description and dates of product or services provided:

Reference Name: _______________________ Contact Phone #: ____________________ Reference Address: _____________________ Contact Email: ____________________

Description and dates of product or services provided:

Reference Name: _______________________ Contact Phone #: ____________________ Reference Address: _____________________ Contact Email: ____________________

Description and dates of product or services provided:

Attach additional details if necessary.

IFB 26-02 REQUIRED FORM Attachment E

Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion Lower Tier Covered Transactions (Executive Orders 12549 and 12689)

As required by 2 CFR 200 Section 200.326 : For all contracts the non-Federal entity (MMA) shall obtain from the contractor a certification that neither the contractor nor any of its principal employees are listed on the General Services Administration’s List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement or Nonprocurement Programs.

Instructions for Certification

1. By signing and submitting this proposal, the prospective lower tier participant is providing the certification set out below.

2. The certification in this clause is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was entered into. If it is later determined that the prospective lower tier participant knowingly rendered an erroneous certification, in addition to other remedies available to the Federal Government, the department or agency with which this transaction originated may pursue available remedies, including suspension and/or debarment.

3. The prospective lower tier participant shall provide immediate written notice to the person to which this proposal is submitted if at any time the prospective lower tier participant learns that its certification was erroneous when submitted or has become erroneous by reason of changed circumstances.

4. The terms "covered transaction," "debarred," "suspended," "ineligible," "lower tier covered transaction," "participant," " person," "primary covered transaction," " principal," "proposal," and "voluntarily excluded," as used in this clause, have the meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of rules implementing Executive Order 12549. You may contact the person to which this proposal is submitted for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations.

5. The prospective lower tier participant agrees by submitting this proposal that, should the proposed covered transaction be entered into, it shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier covered transaction with a person who is debarred, suspended, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this covered transaction, unless authorized by the department or agency with which this transaction originated.

6. The prospective lower tier participant further agrees by submitting this proposal that it will include the clause titled. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility, and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered Transactions, without modification, in all lower tier covered transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions.

7. A participant in a covered transaction may rely upon a certification of a prospective participant in a lower tier covered transaction that it is not debarred, suspended, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction, unless it knows that the certification is erroneous. A participant may decide the method and frequency by which it determines the eligibility of its principals. Each participant may but is not required to, check the Nonprocurement List.

8. Nothing contained in the foregoing shall be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in good faith the certification required by this clause. The knowledge and information of a participant is not required to exceed that which is normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings.

9. Except for transactions authorized under paragraph 5 of these instructions, if a participant in a covered transaction knowingly enters into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended, debarred, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction, in addition to other remedies available to the Federal Government, the department or agency with which this transaction originated may pursue available remedies, including suspension and/or debarment.

Certification

(1) The prospective lower tier participant certifies, by submission of this proposal, that neither it nor its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any Federal department or agency.

(2) Where the prospective lower tier participant is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to this proposal.

COMPANY NAME AWARD/BID NUMBER AND/OR

PROJECT NAME

PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE

SIGNATURE DATE

IFB 26-02 REQUIRED FORM Attachment F

Price Proposal Form

Two Pump Laboratory Trainers

Bidder Name ________________________

Please review for categories, set-up, and any other information that should be requested regarding price.

We propose to furnish to Massachusetts Maritime Academy with Two (2) Pump Laboratory Trainers as it is stated in IFB 26-02.

Service & Product Rates Price Per Item Quantity Total Price

Pump Laboratory Trainer $ $

Support & Training $ $

Shipping $ $

Total Cost $ $

Tax Exempt: Bid Response should not include sales tax. The Academy is a tax-exempt agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Authorized Signature ___________________

Date ________________________________

Bidder understands that this proposal shall be good and may not be withdrawn for a period of at least sixty (60) calendar days after the actual date of the opening.