PWS PL-BHO Artifact Packing and Relocation Final Open Market.docx

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 written solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation number is 88310325Q00059 and is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation documents and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2025-03 effective January 17, 2025. This is a full and open RFQ under NAICS code 488991, Packing and Crating. CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER(S): See Enclosure 1, Schedule of Prices. REQUIREMENT: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has a requirement for specialized fine arts handling, packing, palletizing, transportation, unpacking and storage installation of three-dimensional artifacts and handling, packing and transport of associated museum furniture and equipment of President Barack H. Obama’s Presidential Holdings. See Enclosure 2, Performance Work Statement. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: June 30, 2025 through September 18, 2025. The following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses are incorporated and are to remain in full force in any resultant purchase order. FAR provisions will be removed prior to the award. FAR provision 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Sep 2023). Addenda: (1) Change paragraph (c) to read: Period for acceptance of offers. The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 90 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers. (2) Delete paragraph (h), Multiple Awards. - see below for additional quotation submission instructions. EVALUATION (In lieu of FAR provision 52.212-2): Evaluation and award will be in accordance with Simplified Acquisition Procedures at FAR 13.106, Soliciting Competition, Evaluation of Quotations or Offers, Award and Documentation. Selection of the Contractor for award of this purchase order will be based on NARA’s assessment of the best overall value to the Government. Accordingly, best value for this purchase order will be evaluated based on a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable evaluation. Exceptions taken to any terms and conditions stated in the RFQ must be clearly outlined on a separate page of the Contractor’s quotation entitled “Exceptions”. The Contractor must also include a justification and the cost impact of each exception noted. However, Exceptions may render the quotation unacceptable for award. The Government reserves the right to make an award on the initial quotation without communicating with contractors. For evaluation purposes, the total price for each fixed-price CLIN will be determined by multiplying the quantity by the fixed unit price. FAR provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Products and Commercial Services (May 2024) - 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 shall complete only paragraphs (c) through (v) of this provision. FAR clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2023) – see Enclosure 6, Additional NARA Terms and Conditions (Addenda to FAR clause 52.212-4). FAR clause 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Jan 2025) - see Enclosure 9, FAR Clauses for the full text of this clause and for additional applicable FAR clauses. The Contractor is required to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and maintain registration until final payment in accordance with FAR provision 52.204-7, System for Award Management (Nov 2024). Full text provisions and clauses can be found at http://www.acquisition.gov. QUESTIONS: Questions regarding this RFQ must be submitted in writing to the Contract Specialist, Sheila Drumheller Contract Officer at sheila.drumheller@nara.gov no later than 12:00 PM ET on June 12, 2025 to be considered. Questions submitted in any other manner will not be answered. Contractors are requested to group and submit questions in the same order found in the RFQ while making reference to the particular paragraph number. The Government will answer questions or requests for clarification via a written RFQ amendment. QUOTATION DUE DATE: Quotations must be received by 12:00 PM ET on June 23, 2025. Failure to submit quotations by the due date and time may result in rejection of the quotation as untimely. Contractors submitting via e-mail are cautioned to allow one extra business day for delivery and confirm receipt of quotation as the e-mail will need to pass through IT security. QUOTATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: NARA requests that contractor’s email one (1) copy of the quotation to: sheila.drumheller@nara.gov. Contractors must also submit, with its quotation, representations required by FAR provision 52.204-24, Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment, FAR provision 52.204-26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation, or FAR provision 52.212-3(v), Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation. Please indicate in the quotation if the representations are complete in the contractor’s SAM profile.

To aid you in your planning and quotation development, the following information is provided as attachments to this Request for Quotation:

Enclosure 1: Schedule of Prices Enclosure 2: Performance Work Statement (PWS) Enclosure 3 – Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) Enclosure 4 – Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) Enclosure 5 – Task Order Administration Enclosure 6: – Additional Terms and Conditions - Addenda to FAR Clause 52.212-4 Enclosure 7: – Quotation Submission Instructions and Evaluation Criteria Enclosure 8: – Site Visit Enclosure 9: – FAR 52.212-5 Clauses Attachment 1: Definitions Attachment 2: Floor Plans Hoffman Estates NARA Origin Location Attachment 2a: Photos Hoffman Estates facility Attachment 2b: Photos Hoffman Estates loading dock Attachment 2c: Photos Hoffman Estates shelving, containers and pre-prepared items to be moved Attachment 3: Floor Plans NARA College Park Storage area Attachment 4: NARA carts, dollies, and pallet jacks Attachment 5: Artifacts Needing Packing or Other Preparation Attachment 6: NARA furniture, equipment, and supplies to be moved Attachment 7: NARA Food, Drink, and Tabacco Policies Attachment 8: Non-Disclosure Form (NDA)

An in person site visit (Enclosure 8) has been scheduled for Hoffman Estates on June 10, 2025 at 11:00 AM CST and a site visit at Archives II in College Park, MD on June 11, 2025 at 9:00 AM EST. Contractors planning to attend the in person site visit must furnish the name and title of its representative to Sheila Drumheller (Sheila.drumheller@nara.gov) at least one (1) day prior to the site visit. Contractors are limited to a maximum of two (2) representatives.

