NB643040-14-03621_Combined_Synopsis.doc

CLASSIFICATION CODE: R425—Engineering and Technical Services SUBJECT: Services – Scientific Expert to Perform Nanocalorimetry Measurements, Calibrations and Fabrication at NIST

SOLICITATION NUMBER: SB1341-14-RQ-0824

RESPONSE DATE: September 12, 2014

CONTACT POINTS:

Kim Stavish, Contract Specialist, (301) 975-2672

Andrea Parekh, Contracting Officer, (301) 975-6984

DESCRIPTION:

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 SERVICES-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A SEPARATE WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED. THE SOLICITATION IS BEING ISSUED USING SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES.

This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-76.

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541712 with a small business size standard of 500 employees.

THIS ACQUISITION IS 100% SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESS. The contractor shall be a small business under the applicable size standard (SEE ABOVE) and shall provide either its own product or that of another manufacturing or processing concern. See FAR 19.102(f)(4) for additional information.

1352.215-72 INQUIRIES

Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to kim.stavish@nist.gov. Questions should be received no later than four (4) calendar days after the issuance date of this solicitation. 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.

(end of clause)

PRICE SCHEDULE:

All offerors shall provide a firm-fixed price quotation for the following line items:

LINE ITEM 0001: Base Period, Six (6) Months, Scientific Expert to Perform Nanocalorimetry Measurements, Calibrations, and Fabrication in CNST Cleanroom at NIST, in accordance with the statement of work below.

Period of performance: Six (6) months from the date of award.

OPTION LINE ITEMS: (refer to FAR Clause 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract, below). The Offeror shall provide a price quotation for option line item 0002. These line items will be evaluated in accordance with FAR Clause 52.217-5.

The price quoted for line item 0002 shall be effective for the period specified in the option line items below. The Government may exercise this option line item at its discretion.

OPTION LINE ITEM 0002: Option Period I, Six (6) Months, Scientific Expert to Perform Nanocalorimetry Measurements, Calibrations, and Fabrication in CNST Cleanroom at NIST, in accordance with the statement of work below.

Period of performance: Six (6) months from the end of line item 0001.

STATEMENT OF WORK

I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Materials Measurement Science Division (MMSD) is currently developing sensor chips and reference materials for nanocalorimetry measurements. Advanced nanocalorimeters measure materials at the micrometer and nanometer length scales. In order to enable innovation and speed development of such measurements, new chips designs and reference materials are required to optimize materials measurements, materials selection based on thermodynamic properties, thermal performance related to manufacturing processes, and reliability predictions. Fundamental thermal properties underlying all aspects of nanoscale thermal behavior, such as melting points, heat capacity, thermal conductivity and the size dependence of these properties are required for the development of small-scale technologies such as thermally dependent micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS).

Nanocalorimetry is a method to measure the thermal and thermodynamic properties of nanomaterials and is currently the principal technique for the measurement of micro- to nano-scale thermal properties for a wide variety of materials and structures. Precision and accuracy in these measurements is dependent on the precision and accuracy of temperature measurements which, in turn, depend on the calibration of the temperature sensors on the nanocalorimeter chips. Despite efforts to develop new generations of nanocalorimeter chips, true accuracy, SI traceability and precision temperature measurement methods have not yet been developed and require new strategies for chip calibration to implement. In order to establish and improve the accuracy and precision of this technique, it is necessary to develop new standard reference materials for chip calibration over the range from room temperature to 1000 °C.

The objective of this work is to investigate the design of nanocalorimeter chips and the use of suitable techniques to synthesize and characterize a collection of solidification point (e.g. temperature) standard reference materials based on coated nanoparticles that are related to the ITS-90 temperature scale.

II. SCOPE OF WORK

a. OBJECTIVES/PURPOSE

The nanocalorimetry measurements project is performing measurements using nanocalorimeter sensors and developing new nanocalorimeter sensors and methods. A Contractor is required to fabricate nanocalorimeter sensors in the NIST cleanroom, analyze nanocalorimeter chip performance and deposit and characterization various samples for nanocalorimeter measurements. In general, the Contractor must have experience with micro- and nano-fabrication, nanocalorimetry, synthetic chemistry and with materials science characterization tools including nanocalorimetry, differential scanning calorimetery (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and clean room microfabrication techniques that include photolithography, metal deposition, and etching processes.

b. GENERAL:

