Combined_synopsis_SB1341-16-RQ-0818.doc.pdf

CLASSIFICATION CODE: 66- Laboratory Equipment and Supplies

TITLE: - Automatic Grinding/Polishing Equipment

SOLICITATION NUMBER: SB1341-16-RQ-0818

RESPONSE DATE: August 19, 2016 at 12:00 PM Eastern time.

CONTACT POINTS: Judith Hicklin, Contract Specialist, (301) 975-8838 Robert Cowins, Contracting Officer, (301) 975-8335

DESCRIPTION:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a requirement for a complete and fully operational floor or benchtop Automatic Grinding/Polishing Equipment for Large Specimen SEM/EDS Analysis that will be housed in Building 226 at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD.

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 PART 13.

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) 2005-89.

1352.215-72 INQUIRIES (APR 2010)

Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to Judith.hicklin@nist.gov. Questions should be received no later than 3 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 – Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, with a small business size standard of 1000 employees. This requirement is 100% set-aside for small business concerns. *** mailto:Judith.hicklin@nist.gov mailto:Judith.hicklin@nist.gov

Statement of Work (SOW)

Title: Automatic Grinding/Polishing Equipment

1. Background / Overview

The Inorganic Materials Group within the Engineering Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is involved in a multi-year study involving the effects of alkali-silica reaction (ASR) on nuclear concrete structures. This procurement is for an automatic polishing system for concrete and rock specimens that will permit high sample throughput, larger sample volume, and better sample preparation reproducibility than is currently available.

2. Objectives

The objective of this acquisition is to purchase a complete and fully operational floor or benchtop automatic polishing and dosing system that will be delivered and housed in Building 226 at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD.

3. Contractor Requirements

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

Line Item 0001: One (1) Automated Polishing System, which shall meet the following requirements:

1. The automated polishing system shall be capable of variable speed, programmable, automated operation to bring a rough sawn concrete slab of up to 3/8 inches in thickness and up to 6 inches in diameter (152 mm) from grinding/lapping operations through final polishing steps to produce a high polish, strain/distortion-free surface that is suitable for SEM and/or electron microbeam analysis.

2. The system shall accommodate preparation of additional specimen sizes and geometries, including 4 inch (102 mm) diameter disks, 50 mm x 50 mm and 75 mm x 75 mm squares, and smaller round sections of up to ~30 mm in diameter, and meet the following requirements:

a) Specimen holders shall be clamped or mechanically affixed to the specimen to the polishing head without chemical bonding or adhesion and shall accommodate the following additional sample sizes/shapes:

• Specimen holder for a minimum of (1) 4-inch diameter samples (102 mm),

• Specimen holder for a minimum of (1) 6-inch diameter sample (152 mm),

• Specimen holder for a minimum of (2) 3-inch x 3-inch (75 mm x 75 mm) samples,

• Specimen holder for a minimum of (2) 2-inch x 2-inch (50 mm x 50 mm) samples,

• Specimen holder for a minimum of (6) 30 mm diameter samples.

b) Polishing plate surface (platen) diameter must equal or exceed 350 mm in diameter.

c) System must have self-contained recirculating cooling system with programmable, dedicated automatic dosing modules for dispensing lubricants and polishing suspensions.

d) System must be capable of full feature operation using grinding and polishing either in tapwater or in nonaqueous media (e.g., ethanol, isopropranol, etc.)

e) Full level of operator safety, including transparent safety shield to isolate all moving parts during operation.

f) Sufficient consumables, including polishing cloths, abrasive (diamond) suspension, and lubricant shall be supplied at the time of purchase to produce (20) finished 75 mm x 75 mm samples to final polished and SEM-ready condition with quality that meets the Evaluation and Selection Criteria (below).

g) Desired features include control provisions for measurement of specimen planeness and flatness, and sensor for controlled material removal to improve quality and reproducibility.

Installation and Testing The system shall be compatible with standard hose and accessory couplings used for other analytical equipment in Building 226 of NIST. The following are available or can be modified to meet system specification:

a. Power: 120/240 V, 60 Hz or 400 V, 60 Hz, 3 phase

b. Water: ~2.5 bar through ¾ inch hose

Air supply shall be supplied by the vendor in the form of an air compressor and shall meet published vendor specifications.

