SF1449_SP800026R0021.pdf

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30 7016494100

1. REQUISITION NUMBER

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE

DATE

4. ORDER NUMBER

SP8000-26-R-0021

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER 6. SOLICITATION ISSUE

DATE

Dylan Stone DDS0035

a. NAME b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (No Collect calls)

Phone: 6148029756

2026 JUL 17

8. OFFER DUE DATE/

LOCAL TIME

9. ISSUED BY CODE SP8000

DCSO COLUMBUS DIVISION #3

3990 EAST BROAD STREET

COLUMBUS OH 43218

USA

10. THIS ACQUISITION IS UNRESTRICTED OR SET ASIDE: % FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

8 (A)

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

325180NAICS:

1000SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERYFOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ IFB RFP

15. DELIVER TO CODE 16. ADMINISTERED BY CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/ CODE

OFFEROR

FACILITY

CODE

TELEPHONE NO.

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN

OFFER

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK

BELOW IS CHECKED

19.

ITEM NO.

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY

22.

UNIT

23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

See Schedule

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA 26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. OFFER

DATED . YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

(BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

SET FORTH HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or Print) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or Print) 31c. DATE SIGNED

SEE SCHEDULE

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

SEE SCHEDULE

03:00 PM

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

SEE ADDENDUM

EDWOSB

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED:RECEIVED INSPECTED

COMPLETE PARTIAL FINAL

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012) BACK

36. PAYMENT

PARTIAL FINAL

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY

22.

UNIT

23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

19.

ITEM NO.

32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE 32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32f. TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

33. SHIP NUMBER 34. VOUCHER NUMBER 35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

37. CHECK NUMBER

38. S/R ACCOUNT NO. 39. S/R VOUCHER NUMBER 40. PAID BY

42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER 41c. DATE

42c. DATE REC'D (YY/MM/DD) 42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS

41a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

SECTION A - SOLICITATION / CONTRACT INFORMATION

Description:

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) intends to solicit and award an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for Lithium Carbonate with a five-year ordering period utilizing Firm Fixed-Price (FPP) delivery orders. This is a solicitation for the acquisition of commercial items using FAR Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services).

Basic Terms and Conditions:

Under the authority of FAR 16.504, DCSO – C4 intends to award an IDIQ contract for the purchase of Lithium Carbonate (Battery Grade). FFP DOs will be issued against the IDIQ in accordance with FAR 16.506.

All orders will be subject to the terms and conditions of the IDIQ.

The awarded IDIQ resulting from this RFP will not constitute an obligation of funds. The Government will only be obligated to satisfy the guaranteed minimum and the individually specified orders issued against the IDIQ.

The provision at FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, and its Addendum, applies to this acquisition.

The provision at 52.212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition.

Ordering Period:

The IDIQ contract resulting from this solicitation shall consist of one (1) five (5)-year base ordering period.

Evaluation:

In this Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) acquisition, the Government will use the following factors to evaluate each proposal:

Factor 1: Technical Approach Factor 2: Past Performance Factor 3: Price

The Government will evaluate price when the Government finds an Offeror acceptable

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 3 OF 38 PAGES

under Factors 1 and 2. The Government will evaluate price in accordance with FAR 15.103-2 Lowest Price Technically Acceptable source selection process and DLAD

15.405 Price negotiation. The offeror shall provide proposed pricing in accordance with Section B of this solicitation. Contract award will be made to the Factor 1 and Factor 2 “Acceptable” and responsible offeror, or offerors, with the lowest price. The Government reserves the right to award an amount less than the maximum quantity under CLIN 0001.

The Government reserves the right to make more than one award. The Government also reserves the right to make no award.

Award Without Discussions:

The Government intends to evaluate proposals and make the award without discussion.

Proposals should contain the vendor's best terms within the proposed technical and business approach, to include all required documentation. Additionally, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions and request revisions to proposals if it is determined to be in the government’s best interest to do so.

Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Information:

The Government intends to award a FFP IDIQ contract(s) from this Request for Proposal (RFP) and reserves the right to establish multiple IDIQ contract vehicles to allow DLA to purchase Lithium Carbonate as needed.

i. The duration of the acquisition will be five (5) years and is issued under “Other Than Full and Open Competition” procedures.

ii. The total minimum and maximum quantity of services the Government will acquire under this contract:

Minimum: $1,000,000.00 (guaranteed minimum) Maximum: $300,000,000.00 iii The Statement of Work (SOW) found in Section C of this solicitation represents the scope of supplies required under this intended IDIQ contract. Estimated quantities the Government expects to order during each contract year can be found in section C, SOW, Table 1.

iv. Issuance of Delivery Orders (DO). All requirements for supplies will be ordered as DO that are FFP at the time of DO issuance. After award of the IDIQs, delivery orders will be competed as requirements arise on the basis of lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA). The Government reserves the right not to compete delivery orders in order to meet required guaranteed minimums or to further expand the industrial base.

v. Any DLA Contracting Services Office (DCSO) warranted Contracting Officer, CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 4 OF 38 PAGES within the limits of their warrants, may award and administer a DO for supplies covered by the IDIQ contract. DOs will most likely be placed by the DLA Contracting Services Office – Columbus (DCSO-C4).