The Contractor shall design, fabricate and calibrate nanocalorimeter chips in addition to the synthesis and deposition of samples for use with chip based nanocalorimeters and characterization of these materials using electron microscopy, conventional DSC/TGA and nanocalorimetry. The Contractor shall use facilities and instruments at NIST in Building 223, Rooms A310, A328-A330 and B329 to calibrate chips and perform measurements. The Contractor shall use the cleanroom facility in the NIST CNST to fabricate nanocalorimeter chips. The Contractor shall provide all support for project oversight, administration and technical execution of this task order.

c. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:

The Contractor shall complete the following tasks:

Base Period (first 6 months after an award) tasks:

1. Fabricate 90-175 nanocalorimeter sensors in the NIST CNST.

2. Analyze 1-3 nanocalorimeter sensor designs using thermal imaging and/or finite element analysis. Number of thermal imaging analytical measurements shall not exceed 15.

3. Calibrate 50-100 sensors and evaluate 1-2 calibration strategies.

4. Deposit 50-100 samples onto nanocalorimeter sensors using specialized deposition techniques including electrospray, sputtering, evaporating.

5. Characterize 7-15 samples using electron microscopy, conventional DSC and TGA.

6. Perform 50-100 nanocalorimetry measurements.

Option Period (second 6 months after an award) tasks:

7. Fabricate another 90-175 nanocalorimeter sensors in the NIST CNST.

8. Analyze another 1-2 nanocalorimeter sensor designs using thermal imaging and/or finite element analysis. Number of thermal imaging analytical measurements shall not exceed another 10.

9. Calibrate another 50-100 sensors and evaluate up to 1 additional calibration strategies.

10. Deposit another 50-100 samples onto nanocalorimeter sensors using specialized deposition techniques including electrospray, sputtering, evaporating.

11. Characterize another 5-10 samples using electron microscopy, conventional DSC and TGA.

12. Perform another 50- 100 nanocalorimetry measurements.

III. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The base period of performance of this contract shall be from date of award through six (6) months after award. If an option is exercised, the period of performance shall be extended through the end of the option period. The option period that may be exercised shall be from the end of the 6-month base period through six (6) months from the date of award of the option. If the option period is exercised the total period of performance shall not exceed one (1) year.

All work shall be performed at NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Normal operating hours are Monday through Friday (8:30 AM to 5:00 PM) with the exception of Federal holidays or other official closures; work may be conducted between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Overtime is not authorized under this requirement.

IV. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

All work shall be accomplished at NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Normal duty hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with the exception of Federal holidays.

V. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

All property, data and information provided by the Government in the performance of this task remains the property of the Government and shall be surrendered to the government upon completion or termination of this requirement. Likewise, all deliverables generated under this requirement remain the property of the Government.

Upon award of this requirement, the Government will provide the Contractor with all equipment needed in the performance of this requirement. The Government will also furnish the Contractor with an office, furnished with a desk, chair, computer and a telephone.

VI. DELIVERABLES

Number/

Reference

Base Period Tasks 1,2,3

Option Period Tasks 7,8,9

VII. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT SUMMARY

The Contractor shall ensure that all research procedures shall be fully documented such that the research could be duplicated independently. The accuracy of the results shall be consistent with similar measurements in the recent published literature. Uncertainty analysis shall comply with NIST publication requirements as specified in Technical Note 1297, “Guidelines for Evaluating and Expressing Uncertainty of NIST Measurement Results” (http://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/guidelines/contents.html). Reports shall use SI units as specified in NIST Special Publication 811, “Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI)” (http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/pdf/sp811.pdf).

Quality of work will be assessed by the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC), based on the Contractor’s proficiency in nanocalorimeter fabrication, calibration and performance of measurements as determined by comparison with freezing/melting point and uncertainty levels of comparable measurements in the scientific literature, and by the suitability of data to the purpose. Reports will be examined and reviewed by the TPOC to evaluate the Contactor’s performance.

Standards for Acceptance of Deliverables:

The COR or the NIST Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) will provide comments on each deliverable within 14 calendar days from receipt of a given deliverable. The Contractor shall make any needed changes to the reports within 14 calendar days from receipt of electronic or written comments from the COR or NIST TPOC.

VIII. PAYMENT SCHEDULE

The Contractor shall be paid in 6 equal monthly payments for the base period and 6 equal monthly payments for the option period, if exercised, upon receipt by the COR of the monthly report and an invoice, and upon satisfaction by the COR that the monthly report is acceptable quality and that all other assigned tasks are up to date. Invoices must include all information identified in clause entitled “NIST LOCAL 04 BILLING INSTRUCTIONS”. Charges shall be itemized based on the line item schedule included in the contract, including sub-line items, if applicable.

