RFQ-SB1341-15-RQ-0254-Closed-cycle_Cryogenic_System_.pdf

CLASSIFICATION CODE: 66 – Instruments and Laboratory Equipment

SUBJECT: Closed-cycle Cryogenic System with Helium Sorption Fridge

SOLICITATION NUMBER: SB1341-15-RQ-0254

RESPONSE DATE: April 8, 2015 12:00pm EST

CONTACT POINTS: Harry Brubaker, Contract Specialist (301) 975-8330 Paula Wilkison, Contracting Officer, (301) 975-8448

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 ITEMS-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 UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.5 TEST

PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular Current to FAC 2005-80, Effective 02 Mar 2015.

1352.215-72 INQUIRIES (APR 2010)

Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to the Contract Specialist. Questions should be received no later than ten 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 provision)

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334516 with a small business size standard of 500 employees.

This acquisition is 100% set-aside for small business.

In accordance with the non-manufacturer rule, the contractor shall be a small business under the applicable size standard and shall provide either its own product or that of another domestic small business manufacturing or processing concern. See FAR 19.102(f) for additional information.

All Offerors shall provide a quotation for the following line item:

Line Item 0001: One (1) Closed-cycle cryogenic system with helium sorption fridge

Introduction

The contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, and services to fabricate and install one closed-cycle cryogenic system with helium sorption fridge.

Background

NIST has a requirement for a closed-cycle cryogenic system including a helium sorption fridge. This unit will be used to operate photonic sources and detectors, and in particular superconducting nanowire single photon detectors. .

Minimum Requirements

The system shall meet or exceed the technical specifications identified below. All items must be new. Prototypes, demonstration models, used or refurbished instruments will not be considered for award.

Line Item 0001: One (1) Closed-cycle Cryogenic System with helium sorption fridge, which shall meet or exceed the specifications identified below:

1) System must be a closed-cycle cryogenic apparatus incorporating a 0.8 K helium sorption fridge and supporting 0.8 K and 3 K stages.

2) Helium sorption fridge must be able to reach a base temperature of 0.8 K or lower (with no applied load). The sorption fridge must have a hold time of at least 24 hours with no load, and a cycle time that is less than 2.5 hours. The number of pumps and/or fridge size used should be chosen to achieve these specifications.

Stronger consideration will be given for longer hold times and shorter cycle times.

3) The platform available for mounting samples at the 0.8 K stage must be 1.5” in diameter or larger. The platform must accommodate a user-specified mounting hole pattern (will be specified after award of contract).

4) System must incorporate a 0.1 Watt Gifford-McMahon cryocooler (or equivalent) whose cold stage reaches a temperature of 3 K or lower (with no applied load).

5) The platform available for mounting samples at the 3 K stage must be at least 5” in diameter. The vertical separation between 0.8 K and 3 K stages must be at least 4 inches. The platform must accommodate a user-specified mounting hole pattern (will be specified after award of contract).

6) System must come with a helium compressor (or equivalent) that works with the cryocooler to achieve the specified base temperature. The compressor type (air-cooled vs. water-cooled) and voltage must be appropriate for the 0.1 Watt cryocooler specified in #4 above. Standard 10 ft long helium lines between the compressor and cryostat must be included, with the vendor providing a separately priced option to extend the hose length to 30 ft.

7) Total cooling down time from room temperature to 0.8 K must be less than 12 hours

8) System must have eight (or more) KF40 vacuum ports, with at least seven of them available for user electrical or optical feedthroughs.

9) Heat sinks and electrical feedthroughs (SMP or equivalent) for 8 coaxial cables must be provided, with 2 coaxial connections having CuNi semi-rigid coaxial cable provided for wiring superconducting nanowire single photon detectors.

Vendor must consult with end user after award of the contract to finalize details on wiring requirements.

10) Fiber optic feedthroughs for a minimum of 4 optical fibers must be provided.

