Amendment_001 __SF30.pdf

Table of Contents

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SECTION

. 1 Questions and Government Responses

. 2 Atch A, Solicitation Instructions, Eval Criteria

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. 1 Questions and Government Responses

Page Section Para.

1 A 8 2.3.3 1

Can the page limitation be removed? These are highly scientific and complex instruments consisting of multiple parts and components that require a significant amount of data and product description to prove technical qualifications. If we are required to condense the proposal information to within 20 pages (12 for the technical qualifications) this would severely restrict our ability to provided NIST with a realistic level of detail for product analysis against the technical requirements. In addtion, it is standard in our industry to provide product data sheets and other supporting documentation for 3rd party items for the Buyer to be able to evaluate the products. With the page limitation we could not provide this important information.

Section 2.3.3 changed to: The cover letter, title pages, table of contents, glossary of abbreviations and acronyms and completed past performance questionnaires do not count against page count limitations. Quotations for the entirety of Part I Technical factors 1, 2, 4 & 5 shall be limited to 50 pages total (including any charts, diagrams, or tables). Quotation contents that exceed the stated page limitations will be removed from the quotation by the Contracting Officer before the quotation is turned over to the Government evaluation teams and will not be considered in the evaluation. Section 3.1 Submittal Requirements changed to: Offeror shall submit a narrative which clearly identifies the proposed system capability and performance standards per the specification requirements. The narrative shall not exceed thirty (30) single-sided pages (or fifteen (15) double-sided pages) in total.

2 A 14 3.6 1 to 3

Can the page limitation for price quote be removed? This section requests documentation that clearly identifies major materials, components and services and their associated prices. Due to the number of items that are part of a typical quote, and that the product description for each line item is included on the quote, we could not provide both with a 2 page limit. Section 3.6, paragraph 3 is hereby deleted.

3 A 6 2.2 7

One attachment per part.

Please Clarify. This section requests one attachment per part. Is NIST requesting that we merge the required submissions within a part into one attachment?

How/where do we include documents including but not limited to Software License Agreements that are part of the response but outside the price and technical parts? All miscellaneous documentation can be added to the pricing section

4 E 3 L 3.d Is a dedicated picoammeter required or is the microscope's Graphical User Interface output of current reading sufficient?

A stand-alone picoammeter is not required. However, the microscope must be capable of displaying the probe current.

Attachment 1 to Amendment 001

Attachment D - RFQ Question/Inquiry Submittal Form Question

No.

RFP

Attachment

REFERENCE

QUESTION GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

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. 2 Atch A, Solicitation Instructions, Eval Criteria

ATTACHMENT A – SOLICITATION ADDENDA, INSTRUCTIONS, EVALUATION

CRITERIA & BASIS FOR AWARD

AMENDMENT 001

Contents

1. 52.212-1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – COMMERCIAL ITEMS,

SOLICITATION ADDENDA

2. CONTINUATION OF INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

2.1. Inquiries

2.2. Submission of Quotations

2.2.1. Quotation Cover Letter

2.3. Quotation Submission Format

2.3.1. Text

2.3.2. Font Size

2.3.3. Page Limitation

2.3.4. Cross-referencing

2.4. Confidential Information

2.5. List of Attachments

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND BASIS FOR AWARD

3.1. Factor 1 - Technical Capability

3.2. Factor 2 - Experience

3.3. Factor 3 - Past Performance

3.4. Factor 4 - Warranty

3.5. Factor 5 - Schedule

3.6. Price

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1. 52.212-1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – COMMERCIAL ITEMS,

SOLICITATION ADDENDA

Instructions to Quoters—Commercial Items - The word “Offer and Offeror” throughout this provision is hereby changed to read “Quotation and Quoter.” Additionally, the following paragraphs of 52.212-1 are changed to read as follows.

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code and small business size standard.

The associated NAICS code for this RFQ is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing and small business size standard is 1000 employees. However, the small business size standard for a concern which submits a quotation in its own name, but which proposes to furnish an item which it did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees.

(a) Submission of quotations. Submit quotations to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the exact time specified in this solicitation. Quotations may be submitted on an SF 1449, letterhead stationery, the Schedule at Attachment F, or as otherwise specified in the solicitation. As a minimum, quotations must show-

(1) The solicitation number;

(2) The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of quotations;

(3) The name, address, and telephone number of the quoter;

(4) Technical and non-price descriptions in accordance with the submittal requirements of paragraph 3 and its subparagraphs contained herein for the items being quoted in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary;

(5) Complete copy of Warranty;

(6) Price quotation in accordance with paragraph 6 contained herein and any discount terms.