On delivery and installation, the automated polishing system shall be able to produce flat, highly polished, samples of the specified sizes with no observable surface defects or artifacts as demonstrated by reflected light optical microscopy and no variation in direct electron beam focus across the sample.

Warranty: 1 year for parts and labor.

Government Responsibilities NIST shall provide laboratory space and electrical and water connections for the equipment according to manufacturer’s specification.

Training The contractor shall provide all documentation necessary to install and operate the unit. NIST request an on-site training or comparable demonstration of the instrument’s capabilities and features at its facility in Maryland on specimens provided by NIST.

Deliverables An automatic grinding/polishing system that meets this specification shall be delivered to NIST by the contractor, 4-8 weeks after receipt of the award. Warranty coverage shall be provided for a minimum of 1 year from the date of inspection and acceptance. All documentations necessary to install and operate the equipment shall be provided to NIST.

Quality Standards Potential candidates for purchase shall be evaluated based on the requirements outlined in the SOW. Finished (polished) sample quality shall be evaluated by optical microscopy and image analysis at 10x to 40x using reflected light to identify any polishing artifacts or surface imperfections. Suitably finished samples shall show no evidence of grinding or residual polishing damage, including scratches, pitting, crack generation, or other deformation features.

For concrete specimens, the transition from relatively hard aggregate surfaces to the adjacent relatively soft, epoxy-filled hardened cement paste shall be defect-free as described above.

Reproducibility of a quality surface finish shall also be demonstrated on (1) 6-inch diameter sample and on replicate 4-inch diameter, and 75 mm x 75 mm concrete samples that meet the target specifications outlined herein.

Acceptance/Inspection:

Upon arrival at NIST, the unit shall be inspected for damage during shipment. Following installation, all technical and safety specifications reported by the contractor shall be met in full, including:

1. Leak-free water supply hook-up for the recirculating coolant,

2. Demonstration of safety shield and/or interlock during use,

3. Demonstration of programmable method development with variable and/or constant platen rotation and pressure head control.

Finished (polished) sample quality shall be evaluated by optical microscopy and image analysis at 10x to 40x using reflected light to identify any polishing artifacts or surface imperfections.

Suitably finished samples shall show no evidence of grinding or residual polishing damage, including scratches, pitting, crack generation, or other deformation features. For concrete specimens, the transition from relatively hard aggregate surfaces to the adjacent relatively soft, epoxy-filled hardened cement paste shall be defect-free as described above.

Reproducibility of a quality surface finish shall also be demonstrated on (1) 6-inch diameter sample and on replicate 4-inch diameter, and 75 mm x 75 mm concrete samples that meet the target specifications outlined herein. If these criteria are met, the unit shall be considered acceptable for purchase.

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://www.acquisition.gov/far/.

Provisions

52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items

52.203-98, Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal http://www.acquisition.gov/far/

Confidentiality Agreements—Representation (DEVIATION 2015-02)

PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES THAT REQUIRE CERTAIN INTERNAL

CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS—REPRESENTATION (FEB 2015)

(a) In accordance with section 743 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Resolution Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235), Government agencies are not permitted to use funds appropriated (or otherwise made available) under that or any other Act for contracts with an entity that requires employees or subcontractors of such entity seeking to report fraud, waste, or abuse to sign internal confidentiality agreements or statements prohibiting or otherwise restricting such employees or subcontractors from lawfully reporting such waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such information.

(b) The prohibition in paragraph (a) of this provision does not contravene requirements applicable to Standard Form 312, Form 4414, or any other form issued by a Federal department or agency governing the nondisclosure of classified information.

(c) Representation. By submission of its offer, the Offeror represents that it does not require employees or subcontractors of such entity seeking to report fraud, waste, or abuse to sign internal confidentiality agreements or statements prohibiting or otherwise restricting such employees or subcontractors from lawfully reporting such waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such information.