This is an unrestricted RFP solicitation with the recommendation of other than full and open competition. The applicable NAICS code for this action is 325180, with a size standard of 1000 employees. The applicable Product Service Code (PSC) is 9650 and the Material Code is N30001153.

Proposal Submittal Instructions:

Proposals are required to be received by 17 JUL 2026 at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Note: The email address for submission of proposals is dylan.stone@dla.mil , with a carbon copy sent to felicia.london@dla.mil .

All vendor questions about the RFP shall be submitted via e- mail to Dylan Stone at dylan.stone@dla.mil with a carbon copy sent to Felicia London at felicia.london@dla.mil. All questions shall be received by 10 JUL 2026 at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, after which the period for responding to questions shall have closed.

The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 180 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers, unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation.

Exceptions to any term or condition of the RFP may make a vendor’s proposal unacceptable and cause it to be immediately rejected by the Government without further review or opportunity for a vendor to respond.

Complete Proposal Instructions

In addition to the requirements at FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Products and Commercial Services, please note the following additional proposal submission instructions. Offerors shall provide the following documents as a part of your proposal:

a. Cover Letter. Provide a cover letter with a unique identification number (proposal number) for your offer. A Standard Form (SF) 1449 is not used in this combined synopsis/solicitation. Therefore, include a statement in the cover letter specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Offers that fail to furnish required representations or information; or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be rejected. Include a certifying statement of the accuracy of the proposal and a signature by the principal of the firm/ entity. (one (1) PDF document)

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 5 OF 38 PAGES

mailto:dylan.stone@dla.mil mailto:felicia.london@dla.mil mailto:dylan.stone@dla.mil mailto:ivan.badillo@dla.mil mailto:felicia.london@dla.mil mailto:dylan.stone@dla.mil

b. SAM Registration - contractor shall print and include with proposal package their entity’s SAM registration showing, expiration date and exclusion summary.

(One (1) PDF document) NOTE: SAM registration date must match proposal submission date

c. Technical Approach – Review FAR 52.212-2 for technical acceptability considerations. (one (1) PDF document)

d. Past Performance Information – Review FAR 52.212-2 for past performance acceptability considerations. (one (1) PDF document)

e. Price – Contractor must complete all fill-ins under Section B. In addition to providing the completed price proposal form (Section B), ensure that your price proposal includes enough details so that the contracting officer can make a fair and reasonable price determination in accordance with (utilizing) the price analysis techniques found at FAR 15.404-1(b). (one (1) PDF document)

Points of Contact for this Acquisition:

Contract Specialist:

Dylan Stone DLA Contracting Services Office Phone: (614) 692-9448 Email: dylan.stone@dla.mil

Contracting Officer:

Felicia London DLA Contracting Services Office Phone: (614) 692-4028 Email: felicia.london@dla.mil

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 6 OF 38 PAGES

mailto:dylan.stone@dla.mil mailto:ivan.badillo@dla.mil

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES / COSTS

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Strategic Materials (DLA-SM) intends to procure up to 35,641,599 pounds (LB) of Lithium Carbonate over a five-year period for addition to the National Defense Stockpile (NDS). The period of performance of this IDIQ contract is five (5) years, as one 60-month base ordering period.

Table #1: Lithium Carbonate Estimated Quantities

Contract Year Quantity (in LBs) Year 1 8,058,608 Year 2 7,564,030 Year 3 7,099,806 Year 4 6,664,073 Year 5 6,255,082

Total 35,641,599

*Disclaimer: The quantities in Table #1 are estimates and may not reflect the exact quantities ordered against the IDIQ contract.

PRODUCTION CAPACITY – If the estimated annual quantity projections for Lithium Carbonate (Battery Grade) within Table #1 above exceed the production capacity of the contractor, the Offeror shall provide quantites in the below Table #2 that demonstrate the weight in pounds the contractor is capable of providing each year throughout the life of the IDIQ contract.

* In the “Quantity” column of the above Table #2, the Offeror must propose quantities, on a per LB basis, for each contract year, as well as the total.

CLIN 0001 – Lithium Carbonate (Battery Grade)

SUPPLY/SERVICE: 9620-N30010397

ITEM DESCRIPTION: Lithium Carbonate, as described in the Statement of Work (SOW) and below tables. In accordance with the SOW, the Contractor shall source, package, and deliver the awarded

Table #2: CLIN 0001 - Production Capacity -- Lithium Carbonate Contractor Provided Quantities

Contract Year Quantity* (in LBs) Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

Total

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 7 OF 38 PAGES

quantity of Lithium Carbonate to one of the DLA Strategic Materials storage depots listed in Part II, Sections H and I of the SOW. Pricing under this CLIN shall be reflective of all work to be performed under the SOW other than that performed under CLIN 0002.

PRICING TERMS: Firm Fixed Price (FFP) with a 5-year ordering period.

