Combined_Synopsis_Solicitation_.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 DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED.

This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 05-76, effective August 25, 2014.

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334516 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing – with a small business size standard of 500 employees. This acquisition is being procured using full-and-open competition. Simplified acquisition procedures will be utilized.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requires a Countercurrent Chromatography Planetary Centrifuge. The Materials Science and Engineering Division (MSED) of NIST strives to provide high precision measurements and high purity standard materials to facilitate new materials research and development by US industry. The Nanotube Metrology project within the MSED focuses on a specific type of material: single-wall carbon nanotubes. An objective of the project is to purify each and every single nanotube species from a synthetic mixture, with highest resolution and purity. Studies conducted by NIST scientists have shown that the polymer aqueous two-phase method carried out by the countercurrent chromatography is capable of achieving highest resolution and purity in an automated fashion. Acquiring such a capability is expected to increase the output as well as speed (by > 10-fold) of the Division’s carbon nanotube processing capabilities. The required instrument will be used as a fundamental tool within the Nanotube Metrology project for routine chirality fractionation of carbon nanotube dispersions.

This is a Brand Name or Equal Requirement. Brand name or equal description is intended to be descriptive, but not restrictive. It is to indicate the quality and salient characteristics of products that are considered satisfactory to meet the agency’s requirement.

Responsible quoters shall provide pricing for all of the following line items:

LINE ITEM 0001: Quantity one (1) each: Countercurrent Chromatography Planetary Centrifuge, CC Biotech, Model number CPC 204-10001 or equal.

The equipment shall be new and shall meet the following salient characteristics:

1. Capable of generating high recovery (>90%) and high resolution chirality (resolving single-chirality carbon nanotubes in the 0.6 to 0.9 nm diameter range) separation carbon nanotubes;

2. Maximum Speed: up to 2,000 rpm;

3. Minimum Speed: 500 rpm;

4. Two mixer-settler rotors, that shall have the aforementioned speed defined above, with loading and operation temperature defined below;

5. Loading: > 0.5 mL;

6. Temperature control range: 5-30 ºC; and

7. Recovery: > 90%.

LINE ITEM 0002: Quantity one (1) each: HPLC pump system, D-Star Instruments, DGS-200 or equal.

The equipment shall be new and shall meet the following salient characteristics:

1. Automated Binary Gradient HPLC with variable UV detector (195-800nm);

2. Pressure Transducer, pump flow (0.01-9.99 ml/min) injection valve with position sensor;

3. Software for instrument control and data acquisition;

4. PEEK or stainless steel construction and tubing.

LINE ITEM 0003: Quantity one (1) each: Fraction collector, D-Star Instruments, DFC-10 or equal.

The equipment shall be new and shall meet the following salient characteristics:

1. Holds at least 170 test tubes with 12-13 mm diameter;

2. Programmable for both time and drop based fraction collection.

LINE ITEM 0004: Quantity one (1) job: Installation

The Contractor shall provide installation for Line Items 0001 through 0003. Installation shall include, at a minimum, uncrating/unpacking of all equipment, set-up and hook-up of all equipment, start-up, demonstration of all salient characteristics, and removal of all trash. Qualified personnel shall install the equipment and perform all activities necessary to ensure that the equipment is fully functional and meets all salient characteristics. Installation must be scheduled in advance with the NIST Technical Contact to be identified at the time of award.

LINE ITEM 0005: Quantity one (1) job: Training

The Contractor shall schedule and facilitate training for two (2) NIST personnel, on-site at NIST Gaithersburg. The training session shall commence immediately upon successful completion of installation and successful demonstration of salient characteristics during normal business hours (Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time) with the exception of Federal Holidays. The training session shall include, at a minimum: 1.) A thorough demonstration of all of all equipment functions and equipment operation, which will allow NIST personnel to operate the equipment to its full capabilities; 2.) Basic troubleshooting; and 3.) Maintenance and tuning operations.

LINE ITEM 0006: Quantity one (1) year: Warranty The Contractor shall provide, at a minimum, a one year warranty for the equipment. The warranty shall include access to telephone and online technical support. Telephone support shall be available during normal business hours with the exception of Federal Holidays. Online support shall be available 24 hours per day 7 days per week. The warranty shall cover all parts, labor, and travel. The warranty shall commence upon successful completion of delivery, installation, training, and demonstration of all salient characteristics.