(7) “Remit to” address, if different than mailing address;

(8) A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3( b ) for those representations and certifications that the quoter shall complete electronically); In order to be eligible for this award, the quoter must be registered with the System for Award Management at www.sam.gov., and have completed the Representations and Certifications therein for the specified NAICS code, or submit separate Representations and Certifications if the specified NAICS code is not listed in their SAM registration.

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(9) Acknowledgment of Solicitation Amendments;

(10) Past performance information, when included as an evaluation factor, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and other relevant information); and

(11) Include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Quotations that fail to furnish required representations or information, or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.

(b) Period for acceptance of quotation. The quoter agrees to hold the prices in its quotation firm for 90 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of quotations.

(c) Multiple quotations. Quoters are encouraged to submit multiple quotations presenting alternative terms and conditions or commercial items for satisfying the requirements of this solicitation. Each quotation submitted will be evaluated separately.

(d) Late submissions.

(1) Quoters are responsible for submitting quotations so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation. If no time is specified in the solicitation, the time for receipt is 4:30 p.m., local time, for the designated Government office on the date that quotations are due.

(2) Any quotation received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of quotations is late and will not be considered unless it is received before award is made and the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late quotation would not unduly delay the acquisition.

(3) If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that quotations cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of quotations by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation or other notice of an extension of the closing date, the time specified for receipt of quotations will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal Government processes resume.

(e) Contract award. The Government intends to evaluate quotations and issue a purchase order based on the initial quotations received. Therefore, the quoter’s initial quotation should contain the quoter’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint. The Government reserves the right to request revised quotations from, or negotiate final purchase order terms with, one or more, but not all, quoters if later determined by the

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Contracting Officer to be necessary. However, the Contracting Officer will not establish a competitive range, conduct discussions, or otherwise use the procedures described at FAR 15.306. The Government may reject any or all quotations if such action is in the public interest; and issue a purchase order to other than the quoter with the lowest priced quotation.

(f) Availability of requirements documents cited in the solicitation.

(1) (i) The GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item

Descriptions, FPMR Part 101-29, and copies of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained for a fee by submitting a request to-

GSA Federal Supply Service Specifications Section Suite 8100 470 East L’Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20407 Telephone (202) 619-8925 Facsimile (202) 619-8978.

(ii) If the General Services Administration, Department of Agriculture, or Department of Veterans Affairs issued this solicitation, a single copy of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained free of charge by submitting a request to the addressee in paragraph (i)(1)(i) of this provision. Additional copies will be issued for a fee.

(2) Most unclassified Defense specifications and standards may be downloaded from the following ASSIST websites:

(i) ASSIST (https://assist.dla.mil/online/start/).

(ii) Quick Search (http://quicksearch.dla.mil/).

(iii) ASSISTdocs.com (http://assistdocs.com).

(3) Documents not available from ASSIST may be ordered from the Department of

Defense Single Stock Point (DoDSSP) by-

(i) Using the ASSIST Shopping Wizard (https://assist.dla.mil/wizard/index.cfm);

(ii) Phoning the DoDSSP Customer Service Desk (215) 697-2179, Mon-Fri, 0730 to 1600 EST; or

(iii) Ordering from DoDSSP, Building 4, Section D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, Telephone (215) 697-2667/2179, Facsimile (215) 697-1462.

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(4) Nongovernment (voluntary) standards must be obtained from the organization responsible for their preparation, publication, or maintenance.

(g) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number. (Applies to all quotations exceeding $3,500, and quotations of $3,500 or less if the solicitation requires the Contractor to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database.) The quoter shall enter, in the block with its name and address on the cover page of its quotation, the annotation “DUNS” or “DUNS+4” followed by the DUNS or DUNS+4 number that identifies the quoter’s name and address. The DUNS+4 is the DUNS number plus a 4-character suffix that may be assigned at the discretion of the quoter to establish additional SAM records for identifying alternative Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) accounts (see FAR Subpart 32.11) for the same concern. If the quoter does not have a DUNS number, it should contact Dun and Bradstreet directly to obtain one. A quoter within the United States may contact Dun and Bradstreet by calling 1-866-705-5711 or via the internet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. A quoter located outside the United States must contact the local Dun and Bradstreet office for a DUNS number. The quoter should indicate that it is a quoter for a Government contract when contacting the local Dun and Bradstreet office.

