NRMAH000-15-00219_Argo_Profiling_Floats.pdf

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION

Argo Profiling Floats

(I) 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 and FAR Subpart 13.5 Test Program for Commercial Items, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

(II) This solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). Submit written quotes on

RFQ Number NRMAH000-15-00219.

(III) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-80, effective March 2, 2015, available at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm.

(IV) This procurement is unrestricted and open to all sources. The associated NAICS code is

334519 Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing; the small business size standard is 500 employees.

(V) This combined solicitation/synopsis is for purchase of the following commercial item(s):

Argo Profiling Floats in accordance with Attachment 1, Specifications – Argo Profiling Floats.

Base Award CLIN 0001: 30 – 80 Units* $ _____ Unit Price 1 year $_____ Total

Annual Option I CLIN 1001: 30 – 80 Units $ _____ Unit Price 1 year $_____ Total

Annual Option II CLIN 2001: 30 – 80 Units $ _____ Unit Price 1 year $_____ Total

Annual Option III CLIN 3001: 30 – 80 Units $ _____ Unit Price 1 year $_____ Total

Annual Option IV CLIN 4001: 30 – 80 Units $ _____ Unit Price 1 year $_____ Total

*The government has the option to order up to 80 units per year at the government’s discretion.

(VI) Description of requirement is as follows:

The Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)

Pacific Marine Environmental Lab (PMEL) has a requirement for Argo Profiling Floats in accordance with Attachment 1, Specifications - Argo Profiling Floats.

(VII) Place of delivery is NOAA/PMEL Bldg. 8, ATTN: Greg Johnson, 7600 Sand Point Way, NE, Seattle, Washington, 98115. Delivery shall be FOB Destination. Required delivery is in accordance with Attachment 1, Specifications - Argo Profiling Floats, Section C. Period of

Performance is a one year base period with four one-year option periods.

http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm

(VIII) FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items (APR 2014), applies to this acquisition.

Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items (APR 2014):

(a) Submission of quotations. Submit quotations to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the exact time specified in the solicitation. At a minimum, quotations must show -

(1) The solicitation number;

(2) The name, address and telephone number of the offeror;

(3) Acknowledgement of solicitation amendments;

(4) A technical description showing that the Offeror can supply the requirements in the specifications in sufficient detail to allow the Government to evaluate the quotation with the evaluation factors stated in the solicitation.

The Offeror must include statements in their quotation stating the following information:

(a) Contractor has the ability to provide floats to the client, in accordance with

Attachment 1: Specifications - Argo Profiling Floats, Section A.

(b) Contractor does/does not have the ability to provide the additional instrument features, in accordance with Attachment 1: Specifications - Argo Profiling Floats, Section

B.

(c) Contractor can provide a Quality Assurance Plan, with a focus on customer service.

(d) Contractor can provide sufficient warranty information.

(5) Past performance information, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items and reference information (including contract numbers, points of contact with phone numbers and other relevant information).

(6) Price and any supporting details for the price, as requested in the solicitation.

(b) Offerors are responsible for submitting quotations, and any modifications thereto, so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified. The Offeror’s initial quotation should contain the Offeror’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint.

The Government may reject any or all quotations if such action is in the public interest; accept other than the lowest quotations if such action is in the public interest; accept other than the lowest quotation; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in quotations received.

(c) This provision must to completed and submitted with the proposal. Representation by

Corporations Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction Under

Any Federal Law (Class Deviation) ( MAR 2014)

(1) In accordance with Sections 536 and 537 of Division B of Public Law 113-76

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, none of the funds made available by

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 funding may be used to enter into a contract with any corporation that -

(a) 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 the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and has made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government, or

(b) 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 the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

The Offerer represents that, as of the date of this offer -

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

(b) 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.

(End of Provision)

(IX) FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation – Commercial Items (OCT 2014), applies to this acquisition.