Contractors are reminded that questions will not be answered during the in person site visit. However, you can forward all written questions to Sheila Drumheller via email sheila.drumheller@nara.gov and an amendment will be issued to address each question.

Contractor questions regarding this RFQ and any terms and conditions must be submitted in writing to Sheila Drumheller no later than 12:00 PM ET on June 12, 2025. Contractors are requested to group and submit their questions in the same order found in the RFQ while making reference to the particular paragraph number. Contractors are reminded that each question will be addressed through an amendment. If you do not wish to submit a quotation for this effort, you are requested to notify Sheila Drumheller as soon as possible with a reason for the decision to forgo competing for this effort.

ENCLOSURE 1

SCHEDULE OF PRICES

Period of Performance June 30, 2025 through September 18, 2025

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ENCLOSURE 2

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

BARACK OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

RELOCATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ARTIFACTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Office of Presidential Libraries, seeks a qualified and experienced move Contractor to coordinate and provide specialized fine arts handling, packing, palletizing, transportation, unpacking and storage installation of three-dimensional artifacts and handling, packing and transport of associated museum furniture and equipment from the temporary storage facility located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois to the National Archives A2 site in College Park, MD.

The vast majority (99%) of the artifacts to be moved are pre-packaged and containerized inside a variety of standard and non-standard containers that are ready to be palletized and transferred as-is. A limited number of artifacts will require item-level packing, palletization or other preparation prior to transfer from the origin (Hoffman Estates) facility. This work shall incorporate established short-haul fine arts methods and materials such as foam-lined commercial bin boxes, slipcases or other soft-pack or palletization techniques with appropriate cushioning, bracing and protective methods and materials as needed.

At the destination facility (College Park, MD), the majority of artifact containers (about 95%) will be shelved as-is without unpacking. About 5% of the containers will require unpacking and placement of artifact packages or artifacts at pre-determined locations in artifact cabinets, drawers, slotted units, shelves or widespan shelving units.

1.1 Origin:

The origin location is: 1) Barack Obama Presidential Library temporary library facility, 2500 West Golf Road, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169.See Attachment 2 – Floor Plans Hoffman Estates; Attachment 2a – Photos Hoffman Estates facility; 2b Photos Hoffman Estates Loading Dock; and 2c Photos Hoffman Estates Shelving, Containers and pre-Prepared items.

1.2 Destination:

The destination is: The National Archives at College Park, MD –3301 Metzerott Road, College Park, MD 20740. See Attachment 3 - Floor Plans for NARA College Park Storage area. The distance between the origin and destination is approximately 800 miles.

1.3 Location Access:

The Contractor will have access to all active move locations between the hours of 7:30a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for federal holidays. NARA reserves the right to approve or disapprove the Contractor's request for additional hours above and beyond these stated hours.

1.4 Period of Performance:

The preparation and planning for transfer of artifact materials will begin on or around June 16, 2025. The Contractor may have the option to begin preparation and packing early in June 2025. The schedule for packing will be prearranged with the NARA Shipping Coordinator (see section 2.8.2). All artifact and furniture/equipment moves must be completed by September 12, 2025. The move plan currently envisions several trucks a week containing artifacts. These shipments must be coordinated with a simultaneous move of Presidential archival records that must be shipped in the same time period from the Hoffman Estates site to the National Archives at College Park, MD. The scheduling of packing, transport/offloading and storage installation operations, which is estimated at around 12 shipments, will be spaced out as needed over the period of performance.

1.5 This relocation project requires the Contractor or their sub-contractor to provide specialized fine arts quality handling, packing, shipping, unpacking, preparation and storage installation services. All quotations must provide acknowledgement that the Contractor and any sub-contractor have established experience in the handling, packing, transport, preparation and installation of fine arts and other museum artifacts. Each individual will be fully experienced and qualified to perform his/her assigned task(s). The Contractor must provide satisfactory past performance of fine arts transportation and other services to be considered for this project.

1.6 Work Delays:

The Contractor will be responsible for any downtime caused by mechanical problems, shortage of personnel, or equipment, or any accident involving the Contractor’s vehicles or equipment. Excusable delays are those resulting from conditions outside the control of NARA or the Contractor. Some examples are power outages, severe weather conditions, natural disasters, traffic jams, unplanned road closures, acts of terrorism, and any restrictions imposed by government agencies or law enforcement.

