Sol_140E0124Q0081.pdf

140E0124Q0081

1. REQUEST NO.

5a. ISSUED BY

NAME

a. NAME

c. STREET ADDRESS

d. CITY

10. PLEASE FURNISH QUOTATIONS TO

THE ISSUING OFFICE IN BLOCK 5a ON

OR BEFORE CLOSE OF BUSINESS (Date)

2. DATE ISSUED 3. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUEST NO. 4. CERT. FOR NAT. DEF.

UNDER BDSA REG. 2

AND/OR DMS REG.1

RATING

6. DELIVERY BY (Date)

7. DELIVERY

9. DESTINATION

a. NAME OF CONSIGNEE

b. STREET ADDRESS

PAGE OF PAGES

5b. FOR INFORMATION CALL: (No collect calls)

TELEPHONE NUMBER

AREA CODE NUMBER

8. TO:

b. COMPANY

e. STATE f. ZIP CODE

c. CITY

d. STATE e. ZIP CODE

IMPORTANT: This is a request for information, and quotations furnished are not offers. If you are unable to quote, please so indicate on this form and return it to the address in Block 5a. This request does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of the submission of this quotation or to contract for supplies or services. Supplies are of domestic origin unless otherwise indicated by quoter. Any representations and/or certifications attached to this Request for Quotations must be completed by the quoter.

11. SCHEDULE (Include applicable Federal, State and local taxes)

THIS RFQ

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION

(THIS IS NOT AN ORDER)

IS IS NOT A SMALL BUSINESS SET ASIDEX

08/07/2024 0040671657

1 41

45600 Woodland Road, VAE-AMD Sterling VA 20166-9216

BSEE-Sterling ACQ Ops Branch 06/30/2025

BSEE OLD ADDRESS

45600 Woodland Road, VAE-OSRD

Sterling

VA 20166-9216

000 000-0000Catherine Robertson

08/30/2024 1700 ED

FOB DESTINATION

OTHER

(See Schedule)X

ITEM NO.

(a)

SUPPLIES/SERVICES

(b)

QUANTITY

(c)

UNIT

(d)

UNIT PRICE

(e)

AMOUNT

(f)

Period of Performance: 09/23/2024 to 06/30/2025

Protocol Development to Test at Field Scale Type I Sorbents

00010 Development of a Field Scale Test Protocol for Type I Sorbents Product/Service Code: AH42 Product/Service Description: NATURAL RESOURCES

AND ENVIRONMENT R&D SERVICES; POLLUTION CONTROL

AND ABATEMENT; APPLIED RESEARCH

Delivery: 06/30/2025

12. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

a. 10 CALENDAR DAYS (%) b. 20 CALENDAR DAYS (%) c. 30 CALENDAR DAYS (%) d. CALENDAR DAYS

NUMBER PERCENTAGE

NOTE: Additional provisions and representations

13. NAME AND ADDRESS OF QUOTER

b. STREET ADDRESS

c. COUNTY

d. CITY e. STATE f. ZIP CODE

14. SIGNATURE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO

SIGN QUOTATION

16. SIGNER

a. NAME (Type or print)

c. TITLE (Type or print)

a. NAME OF QUOTER

AREA CODE

NUMBER

15. DATE OF QUOTATION

b. TELEPHONE are are not attached

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

Previous edition not usable

STANDARD FORM 18 (REV. 6-95)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.215-1(a)

Solicitation No. 140E0124Q0081

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY AS IT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY NOTICE

THAT WILL BE ISSUED. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), has a requirement to procure a commercial service for the titled project “Development of a Field Scale Test Protocol for Type I Sorbents”. The estimated period of performance for this requirement is 8 months from date of award.

The purpose of this combined synopsis/solicitation is to solicit quotes as described in the attached solicitation. The Government anticipates a single award Firm Fixed Price contract as a result of this solicitation. This procurement is being conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures, and FAR Part 12 – Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services. The North American Industrial Classification Systems (NAICS) code is 541620, Environmental Consulting Services, with a small business size standard of $19.0 million. This is an unrestricted solicitation, being issued for full and open and competition. FAR clauses and provisions enclosed within this RFQ are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2024-06 and are available in full text through Internet access at http:// www.acquisition.gov/far/.

All potential offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.sam.gov) at the time a quotation is submitted.

The point of contact for this procurement is Catie Robertson, Contracting Officer, BSEE, Acquisition Operations Branch, 45600 Woodland Rd., Sterling, VA 20166. Responses to this solicitation must be submitted electronically via email to catherine.robertson@bsee.gov no later than the closing date and time referenced in the solicitation. All email correspondence must reference “Solicitation No. 140E0124Q0081”.

http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:catherine.robertson@bsee.gov

RFQ 140E0124Q0081

SECTION 1

PRICING

1.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

This acquisition is being conducted in accordance with FAR Part 13 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Under this Request for Quote (RFQ), the United States Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) anticipates awarding a Firm- Fixed-Price Purchase Order as detailed in the Statement of Work (SOW). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541620, Environmental Consulting Services.