Paragraph (a) is hereby completed as follows:

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

(i)Technical capability of the item offered to meet the Government requirement:

1) Ability to supply deployment-ready floats which comply with the specified requirements;

2) Availability of additional instrumental features, Attachment 1: Specifications - Argo

Profiling Floats, Section B;

3) Quality Assurance Plan with customer service focus;

4) Warranty information.

(ii) Price

(iii) Past Performance

Technical and past performance, when combined, are approximately equal to price.

(X) The Offeror must submit a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror

Representations and Certifications – Commercial Items (MAR 2015), with its quote.

An Offeror shall complete only paragraph (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certifications electronically at https://www.sam.gov. If an Offeror has https://www.sam.gov/ not completed the annual representations and certifications electronically at the SAM website, the Offeror shall complete only paragraphs (c) through (o) of this provision.

(XI) The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items (DEC

2014), applies to this acquisition.

(XII) The clause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement

Statutes or Executive Orders – Commercial Items (MAR 2015) applies to this acquisition. The following clauses under subparagraph (b) apply:

(1) 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Sept 2006), with Alternate

I (Oct 1995) (41 U.S.C. 4704 and 10 U.S.C. 2402).

(2) 52.203-13, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (Apr 2010) (41 U.S.C. 3509 ).

(4) 52.204-10, Reporting Executive compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Jul 2013)

(Pub. L.109-282) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

(6) 52.204-14, Service Contract Reporting Requirements (Jan 2014) (Pub. L. 111-117, section

743 of Div. C).

(8) 52.209-6 Protecting the Government's Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors

Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment (Aug 2013) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

(9) 52.209-9 Updates of publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (Jul

2013) (41 U.S.C 2313).

(16) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Oct 2014) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(2) and (3)).

(22) 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (Jul 2013) (15 U.S.C.

632(a)(2)).

(25) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (June 2003) (E.O. 11755).

(26) 52.222-19, Child Labor—Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Jan 2014) (E.O.

13126).

(27) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Feb 1999).

(28) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Mar 2007) (E.O. 11246).

(29) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (Jul 2014) (38 U.S.C. 4212).

(30) 52.222-36, Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (Jul 2014) (29 U.S.C. 793).

(31) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (Jul 2014) (38 U.S.C. 4212).

(32) 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (Dec

2010) (E.O. 13496).

(33) (i) 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (Mar 2015) (22 U.S.C. Chapter 78 and

E.O. 13627).

(40) 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policy to Ban Text Messages While Driving (Aug 2011)

(E.O. 13513).

(41) 52.225-1, Buy American Act—Supplies (MAY 2014) (41 U.S.C. Chapter 83).

(50) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer - System for Award Management (Jul

2013) (31 U.S.C. 3332).

The following clauses under subparagraph (c) apply: none.

http://www.arnet.gov/far/current/html/52_200_206.html#wp1141983 http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/41/3509 http://farsite.hill.af.mil/reghtml/regs/far2afmcfars/fardfars/far/52_000.htm#P1090_159674 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/html/52_207_211.html#wp1145644 http://www.arnet.gov/far/current/html/52_217_221.html#wp1136032 http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t13t16+492+90++%2815%29%20%20AND%20%28%2815%29%20ADJ%20USC%29%3ACITE%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20 http://www.arnet.gov/far/current/html/52_222.html#wp1148042 http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t37t40+200+2++%2838%29%20%20AND%20%28%2838%29%20ADJ%20USC%29%3ACITE%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20 http://www.arnet.gov/far/current/html/52_222.html#wp1148097 http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t29t32+2+78++%2829%29%20%20AND%20%28%2829%29%20ADJ%20USC%29%3ACITE%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20 http://www.arnet.gov/far/current/html/52_223_226.html#wp1168995 http://www.arnet.gov/far/current/html/52_223_226.html#wp1168995

(XIII) The following clauses are also applicable to this acquisition:

FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (NOV 1999)

FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000)

CAR 1352.201-72 Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) (APR 2010)

CAR 1352.208-70 Restrictions On Printing And Duplicating (APR 2010)

CAR 1352.209-72 Restrictions Against Disclosure (APR 2010)

CAR 1352.209-73 Compliance With The Laws (APR 2010)

CAR 1352.209-74 Organizational Conflict Of Interest (APR 2010)

CAR 1352.201-70 Contracting Officer’s Authority (APR 2010)

CAR 1352.233-70 Agency Protests (APR 2010)

(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 Federal

Register Vol. 64, page 16,651 (April 6, 1999).