IX. CONTRACTOR SUPPLIED MATERIALS

No Contractor supplied materials required.

X. CONTRACTOR’S MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The Contractor’s key personnel performing the required work shall have a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry of Materials Science and at least two-years work experience in:

1. Synthesis and coating of nanoparticles.

2. Experimental methods used in Materials Science.

3. Micro- and Nano-fabrication in a clean room environment.

The key personnel require demonstrated experience in:

1. Characterization of materials using electron microscopy.

2. Characterization of materials using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

3. Characterization of materials using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

4. Characterization of materials using chip nanocalorimetry.

5. Finite Element Analysis (preferably using Comsol Multiphysics software).

6. Computer Aided Drafting (preferably using Solidworks software).

XI. GENERAL INFORMATION

This work does not involve confidential or proprietary data. The certification and accreditation requirements of Clause 1352.239-73 do not apply and a security accreditation package is not required.

Misconduct or Disruption of Services: At any time during the performance period of this contract, the Contracting Officer, TPOC or Operating Unit (OU) Director may request the Contractor employee be immediately removed from the premises if they determine, at their unilateral discretion, that any of the Contractor employee’s actions or impaired state to be a disruption to the workforce.

Safety: The Contractor employee shall be responsible for knowing and complying with all installation safety prevention regulations. Such regulations include, but are not limited to, general safety, cryogenic safety, chemical safety, compressed gas safety, fire prevention, and waste disposal.

Patent Rights: The Government retains a Government use license to all inventions arising from this work.

Security: NIST is a restricted campus. An identification badge is required for access for entry into buildings and also is shown to the armed Security Police when entering the campus.

Identification Badges: Contractor employees shall comply with NIST identification and access requirements. The Contractor employee is responsible for absences due to expired identification and access documents. Each Contractor employee shall wear a visible identification badge provided by the NIST Security Office. The badge must show the full name, title, and if required by NIST, the words “Contractor” in front. The Contractor employee shall turn in the NIST identification badge and vehicle pass to the TPOC or Contracting Officer (CO) upon termination of their services under this contract.

Vehicle Registration: All Contractor employees must register their vehicles with the NIST Security Office to gain access to the campus. A valid driver’s license, Government-furnished civilian ID, proof of insurance and current registration must be presented to the NIST Security Office, at which time a NIST vehicle pass will be issued. The pass shall be displayed on the vehicle’s rear view mirror in accordance with instructions. The Contractor employee shall follow NIST procedures for removal and turn-in of the vehicle pass upon termination of services under this contract.

Media Inquiries: The Contractor employee shall not respond to any media inquiries. Any inquiries from the media shall be immediately relayed to the TPOC and/or CO. There shall be no interviews, comments, or any other response without the knowledge and approval of the NIST Director.

Contract Type

The contractor shall propose a firm-fixed priced purchase order with one base period of 6 months and one option period of 6 months.

PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES:

The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are hereby incorporated by reference. All FAR provisions and clauses may be viewed at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html. All CAR clauses may be viewed at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/VFCARA.HTM.

Provisions 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Items;

52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items

Offerors shall complete annual representations and certifications on-line at http://www.acquisition.gov in accordance with FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items. If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required.

52.225-25, Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in Sanctioned Activities Relating to Iran

Clauses

In accordance with FAR 52.204-7, the awardee must be registered in SAM (http://www.acquisition.gov) prior to award. Refusal to register shall forfeit award.

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::

52.204-10, Reporting Executive compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards;

52.209-6, Protecting the Government’s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment;

52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations;

52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns;

52.219-28; Post Award Small Business Program Representation;

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;

52.225-13, Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases;

52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration.

52.204-9, Personal Identify Verification of Contractor Personnel;

52.227-14, Rights in Data – General

1352.201-70 CONTRACTING OFFICER'S AUTHORITY (APR 2010)

The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to make or approve any changes in any of the requirements of this contract, and, notwithstanding any provisions contained elsewhere in this contract, the said authority remains solely in the Contracting Officer. In the event the contractor makes any changes at the direction of any person other than the Contracting Officer, the change will be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustment will be made in the contract terms and conditions, including price.