DELIVERY

Delivery of the equipment, installation, and training shall be completed in accordance with the Contractor’s commercial schedule, however, all work must be completed not later than 180 days after award.

Delivery shall be made to NIST, Shipping and Receiving, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

Delivery terms shall be FOB Destination. The Contractor shall pack and mark the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the purchase order, be responsible for loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt and acceptance of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the purchase order; and pay all charges to the specified point of delivery.

PAYMENT

One lump sum payment will be made upon successful completion of delivery, installation, training, and demonstration of salient characteristics.

EVALUATION CRITERIA AND BASIS FOR AWARD

Award will be made on a technically acceptable/low price basis.

Technically acceptable means that all quoted products and services meet the salient characteristics and requirements of all line items.

Price will be evaluated for reasonableness.

REQUIRED SUBMISSIONS

All quoters shall submit the following:

1. A technical quotation, which includes all of the following:

a. Documentation and/or product literature, which clearly demonstrates that the equipment being quoted meets all salient characteristics, identified herein;

b. Confirmation that installation, training, and warranty requirements will be met.

2. A firm-fixed price, FOB Destination price quotation;

3. The country of origin for the quoted equipment;

4. This is an Open-Market Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for a Countercurrent Chromatography Planetary Centrifuge system as defined herein. The Government intends to award a Purchase Order as a result of this Combined Synopsis/Solicitation that will include the terms and conditions that are set forth herein. In order to facilitate the award process, ALL quotes shall include a statement regarding the terms and conditions herein as follows:

a. The offeror shall state “The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition.”

OR

b. The offeror shall state “The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following:”

Offeror shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s)

Please note that this procurement IS NOT being conducted under the GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) program or another Government-Wide Area Contract (GWAC). If an offeror submits a quotation based upon an FSS or GWAC contract, the Government will accept the quoted price. However, the terms and conditions stated herein will be included in any resultant Purchase Order, not the terms and conditions of the offeror’s FSS or GWAC contract, and the statement required above shall be included in the quotation;

5. The DUNS # for the quoter’s active System for Award Management (SAM) registration. Quoters must have an active registration at www.SAM.Gov to be considered for award;

6. If the quoter’s representations and certifications do not reflect the NAICS code governing this solicitation, the quoter must submit documentation confirming their business size under the NAICS code governing this solicitation.

DUE DATE FOR QUOTATIONS

E-mail quotations are required. All quotations must be submitted via e-mail to Adam Powell at adam.powell@nist.gov.

Submission must be received not later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, September 8, 2014. A quotation shall be considered received when it is received in the electronic inbox of Adam Powell not later than the date and time identified herein.

Questions: Reference inquiries provision below.

PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES

The full text of a FAR provision or clause may be accessed electronically at https://acquisition.gov/far/index.html

The full text of a CAR provision or clause may be accessed electronically at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/reghtml/regs/other/car/1352.htm

The following provisions apply to this acquisition:

· 52.211-6, Brand Name or Equal

· 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items;

· 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications – Commercial Items;

· 1352.215-72, Inquiries

· Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to Adam Powell, via e-mail adam.powell@nist.gov. Questions should be received no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 5, 2014. Any responses to questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will 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.

In accordance with FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications – Commercial Items, offerors must complete annual representations and certifications on-line at www.SAM.Gov. If paragraph (j) of the provision applies, a written submission is required;

The following clauses apply to this acquisition:

52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items;

52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders – Commercial Items including subparagraphs:

· 52.222-3, Convict Labor;

· 52.222-19, Child Labor—Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies;

· 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities;

· 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity;

· 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities;

· 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving;

· 52.225-3, Buy American Act – Free Trade Agreements-Israeli Trade Act – Alternate III;

· 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases;

· 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-System for Award Management 52.247-34, FOB Destination;

1352.201-70, Contracting Officer’s Authority;

1352.209-73, Compliance with the Laws;

1352.209-74, Organizational Conflict of Interest; and 1352.246-70, Place of Acceptance

Department of Commerce Agency-Level Protest Procedures Level above the Contracting Officer is also incorporated. It can be downloaded at www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/agency.htm.