1.2 ANTICIPATED CONTRACT TYPE AND PRICING

The Government anticipates a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract as a result of this solicitation, under the authority of the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), for Development of a Field Scale Test Protocol for Type I Sorbents.

1.3 CONTRACT LINE ITEM (CLIN) STRUCTURE

The specific details and descriptions of the Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) are described as follows: [*Offeror shall fill in the proposed amounts below.]

CLIN# DESCRIPTION TOTAL PRICE

00010 Development of a Field Scale Test Protocol for Type I Sorbents (Firm-Fixed-Price) $_____*_____

1.4 PARTIAL DELIVERY PAYMENT SCHEUDLE

Payment will be made to the Contractor based upon delivery and acceptance of the tasks performed/deliverables submitted in accordance with FAR Clause 52.232-1, Payments. The payment arrangement should be based upon partial deliverables whereby payments are made for distinct portions of the work completed by the Contractor and accepted by the Government. Upon completion of each deliverable and acceptance by the Government, the contractor may submit an invoice to BSEE in the amount identified in the table below. The Contractor shall submit invoices via Internet Payment Platform (IPP) in accordance with instructions provided in Section 3.6.

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) Payment Amount

1 TBD* $TBD*

2 TBD* $TBD*

3 TBD* $TBD*

TOTAL VALUE $TBD*

TBD* - Offeror shall provide proposed Payment Schedule Amounts based on Deliverable(s )/ Milestone(s) as part of the Price Quote. If not proposed, a FFP award will issue full payment after final completion of the award.

SECTION 2

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

DEVELOPMENT OF A FIELD SCALE TEST PROTOCOL FOR TYPE I SORBENTS

2.1 SCOPE

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is seeking a contractor to support its Oil Spill Preparedness Division in developing a standardized test protocol for Type I Sorbents at field scale. The project will be open for bidding, with a strong emphasis on identifying offerors who have specialized expertise in scientific protocol development, familiarity with the ASTM process, and involvement in the ATSM F20 Committee. The developed test protocol will be for use at Ohmsett, but BSEE will consider other similarly capable facilities during the development process. The contractor will review existing non-standardized procedures that have been used in the past to predict the performance of sorbents during typical field use. They will also assess historical test data, existing protocols, and procedures, and develop a refined, standardized, and repeatable test procedure specifically for field testing applications associated with Type I sorbents applicable to a variety of oil types. Furthermore, the protocol developed is expected to be presented to the ASTM F20 committee for consideration of inclusion as an agreed-upon ASTM standard.

The contractor will convene a working group of experts in the field of oil spill response, coordinate and facilitate both virtual and in-person working group meetings, provide a virtual collaboration area for all working group members, compile comprehensive meeting minutes, and produce the test protocol and other specified deliverables. The contractor should strive to include a representative from the ASTM F20 committee, such as particular Ohmsett staff, to guide the development toward incorporation as an ASTM standard. The final test protocol should meet the needs of BSEE OSPD, have consensus among working group members, and be ready to be put forward to the ASTM F20 committee for consideration as an ASTM standard. Offerors should demonstrate expertise in oil spill response, oil recovery operations, ASTM Protocol development, and testing of oil response equipment.

2.2 BACKGROUND

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), an agency of the U.S.

Department of the Interior, is responsible for promoting safety, protecting the environment, and conserving offshore resources. They oversee regulatory compliance and enforcement for oil and gas exploration, development, and production operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

BSEE's Oil Spill Preparedness Division (OSPD) Response Research Branch (RRB) manages the Oil Spill Response Research (OSRR) Program, which aims to enhance oil spill response through research and technology development. OSPD also operates Ohmsett, the National Oil Spill Response Research & Renewable Energy Test Facility, which conducts independent performance testing of full-scale oil spill response equipment.

Existing Test Protocols and Test Reports Currently, there is no industry-recognized test protocol for evaluating sorbent performance for full or mesoscale sample sizes, including the absence of a specific ASTM standard. To address this gap for the oil spill response community, BSEE has initiated the development of a Type I test protocol for testing full or mesoscale samples. This protocol is designed to focus on testing attributes important to end users, such as:

1. Recoverability of surface oil across a range of viscosities

2. The volume of oil recoverable by the sorbent

3. The rate at which the sorbent will absorb oil

4. Water uptake when exposed to oil and water

5. Buoyancy

6. Ability to retrieve the sorbent intact when fully saturated.

Need of an ASTM Protocol The results of the previous project culminated into a draft BSEE/Ohmsett protocol that has been used in at least two (2) separate studies. In a recent BSEE test using the draft field scale protocol, several observations suggested that when exposed to light dielectric oils measurement data uncertainties were noted. This may be attributable to the variance in oil type from those used in the development of the test procedure, equipment, observational errors, or the methodologies employed.