(End of clause)

1352.201-72 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR) (APR 2010)

(a) ___TBD________ is hereby designated as the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). The COR may be changed at any time by the Government without prior notice to the contractor by a unilateral modification to the contract. The COR is located at:

Phone Number:____________________ E-mail:____________________

(b) The responsibilities and limitations of the COR are as follows:

(1) The COR is responsible for the technical aspects of the contract and serves as technical liaison with the contractor. The COR is also responsible for the final inspection and acceptance of all deliverables and such other responsibilities as may be specified in the contract.

(2) The COR is not authorized to make any commitments or otherwise obligate the Government or authorize any changes which affect the contract price, terms or conditions. Any contractor request for changes shall be referred to the Contracting Officer directly or through the COR. No such changes shall be made without the express written prior authorization of the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer may designate assistant or alternate COR(s) to act for the COR by naming such assistant/alternate(s) in writing and transmitting a copy of such designation to the contractor.

(End of clause)

1352.209-73 COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAWS (APR 2010)

The contractor shall comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations which deal with or relate to performance in accord with the terms of the contract.

(End of clause)

1352.209-74 ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST (APR 2010)

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this clause is to ensure that the contractor and its subcontractors:

(1) Are not biased because of their financial, contractual, organizational, or other interests which relate to the work under this contract, and

(2) Do not obtain any unfair competitive advantage over other parties by virtue of their performance of this contract.

(b) Scope. The restrictions described herein shall apply to performance or participation by the contractor, its parents, affiliates, divisions and subsidiaries, and successors in interest (hereinafter collectively referred to as “contractor”) in the activities covered by this clause as a prime contractor, subcontractor, co-sponsor, joint venturer, consultant, or in any similar capacity. For the purpose of this clause, affiliation occurs when a business concern is controlled by or has the power to control another or when a third party has the power to control both.

(c) Warrant and Disclosure. The warrant and disclosure requirements of this paragraph apply with full force to both the contractor and all subcontractors. The contractor warrants that, to the best of the contractor's knowledge and belief, there are no relevant facts or circumstances which would give rise to an organizational conflict of interest, as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5, and that the contractor has disclosed all relevant information regarding any actual or potential conflict. The contractor agrees it shall make an immediate and full disclosure, in writing, to the Contracting Officer of any potential or actual organizational conflict of interest or the existence of any facts that may cause a reasonably prudent person to question the contractor's impartiality because of the appearance or existence of bias or an unfair competitive advantage. Such disclosure shall include a description of the actions the contractor has taken or proposes to take in order to avoid, neutralize, or mitigate any resulting conflict of interest.

(d) Remedies. The Contracting Officer may terminate this contract for convenience, in whole or in part, if the Contracting Officer deems such termination necessary to avoid, neutralize or mitigate an actual or apparent organizational conflict of interest. If the contractor fails to disclose facts pertaining to the existence of a potential or actual organizational conflict of interest or misrepresents relevant information to the Contracting Officer, the Government may terminate the contract for default, suspend or debar the contractor from Government contracting, or pursue such other remedies as may be permitted by law or this contract.

(e) Subcontracts. The contractor shall include a clause substantially similar to this clause, including paragraphs (f) and (g), in any subcontract or consultant agreement at any tier expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. The terms “contract,” “contractor,” and “Contracting Officer” shall be appropriately modified to preserve the Government's rights.

(f) Prime Contractor Responsibilities. The contractor shall obtain from its subcontractors or consultants the disclosure required in FAR Part 9.507–1, and shall determine in writing whether the interests disclosed present an actual, or significant potential for, an organizational conflict of interest. The contractor shall identify and avoid, neutralize, or mitigate any subcontractor organizational conflict prior to award of the contract to the satisfaction of the Contracting Officer. If the subcontractor's organizational conflict cannot be avoided, neutralized, or mitigated, the contractor must obtain the written approval of the Contracting Officer prior to entering into the subcontract. If the contractor becomes aware of a subcontractor's potential or actual organizational conflict of interest after contract award, the contractor agrees that the Contractor may be required to eliminate the subcontractor from its team, at the contractor's own risk.

(g) Waiver. The parties recognize that this clause has potential effects which will survive the performance of this contract and that it is impossible to foresee each circumstance to which it might be applied in the future. Accordingly, the contractor may at any time seek a waiver from the Head of the Contracting Activity by submitting such waiver request to the Contracting Officer, including a full written description of the requested waiver and the reasons in support thereof.