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

Contracting Officer, Mark E. Caban

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Western Acquisition Division – SOU6

325 Broadway

Boulder, CO 80305-3325

Phone Number: (303) 497-6875 mark.caban@noaa.gov

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

Barry Berkowitz, Senior Procurement Director and Director, Office of Acquisition

Management

U.S. Department of Commerce

Room 6422

Herbert C. Hoover Building th

Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20230

FAX: (202) 482-1711

(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.

mailto:mark.caban@noaa.gov

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

Office of the General Counsel

Chief, Contract Law Division

U.S. Department of Commerce

Room 5893

Herbert C. Hoover Building

14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20230

FAX: (202) 482–5858

(End of Clause)

CAR 1352.233-71 GAO and Court Of Federal Claims Protests (APR 2010)

Full text of CAR clauses is available at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vfcara.htm.

(XIV) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) does not apply.

(XV) The Government intends to award a firm-fixed-price contract resulting from this solicitation.

(XVI) Quotes are required to be received in the contracting office no later than Tuesday, April

14, 2015. All quotes must be emailed to the attention of Julia Hamilton, Contract Specialist at julia.l.hamilton@noaa.gov.

(XVII) Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to Contract

Specialist Julia Hamilton at julia.l.hamilton@noaa.gov. Questions should be received no later than 5 calendar days after the issuance date of this solicitation. Any responses to questions may be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and may 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.

CAR 1352.246-70 Place of acceptance (APR 2010)

(a) The Contracting Officer or the duly authorized representative will accept supplies and services to be provided under this contract.

(b) The place of acceptance will be:

NOAA/PMEL Bldg. 8

ATTN: Greg Johnson

7600 Sand Point Way, NE

Seattle, Washington, 98115

(End of Clause) http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vfcara.htm mailto:julia.l.hamilton@noaa.gov mailto:julia.l.hamilton@noaa.gov

Attachment 1: Specifications

Argo Profiling Floats

Argo (www.argo.net) is an international effort to measure the temperature and salinity fields in upper two km of the global ocean by populating it with an array of approximately 3,500 profiling floats equipped with conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) instruments that telemeter their data to shore with minimal delay. It is a very high visibility program for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). Pacific Marine Experimental Laboratory (PMEL) has been a partner in the U.S. Argo consortium since the program inception in 2000. PMEL responsibilities include procurement, testing, and deployment of a fraction of the U.S. Argo floats.

SPECIFICATIONS:

The contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, services, and facilities to provide a model of profiling floats as specified below:

A) Float Specifications/Requirements:

Provide profiling floats as specified below that are deployment-ready (calibrated, assembled, ballasted, weighed, and tested), equipped with CTD capable of sampling temperature, salinity, and pressure continuously throughout their ascent, then reducing those data by bin averaging at specified pressure intervals as close as 1 or 2 dbar. Floats should determine position by global positioning system (GPS) before transmitting those data to shore via Iridium (in either Router-Based Unrestricted Digital Internetworking Connectivity Solutions (RUDICS) or Short Burst Data (SBD) format). Float must be capable of a gross fractional volume change of at least 1.15% and ballasted to allow profiling from 2000 dbar to the near-surface (4 to 1 dbar, shallower is better) in all regions of the ocean.

(1) Floats must be capable of a minimum gross fractional volume change of 1.15% and ballasted to allow cycling between the surface and 2000-dbar pressure over the entire global (ice-free) ocean.

(2) Floats must be able to park for predetermined 1-20 day periods at a different predetermined subsurface pressure than their profiling pressure ("park and profile" capability).