1.7 Assumptions and Conditions

1.7.1 The following scope of work is based on reasonable assumptions for the period of performance and productivity.

1.7.2 This project will take place in conjunction with the relocation of textual holdings and Library office and IT materials. The duality of the moves and the complexity of packing and shipping artifacts will limit the number of weekly artifact and museum equipment shipments. Every effort will be made to allow continual work to be performed on this project, however the Contractor must understand that this may not always be possible and must be prepared to coordinate closely with NARA to maintain a viable work schedule.

1.7.3 The Contractor will provide all necessary equipment, materials and personnel to complete the work outlined in this statement, including sufficient experienced drivers, hands-on fine art packers/handlers (estimated 5-6) and at least one experienced Preparator to complete the necessary work.

1.7.4 Should the Contractor exceed the allotted time for shipments due to Contractor inefficiencies, lack of productivity or production, scheduling errors, Contractor-provided transportation, equipment or supplies shortcomings, the Contractor will be subject to removal from the project. This is at NARA’s discretion.

1.7.5 NARA will maintain rigorous inventory and location tracking throughout the project. The Contractor and NARA will independently cross-validate load manifests for each shipment upon dispatch and upon arrival the receiving end. Both the Contractor and NARA will sign-off on shipment manifest documents that will confirm the quantities agree.

1.7.6 NARA will provide a proposed move schedule at the beginning of the period of performance, with some periods possible when no shipments will be scheduled due to conflicting schedules with other projects, or lack of dock or facility access. The move schedule and start/completion dates may be changed, delayed or extended by NARA. Every effort will be made to notify the contractor of schedule change requests at least one week in advance. Contractor requests for changes to the shipment schedule should be forwarded to NARA at least five business days in advance for the best chance of successful rescheduling.

1.7.7 Upon completion of the work each day, the Contractor will remove (from the new and existing facilities), Contractor-provided materials, such as shrink-wrap, spent packing material, unused gloves, cables, straps, etc. and all discarded containers and other packing material resulting from unpacking operations. The Contractor must provide appropriate containers and ensure that all waste and recycled products are disposed of properly. Work areas will be monitored each day to keep areas free of move-related debris and trash. The Contractor will coordinate trash removal and recycling with NARA in compliance with facility restrictions and authorities. Emptied NARA wood crates and NARA-provided pallets in good-condition will largely be directed for re-use, and will be positioned by the Contractor at NARA-designated locations for further disposition.

1.7.8 When work is complete at a specific facility, the Contractor will remove from that site all Contractor-provided move supplies, tools and equipment (transport devices, coverings, carts, conveyors, and other similar items) within a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 2 days following the completion of the final shipment.

1.7.9 Access to truck parking and staging areas at both facilities is limited and will need to be pre-scheduled in order to smoothly coordinate access for simultaneous move operations Dock access and access to staging areas will be verified at least 24 hours in advance of each shipment.

1.7.10 The Contractor is responsible financially for any/all damages to NARA property or facilities as a result of their actions or that of a subcontracted employee, including, lack of protection, mishandling or mistreatment of government property. The Contractor will also be responsible for protecting from damage all hallways, floors, stairways, windows, windowsills, shelving, landscaping, and loading dock entrances utilized for the move at both the origin and destination locations. The Contractor with NARA will conduct a thorough walk-through of all work spaces (docks, hallways, aisles, storage bays, offices, etc.) prior to work beginning in that respective area. This walk-through will document existing damages and items in disrepair. Both parties (Contractor, NARA,) will sign documentation of these existing damages so as to arrive at a baseline for any move-related damages. Upon completion of each shipment, and at the conclusion of the project, a walk-through will be conducted with the parties (Contractor, NARA) to document any damages requiring attention. Any damages caused by the Contractor will be documented and reported to the Shipping Coordinator and may be reviewed via walk-through with the contractor upon request in order to verify the extent of the damages and determine appropriate corrective actions. For any damages caused by the Contractor, the Contractor will, at NARA’s discretion, have the option of fixing designated items to the government‟s satisfaction, and/or will directly reimburse NARA or the Building Owner for any applicable repairs. All repairs must be completed prior to project completion.

2.1 SCOPE OF WORK

2.1.0 General:

The Contractor will provide all management, supervision, personnel, vehicles and other equipment, tools, materials, spare parts, and transportation necessary to plan for and move approximately 19,000 cubic feet of artifacts and approximately 5500 cubic feet of other museum property owned or held by the Federal government facility indicated in paragraph 1.1 to the new facility identified in paragraph 1.2.

2.1.1 High Value Shipment(s):

The “Shipment Declared Value” will be provided for each shipment. The Contractor will transport 1 or more shipments that will have a “Shipment Declared Value” of $1,000,000 or over.