(End of clause)

1352.237-73 FOREIGN NATIONAL VISITOR AND GUEST ACCESS TO DEPARTMENTAL RESOURCES (APR 2010)

(a) The contractor shall comply with the provisions of Department Administrative Order 207–12, Foreign National Visitor and Guest Access Program; Bureau of Industry and Security Export Administrative Regulations Part 734, and [insert operating unit counsel specific procedures]. The contractor shall provide the Government with notice of foreign nationals requiring access to any Department of Commerce facility or through a Department of Commerce IT system.

(b) The contractor shall identify each foreign national who requires access to any Departmental resources, and shall provide all requested information in writing to the Contracting Officer's Representative.

(c) The contractor shall include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph, in all subcontracts.

(End of clause)

1352.237-75 KEY PERSONNEL (APR 2010)

(a) The contractor shall assign to this contract the following key personnel:

_[Name]_______________

(b) The contractor shall obtain the consent of the Contracting Officer prior to making key personnel substitutions. Replacements for key personnel must possess qualifications equal to or exceeding the qualifications of the personnel being replaced, unless an exception is approved by the Contracting Officer.

(c) Requests for changes in key personnel shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer at least 15 working days prior to making any permanent substitutions. The request should contain a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions, complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information requested by the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer will notify the contractor within 10 working days after receipt of all required information of the decision on substitutions. The contract will be modified to reflect any approved changes.

(End of clause)

1352.245-70 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY (APR 2010)

The Government will provide the following item(s) of Government property to the contractor . The contractor shall be accountable for, and have stewardship of, the property in the performance of this contract. This property shall be used and maintained by the contractor in accordance with provisions of the “Government Property” clause included in this contract.

(if applicable)

1352.246-70 PLACE OF ACCEPTANCE (APR 2010)

(a) The Contracting Officer or the duly authorized representative will accept supplies and services to be provided under this contract.

(b) The place of acceptance will be:

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

100 Bureau Drive

Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (End of clause)

1352.270-70 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (APR 2010)

(a) The base period of performance of this contract is from date of award through end of six-month period. If an option is exercised, the period of performance shall be extended through the end of that option period.

(b) The option periods that may be exercised are as follows:

Period Start Date End Date

Option I (Line 0002) End of 6-month Base Period 6 months after award of option (c)The notice requirements for unilateral exercise of option periods are set out in FAR 52.217-9.

(End of clause)

52.217-5 EVALUATION OF OPTIONS (JUL 1990)

Except when it is determined in accordance with FAR 17.206(b) not to be in the Government's best interests, the Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(End of Provision)

52.217-8 OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES (NOV 1999)

The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 30 days from the expiration of the period of performance.

(End of Clause)

52.217-9 – OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT (Mar 2000)

(a) The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor within 1 day of the expiration of the active period of performance; provided that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 10 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.

(b) If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause.

(c) The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 12 months.

(End of Clause)

NIST LOCAL 04: BILLING INSTRUCTIONS

(a) NIST prefers electronic Invoice/Voucher submissions and they should be emailed to INVOICE@NIST.GOV.

(b) Each Invoice or Voucher submitted shall include the following: (1) Contract Number. (2) Contractor Name and Address. (3) Date of Invoice. (4) Invoice Number. (5) Amount of Invoice and Cumulative Amount Invoiced to-date. (6) Contract Line Item Number (CLIN). (7) Description, Quantity, Unit of Measure, Unit Price, and Extended Price of Supplies/Services Delivered. (8) Prompt Payment Discount Terms, if Offered. (9) Any other information or documentation required by the contract.

(c) In the event electronic submissions are not used, The Contractor shall submit an original invoice or voucher in accordance with the payment provisions of this contract to:

NIST: Accounts Payable Office

100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1621

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1621

(END OF CLAUSE)

INSTRUCTIONS:

In accordance with FAR 52.204-7, the awardee must be registered in SAM (http://www.acquisition.gov) prior to award. Refusal to register shall forfeit award.

Due Date for Quotations

Offerors shall submit their quotations so that NIST receives them not later than 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on September 12, 2014. FAX quotations shall not be accepted. E-mail quotations shall be accepted at kim.stavish@nist.gov. Offerors’ quotations shall not be deemed received by the Government until the quotation is entered into the e-mail address inbox set forth above.

Email quotations are the preferred method. If quotations are submitted via ground or air, quotations shall be sent to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Acquisition Management Division, Attn: Kim Stavish, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640. All offerors shall ensure the RFQ number is visible on the outermost packaging.

