QA Summary KTR.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 16 KB Posted
- Attached to
- SPE4A224R0015 Q&A Updated
- Solicitation number
- SPE4A224R00150001
- Issued by
-
Defense Logistics Agency Aviation
About this file
This document is a summary of questions and answers related to a federal contract opportunity for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to acquire two mission-critical virgin hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) compressed gases - Heptafluoropropane (HFC227ea) and Hexafluoropropane (HFCR236fa).
The key details are:
- The solicitation SPE4A2-24-R-0015 was posted on 8/1/2024 and offers are due on 8/30/2024. An amendment SPE4A2-24-R-0015-0001 was posted on 8/21/2024.
- The gases will be placed in static storage at DLA Richmond, Virginia to ensure a sustainable supply for Department of Defense weapons platforms beyond 2060.
- DLA will provide EPA-issued HFC allowances to the awarded vendor. Vendors can propose timelines for delivery, but DLA cannot accept any proposal timelines that extend past 12/31/2025.
- Packaging and purity requirements are specified, and DLA will review sample safety data sheets prior to award.
- DLA may award the gases separately if determined beneficial during evaluation, but preference is for a single award.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| SF30_SPE4A224R00150001.pdf |
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Sheet1
| Questions | Answers | ||
| 1 | Is the bidder responsible for providing 100% of required HFC allowances (quota) in order to import the R-227 and R-236fa? | No, DLA has requested allocations from the EPA and will confer them upon receipt in early January. | |
| 2 | Can you confirm that no Department of Defense set-aside HFC allowances will be transferred or conferred to the company awarded the bid? | We will confer the allowances to the vendor to purchase the product | |
| 3 | When does the question period for this opportunity end? | Questions may be asked up until the solicitation closing date. | |
| 4 | Considering a vendor has not been awarded any past DLA bids what can we do to prove our performance capability to the DLA? | This solicitation utilizes Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) process. Vendors without DLA past performance record will considered neutral. In the context of acceptability/unacceptability, a neutral rating shall be considered acceptable. | |
| 5 | How can a vendor help the DLA gain confidence that if they are awarded this bid, they will perform without fault? | Just follow bid instruction | |
| 6 | Must bulk product be delivered to the warehouse by 10/31/2025? | DLA's requirement is Oct 31, 2025, vendors are encouraged to provide details regarding their timeline for meeting the requirement. If a vendor feels they need to have an extended timeline, they should outline their requirements and what ways you will work to meet the keep closest to DLA's requirement date of Oct 31, 2025. Also, if additional time is needed, please provide a complete timeline of delivery. DLA cannot accept any proposal timelines that extend past Dec 31, 2025. | |
| 7 | In Section B on pages 7, 9 and 12 a Customer RDD/Need Ship Date of 8/22/2024 is noted. Can you please clarify the significance of this date? | The supply planner must have loaded those dates when they created the PR for us to use to create the solicitation. The gasses need to be stateside by October 31, 2025 (we know that technically we have until the end of the calendar year, but we wanted to build in some cushion in case we needed it). As far as the final delivered product, we’re waiting to see what is proposed but would imagine shipments would come to DDRV in CY 2026 | |
| 8 | Please note that DOT only allows for the 150 lb. cylinder to fill to 145 lbs. and the 1200 lb cylinders to fill to 1150 lbs. This would require more cylinders to reach the total required. Please confirm that this is not a problem. | The gas and cylinder requirements align with fill rates used within the industry. No additional cylinders will be authorized under this solicitation. | |
| 9 | A question regarding the AIM Conferral Certificates. We work with the AIM conferral certificates that are required on the HFC products on a daily basis and would like to know if DLA would be providing a POC on the DLA side if we happen to win this opportunity | POC will be provided who will work the conferrals with the company. | |
| 10 | Will you please advise if the DLA will be using its own EPA issued Allowances or will you rely on the suppliers Allowances? | DLA will be using its own EPA issued allowances. | |
| 11 | We did not see a “Buy America” clause. | ||
| Can I assume Imports are allowed? | Yes, import is allowed. | ||
| 12 | Under “ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS” on p. 3 of “Attachment+3…”, it is stated that it is the contractor’s responsibility to obtain and maintain “…certifications, licenses, permits, registrations and approvals…”, however, not identified is the term “allocations”, which is the EPA-defined term of relevance. | ||
| Does the DOD/DLA-AV intend to provide allocations that are in their possession for the execution of this contract-to-be? | Allowances required for this HFC stockpile will be provided by the EPA for this one-time solicitation. |
DLA-AV’s intention that hereinafter it will operate a strategic HFC reserve similar to that for ozone-depleting substances currently in place Country-of-origin for all HFCs under the solicitation is not relevant and is not restricted in any way.