(h) System for Award Management. By submission of a quotation, the quoter acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the SAM database prior to award, during performance and through final payment of any contract resulting from this solicitation. If the Quoter does not become registered in the SAM database in the time prescribed by the Contracting Officer, the Contracting Officer will proceed to award to the next otherwise successful registered Quoter. Quoters may obtain information on registration and annual confirmation requirements via the SAM database accessed throughhttps://www.acquisition.gov.

(i) Requests for information. The contracting officer will not notify unsuccessful quoters that responded to this solicitation. Quoters may request information on award(s) resulting from this solicitation from the contracting officer. If requested, the following information will be provided by the contracting officer.

(1) The number of quoters solicited;

(2) The number of quotations received;

(3) The name and address of each quoter receiving an award;

(4) The items, quantities, and any stated unit prices of each award. If the number of items or other factors makes listing any stated unit prices impracticable at that time, only the total contract price need be furnished in the notice; and

(5) In general terms, the reason(s) the contractor’s quotation was not accepted, unless the price information in paragraph (4) of this section readily reveals the reason. In

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no event will a quoter’s cost breakdown, profit, overhead rates, trade secrets, manufacturing processes and techniques, or other confidential business information be disclosed to any other quoter.

2. CONTINUATION OF INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

2.1. Inquiries

Inquiries regarding the Request for Quotation (RFQ) shall be submitted electronically using the RFQ Question/Inquiry Submittal Form (Attachment E) provided in this solicitation no later than 3:30 PM (MST) on August 16, 2016. Questions not submitted using the required Attachment D – RFQ Question/Inquiry Submittal Form may not be answered. The Point of Contact (POC) for questions/inquiries is Aron Krischel and e-mail address is aron.krischel@nist.gov. The Government does not intend to respond to questions or inquiries submitted after the cutoff date identified above. The Government will collect all questions/inquiries, incorporate responses and distribute to all Contractors through amendment to this solicitation in the FedBizOpps System.

2.2. Submission of Quotations

The Government requests commercial item solutions to meet this requirement.

Quotations shall be submitted electronically via email to aron.krischel@nist.gov.

Quotations shall conform to the instructions contained in the clause at FAR 52.212-1, this addenda, the continuation of instructions and the evaluation factor submittal requirements. Significant deviation may result in the possible exclusion of such quotations from further consideration or may be reflected in the overall evaluation of the quotation.

Quotations are due by 4:30pm Mountain Time on August 31, 2016. The Contracting Officer reserves the right to modify any quotation due dates as required.

Contractor’s quotations shall be organized, include page numbers and be clearly and concisely written. Clarity and organization is mandatory. No quotation information shall be incorporated by reference. Only the information contained within the submitted quotation itself and within the page limitations will be evaluated by the Government.

In addition to any information required by provisions of this RFQ, quotations shall directly respond to the submittal requirements for each evaluation factor and should provide more than superficial coverage of the information required by the evaluation factors identified herein.

The Government shall not be liable for any costs incurred by any contractor submitting a quotation in response to this solicitation.

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Quotations shall consist of one attachment per part. All miscellaneous documentation can be added to the pricing section. Each part shall contain the following:

Part I – Technical and Non-Price Factors:

Factor 1 – Technical Capability (Technical Factor)

Factor 2 - Experience (Technical Factor)

Factor 3 – Past Performance (Non-Price Factor)

Factor 4 – Installation Schedule (Technical Factor)

Factor 5 – Warranty (Technical Factor)

Part II – Price Quotation

2.2.1. Quotation Cover Letter

The quotation shall include a cover letter which contains the following information:

• Solicitation number

• Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number

• Name, address, and telephone number of the contractor

• Acknowledgment of Solicitation Amendments

• A statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Quotations that fail to furnish required representations or information, or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.

2.3. Quotation Submission Format

Quotations shall be submitted electronically via email in a format compatible with MS Office and Adobe Acrobat for PDF documents.

2.3.1. Text

Text shall be at least single spaced, on 8 ½” x 11” inch paper, with a minimum one-inch margin all around. Pages shall be numbered consecutively. A page printed on both sides shall be counted as two (2) pages. Submission as double-sided printing/copying on recycled paper is encouraged. Foldout pages sized 11:

x 17: may be used for tables, charts, graphs, or pictures that cannot be legibly presented on 8 ½” x 11” paper. An 11” x 17” sheet is equivalent to two pages

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with regard to the page count limitations.