2.1.2 Fine Arts Handling:

This project requires the movement of a wide variety of unique and historic artifacts to include (not exclusively) paintings, sculptures, furniture, prints, drawings, textiles, models, ceramics, silver, crystal, dolls, jewelry, medals, coins, costumes, other articles and collections associated with the administration and life of President Barack Obama. As such, fulfillment of this PWS requires careful understanding and distinct expertise to ensure their protection and availability for future use. Most artifacts holdings are pre-containerized for fine arts handling, others (see paragraph 2.1.4)will require additional handling, packing, unpacking and other preparation at the item level both at origin and destination locations.

2.1.3 Palletization:

The vast majority (approximately 99%) of the artifact collection is pre containerized in standard or custom-sized shipping containers ready to be palletized for transfer to the new facility, as well as wood crates and oversized items, to be moved using carts, dollies or other NARA-approved equipment and placed directly on trucks according to size and pre-determined orientation. The range of materials to be prepared for shipment is described in ATTACHMENT 1 – Definitions, ATTACHMENT 2c - Photos Hoffman Estates Shelving, Containers, and Pre-Prepared Items to be moved, and ATTACHMENT 2c – Containers and Pre-prepared Items to be Moved, etc. A preliminary list of these container types and counts includes approximately 190 pallet boxes, 370 banana boxes, 385 FRC boxes, 40 soft-packed artifacts, and about 7000 cu feet (650 crates and other non-standard sized boxes) of various sizes.

Standard pallet/skids for this move are 30”W x 36”L (entry short W side) to accommodate standard NARA containers and pallet configurations. Larger pallet sizes may be utilized as needed (see paragraph 2.2.6 and sections 7 and 8). Though a limited number of NARA pallets, dollies and carts are available for use (see section 7 and ATTACHMENT 4 NARA Carts, Dollies and Pallet jacks). Appropriate pallets, dollies and other transfer equipment sufficient to accomplish the move must be provided by the Contractor. The Contractor will provide in their proposal an indication of how container handling and transfer will be approached.

2.1.3 Packing:

The contractor will be required to pack, containerize and/or otherwise prepare approximately 10 artifacts (slip case or slat crate construction) and 50 artifact packages prior to shipment from the origin destination. These are further described in ATTACHMENT 5 – Artifacts Needing Packing or Other Preparation. The materials and methods used will be established short-haul fine arts packing methods such as commercial bin boxes with ethafoam-lined bottoms, corrugated slip-cases or other custom soft-packing configurations and/or palletization, with appropriate cushioning, bracing and surface-protective methods and materials as needed to protect each artifact. All methods and materials are subject to NARA approval. The Contractor will provide in their proposal an indication of how the packing and preparation tasks will be approached. The Contractor will provide all bin boxes and other materials to appropriately brace, cushion, protect artifact surfaces and otherwise protect artifacts and artifact packages as needed and all tools needed to manipulate these materials. Bin boxes and other packing/preparation materials may be re-used for multiple shipments as long as they remain clean and intact.

2.1.4 Unpacking / Preparation / Installation:

At the College Park, MD destination, about 95% of the approximate total 1650 artifact containers will be de-palletized and shelved as-is, and an estimated 5% will be unpacked to the artifact package or artifact item level and installed at pre-determined locations in storage cabinets, drawers, slotted units, shelves and wide-span units. Both depalletization and unpacking teams will work directly with NARA staff to maintain inventory, container and/or object condition, and location control and verification using NARA forms and protocols. Shelving protocol of pallet boxes described in Attachment 1- Definitions. A preliminary list of container types and counts to be unpacked include approximately 900 cu feet (45 crates and 10 soft packed pallets) constituting 325 artifacts including framed artwork, garments, sculptures, clocks, jewelry, and decorative arts pieces. Certain containers must be unpacked in order to accommodate the collection within the Library’s storage configuration. Additional containers will be designated for unpacking as time permits within the overall project schedule.

2.1.6 Transfer of Supplies, Furniture and Equipment:

The preparation and movement of approximately 5500 cubic feet of museum supplies, furniture, equipment, and related items is required. Currently the referenced items are located in the following rooms: 5, 19, 24, and 35 and are listed in ATTACHMENT 6 - Photos NARA FURNITURE, EQUIPMENT, and SUPPLIES TO BE MOVED. Larger items will need to be prepared with appropriate protection (eg furniture blankets and/or shrinkwrap) and secured to appropriate pallets by the Contractor. NARA employees will pre-box smaller material to be moved from offices and other areas so that they are ready for palletization. Most supplies and office files will be packed in standard one cubic foot records center cartons or larger cartons as needed and will be deposited as-is at designated areas at the destination location.

Larger specialty items, equipment and furniture will require blanket-wrapping, shrink-wrapping or other appropriate protection, and will be securely palletized or otherwise moved on dollies or carts as appropriate to facilitate handling and to protect the items from damage. The Contractor will be responsible to load, transport, unload and place these items at pre-determined museum office and work locations. All furniture and equipment items and boxes will be tagged for easy identification. The tag will also indicate the specific room or workstation destination at the new NARA facility. Additional dedicated shipments of or individual movement of furniture/supplies equipment will be prioritized and coordinated with the movement of artifacts in quantities that maximizes the trailer capacities and supports the overall efficiency and expediency of the move project.