QTY VARIANCE: PLUS 1% MINUS 1%

INSPECTION POINT: DESTINATION

ACCEPTANCE POINT: DESTINATION

FOB: DESTINATION

PREP FOR DELIVERY: Packaging and labeling of DLA Strategic Materials shall be in accordance with Part II, Section F & G of the SOW.

Table #3: CLIN 0001 – Lithium Carbonate

Quantity Range Pricing Contract

Year Material Code Quantity Range (in LBs) Unit Price *

(Price per LB)

Year 1 9620-N30010397

0 – 8,910,400 $ ____________

8,910,401 – 17,820,800 $ ____________

17,820,801 – 26,731,200 $ ____________

26,731,201 – 35,641,600 $ ____________

Year 2 9620-N30010397

0 – 8,910,400 $ ____________

8,910,401 – 17,820,800 $ ____________

17,820,801 – 26,731,200 $ ____________

26,731,201 – 35,641,600 $ ____________

Year 3 9620-N30010397

0 – 8,910,400 $ ____________

8,910,401 – 17,820,800 $ ____________

17,820,801 – 26,731,200 $ ____________

26,731,201 – 35,641,600 $ ____________

Year 4 9620-N30010397

0 – 8,910,400 $ ____________

8,910,401 – 17,820,800 $ ____________

17,820,801 – 26,731,200 $ ____________

26,731,201 – 35,641,600 $ ____________

Year 5 9620-N30010397

0 – 8,910,400 $ ____________

8,910,401 – 17,820,800 $ ____________

17,820,801 – 26,731,200 $ ____________

26,731,201 – 35,641,600 $ ____________

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 8 OF 38 PAGES

* In the “Unit Price” column of the above Table #3, the Offeror must propose pricing, on a per pound basis, for each contract year and for each of the four quantity ranges listed in the “Quantity Range (in LBs)” column of the table. Unit Pricing above will remain valid for all delivery orders issued against this IDIQ contract.

CLIN 0002 – MATERIAL TESTING

SUPPLY/SERVICE: H999-V00007070

ITEM DESCRIPTION: Third-party testing of Lithium Carbonate. The contractor shall perform testing in accordance with Part II, Section C of the SOW.

PRICING TERMS: Firm Fixed Price with a 5-year Ordering Period

Table #4: CLIN 0002 – Material Testing

Pricing

Contract Year Material Code

Lot Size (LBs) Price per Lot *

Year 1 (06/2026 – 06/2027) H999-V00007070

Year 2 (06/2027 – 06/2028) H999-V00007070

Year 3 (06/2028 – 06/2029) H999-V00007070

Year 4 (06/2029 – 06/2030) H999-V00007070

Year 5 (06/2030 – 06/2031) H999-V00007070

* In the Price per Lot column, the contractor must provide a per lot raterate, which shall include all costs associated with material testing of Lithium Carbonate. Price per Lot above will remain valid each year for all delivery orders issued against this IDIQ contract.

NOTES TO THE OFFEROR

1. The quantities in Table #1 are estimates and may not reflect the exact quantities ordered against the IDIQ contract. These quantities will likely change throughout the life of the IDIQ 5-year ordering period. The

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 9 OF 38 PAGES

Government is only required to meet the guaranteed minimum established under this IDIQ contract.

2. Delivery Order Pricing: The Government intends to issue firm-fixed price delivery orders througout the 5-year ordering period of this IDIQ contract using the proposed unit prices in Table #3 and, if necessary, Table #4 of this section.

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 10 OF 38 PAGES

SECTION C – SPECIFICATIONS / SOW / SOO / ORD

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

LITHIUM CARBONATE

STATEMENT OF WORK

I. INTRODUCTION

A. BACKGROUND

The Department of War (DoW) procures parts that contain lithium carbonate, which is commonly used in powder forms. This statement of work (SOW) is for Lithium Carbonate/battery grade/powder, which is used as a battery material.

B. OBJECTIVES

The objective of this procurement is to establish an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) ordering vehicle to allow DLA to purchase lithium carbonate as needed within the parameters established within the resulting IDIQ regarding minimum and maximum purchase amounts.

C. SCOPE

The contractor will provide the necessary management, services, personnel, and documentation required to accomplish the tasks described within this SOW.

To reduce the risk of unavailability in the lithium carbonate supply chain, DLA Strategic Materials intends to purchase lithium carbonate with maximum values shown in Table 1 over a five-year ordering period.

Table 1 - Maximum Quantities (in lbs)

Execution Year

Lithium Carbonate

(lbs) Year One 8,058,608

Year Two 7,564,030

Year Three 7,099,806

Year Four 6,664,073

Year Five 6,255,082

TOTAL 35,641,599

*Total quantity +/- 1.0%

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 11 OF 38 PAGES

* Disclaimer: Table 1 provides an estimate of delivery orders and quantities. The government is not obligated to issue the estimated delivery orders.

D. COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS

The contractor must meet the below listed compliance requirements:

• Harmonized Tariff Schedule, the Tariff Act of 1930, and the Trade Act of 1974

• United States (US) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Form 7501

• US CBP Form 6059 General Declaration

• US CBP Form 5106 Request for Importer Number or Notification of Importer

Number

II. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

Unless otherwise specified, all references to days are considered calendar days. The contractor will perform actions as necessary to accomplish the objectives stated above as well as the following tasks and deliverables.

A. MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Lithium Carbonate Requirements

a. The material must be battery grade lithium carbonate consistent with the requirements identified below. All testing methods must be reported along with the components to which they were used to test.

Table 2 - Material specifications

Component Limit Unit Li2CO3 99.50 min wt%

Na 0.060 max wt% K 0.0010 max wt% Ca 0.016 max wt% Fe 0.001 max wt% Mg 0.008 max wt% SO4 0.100 max wt% Cl 0.010 max wt% Cu 0.0005 max wt% Zn 0.0005 max wt% Al 0.0010 max wt% Ni 0.0010 max wt%

Acid Insoluble 0.020 max wt% Magnetic Impurities 0.030 max wt% Moisture, H2O 0.30 max wt% Loss on Ignition, 500°C 0.50 max wt%

Th + U* 0.05 max wt%

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 12 OF 38 PAGES

b. Material must be in powder form and meet the following sizing requirements:

i. D10: ≥ 1 µm

ii. D50: 4 – 8 µm

iii. D90: 9 – 15 µm

c. Each lot must be approximately 44,000 lbs. Co-mingling of multiple production lots into one larger lot will not be accepted. The contractor must assign a unique lot number to each production lot.

d. The contractor must ensure no government material or samples of government material leave the CONUS.

e. Material must be non-radioactive, non-licensable per Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations. It must contain less than 0.05 percent combined thorium and uranium by weight.

B. SAMPLING

1. The Government will witness the Contractor’s sampling operations for each lot of material the Contractor intends to deliver to the Government for compliance with the Sampling Plan.

a. Methods for observation of sampling include (but are not limited to): in person, video call (facilitated by the vendor), recorded video, livestream.

b. Other forms of observation may occur if agreed upon by both the Government and the Contractor.

c. Details of observation will be confirmed between the Government and the Contractor no later than 30 business days prior to sampling.

2. The Government reserves the right to waive witnessing of the sampling process on a case-by-case basis.

3. Performance of all sampling activities must occur within CONUS.

4. The contractor must permit the government access to activities associated with sample collection and distribution at the time the contractor is manufacturing each lot of material the contractor intends to provide to the government. The contractor’s production facilities must be within the CONUS for all lots of material the contractor intends to supply the government.

5. The contractor must provide the government with written notice of the date(s) the contractor intends to begin sampling activities of all lots of material it intends to provide to the government at least 30 business days prior to that date.

6. The contractor must submit a draft sampling plan as part of the proposal. The contractor's sampling plan must clearly

a. Describe the sampling process and how it produces a sample that is representative of the lot.

b. Cite any relevant sampling standards used for sampling as applicable.

c. Provide supporting documentation showing that the sampling practice produces a sample that is representative of the lot (e.g., cite a standard, industry practice, or data demonstrating the sample is representative, etc.).

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 13 OF 38 PAGES

7. The contractor must submit for approval the finalized sampling plan no later than 30 business days after contract award. The sampling plan must be approved prior to the commencement of any sampling operations.

8. The contractor cannot make any changes to the approved sampling plan without the explicit written approval of the government representative.

a. If the contractor wishes to make changes to the approved sampling plan, the contractor must submit the revised proposed sampling plan to the government representative for approval no later than 30 business days prior to implementation of the changes. The revised sampling plan must be submitted in PDF format by email to the government representative. The government representative will advise the contractor whether the revised proposed sampling plan is approved within 5 business days of receipt. All sampling must be conducted in accordance with the approved sampling plan.

b. Alternatively, if subsequent contractor sampling plans and processes remain unchanged from previous sampling plans, the contractor must send an email to the government representative stating that there have been no changes to its sampling plan and processes at least 30 business days prior to the date the contractor begins sampling activities.

9. The contractor must collect four equivalent samples for each lot of material the contractor intends to supply to the government – one set of samples for the contractor’s purposes, one set of samples for the government to retain and two samples for the third-party laboratory (one for analytical testing and one for laboratory reserve). All samples must be of the same size and form and must be representative of the chemical properties of the entire lot of material. All three samples must have a minimum sample size that satisfies the requirements of the independent third-party laboratory for sample size.

10. The contractor must ship the government’s sample for each lot with the corresponding lot of material it delivers to the government.

11. The contractor must document and transfer chain of custody of the lot’s analytical sample to the independent third-party laboratory.

12. The contractor must use a US-based express courier (ie. FedEx, UPS, etc.) to transport the analytical sample and the laboratory reserve sample to the independent third-party laboratory for analysis.

a. Use of the Contractors selected express courier is is conditional upon approval by the Government.

13. The Contractor must document chain of custody of the analytical and laboratory reserve samples. The Contractor must produce the chain of custody documents within 24 hours when requested by the Government.

C. TESTING

1. The contractor must employ an independent third-party analytical chemistry laboratory (lab) to chemically characterize each lot of material the contractor intends to deliver to the government. The lab must analyze each lot in accordance with Table 2 above.