11) All sensors needed for temperature measurement (e.g., at the 0.8 K and 3 K stages) and heaters needed for warming up the system must be included and installed.

12) System must come with the complete turbo pump package (roughing pump, turbo pump, controller, full-range gauge, and necessary vacuum and electrical connections between them) needed to reach vacuum levels appropriate for initiating cryogenic cooldown.

13) System must come with software for automated operation of the full cryogenic system. This includes control and monitoring of: (1) vacuum pumping, (2) sorption fridge and cryocooler, (3) measurement of all temperatures, pressure, and heater outputs, (4) macros/routines to control the operations of vacuum pumpdown, cryogenic cooldown, and warmup, and (5) scheduler to specify starting time for a cryogenic cooldown. Software must allow for user-written procedures to be incorporated.

14) Vendor must provide a separately-priced option for site installation and training, with determination of whether the option will be exercised at the time the contract is awarded. If the option is not exercised, vendor must provide remote installation support via phone or internet video conferencing.

Installation

The system shall be installed by the Contractor and meet contract specifications no later than two weeks after delivery. Installation, at a minimum, shall include uncrating/unpackaging of all equipment, rigging, set-up and hook-up of the system, demonstration of all specifications, and removal of trash. Onsite installation and demonstration shall be done at NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Training

The contractor shall conduct on-site training at NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland, which shall provide a thorough demonstration of all system/solution functions, maintenance, data administration, and basic troubleshooting. The training may be completed at NIST immediately after installation/set-up, but shall be completed no later than 30 days after installation.

Express Warranty

The contractor shall warrant the entire system for a period of at least one year from date of acceptance.

Delivery

FOB Destination delivery terms are required, and shall take place in accordance with the Contractor’s commercial schedule. The contractor shall deliver line item 0001 to NIST, Building 301, Shipping and Receiving, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640.

Acceptance

A thirty (30) day acceptance period is required for this instrument.

PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES:

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

Provisions

52.204-7, System for Award Management 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items 52.225-18, Place of Manufacture;

Offerors shall complete annual representations and certifications on-line at www.sam.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.

Representation by Corporations Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction Under Any Federal Law (Class Deviation) (March 2012)

(1) In accordance with Sections 543 and 544 of Public Law 112-55 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act 2012, Title V (General Provisions) none of the funds made available by that Act may be used to enter into a contract with any corporation that-http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html

(a) Was convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

(b) Has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

(2) The Offeror represents that, as of the date of this offer -

(a) It is [ ] is not [ ] a corporation that was convicted of a felony criminal violation under a Federal law within the preceding 24 months.

(b) It is [ ] is not [ ] a corporation that has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreements with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability.

(End of provision)

Clauses

52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance 52.211-6, Brand Name or Equal 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—Commercial Items including subparagraphs:

52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government;

52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation;

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

52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside;

52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns;

52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting;

52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Re-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;

52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans;

52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities;

52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans;

52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act;

52.223-18, Contractor Policy to Ban Text Messaging While Driving;

52.225-1, Buy American Act – Supplies;

52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases;

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

52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer 52.247-34, FOB Destination

1352.201-70, Contracting Officer’s Authority 1352.201-72. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) 1352.209-73, Compliance With the Laws 1352.209-74, Organizational conflict of interest

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: NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland , 20899

INSTRUCTIONS:

System for Award Management Registration

In accordance with FAR 52.204-7, the awardee must be registered in the System for Award Management (www.sam.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 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on April 8, 2015. FAX quotations shall not be accepted. E-mail quotations shall be accepted at harry.brubaker@nist.gov. Please reference the RFQ number in the subject line of email communications. Offerors’ quotations shall not be deemed received by the Government until the quotation is entered in the e-mail inbox set forth above.