2.3.2. Font Size

Print shall be of a minimum 11-point font size or a maximum 11 characters per inch (11-pitch, pica) spacing. Bolding, underlining, and italics may be used to identify topic demarcations or points of emphasis. Graphic presentations, including tables, while not subject to the same font size and spacing requirements, shall have spacing and text that is easily readable.

2.3.3. Page Limitation

The cover letter, title pages, table of contents, glossary of abbreviations and acronyms and completed past performance questionnaires do not count against page count limitations. Quotations for the entirety of Part I Technical factors 1, 2, 4 & 5 shall be limited to 20 50 pages total (including any charts, diagrams, or tables). Quotation contents that exceed the stated page limitations will be removed from the quotation by the Contracting Officer before the quotation is turned over to the Government evaluation teams and will not be considered in the evaluation.

2.3.4. Cross-referencing

Each Part, other than the cost/price Part, shall be written to the greatest extent possible on a standalone basis so that its content may be evaluated with a minimum of cross-referencing to other volumes of the proposal. Cross-referencing within a quotation volume is permitted where its use would conserve space without impairing clarity. Hyperlinking of cross-references within the quotation is permissible. However, hyperlinking to information outside of the quotation itself (i.e. internet link) is impermissible and shall not be evaluated.

Information required for quotation evaluation that is not found in its designated Part or cross-referenced is assumed to have been omitted from the quotation.

If multiple solutions are quoted, the quotation shall be clear what elements of the quotation will change as a result.

2.4. Confidential Information

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and its amendments have resulted in an increasing number of requests from outside the Government for copies of contractor qualifications and proposals submitted to Federal agencies. If a contractor’s submission contains information that they believe should be withheld from such requestors under FOIA on the grounds that they contain “trade secrets and commercial or financial information” [5 USC§552(b)(4)], the contractor should mark its submissions in the following manner:

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• The following notice should be placed on the title page: “Some parts of this document, as identified on individual pages, are considered by the submitter to be privileged or confidential trade secrets or commercial or financial information not subject to mandatory disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Material considered privileged or confidential on such grounds is contained on page(s) ____”.

• Each individual item considered privileged or confidential under FOIA should be marked with the following notice: “The data or information is considered confidential or privileged, and is not subject to mandatory disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act”.

2.5. List of Attachments

• Attachment A – Solicitation Addenda, Instructions, Evaluation Criteria & Basis for

Award

• Attachment B – Relevant Experience

• Attachment C – Past Performance Questionnaire_PPQ (Attached to this RFQ as both PDF in the RFQ package and separately as an MS Word document for ease of responding to this RFQ)

• Attachment D – Pre-quotation Question/Inquiry Form (Attached to this RFQ as both PDF in the RFQ package and separately as an MS Excel document for ease of responding to this RFQ)

• Attachment E –Specifications – Electron Microscope

• Attachment F – Schedule of Pricing

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND BASIS FOR AWARD

The Government will award a purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the responsible contractor whose quotation conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous and represents the best value to the Government, price and other factors considered, utilizing simplified acquisition proceedures of FAR Part 13. The Government will not use the formal source selection procedures described in FAR part 15. The Government will evaluate quotations utilizing the proceedures of FAR 13.106-2 Evaluation of quotations or offers. The Government will consider price and other technical non-price factors described in this solicitation and will conduct a comparative evaluation of the benefits between price and the other technical non-price factors of each quotation as well as a comparative evaluation between quotations in order to determine the quotation that is most advantageous and represents the best value. Therefore, the Government may award to other than the lowest priced quoter or the highest technically rated quoter.

Per the provision 52.212-1 (g) Contract award contained within this solicitation; the Government intends to evaluate quotations and issue a purchase order based on the initial quotations received. Therefore, the quoter’s initial quotation should contain the quoter’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint. The Government reserves the right to request

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revised quotations from, or negotiate final purchase order terms with, one or more, but not all, quoters if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. However, the Contracting Officer will not establish a competitive range, conduct discussions, or otherwise use the formal source selection procedures described in FAR part 15.306. The Government may reject any or all quotations if such action is in the public interest; and issue a purchase order to other than the quoter with the lowest priced quotation.

Technical / non-price factors, when combined, are significantly more important when compared to price. However, price will become more important as the degree of equality among technical non-price evaluations increase.

Options: The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

The Government requests commercial item solutions to meet this requirement.