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 14 OF 38 PAGES

2. The contractor must document this information to the government in a certificate of analysis (COA). The contractor must deliver a COA for each representative sample from each lot for which chemical analyses were performed.

3. The third-party lab used to perform verification testing must:

a. Have CONUS-based operations.

b. Perform all analytical chemistry activities in this SOW within the CONUS.

c. Be certified in International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17025 through A2LA with the following specific certifications (at a minimum):

sample preparation for mineral ore, limestone, ferro-alloys (falling within the A2LA P112 flexible scope policy); inductively coupled plasma (ICP) for Al, Ag, As, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Sb, Se, Si, Sn, Sr, Ta, Ti, V, W, Zn (falling within the A2LA P112 flexible scope policy); combustion analysis for C, N, O, S (falling within the A2LA P112 flexible scope policy); wavelength-dispersive x-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) analysis for Al, Ca, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, S, Si, Ti, V (falling within the A2LA P112 flexible scope policy);

gravimetric precipitation analysis for CaF2, Mo, Nb, S, SiO2; volumetric analysis for B, Ca, Cr, Fe, Metallic Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Ti, V; gas evolution for CO2; and miscellaneous gravimetric analysis for sieve testing, loss on ignition, moisture at 105°C.

d. Have capability and experience in analytical chemistry techniques and methods and method development in wet chemistry (e.g., sample preparation and digestion, titration, reagent preparation, glovebox work, etc.), and instrumentational analysis.

e. Have capability and experience in clean pulverization capabilities, laboratory sample preparation and digestion, titration, and reagent preparation.

f. Have capability and experience in instrumental analysis including ICP optical emission spectroscopy/atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES/AES), ICP- Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).

4. The Contactor must submit with their proposal the name of the independent third-party laboratory that they intend to use to test material intended for delivery to the government.

5. Use of the Contractor’s selected third-party laboratory is conditional upon approval by the Government.

6. The Contractor must submit for approval the third-party laboratory’s testing plan no later than 30 business days after contract award. The testing plan must be approved prior to the commencement of any sampling operations.

7. Use of the contractor’s selected third-party laboratory is conditional upon approval by the government.

8. The Contractor must sign a release form with approved third-party lab allowing the Government access to any and all COA’s and testing data generated by the third-party laboratory for material the Contractor delivers to the Government and during the execution of the awarded contract.

9. The contractor must submit with their proposal a draft testing plan to include the following, at a minimum:

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 15 OF 38 PAGES

a. Name and address of the third-party laboratory the contractor intends to use;

b. Summary description of sample preparation (i.e. how the sample is obtained, how the sample is readied for testing ect.);

c. Summary description of the methodology and instrumentation (as applicable) the lab will employ for each required data value in the SOW material specifications;

d. Any significant assumptions the lab might elect to make that are beyond the accepted assumptions made for chemical analysis (instruments and wet chemistry); and

e. Acknowledgement of the safety portion of the safety data sheet (SDS) for the specific material being tested.

10. The contractor must not make any changes to the independent third-party analytical chemistry laboratory’s testing plan (i.e., the proposed analytical methodologies the independent laboratory will employ that will be submitted as part of the contractor’s proposal) without the explicit written approval of the government.

a. If the contractor or third-party laboratory wishes to make changes to the approved testing plan, the contractor must submit the revised proposed testing plan to the government representative for approval no later than 20 business days prior to implementation of the changes. The contractor must submit the revised testing plan to the government via email in PDF format.

The government will advise the contractor within 5 business days whether the revised proposed testing plan is approved or not.

b. Alternatively, if the contractor does not make changes to their previously submitted testing pla,, the contractor must send an email to the government stating that there have been no changes to its testing plan and processes at least 20 business days prior to the date the contractor begins testing operations.

11. The government reserves the right to witness testing operations. The contractor must permit the government full access to all areas where the contractor’s testing operations take place.

12. The contractor must conduct all testing in accordance with the approved testing plan.

The Government will reject material as non-compliant if the contractor does not comply with the Testing Plan.

D. CERTIFICATES OF ANALYSIS

1. The contractor must provide a COA with each production lot as defined within this

SOW. Final approval of each Contractor COA takes place prior to Contractor’s shipment of each lot of material to the Government.

2. The Contractor must affix a cover letter with their letterhead to each COA the contractor submits to the government. The Government will incorporate the Contractor’s cover letter into the Contractor’s COA. The Contractor must include in their COA the following, at a minimum:

a. Name and address of the Company

b. Acknowedgement that the testing of the material has been carried out in accordance with the approved testing plan.

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 16 OF 38 PAGES

c. Acknowledgement that the data provided is solely the data of the third-party laboratory and has not been altered in any manner.

d. Any additional information required for the COA that is not provided by the third-party laboratory (i.e. lot number, weight, dimensions etc.) must be clearly identified as not provided by the third-party laboratory.

e. Printed name and signature of approving official

3. The COA is a legal document, which attests that the materials delivered by the contractor meet the specifications as stated in this SOW. The government will determine based on the COA if the lot(s) of the materials are acceptable for delivery.