| 13 | When is this bid due by? I see that the Original Inactive Date is Aug. 02, 2024, but wanted to see if an extension was available | The inactive date may be the synopsis. The solicitation was posted today and closes 8/30/2024 |
| 14 | Would Reclaimed product be allowed as long as it is to the ASTM (227) or AHRI (236) spec? | We are currently discussing this with the requirement holders (services) - we may update the response to this question. |
| 15 | If there any type of negotiation on the October of 2025 delivery deadline? | The furthest we would be able to extend is to the end of December 2025 because of the EPA allocation schedule and requirements. |
| 16 | This bid is for both 227ea and 236fa, two different molecules with very different manufacturing processes and situations. Would the DLA consider awarding each molecule separately? | DLA could award the gasses separately, however, that would have to be determined during evaluation as we would have to add the cost of administering two contracts vice one to the evaluation factors. |
| 17 | On attachment 2, only one paint code (orange) is called out but it appears this size will be used for both HFC-227ea and HFC-236fa. Should there be two different paint specs used to distinguish between the different chemicals? | a. 227 cylinder color should be RED and IAW MIL-STD 101C. The 227 is in a disposable cylinder. |
b. 236 cylinder color should be ORANGE for refrigerant and IAW MIL-STD 101C 18 Bid attachment #1 for NSN 8120-01-619-9794 states a pressure rating of 300 psi is required for the 1,200 lb (aka “1/2 Ton”) cylinder. We’ve learned that a 300 psi-rated cylinder is not commercially readily available.
a. Will you accept cylinders with a pressure rating of 400 psi?
b. Will you accept cylinders with a pressure rating of 260 psi? a. Will you accept cylinders with a pressure rating of 400 psi? YES
b. Will you accept cylinders with a pressure rating of 260 psi? NO 19 Acceptance criteria for material weight contained in cylinders: Is there a “+/-“ allowance for material weight per cylinder vs. stated capacity? Or, must cylinders be filled exactly to stated capacity (see below)? Or is DLA-AV not concerned with individual cylinder material weights, only caring about the total material weight delivered?
a. Attachment #1 for NSN 8120-01-619-9794 states 1,200 lb product capacity.
b. Attachment #2 for NSN 8120-01-525-9001 states 150 lb product capacity Respondents are expected to be Industry Experts working with the compressed gases specified in this solicitation. DLA desires each cylinder be filled to the stated Net Target Weight while conforming with applicable D.O.T. regulations, 49CFR173 for Class 2 Non-flammable gases, Compressed Gas Association standards and other Industry accepted Best Practices. Vendors must NOT exceed the Legal fill weight for any cylinders.
| 20 | We would like to get pictures and or technical drawings of both the 150 lb. and 1,200 lb. cylinder sizes showing any specific GHG labeling locations, stenciling, etc. | We can’t access in Cfolders. Please provide the drawings for the two cylinder NIINs. |
| 21 | On our previous call you discussed the bulk product arriving in the US by October 31, 2025 not necessarily delivered by that time. Can we please get some clarification about the required delivery date. | DLA's requirement is Oct 31, 2025, vendors are encouraged to provide details regarding their timeline for meeting the requirement. If a vendor feels they need to have an extended timeline, they should outline their requirements and what ways you will work to meet the keep closest to DLA's requirement date of Oct 31, 2025. Also, if additional time is needed, please provide a complete timeline of delivery. DLA cannot accept any proposal timelines that extend past Dec 31, 2025. |
| 22 | On attachment 3 it specifies a lab report shall be attached to each cylinder in a waterproof envelope. It then says that we can batch test the 150 lb. cylinders. Do we still need to attach the batch lab test report to each cylinder? | Yes, while you can batch test the 150 lb. cylinders, the results from the test must be tied to each individual cylinder. |
| 23 | Attachment 3 states that "All packaging would be in conformance with AHRI-700 Standards"; however, the required purity specifications for HFC-227 show ASTM-6064 Type II, which has a purity requirement of 99.0%. AHRI-700 standard for R-227 is 99.5%. What is the minimum purity requirement for the R227? | Gas is required to meet the specification ASTM-6064 Type II which is called out in the POT. Packaging requirements are IAW AHRI-700. |
| 24 | On attachment 3 there is a paragraph that mentions version E paragraph 4.3 which is not there as the latest version is F. The bid doc section B mentions the SDS and hazard warning labels need to be reviewed and approved by the chemist technical personnel prior to bid award? There is another part in the bid doc that mentions sending 10 days before product shipping? Which is the requirement or is it both? | Correct, the latest version is F and the same information is in paragraph 5.3. Apologize for the confusion, we will like sample SDS’ at proposal to make sure the vendor is technically able to correctly provide the information required. |
| 25 | Is the US GOVT stamp also required on the 150 lb. cylinders? | Yes |
| 26 | On our previous call you mentioned that HFC allowances would be transferred to the winner of the bid. Based on the EPA’s allowance allocation the set aside allowances for the DOD are 2,511,081 allowances/year. This opportunity will require 3,767,590 allowances. Where will the DOD obtain the additional allowances? | DLA has requested allocations from the EPA and will confer them upon receipt in early January. |
| 27 | As the legal maximum fill weight may be very close to the cylinder’s rated capacity, and considering the real-world operational difficulty of filling to a precise poundage 100% of the time, would it be acceptable to DLA-AV if the cylinders are filled to a target weight somewhat under (~5 lb or so?) the rated capacity? | Whatever industry standard practice is for filling as close to capacity rating is within safety constraints for the cylinders. We understand that there may be some limitations, but lean on our industry partners to fill cylinders as much as possible IAW industry best practices. |
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