PWS_Sources_Sought_1.pdf

PERFORMANCE-BASED WORK STATEMENT

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. Introduction

Required by the Mineral Commodity Specialists in the Mineral Commodities Section of the National Minerals Information Center (NMIC) for a 1-year subscription for 5 users to mineral subscription services including data in Excel format with historical and forecast data at the facility-level for lithium mines, lithium chemicals, nickel mines, nickel refineries, cobalt mines, cobalt chemical refineries, fluorspar mines, fluorspar producers, natural graphite mines, natural graphite refineries, and synthetic graphite producers. The required data must include data fields with facility-level information related to country, operator, mine/facility name, facility type, ownership, operating/development status, product, feedstock, historical production, forecast production, production process, downstream integration, facility capacity, and expansion projects. Analyst access is also required to clarify, expand, and explain the data that has been provided, as well as topics related to the data provided. The requiring office is National Minerals Information Center in Reston, Virginia, Minerals Commodities Section.

B. Definitions/Applicable Documents

“Critical Minerals” are defined as mineral commodities that are included on the USGS

List of Critical Minerals which was created in response to Executive Order 13817.

Each of the commodities covered by this subscription are included on the most recent

USGS List of Critical Minerals.

C. Scope

The general purpose of the subscriptions is to obtain information on production of cobalt, fluorspar, nickel, natural graphite, and synthetic graphite. These mineral commodities are critical to the economy and national security of the United States.

Understanding the producers of these mineral commodities is essential for the Mineral

Commodity Specialists to provide timely and accurate data to policy makers and those in other Agencies that need information on the supply of critical minerals.

II. WORK REQUIREMENTS

A. Technical Requirements.

1. Access to data sets on cobalt, lithium, nickel, fluorspar, natural graphite, and synthetic graphite, including facility-level information related to country, operator, mine/facility name, facility type, ownership, operating/development status, product, feedstock, historical production, forecast production, production process, downstream integration, facility capacity, and expansion projects.

2. Criteria for acceptance of Product or Service

Delivery of new reports and data sets is expected regularly. Subscription access is to be granted upon payment for services which will enable the Mineral Commodity

Specialists to use existing data sets and other products. If issues arise, the subscription provider will be contacted to resolve the access issue or other problems.

B. Deliverables.

1. One subscription for each of the listed mineral commodities. These include

Forecasts for cobalt, fluorspar, lithium, nickel, natural graphite, and synthetic graphite. Subscription provider will also provide access to its analysts for consultation by phone and email for questions about data.

2. One-year subscriptions to on-line access of data and reports produced for each of the Mineral Commodity Specialists covering cobalt, lithium, nickel, fluorspar, natural graphite, and synthetic graphite. Access to be granted upon receipt of payment. The specific Mineral Commodity Specialists are to be notified by email that access has been granted with instruction on how to set up an account password.

Newsletters and report updates are to be delivered by email whenever available.

III. SUPPORTING INFORMATION

A. Place of Performance. Subscription access to be provided to Mineral Commodity

Specialists through their Government Furnished computers at their office locations.

B. Period of Performance

The period of subscription is 365 days from receipt of payment. The time to test and review access to the subscriptions is expected to be one day or less.

D. Government Furnished Property (GFP): Each Mineral Commodity Specialist will access the subscription products through their Government Furnished computers.

Value of each laptop is estimated to be less than $5,000. No GFP is provided to the vendor for this contract.

D. Special Considerations.

1. Key personnel qualifications

The subscription provider’s analysts have unique experience and access to producers of the mineral commodities covered.

2. Data Rights, Safety, Environment. Use and dissemination of data from the

Subscription products are subject to terms and conditions given in the contract.

2. Security/Privacy issues

Data is to be provided through on-line access and email. Access is subject to security software used by the USGS.