The contractor must carefully sample and test the material to ensure the reliability of each submitted COA.

4. The COAs must be submitted by email in PDF format to the government for review and acceptance prior to shipping any lot(s) to the point of delivery.

5. The COA must have a statement certifying that the material meets and/or exceeds required material specifications as stated within this SOW.

6. The government POC will review every COA submitted to determine acceptability and compliance with the requirements in this SOW within 15 business days after receipt.

7. The Contractor must submit a draft cover letter and a draft COA with their proposal.

The COA must include the following (at a minimum):

a. Lot number.

b. Weight and number of containers the COA covers.

c. List of tests performed and/or the methodology applied.

i. The contractor must include any significant assumptions made other than typical assumptions for test methodology as a footnote to the reported value.

d. Numerical results and qualitative results (as applicable).

e. Error ranges/limits for results

i. For all of the identified variables listed in II.A.1 Material.

f. Specifications/requirements/uncertainties.

i. As listed for all the identified variables in II.A.1 Material.

g. Name of the company or name of the laboratory performing the testing.

h. Date(s) each analysis is performed.

i. Printed name and signature of analyst.

8. The COA and all documents submitted to the government must be in English.

E. ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY, AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

1. The government will ensure contractor compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations as well as international laws (as applicable) for the use, transport, emergency response, and disposal of the acquired material.

2. The contractor must ensure compliance with the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations by certifying hazardous materials are properly classified, described, packaged, marked, and labeled and are in a safe condition to transport the material (49 CFR 173).

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 17 OF 38 PAGES

3. The contractor must ensure compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations regarding the proper management, handling, storage, transportation, and disposition of material (29 CFR 1910).

4. The contractor must communicate the hazards of the material by providing the SDS in accordance with The United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) (29 CFR 1910).

5. The contractor must ensure compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations for the characterizing of waste to determine appropriate disposal of material and any associated packing and shipping material (40 CFR 260).

6. The contractor must ensure compliance with Strategic Materials Environmental, Safety, and Occupational Health (ESOH) Depot Orientation Guide and ESOH Policy Statement available on the Strategic Materials website:

https://www.dla.mil/Strategic-Materials/.

F. PACKAGING

1. Material must be packaged in a 6-mil thick LDPE or HDPE liner with a “twist and tie” or heat-seal method liner within a new UN 1A2/Y250/S compliant steel drum with a rated capacity of 55 gallons or metric equivalent capacity; no more than four drums per pallet.

2. The contractor must package all material delivered throughout the performance of this SOW in the same size and type of drum (identical in all aspects).

3. The contractor must submit detailed design drawings and manufacturer’s certifications for all proposed steel drums for use under this SOW for review and approval from the government prior to their utilization.

4. No steel drums can be utilized that have not been preapproved for use under this SOW by the government.

5. The steel drums must be new. Use of used, recycled, repaired, remanufactured, or refurbished drums is not allowed.

a. The steel drums must have a nut and bolt and ring closure.

b. The steel drums must have a gasket made of a synthetic elastomer to prevent the admission of moisture and to prevent leakage of its contents, especially fine particulates. The gasket’s material must have a chemical resistance consistent with the contents of the drum.

c. Both the steel drums’ exteriors and interiors must be hot dipped, galvanized, or painted with a rust preventive coating.

d. A copy of the drum manufacturer’s certification must be packaged with each shipment representing all drums in that shipment.

6. Upon delivery the drums must be intact and free of damage, contamination, and leaks.

7. Palletizing requirements. All container/items must be placed onto new undamaged pallets meeting the specifications listed below and be banded together to prevent container/item movement during handling, transportation, or other operations where containers/items and/or personnel could be damaged and/or injured if the container/item shifts. The use of used, recycled, repaired, remanufactured, and/or refurbished pallets is not allowed.

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 18 OF 38 PAGES

a. Pallet design.

i. All pallets must be 48” deep (front to back) and 48” wide (side to side) in size.

ii. All pallets must contain four full-length solid stringers. One stringer must be located at each edge (side) and two stringers must be located in the interior of all pallets. Interior stringers must be spaced 18.5” (on center) from the outside of each edge (side). Stringers must be 1 5/8” in width and 3.5” in height. Segmented, composite, and/or block stringers are not allowable.

iii. All pallets must have flush sides (e.g., no wings).

iv. All pallets must contain “top decking” and “bottom decking” boards.

All decking boards must be 6” in width with no more than 1” between boards. All decking boards must be ¾” in thickness and be solid.

v. All pallets must have a “two-way entry” configuration.

vi. Pallets may be reversible in design.

vii. All pallets must have a minimum rated load capacity of 750 pounds per square foot.

b. Pallet construction.

i. All pallets must satisfy the requirements listed in ASTM D6199-18a.

ii. All pallets must be constructed entirely (except fasteners) of high-density hardwood meeting the requirements of paragraph 6 of ASTM D6199-18a. Only high-density hardwood species categorized in “Group IV” of ASTM D6199-18a are allowable for pallet construction. The only allowable high density hardwood species used for pallet construction are beech, birch, hackberry, hard maple, hickory, oak (eastern), pecan, rock elm, American elm, white oak, and green oak. Pallets may be constructed by mixing together or using different high density hardwood species listed above interchangeably.

iii. All pallets must satisfy the requirements listed in International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15 (e.g., heat treated etc.).

iv. Only driven nails that are “helically” threaded, “annularly” threaded or “fluted” are allowable for use in pallet construction. The fastener length must be sufficient to provide a minimum penetration of 1.25” into the stringer.