Quotations shall be sent to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Acquisition Management Division, Attn: Harry Brubaker, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640. All Offerors should 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. 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 Harry Brubaker, Contract Specialist on 301- 975-8330.

http://www.sam.gov/

Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Quotation Preparation Instructions

1) 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:

Technical Capability: The Offeror shall submit a technical description or product literature for the equipment it is proposing, which clearly identifies the manufacturer, make and model. The Offeror must demonstrate that its proposed equipment meets or exceeds each minimum requirement described in the statement of work by providing a citation to the relevant section of its technical description or product literature.

If applicable, evidence that the Offeror is authorized by the original equipment manufacturer to provide the item(s) in the quotation should be included.

2) Past Performance: The Offeror shall provide past performance information regarding relevant contracts over the past five (5) years with Federal, state, or local governments, or commercial customers. If the Offeror intends to subcontract with another firm(s) for part of this requirement, that firm’s past performance information shall also be provided. If the Offeror has no relevant past performance, it may include a statement to that effect in its quotation. The government reserves the right to consider data obtained from sources other than those described by the Offeror in its quotation. It is recommended that approximately 3-5 contracts be referenced.

The description of each contract/order described in this section shall not exceed one half page in length. For each contract/order, the Offeror shall provide the following information:

1. Contract number;

2. Description and relevance to solicitation requirements including dollar value;

3. Period of Performance – indicate by month and year the state and completion (or “ongoing”) dates for the contract;

4. Reference Contact – If a non-Government contract, identify the name and address of the client with current telephone number and email address of a point of contact of the client responsible for the contract;

5. Contracting Office – If a Government contract (Federal or state), identify the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO), administrative Contracting Officer (ACO), and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and their names, current telephone numbers and email addresses.

6. Problems Encountered – include information regarding information regarding any problems encountered on the contracts described above and corrective actions taken to resolve those problems.

3) 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, FOB Destination, for each CLIN. Price quotations shall remain valid for a period of 90 days from the date quotations are due.

Acceptance of Terms and Conditions (Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 (b) (11)): This is a solicitation for equipment 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) Technical Capability 2) Past Performance, and 3) Price. All non-price factors, when combined, are more important than price.

1) Technical Capability: All items must be new. Prototypes, demonstration models, used or refurbished equipment will not be considered for award. Evaluation of technical capability shall be based on the information provided in the quotation. NIST will evaluate whether the Offeror has demonstrated that its proposed equipment meets or exceeds all minimum requirements. Quotations that do not demonstrate the proposed equipment meets all requirements will not be considered further for award. If an Offeror does not indicate whether its proposed equipment meets a certain minimum requirement, NIST will determine that it does not. NIST will give preference to Offerors who demonstrate that their proposed equipment exceeds NIST’s requirements.

The specifications stated in this solicitation represent minimum specifications, and quotations shall meet or exceed each of these to be considered for award. However, exceedances to the specifications listed below offer more value to the Government than exceedances to the other specifications:

1. Specification 2, Helium sorption fridge must be able to reach a base temperature of 0.8 K or lower (with no applied load). The sorption fridge must have a hold time of at least 24 hours with no load, and a cycle time that is less than 2.5 hours;

Accordingly, the best value determination will offer stronger consideration for exceedances of those specifications.

2) Past Performance: The Government will evaluate the Offeror's past performance information and, if appropriate, its proposed subcontractors' past performance to determine its relevance to the current requirement and the extent to which it demonstrates that the Offeror has successfully completed relevant contracts in the past five years. In assessing the Offeror's past performance information, NIST will evaluate, as appropriate, successful performance of contract requirements, quality and timeliness of delivery of goods and services, cost management, communications between contracting parties, proactive management and customer satisfaction.. Evaluation of this factor will be based on information contained in the technical portion of the quotation and information provided by references. The Government will evaluate past performance information by contacting appropriate references, including NIST references, if applicable. The Government may also consider other available information in evaluating the Offeror’s past performance. The Government will assign a neutral rating if the Offeror has no relevant past performance information.

3) 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 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: PATRICK STAINES, CONTRACTING OFFICER

100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640 Gaithersburg, MD 20899

(c) Agency protests filed with the 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 protest, 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

(End of clause)