2.1.7 Transport / Scheduling:

The scheduling of packing, transport/offloading and storage installation operations, which is estimated at around 12 shipments, will be spaced out as needed over the move period. The Contractor will work with NARA to scope each cargo load to include an appropriate selection of materials such that preparation, move, unpacking and installation schedules can be maintained. All artifacts must be moved on climate-controlled trucks with air-ride suspension. All shipments must be loaded onto vehicles immediately prior to departure and offloaded immediately upon arrival at the destination site. No government property may be left or held on trucks overnight or for extended periods of time when not in transit, or any artifacts exposed for more than brief periods to non climate-controlled conditions.

2.1.9 Handling:

All artifacts, artifact packages, artifact containers and crates and special museum furniture/equipment may only be handled, loaded, secured and unloaded onto cargo trailers by qualified and experienced fine arts handlers. The Contractor is responsible for providing all strapping, bars, padding and other protection and utilizing such equipment to secure all NARA property on trucks in order to protect material from shifting and damage in transport.

2.2 Palletization and Inventory Control – Origin Location

2.2.1 The Contractor will remove from shelving or floor locations and prepare each day only materials on corresponding pull lists or as directed by the Shipping Coordinator or designate. Under NARA oversight, Contractor laborers will be asked to verify NARA packing and pallet lists/forms as part of the inventory control process.

2.2.2 The Contractor must maintain an independent inventory/manifest of all pallets and other separate containers loaded onto each shipment trailer. This manifest will be verified for each shipment against the NARA inventory/manifest upon the final loading at the origin location and at the initial unloading at the destination location.

2.2.3 The collection is comprised of a wide variety of objects, the vast majority of which are already pre-prepared as “artifact packages” (see Attachment 1 – Definitions) and packed or grouped in standard NARA “FRC”, “banana”, or “pallet” boxes, several standard wood crate sizes; and additional custom-sized cartons, crates or tubes. Oversized/bulky items are pre-palletized or packed in custom wood crates, individual slip-cases, or otherwise soft packed to be loaded/shipped as-is.

2.2.4 Contractor personnel, including sub-contractors, and art handlers must not open any closed container or disturb other packing configurations without the consent and supervision of NARA personnel. The contractor will immediately report any damaged, exposed, spilled or open containers to the NARA POC on site,

2.2.5 Palletization of standard and other pre-prepared containers will generally follow a number of standard pallet configurations see Attachment 1 - Definitions. NARA will closely oversee and document configurations and inventories using standard NARA forms and methods.

2.2.6 All pallet configurations are subject to NARA approval. Pallets may be re-used for multiple shipments as long as they remain in sound condition. Plastic pallets are preferred where possible.

2.2.7 During palletization, cardboard must be placed between the pallet and the first level of boxes or containers placed on the pallet, and between additional layers as designated by NARA staff, All containers and soft-packed items must remain in the orientation presented unless otherwise approved by NARA.

2.2.8 Once pallet contents have been verified by NARA, each one is to be shrink-wrapped from over the top and around to bottom including the pallet to consolidate the load. Cardboard corners must be affixed to each corner where straps will be placed on the outside of the cardboard corners to vertically secure the load to the pallet. If necessary as determined at the time of palletizing, additional cardboard or corners may be added to provide more stability or protection as needed.

2.2.9 During shrink-wrapping, each pallet or other configuration that will be independently loaded onto a truck will be provided with a unique, sequentially numbered number/label for transfer to the destination NARA College Park, MD facility. Number labels must face outward, and be placed on all four (4) sides to be considered ready for shipment.

2.2.10 In addition to a pallet label, the NARA POC will label or flag designated containers to indicate that the container is to be set aside for unpacking rather than direct shelving at the NARA College Park, MD destination.

2.2.11 NARA staff will audit pallet contents and numbering to assure that inventory listings and pallet inventories correspond, and will track/monitor numbering as pallets are loaded and unloaded for each shipment.

2.2.12 The Contractor must require proper handling to ensure that boxes/containers or soft-packed items are not dropped, spilled, dumped, dented, torn, abraded, collapsed, crushed, soiled, or otherwise damaged in any way. The Contractor will cover costs for any repairs or replacement resulting from such actions. The Contractor must require that boxes and containers are not tossed, slid, or thrown at any time, and that boxes and soft-wrapped items are handled one at a time with appropriate equipment.. All boxes will be lifted using two hands to support the box bottom. Unless otherwise approved by NARA, all artifacts, artifact packages and containers must remain in the orientation presented throughout the move. Any boxes that appear unstable or that are damaged or torn should be brought to the immediate attention of the NARA. If the damage is too severe, NARA personnel will direct box replacement or other mitigation as needed.