Because of heightened security, FED-EX, UPS, or similar delivery methods are the preferred method of delivery of quotes via ground or air. If quotes are hand delivered, delivery shall be made on the actual due date through Gate A, and a 48 hour (excluding weekends and holidays) prior notice shall be provided to Kim Stavish, Contract Specialist at kim.stavish@nist.gov.

Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Quotation Preparation Instructions

1) Price Quotation: The offeror shall submit an original and one copy of the completed price schedule. If the quotation is submitted electronically, additional copies are not required. The pricing quotation shall be separate from any other portion of the quotation. The offeror shall propose a firm-fixed-price for each CLIN. Price quotations shall remain valid for a period of 60 days from the date quotations are due.

2) Technical Quotation: The offeror shall submit an original and one copy of the technical quotation. If the quotation is submitted electronically, additional copies are not required. The technical quotation shall address the following:

Key Personnel Experience: The Offeror shall provide the resumes of its proposed key personnel that meet the qualifications identified in the “Contractor Minimum Qualifications” section of the SOW. A description of the key personnel’s specialized experience performing all tasks is to be included in the quotation. Include a list of past contracts, reports and other documentation that provides objective and documentary evidence of the specialized experience in all tasks. Ensure to include all personnel that will be utilized. The personnel listed in the quotation and incorporated into the resulting contract should remain unchanged for the life of the contract (see clause, 1352.237-75 Key Personnel). No additions or replacements will be allowed without substantial justification. Each resume shall not exceed three (3) pages. Each resume shall demonstrate the proposed key personnel’s ability to perform the role for which they are being proposed and their experience in delivering services in the areas generally described in the SOW. Resumes shall include the following information:

1. Full Name

2. Education

3. Chronological Work Experience

4. Narrative describing relevance of work experience to current requirement.

Acceptance of Terms and Conditions: This is an open-market solicitation for services as defined herein. The Government intends to award a Purchase Order as a result of this solicitation that will include the clauses set forth herein. The quotation should include one of the following statements:

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

OR

“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)

Note: 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.

QUOTATION EVALUATION:

Evaluation Factors Award shall be made to the offeror whose quotation offers the best value to the Government price and other factors considered. The Government will evaluate quotations based on the following evaluation criteria: 1) Key Personnel Experience, and 2) Price. All non-price factors, when combined, are approximately equally important to price. If all non-price factors are equivalent, price shall be the determining factor.

Key Personnel Experience: NIST will evaluate the resume of the Offeror’s proposed key personnel to determine the extent to which they have performed work similar to the current requirement; and the extent to which their education, training, qualifications and experience indicate that they will successfully perform the roles in accordance with the statement of work.

Price: The Government will evaluate price for reasonableness.

1352.233-70 AGENCY PROTESTS (APR 2010)

(a) An agency protest may be filed with either: (1) the contracting officer, or (2) at a level above the contracting officer, with the appropriate agency Protest Decision Authority. See 64 Fed. Reg. 16,651 (April 6, 1999)

(b) Agency protests filed with the Contracting Officer shall be sent to the following address:

NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION

ATTN: ANDREA PAREKH, CONTRACTING OFFICER

100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

(c) Agency protests filed with the agency Protest Decision Authority shall be sent to the following address:

NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION

ATTN: HEAD OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICE (HCO)

100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

(d) A complete copy of all agency protests, including all attachments, shall be served upon the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel within one day of filing a protest with either the Contracting Officer or the Protest Decision Authority.

(e) Service upon the Contract Law Division shall be made as follows:

U.S. Department of Commerce

Office of the General Counsel

Chief, Contract Law Division

Room 5893

Herbert C. Hoover Building

14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20230.

FAX: (202) 482-5858

1352.233-71 GAO AND COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS PROTESTS (APR 2010)

(a) A protest may be filed with either the Government Accountability Office (GAO) or the Court of Federal Claims unless an agency protest has been filed.

(b) A complete copy of all GAO or Court of Federal Claims protests, including all attachments, shall be served upon (i) the Contracting Officer, and (ii) the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel, within one day of filing a protest with either GAO or the Court of Federal Claims.

(c) Service upon the Contract Law Division shall be made as follows:

U.S. Department of Commerce

Office of the General Counsel

Chief, Contract Law Division

Room 5893

Herbert C. Hoover Building

14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20230.

FAX: (202) 482-5858