(3) Floats must be capable of continuously sampling from 2000 dbar to the near surface (4 to 1 dbar, shallower is better) then reducing those data by bin averaging at specified pressure intervals as close as 1 or 2 dbar.

(4) Floats must have sufficient energy in their delivered configuration (or after retrofitting to lithium batteries by the Government) to perform the above functions for a minimum period of at least 6 years with a duty cycle of 10 days (219 or more cycles). More cycles are better.

(5) Floats must have demonstrated performance, with examples of deployed instruments successfully performing the above functions for at least 80 cycles. More cycles and higher survival rates are better.

(6) Floats must be light enough (<30 kg) to ensure that deployments from a variety of platforms including volunteer observing ships (VOS) are feasible. Lighter is better.

(7) Floats must be delivered to the Government FBO Destination in boxes sufficiently sturdy to protect the floats prior to deployment, while in transit, and onboard ship or aircraft.

(8) Float boxes must be built to accommodate stacked loading and moveable with a forklift or pallet jack, and be suitable for export to most countries (e.g. all wood components of appropriately treated plywood).

(9) Float CTDs must have average initial measurement accuracies of +/-0.002 C in temperature, +/-0.005 PSS-78 in salinity, and +/-3 dbar in pressure.

(10) Float CTDs must report back data to a resolution of 0.001 C in temperature, 0.001 PSS-78 in salinity, and 1 dbar in pressure.

(11) Float CTDs must have demonstrated reliability and stability of +/-0.01 C in temperature, +/-0.02 PSS-78 in salinity, and +/-6 dbar in pressure over multi-year missions.

(12) Floats must send back sufficient data to determine their vertical ascent rate through any given measurement bin to within an accuracy of +/-10%.

(13) Float CTDs must use a system that ensures temperature and conductivity measurements are made within the same controlled volume of water.

(14) Float CTDs must employ conductivity cells with antifouling protection by diffusion of tri-butyl tin in a controlled volume (no cell coatings).

(15) Floats (and accompanying instrumentation, including CTDs) must pass Government tests for performance to the satisfaction of Government personnel, or be replaced/repaired by the contractor at the contractor's expense (including shipping costs in both directions) and arrive at the specified Government delivery address within 2 months of notification to the contractor by the Government of a problem and availability of float for shipping from the specified Government address.

(16) Contractor must provide the Government any unusual or customized tools required for float modification, repair, and communication (e.g. special wrenches, vacuum fittings, communications interfaces, and so on), as well as initial training (Government personnel may travel to a Contactor's facility at Government expense for this purpose) and subsequent advice for Government personnel in float testing, repair, and communication as requested by the Government.

(17) Contractor must provide a manual or manuals (and any associated software) that include instructions on deployment, float self-tests, and data decoding specifics.

(18) Floats must be capable of self-activation upon deployment.

(19) Floats must be certified and designed to withstand shipment including by land, sea, or air, prior to deployment.

B) Additional Instrument Features:

(1) Biodegradable packaging enabling deployment from a rapidly moving vessel

(2) Floats with sufficient energy in their standard configuration to perform the above functions for more than 6 years with a duty cycle of 10 days (more than 219 profiles).

(3) Iridium/GPS floats using Iridium SBD rather than Iridium RUDICS.

(4) Floats with tested ice detection and avoidance software.

C) Delivery Schedule:

Orders placed of twelve (12) items or less will be required to be delivered within sixty

(60) calendar days after award of the order. Orders greater than twelve (12) will be delivered in increments of twelve (12), with the first twelve (12) floats to be delivered within sixty (60) calendar days after award of the order and the remaining to be delivered in increments of twelve (12) every thirty (30) calendar days thereafter. Example: Order placed for 41 floats on 1 July. First 12 floats due no later than 29 August, with next 12 due by 28 September, 12 more due no later than 28 October, and the final 5 floats due by 27 November. PMEL may elect to specify in an order fewer floats in each delivery, or to have deliveries over longer time intervals at their discretion.