2.2.13 Hand pallet jacks, dollies or carts with hard rubber wheels and power lifts only may be used to handle containers and pallets. A limited number of NARA pallets, dollies and carts are available for use (see section 7 and ATTACHMENT 4 NARA Carts, Dollies and Pallet jacks). There is no guarantee that NARA equipment will be available for use by the Contractor. In the event that NARA equipment is used by the Contractor, procedures listed in section 7 Government Furnished Equipment must be adhered to.

2.3 Item-Level Packing and Preparation – Origin Location

2.3.1 This project requires the Contractor to pack or otherwise prepare at the item and/or package level approximately 100 artifacts and 50 artifact packages prior to transport - See ATTACHMENT 5 – Artifacts Needing Packing or Preparation. This work will utilize established short-haul softpacking methods/materials such as foam-lined commercial bin boxes, corrugated slipcases and/or palletization methods, with additional foam planking/sheeting, bubble wrap, tissue or other materials as needed to appropriately cushion, brace, protect artifact surfaces and otherwise protect individual artifacts. All methods and materials are subject to NARA approval.

2.3.2 Preparation and packing of museum furniture and equipment material will also be required. These materials are listed in ATTACHMENT 6 – NARA Furniture, Equipment, and Supplies. Much of this material is fragile, costly and/or specialized or unique to the museum operation and will require appropriate padding, cushioning, or other protection.

2.3.3 The Contractor must select only those objects or artifact packages for packing as directed by NARA staff. NARA will provide a list of these items including documentation of any existing damage or other condition issues, and ensure that all objects are appropriately marked with artifact ID numbers. NARA will closely oversee packing operations and documentation using standard NARA forms and methods. The Contractor will co-verify object ID numbers, object conditions and packing lists as packing proceeds, and must notify NARA immediately if any discrepancies are noted.

2.3.4 Each completed bin box or other configuration must be consolidated and enclosed with a lid or plastic and/or shrink-wrap to fully protect contents, and provided with a unique pallet number visible on all four sides.

2.3.5 The Contractor is expected to provide all boxes, packing, and assembly materials for packing operations. The Contractor is required to provide any and all tools needed to manipulate packing materials.

2.3.6 The Contractor must require proper handling (including the use of gloves where directed) to ensure that individual artifacts, artifact packages, boxes/containers are not dropped, spilled, dented, torn, abraded, collapsed, crushed, soiled, or otherwise damaged in any way and will cover costs for any repairs or replacement resulting from such actions. Each item must be handled one at a time as appropriate for the item being handled. Unless otherwise approved by NARA, all artifacts and artifact packages must remain in the orientation presented. Any items that appear to be unstable, or are damaged or compromised should be brought to the immediate attention of the NARA. The Contractor will be responsible for reimbursing NARA for any conservation or repair costs caused by improper handling or preparation by the Contractor. Only qualified and experienced individuals may be assigned handling and packing tasks.

2.3.7 Hand pallet jacks, dollies, or carts with hard rubber wheels and power lifts only may be used to handle and move completed bin boxes and/or completed pallets or other configurations. There is no guarantee that NARA equipment will be available for use by the Contractor. In the event that NARA equipment is used by the Contractor, procedures listed in Section 7 must be adhered to.

2.4 Contractor Transports Artifacts and other Materials to Destination Location

2.4.1 Contractor employees must be escorted throughout the origin and destination facilities. NARA personnel must be present during the relocation of any NARA property.

2.4.2 In their quotation, the Contractor will propose preliminary specifications and quantities on the trucks and trailers (acceptable to NARA) needed to transport the artifacts and other materials from the origin to the destination locations within the project performance period. NARA and the Contractor will convene and agree upon the specific content, quantity and general loading configuration for each shipment, and subsequent de-palletization and unpacking schedules prior to each shipment, and will co-monitor the overall progress of the move through weekly progress reports and meetings. Load plans and configurations are subject to NARA approval particularly with regards to any vertical stacking within trailer compartments.

2.4.3 The Contractor will ensure the trucks/trailers contain all requisite stabilizer bars or means of stabilizing the load, protecting the contents, and assuring the safety of handlers and drivers.

2.4.4 The Contractor will ensure that all transport devices (including trucks/trailers) used to transport NARA property are clean, dry, free of stains, chemicals, oils and foodstuffs, and insect infestation at all times. Trailers/trucks used must be free of leaks. The Contractor will make all arrangements and resolve all problems related to transportation.

2.4.5 All trailers used for transport of NARA property must be artifact materials must be rigid vans (no soft side trailers) with working air-ride suspension. All trailers used for artifact transport must be climate-controlled with air-ride suspension. The temperature within the trailer must be 70 degrees prior to loading and must be maintained at 70 degrees + 2 degrees Fahrenheit. No artifacts may be moved as part of non climate controlled shipments. Dedicated shipments of furniture and supplies do not require climate-control.

