PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE.pdf

PRESOLICITATION NOTICE/Notice of Intent to Sole Source

Agency: U.S. Department of Commerce

Operating Unit: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Notice Type: Pre-solicitation Notice/Notice of Intent to Sole Source

Point of Contact Contracting Officer: Donald Graham

Address:

U.S. Department of Commerce

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Acquisition Management Division (AMD)

100 Bureau Drive

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

Telephone: 301-975-6753

Email: donald.graham@nist.gov

Codes for Services or Supplies

Product Service Code (PSC): 8120 – Commercial and Industrial Gas Cylinders

NAICS Code: 332420 – Metal Tank Manufacturing

Small Business Size Standard: 750 Employees

Description of Supplies or Services

The contractor will be required to deliver Non-SGS Luxfer Brand cylinders in accordance with the Statement of Requirements.

For supplies, as applicable:

The Material Measurement Laboratory’s Gas Sensing Metrology Group (GSMG) of the Chemical Science Division is committed to supporting the NIST gas Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) and NIST-Traceable Reference Materials (NTRMs) programs. To support the SRM and NTRM programs, GSMG maintains groups of Primary gas Standard Materials (PSMs). Many gas PSMs are depleted, and GSMG is in urgent need of producing replacement PSMs. GSMG requires new, highly stable, non-reactive aluminum gas cylinders for the production of new PSMs for both non-reactive and reactive gas mixtures.

The production of PSMs requires the use of stable, long lifespan gas cylinders that exceed the specifications found in industry. These gas cylinders are required to hold gas mixtures stable for several years without any change in the composition of the gas. Gas mixtures range from non-reactive to reactive and at concentrations that range from low to high. Sources of deviation from long-term stability include impurities and moisture trapped in the cylinder walls during production, reactions with the gas cylinder walls, reactions with the gas cylinder valve, and the presence of any leaks. Particularly for the low concentrations that NIST sometimes uses, even small levels of reactivity will affect the stability of the gas mixture after years of containment.

With proper maintenance typical cylinders provide mechanical stability last for about 10 years but not implied that typical cylinders maintain chemical stability of the gas mixture for 10 years. NIST requires a cylinder that provides chemical stability of gas mixtures for a minimum of 10 years, as verified by NIST-internal stability measurements. Some cylinders still perform well and the measurements of gas components inside are still stable after over 30 years.

Market research by the Government has identified the Luxfer brand Non-SGS Aluminum gas cylinders, as the only cylinders capable of long-term chemical stability. Five to ten years of testing is required for stability testing. The Luxfer brand aluminum cylinders have continually demonstrated its met requirements for over 30 years. Other branded cylinders are currently being tested, however, there is not enough evidence for long-term stability to determine if the cylinders can meet requirements.

Procedures for Award and Anticipated Award Date

The Government anticipates awarding the contract using Simplified Acquisition Procedures in accordance with applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requirements.

The anticipated contract type is Firm-Fixed Price.

The anticipated award date is September 2026

Noncompetitive Contract Action

The Government intends to negotiate a contract on a noncompetitive basis with EffecTech.

The anticipated contract action is noncompetitive because research indicates that are no alternative sources that are capable of meeting the requirements of the Statement of Requirements. No other source has been located within the United States that can provide Non-SGS cylinders. EffecTech is the sole provider of the specific cylinders.

The Government does not anticipate soliciting other sources.

Responsible sources that believe they can satisfy the Government's requirement may submit information demonstrating their capability to provide the required supplies or services to the Contracting Officer at the address/email identified in this notice.

Important Notice This pre-solicitation notice is not a request for proposals, quotations, or bids unless expressly stated otherwise. The Government is providing this notice to inform interested parties of its anticipated acquisition and to facilitate appropriate business planning. The Government reserves the right to modify the anticipated acquisition strategy, requirements, estimated value, contract type, solicitation schedule, or any other aspect of the acquisition.