(End of provision)

DEVIATION ON TAX DELINQUENCY

Representation by Corporations Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction Under Any Federal Law (Class Deviation) (March 2015)

(1) In accordance with Sections 744 and 745 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235), none of the funds made available by the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 funding may be used to enter into a contract with any corporation that-

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

(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, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid 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 agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability.

(End of provision)

Clauses

52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS - (DEC 2014)

52.212-5 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO

IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS

(JAN 2013)

52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (May 2012) 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (Nov 2011) 52.219-13, Notice of Set-Aside of Orders (Nov 2011) 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Representation (Apr 2012) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (Jun 2003) 52.222-19, Child Labor--Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Mar 2012) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Feb 1999) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Mar 2007) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (Oct 2010) 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (Mar 2015) 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (Aug 2011) 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (Jun 2008) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-System for Award Management (Jul 2013)

52.203-99, Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements (DEVIATION 2015-02)

(a) The Contractor shall not require employees or subcontractors seeking to report fraud, waste, or abuse to sign or comply with internal confidentiality agreements or statements prohibiting or otherwise restricting such employees or subcontractors from lawfully reporting such waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such information.

(b) The contractor shall notify employees that the prohibitions and restrictions of any internal confidentiality agreements covered by this clause are no longer in effect.

(c) The prohibition in paragraph (a) of this clause does not contravene requirements applicable to Standard Form 312, Form 4414, or any other form issued by a Federal department or agency governing the nondisclosure of classified information.

(d)(1) In accordance with section 743 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Resolution Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235), use of funds appropriated (or otherwise made available) under that or any other Act may be prohibited, if the Government determines that the Contractor is not in compliance with the provisions of this clause.

(2) The Government may seek any available remedies in the event the Contractor fails to comply with the provisions of this clause.

(End of clause)

Assurance by Corporations Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction Under Any Federal Law (Class Deviation) (March 2015)

(1) In accordance with Sections 744 and 745 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235), none of the funds made available by Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 and subsequent appropriations acts may be used to enter into a contract with any corporation that -

(a) Was convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, where an awarding agency is aware of the conviction, 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, or

(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, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid 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) By accepting this award or order, in writing or by performance, the offeror/contractor assures that -

(a) The offeror/contractor is not a corporation convicted of a felony criminal violation under a Federal law within the preceding 24 months.

(b) The offeror/contractor 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 agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability.

(End of Clause)

Department of Commerce Acquisition Regulation (CAR) clauses. Please submit a written request to the Contract Specialist for the full text of these clauses.

*1352.201-70 CONTRACTING OFFICER’s AUTHORITY (APR 2010) *1352.209-73 Compliance with the Laws *1352.209-74 Organizational Conflict of Interest

LOCAL CLAUSES

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

INSTRUCTIONS:

System for Award Management

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

*** The due date and time for receipt of quotations is August 19, 2016 no later than 12:00 PM EST. The offeror shall hold the prices in its offer firm for 60 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers.

Quotations must be received at judith.hicklin@nist.gov before the due date and time specified in the solicitation. Facsimile quotations will not be accepted. Only information received on or before the due date and time shall be considered for award. Any quotation, or part thereof, received after the due date and time, shall be deemed late and not considered for award.

Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Quotation Preparation Instructions

All Offerors shall submit all of the following:

mailto:INVOICE@NIST.GOV http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:judith.hicklin@nist.gov

1) Price Quotation: Firm-fixed price for each CLIN and discount terms, preferably FOB Destination, for each CLIN. Price quotations shall remain valid for a period of 60 days from the date quotations are due.

2) Technical Quotation / Capability: Offerors 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. The Offerors shall acknowledge that NIST will not store the equipment onsite before it is installed.

Acceptance of Terms and Conditions: This is an open-market 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.

EVALUATION FACTORS: The Government will award a purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the lowest price Offeror meeting technical acceptability requirements.

Technical Capability: No prototypes, demonstration models, used or refurbished instruments will be considered. The quotation must demonstrate compliance with all requirements of the SOW and this solicitation.

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: ROBERT COWINS, 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

(End of clause)