2.4.6 No government property may be left or held on trucks overnight or for extended periods of time or any artifacts exposed for more than brief periods to non climate-controlled conditions.

2.4.7 The Hoffman Estates facility (origin) has a loading dock area that can accommodate two 53-foot trucks -–see ATTACHMENT 2b – Photos Hoffman Estates Loading Dock. Only one truck will be permitted to be loaded or unloaded at any time. The Contractor must pre-arrange with NARA for any extended parking of rigs, trailers or other vehicles and not impede the work of other shipping or exhibit fabrication contractors.

2.4.8 Current dock protection at the origin Hoffman Estates facility may not prevent pallets from becoming wet during rain events The Contractor may be required to provide plastic coverings for pallets, other containers, or transport devices to prevent damage from rain or other weather events. NARA property must not become damp or wet during loading or unloading operations. Shipping operations may be suspended if severe weather arises or is indicated.

2.4.9 The destination NARA at College Park, MD has a loading dock area that can accommodate a 53-foot truck. Only one truck will be permitted to be loaded or unloaded at any time. The NARA A2 destination has a covered dock.

2.4.10 NARA will provide specifications as to which types of containers or pallets may be vertically stacked within trailer compartments. Without NARA consultation, only a single layer of pallets or containers must be placed in the truck trailer.

2.4.11 All pallets, containers, trolleys, blankets and other items in the truck will be secured by the Contractor as needed against movement, for example by strapping to the walls and appropriately cornered and/or padded to prevent impingement or other damage to containers or softpacked items by strapping or bars. NARA may require the Contractor to provide additional strapping and/or padding or handling techniques and materials at any time during the process in order to ensure the safety of the materials on the truck during transport. The Shipping Coordinator may prevent the shipment from leaving the origin if he/she believes the artifacts are not safely secured.

2.4.12 Contractor will ensure that the quoted numbers and types of trucks and trailers are available each day to transport designated materials. Truck identification details including make and plate numbers will be recorded by NARA upon arrival at the origin site.

2.4.13 NARA employees will secure all trailer doors with NARA-provided seals for locks prior to departure. Seals may only be removed by NARA personnel.

2.4.14 Trucks will be for the exclusive use of NARA while transporting NARA materials. Transportation will be over road. No rail transport during any leg of travel is permissible.

2.4.15 Trucks must be equipped appropriately for holdings being transported, including strapping and/or crossbars for securing pallets and other containers, blankets, plastic sheeting, etc.

2.4.16 All trucks must be traceable using GPS and the Shipping Coordinator or NARA designated staff must have access to the GPS information in order to track the shipment. If there is a problem during transit as in delayed due to breakdown or driver needs to change the route, the driver must contact the Shipping Coordinator.

2.4.17 Dual driving teams are required for all shipments. At no time may a truck bearing NARA property be left unattended.

2.4.18 Both drivers must be qualified and licensed to operate the required equipment. Drivers must be American Citizens and have adequate command of the English language to preclude communications problems, safety issues, and to meet security standards.

2.4.19 Truck routes must be non-stop, direct, and decided in advance with the Library staff and NARA Security. No stops are permitted other than the National Archives at College Park, MD with no unscheduled stops, layovers, or truck switches. The route should be the shortest, most direct route available and must be provided in advance.

Any deviation to the supplied route must be due to unavoidable weather or road conditions and must be approved by the Shipping Coordinator. If the vehicle is in transit and must be re-routed the driver must receive verbal approval from the Shipping Coordinator. Contact information for Contractor and NARA personnel will be exchanged/confirmed prior to each shipment departure.

2.4.20 NARA may provide an escort for some or all shipments. This is at NARA’s discretion. NARA will provide the escort which will consist of NARA personnel utilizing NARA vehicles.

2.4.21 All shipments must be in compliance with State and Federal statutes, regulations, and law and must abide by all state and federal laws regarding speed or other road rules and requirements.

2.4.22 Shipments shall move without undue delay, and shall remain under surveillance and secured from origin to destination. Shipment shall be deemed to be under surveillance and secured as long as the trailer doors shall be locked and properly sealed (provided by NARA) at all times. NARA staff will lock and seal trailers at origin and unlock and break the seal at destination.

2.4.23 The Contractor will be responsible for any downtime caused by mechanical problems, or any accident involving the Contractor’s vehicles.

2.4.24 Truck parking and staging areas will be limited at the origin and destination. The Shipping Coordinator will assign the Contractor specific staging areas.

2.5 Shipment Schedules

2.5.1 Movements may only take place on NARA business days, with the exception of days when all facilities will be closed: June 19, 2025; July 4, 2025; September 1, 2025. No labor may be performed, and no shipments may be in transit over the weekend or on any of the days mentioned above.