3.1. Factor 1 - Technical Capability

Contractors shall submit a Technical Approach Narrative which may include charts, graphs, tables and drawings. The Technical Approach is defined as the contractor’s proposed solution(s) to successfully conduct the requirements of the contract. The technical approach shall clearly describe, in sufficient detail, the contractor’s technical approach to successfully fulfilling the technical requirements identified in this RFQ.

Technical capability places an emphasis on how well the proposed item meets or exceeds the specifications.

Special attention will be placed on the following areas of capability/performance.

a. High-vacuum 15+ kV spatial resolution of a minimum of 1.2 nm in a non-STEM detection mode AND a high-vacuum 1 kV spatial resolution of a minimum of 2.0 nm in any detection mode. Offerors demonstrating the ability to exceed the minimum requirements may be given additional consideration.

b. Detectors. Offerors demonstrating the ability to provide additional detectors beyond the required one chamber camera, in-lens SE, out-of-lens ET-SE, out-of-lens BSE, specimen current, and STEM detectors may be given additional consideration.

c. Minimum magnification. Offerors demonstrating the ability to exceed the minimum requirement of obtaining a maximum of 25 X as a minimum setting may be given additional consideration.

d. Maximum magnification. Offerors demonstrating the ability to exceed the minimum requirement of obtaining at least 800,000 X as a maximum setting may be given additional consideration.

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e. Stage Drift. Offerors demonstrating the ability to exceed the minimum requirement of obtaining a maximum drift of no greater than 50 nm in 360 seconds may be given additional consideration.

Submittal Requirements:

Offeror shall submit a narrative which clearly identifies the proposed system capability and performance standards per the specification requirements. The narrative shall not exceed twelve (12) single-sided pages (or six (6) double-sided pages) in total.

Basis of Evaluation:

This is a subjective evaluation of the offeror’s proposed system. The proposed system will be evaluated in terms of meeting or exceeding the capability / performance per the technical requirements.

3.2. Factor 2 - Experience

Submit a maximum of four (4) projects which best demonstrate your company’s experience performing relevant projects. Each project shall be submitted utilizing Attachment C - Relevant Experience Project Data Sheet. For all submitted projects, the description of the project shall clearly describe the scope of work performed and the relevancy to the project requirements of this RFQ (i.e.: unique features, technical capabilities).

A relevant project is defined as a project that is similar in size, scope and complexity to that of the RFQ. Projects submitted for the Contractor must be completed within the past two (2) years of the date of issuance of this RFQ.

The attached Experience Project Data Sheet (RFQ Attachment C) is MANDATORY and SHALL be used to submit project information. Individual blocks on this form may be expanded; however, total length for each project data sheet shall not exceed eight (8) single-sided pages (or four (4) double-sided pages).

The assessment of the Contractor’s submittals will be used as a means of subjectively evaluating the Contractor’s demonstrated breadth and depth of experience in performing relevant projects as defined in the solicitation requirements. Project relevancy will be assessed based on a graduated scale. The assessment of the Contractor’s relevant experience will be used as a means of evaluating the capability of the Contractor or the Contractor team to successfully meet the requirements of the RFQ. The Government will only review four (4) Relevant Experience projects. Any projects submitted in excess of the four (4) relevant projects will not be considered.

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Projects demonstrating greater relevancy to the requirements of this RFQ may be considered more favorably. A higher number of submittals will provide a larger breadth to be evaluated, up to the maximum allowed.

3.3. Factor 3 - Past Performance

Past performance will place an emphasis on:

a. Performance: Failure rate and downtime.

b. Nature and extent of system failures: Vacuum, instrumentation, software, and detectors.

c. Schedule: Compliance with delivery deadlines.

Offeror’s shall submit a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) (RFQ Attachment D) or Contract Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) Evaluation Report for each relevant project submitted for Factor 3. If a completed CPARS Evaluation Report is available for each project, it shall be submitted with the quotation. If there is not a completed CPARS evaluation report for the project, then the contractor shall submit a completed PPQ for each project included in Factor 3. The Contractor should provide completed PPQs in the quotation. Contractors should follow-up with clients to help ensure timely submittal of the completed questionnaires with the RFQ. If the Contractor is unable to obtain a completed PPQ from a client for a project(s) before the RFQ closing date, the Contractor should complete and submit with the quotation the first page of the PPQ, which will provide contract and client information for the respective project(s).

The Government may make reasonable attempts to contact the client noted for that project(s) to obtain the PPQ information.