8. An SDS specific for each grade of the contained material must be accessible and external to the packed material with each delivery. All packages must meet all requirements presented in Section II.E to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations for the transporting, handling, and management of material.

G. LABELING

1. All individual containers or pallets must be identified with an attached tags(s)/label(s) as follows:

a. The font size must be of sufficient size to be legible to the unaided eye.

b. All information on tag(s)/label(s) must be in English.

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 19 OF 38 PAGES

c. Any ink used to print tag(s)/label(s) must be indelible, permanent, and suitable for use in unheated warehouses where temperature extremes (both hot and cold) exist. The use of paint on tags/labels to enter the required information on each tag/label is not allowable.

d. The tag/label material must be durable and suitable for use in unheated warehouses where temperature extremes (both hot and cold) exist. The tag/label material must not react with the commodity being tagged/labeled.

e. Tag/label material must have an expected lifespan of a minimum of 20 years with no degradation.

f. All tag(s)/label(s) must be of sufficient size to permit the listing of all required information.

2. The information below must be listed on each tag/label or included with the lot. The marking must not include a security classification or anything indicating DLA Strategic Materials ownership other than the IDIQ and delivery order number.

a. Commodity name

b. Commodity grade, type, or form

c. Ore Type (i.e. Wolframite or Scheelite)

d. Country of origin

e. Producer name

f. Producer’s part number

g. Gross weight in pounds and metric units (metric units to be in parentheses)

h. Net weight in pounds and metric units (metric units to be in parentheses)

i. Lot number

j. Serial number

k. IDIQ and delivery order number.

3. Tag(s)/label(s) must be attached to each container in a permanent manner that prevents accidental detachment. The means of attachment must be suitable for use in unheated warehouses where temperature extremes (both hot and cold) exist.

4. One tag/label must be attached to the exterior of each drum container in a permanent manner that prevents accidental detachment. A second tag/label must be attached to the topside of the lid of each drum. A third tag/label must be attached to the underside of the lid of each drum. The means of attachment must be suitable for use in unheated warehouses where temperature extremes (both hot and cold) exist.

Attachment by adhesive means (e.g., glue, adhesive backed tag/label, etc.) is acceptable.

5. A separate metal tag must be attached to each individual container with a laser etched 3d barcode containing data listed in Paragraph G.2.

6. All packages must meet all requirements presented in Section II.E to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations for the transporting, handling, and management of material.

7. All materials shall include a completed US Securities and Exchange Commission form SD and demonstrate compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act.

H. TRANSPORTATION AND DELIVERY

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 20 OF 38 PAGES

1. The contractor is responsible for transport as well as for carrier and insurance paid to (CIP) of the material to one of the points of delivery below.

2. The Contractor must deliver materials to the one of the following Government Storage Depots (delivery point) to be specified on each Delivery Order:

a. Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Materials Scotia Depot

Route 5, Building #12 Scotia, NY 12302-9463 Telephone: (518) 370-3347

Unloading Hours: 7:30 AM – 2:30 PM (Eastern Time), Monday – Friday

Accessibility: Truck

Deliveries will only be accepted between the hours of 7:30 AM – 2:30 PM (EST), Monday – Friday (excluding federal holidays).

b. Defense Logistics Agency Hawthorne Army Depot

1 South Main Ave.

Hawthorne, NV 89415-9404 Telephone: (775)-945-7001

Shipping Hours: 8:00 AM – 2:30 PM (Pacific Time) Monday through Thursday. (Exceptions of federal, state, and local holidays, and days of closure due to inclement weather, and/or other emergencies.)

Accessibility: Truck/Rail* scale is available (Truck scale weight capacity is 90,000 lbs. and the rail scale capacity is 500,000 lbs.).

*Note: Accessibility by rail is currently unavailable but may become available in the future.

Truck Lot Receiving Procedures: Transportation companies are required to use the Carrier Appointment System (CAS) SDDC for deliveries to Hawthorne Army Depot. Transportation companies must schedule an appointment 24 hours in advance by CAS or by calling 775-945-7950 or 775- 945-7949. Hawthorne Army Depot must review passports, naturalization papers, and citizenship for admittance and reserves the right to reject non-compliant transportation. Any deliveries must be pre-approved prior to arriving in Hawthorne.

c. Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Materials Hammond Depot

3200 Sheffield Avenue Hammond, Indiana 46327-1003 Telephone: (219)-937-5383

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 21 OF 38 PAGES

Shipping/Receiving hours: 7:00 AM – 2:30 PM (Central Time) Monday through Friday (exceptions of federal, state, and local holidays and days of closure due to inclement weather and/or other emergencies)

Accessibility: Truck and rail.

d. Defense Logistics Agency Columbus Depot 3990 E. Broad St.