2.5.2 Contractor will guarantee the availability of trucks as early as 8:00 AM at the Hoffman Estates facility (origin).

2.5.3 Shipments must be scheduled to assure delivery to the National Archives at College Park, MD will provide enough time for unloading prior to 4:30 PM.

2.6 Offload, De-Palletize, Shelve, Install – Destination Location

2.6.1 The Contractor will offload pallets and containers from the trucks, move them to the appropriate room locations in the new facility as directed by the Shipping Coordinator or designated NARA staff.

2.6.2 At the destination location the Contractor will use hand pallet jacks, dollies, or carts with hard rubber wheels and power lifts only may be used to handle, offload and move containers and pallets to designated facility locations. A limited number of NARA pallet jacks, dollies and carts are available for use (see section 7 and ATTACHMENT 4 NARA Carts, Dollies and Pallet Jacks). There is no guarantee that NARA equipment will be available for use by the Contractor. In the event that NARA equipment is used by the Contractor, procedures listed in section 7 Government Furnished Equipment must be adhered to.

2.6.3 The Contractor will break down pallets and/or set pallets and/or containers aside for unpacking under the direction of the Shipping Coordinator or designated NARA staff. The Contractor will de-palletize and shelve at NARA-designated locations all containers designated by NARA to be directly shelved. The Contractor will likewise de-palletize and place at NARA-designated locations all NARA equipment and supplies according to NARA tags and instructions. The Shipping Coordinator or designated NARA staff members will coordinate the placement and shelving process with contractor personnel.

2.6.4 Containers designated “pallet boxes” See ATTACHMENT 1 - Definitions will require interim transfer from plastic pallets to a solid-top hardwood dolly in order to be shelved at the receiving site:

De-palletization and transfer of pallet boxes from pallet to dolly must be executed by a three-person team. Transfer from dolly to the shelving compartment must be executed by a two-person team. Total time to execute this operation is estimated as 5-7 minutes for each pallet box, from depalletizing to shelving.

2.6.5 The Contractor must not open any closed container or artifact package unless specifically designated by NARA staff. The Contractor must immediately notify NARA staff if spillage or other damage occurs and not attempt to re-box or handle the artifacts.

2.6.6 NARA staff will independently verify the accuracy of the materials moved, placed, and shelved. Contractor personnel will be asked to assist with certain verifications of inventory and location information using standard NARA forms or procedures.

2.6.7 The artifact materials and holdings adjacent to the assets being moved are unique and many of their containers are considered long-term housing, therefore the Contractor must account for this and prevent boxes from being dented, torn, abraded, crushed, soiled or otherwise damaged. The Contractor will be responsible for reimbursing NARA for any conservation, repairs or replacement costs resulting from such actions. To minimize the risk of damage, the Contractor is required to handle materials in the same orientation as presented (vertical or horizontal containers must remain in their respective orientation without tipping, turning upside down, tearing, dropping, etc.). If the Contractor personnel are not sure of the orientation, they should ask the Shipping Coordinator or designated NARA staff for clarification.

2.6.8 The Contractor will, as directed by the Shipping Coordinator, or designated NARA staff, assist in the unpacking of designated boxes and crates when requested. No more than an estimated 5% of artifact containers will be designated for unpacking. This will include some custom wood crates as well as large cartons and soft-packed/palletized garment boxes and other items designated for large or wide-span shelving, and designated standard containers containing small/medium sized objects to be installed in cabinets, drawers, slotted units or shelving or floor positions. This level of unpacking is contingent upon the installation of new shelving at the College Park, MD facility. Additional containers will be designated for unpacking as time permits within the overall project schedule.

2.6.9 Artifact unpacking from multi-item containers will generally proceed only to the artifact package level (see ATTACHMENT 1 – Definitions). De-containerized artifact packages will be shelved as-is on NARA-designated storage shelves, cabinets and other units. NARA will independently verify final locations. Certain artifact packages must be unpacked in order to accommodate artifacts within the Library’s storage configuration. Additional artifact packages will be designated for unpacking as time permits to within the overall project schedule.

2.6.10 NARA will provide lists or further directions detailing what pieces of the artifact collection will be unpacked from artifact packages for storage installation, based on storage configuration needs and available time between incoming shipments. NARA will directly oversee unpacking. Each artifact’s identification and condition must be verified and documented by NARA staff immediately upon unpacking. No further manipulation of artifacts or alterations or changes to hanging hardware may be done by the Contractor without prior approval by NARA staff.

2.7 Security

2.7.1 Artifacts must be escorted and monitored by a NARA staff member at all times in all the facilities. Any theft, stealing or damage to artifacts or other government property is a serious offense and is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The penalties are severe and include significant fines and imprisonment if found guilty.