A relevant project is defined as a project that is similar in size, scope and complexity to that of the RFQ. Project relevancy will be assessed based on a graduated scale.

If requested by the client, questionnaires may be submitted directly to the Government’s point of contact, Ms. Chendra Conklin; chendra.conklin@nist.gov, (303) 497-5628.

Contractors may provide any information on problems encountered and the corrective actions taken on projects submitted under Factor 3 – Experience. Contractors may also address any adverse past performance issues. Explanations shall not exceed four (4) single-sided pages (or two (2) double-sided pages) in total.

The Government reserves the right to contact references for verification or additional information. The Government’s inability to contact any of the Contractor’s clients / references or the references’ unwillingness to provide the information requested may affect the Government’s evaluation of this factor.

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Basis of Evaluation

The assessment of the contractor’s past performance will be used as a means of evaluating the contractor’s probability of successfully meeting the requirements of the RFQ. This past performance evaluation considers each contractor’s demonstrated recent and relevant record of performance in regards to the RFQ requirement. This subjective evaluation focuses on how well the Contractor performed on relevant projects submitted under Factor 3 – Experience as well as Past Performance on other projects currently documented in known sources. More emphasis will be placed on more relevant projects.

In addition to the three relevant projects submitted under Factor 3, the Government reserves the right to obtain more information for use in the Evaluation of the past performance factor. Evaluation of past performance is a subjective evaluation of how relevant a recent contract effort was in regards to the RFQ requirements and how well the contractor performed on relevant contracts.

In addition to the above, the Government may review any other sources of information for evaluating past performance. Other sources may include, but are not limited to, past performance information retrieved through the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) using all CAGE / DUNS numbers of team members (partnership, joint venture, teaming arrangement, or parent company / subsidiary / affiliate) identified in the contractor’s quotation, inquiries of owner representative(s), and any other known sources not provided by the contractor. The Government reserves the right to contact any other source of information that may have knowledge or information on a contractor’s relevant past performance history.

The Government will consider the currency and relevance of the information, the source of the information, context of the data, and general trends in the Contractor’s performance. This evaluation is separate and distinct from the Contracting Officer’s responsibility determination.

Contractors lacking relevant past performance history will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably in past performance, and will receive a Neutral rating.

3.4. Factor 4 - Warranty

Offeror will submit a proposed warranty which clearly identifies the following:

a. Length of warranty.

b. Response time to Government service inquiry (phone & e-mail).

c. Response time for field service (when required).

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Warranty information shall not exceed two (2) single-sided pages (or one (1) double-sided page) in total.

This is a subjective evaluation of the offeror’s proposed warranty. The proposed warranty will be evaluated in terms of meeting or exceeding the capability / performance per the specifications.

3.5. Factor 5 - Schedule

Offeror will submit a schedule which clearly identifies:

a. Manufacture time.

b. Delivery date.

c. Installation time.

Schedule information shall not exceed one (1) single-sided page in total.

This is a subjective evaluation of the offeror’s proposed schedule. The proposed schedule will be evaluated in terms of meeting or exceeding the capability / performance per the specifications.

3.6. Price

Contractors shall submit a firm fixed price (FFP) quotation in US currency on the Pricing Schedule at Attachment F. In addition to the summary price quotation on the Pricing Schedule, the Part II, price quotation shall include complete support documentation which clearly identifies major materials, components and services along with their associated prices. The price quotation documentation shall clearly substantiate how the total price was derived. In addition, the price shall include the following consumable parts: (i) new field emitter tip, (ii) new microscope apertures.

All quotations shall be shown in US currency. In addition, the contractor price quotation shall also identify any requested payment schedule terms. All payment schedule terms shall be directly tied to contract deliverables and/or major contract milestones.

Supporting documentation shall not exceed four (4) single-sided pages (or two (2) double-sided pages) in total.

Basis of Evaluation

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The Government will evaluate the price quotation using price analysis techniques to determine fairness, reasonableness and realism in relation to the technical solution. Price analysis will be conducted in accordance with the FAR, Commerce Acquisition Manual and any other provision within this RFQ. The analysis may include information from a Government auditing agency, Government technical personnel, or other sources. If a price is disproportionately lower than other competitive prices or significantly unbalanced, the price may be deemed unrealistic. Payment schedule terms more favorable to the Government may be evaluated more favorably. A determination will be made by the Contracting Officer based upon the information provided. The Government reserves the right to ask for any additional price related information from the Contractor in order to determine a price fair and reasonable.