Columbus, OH 43218

Shipping/Receiving hours: 7:00 AM – 2:30 PM (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday (exceptions of federal, state, and local holidays and days of closure due to inclement weather and/or other emergencies)

Accessibility: Truck

3. The contractor must submit a draft delivery schedule with their proposal that outlines a potential cadence of shipments given the quantities provided in Table 1 above.

4. The Contractor must submit a final proposed material delivery schedule for the duration of the contract to the government within 30 business days of contract award that includes proposed individual delivery dates and the total net weight of each proposed delivery.

5. The contractor must schedule each delivery with the government representative only after the COA is accepted.

6. The contractor must schedule all deliveries in writing with the government representative a minimum of 15 business days in advance of delivery and receive written acceptance of the proposed delivery schedule from the government representative prior to any shipping. The notification must include the following information:

a. Total net weight of material to be delivered.

b. Total net weight of each lot of material to be delivered.

c. Total net weight of material contained in each package.

d. Total number of sub-packaging units contained inside each package, if applicable.

e. Total number of packages.

f. Quantity of packages on each pallet.

g. Pallet size (e.g. 48” x 48”).

h. Total number of truck loads to be delivered each month.

i. Total number of lots contained in each truckload.

j. Type of truck planned for transporting the material to the delivery point (e.g., enclosed van truck, overseas container, etc.).

7. The contractor shall have no longer than 36 months after issuance of the delivery order to deliver the required quantity of material.

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 22 OF 38 PAGES

I. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

1. DLA personnel will perform in-depth visual inspections of material upon transferring to DLA custody at the final delivery point to verify conformance with the requirements stated in the SOW that can be verified visually.

2. The government reserves the right to sample and test each lot of material received to verify the material meets the specifications set forth in this SOW.

3. The government representative will provide written notification of the acceptance/rejection of each delivered lot of material to the contractor within 30 business days of delivery. The contractor cannot invoice until the government representative has issued a written notification of acceptance of each lot of material delivered.

4. If any delivered lot of material or other deliverable does not conform to the requirements stated in this SOW, the government reserves the right to reject the non-conforming material.

5. Material rejected based on non-compliance must be replaced at no cost to the government. The contractor is responsible for removal and replacement of rejected lots of material, including all attendant costs within 90 calendar days of the final delivery.

J. TIMELINE OF ACTIONS/SUBMISSIONS

Table 3 - Timeline

Responsible Party Action / Submission Deadline / Timing

Contractor Submit Sampling Plan With Proposal

Contractor Submit Testing Plan With Proposal

Contractor Submit Draft Delivery Schedule With Proposal

Contractor Submit sample Certificate of Analysis With Proposal

Contractor Submit Delivery Schedule Within 30 business days of contract award

Contractor Submit revised Sampling or Testing Plan no more than 20 business days prior to implementation of changes

Contractor Schedule delivery with QAS at least 15 business days in advance of delivery

Contractor Removes and replaces rejected material . Within 90 calendar days of the final delivery.

Government Provide written notification of acceptance/rejection Within 30 business days of delivery.

Government Review and accepts/rejects the COA Within 15 business days after receipt.

Government provides approval/rejection of revised Sampling/Testing plans Within 5 business days of receipt.

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 23 OF 38 PAGES

SECTION I – CONTRACT CLAUSES

SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

The following solicitation provisions apply to this acquisition:

52.203-11, Certification and Disclosure Regarding Payments to Influence Certain Federal Transactions (SEP 2024) FAR

52.203-18, Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements-Representation (JAN 2017) FAR

52.204-7, System for Award Management—Registration (DEVIATION 2026-

O0038)(FEB 2026) FAR

52.204-90, Offeror Identification (DEVIATION 2026-O0038) (FEB 2026) FAR

52.209-12, Certification Regarding Tax Matters (OCT2025) FAR

52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (and its Addendum) (DEVIATION 2026-O0038) (FEB 2026) FAR

52.212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Products and Commercial Services

(DEVIATION 2026-O0038) (FEB 2026) FAR

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the offer responsible whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

The Government will use the following factors to evaluate each proposal:

Factor 1: Technical Approach Factor 2: Past Performance Factor 3: Price

Factor 1 and Factor 2 shall be evaluated on an Acceptable/Unacceptable basis.

A proposal will be considered if it conforms to the requirements of the statement of work (SOW). A proposal will NOT be considered if it does not conform to ALL the requirements in the SOW. The proposal will also NOT be considered if it does not include the required submittals.

CONTINUATION SHEET SP8000-26-R-0021 PAGE 24 OF 38 PAGES

In this Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) acquisition, the following factors and subfactors will be evaluated:

(1) Factor 1 – Technical Approach – Evaluation will consider the contractor’s proposed technical approach after rating the six technical approach sub-factors listed below and provide an overall rating for Factor 1.

Subfactor 1.1 Material Description - The Government will evaluate the material…