Another concern with the continued use of the draft protocol is that customers have altered test methods to fit their particular requirements in ways that provide results that are favorable to their products.

Additionally, criticisms have been documented in a 2015 paper by Bazargan et al. titled “Standardization of Oil Sorbent Performance Testing” where they concluded that the majority of published tests on oil sorbents did not use any uniform standard (Bazargan, 2015.) The paper claims ASTM F726-17 has issues that make it unattractive for researchers to use. For example, the 13cm by 13cm sample size does not necessarily account for variations in the manufacturing process that would be captured in large sample tests and the method for measuring a sorbent’s oil retention may overstate a sorbent’s performance. Although Bazargan appears to be taking a strictly scientific approach, the overall picture remains; there is not a standard, documented, approach for testing oil spill sorbents at a practical field use scale. Thus, there is a need for an established ASTM test protocol to establish sorbent capabilities from a practical field use perspective.

2.3 PROPOSED TASKS

The list below represents proposed tasks. The Offeror may provide additional or modified tasks in their proposal.

2.3.1 TASK 1: Post-Award/Kickoff Meeting

The contractor is required to organize a virtual Post-Award/Kickoff Meeting with BSEE within three (3) weeks of the date of award. The Principal Investigator (PI) and other key personnel must attend via teleconference. BSEE’s COR and Contracting Officer will also be in attendance.

An agenda for the meeting must be provided to the COR at least three (3) days before the meeting for review. Within one (1) week after the meeting, the contractor should prepare and distribute a summary detailing the discussions and any mutually agreed-upon decisions. Any agreed-upon changes that might affect the contract are subject to written approval by the BSEE CO via a contract modification.

2.3.2 TASK 2: Literature Review

The contractor will conduct a literature review of existing sorbent tests, test protocols, and procedures. This will involve a review of procedures, calculations, and data from recent Ohmsett/BSEE tests, as well as customer sorbent tests, to understand how customer-driven requests may have affected the draft field scale protocol’s test methods in key areas. Specifically, this should include BSEE tests 1128 TOST Sorbent Assessment, 1161 Test Effort Sorbent Efficacy to Dielectric Fluids, and external customer test 7024 (if available). The literature review will be conveyed to the BSEE CO and COR for review.

2.3.3 TASK 3: Work Group Organization

The contractor will establish a working group comprising 5-6 experts, including at least 1 BSEE member. Other potential members may include a member from Ohmsett, representation from the USCG RDC, industry, and Oil Spill Cleanup Organizations. The inclusion of potential group members should be discussed with BSEE for approval before final inclusion. It is expected that working group members will participate without expectation of reimbursement. However, travel costs associated with Task 5 will be reimbursed by the contractor. The contract issued by BSEE shall contain a reimbursable line item for travel costs. If there is a key member deemed integral to this effort by BSEE, this member may be compensated for their labor related to the project, with these costs to be covered by the contractor. The contract will contain a reimbursable line item for key member labor and travel costs.

2.3.4 TASK 4: Preparation of an overall Project Management Plan (PMP) with Detailed Schedule The Contractor will take the lead in developing a research plan, schedule, and reaching a consensus on the final protocol, working through the ASTM Committee F20 on Hazardous Substances and Oil Spill Response (ASTM Committee F20). Throughout the project, there should be multiple engagements with the ASTM Committee F20 to build consensus on the test protocol test methods. These discussions will guide the development of the test protocol forward.

Ohmsett staff are members of the ASTM Committee F20 and will be a key player in the protocol development and the ASTM meetings. Analyze the current ASTM sorbent test method F726-17 to ensure that it and the final protocol are complimentary, non-contradictive, and maintain unique scopes with minimal testing overlap.

2.3.5 TASK 5: Oversee a Hands-On Workgroup Demonstration

The Contractor will organize and oversee an initial Hands-On workgroup demonstration meeting to be held at Ohmsett. This meeting will likely include 1½- 2 days of meetings at the Ohmsett facility. BSEE will separately fund any Ohmsett costs directly to Ohmsett. At this meeting, the contract will coordinate with Ohmsett to provide a detailed, in-tank full demonstration of the current BSEE/Ohmsett test protocols. Though this testing will be done at the Ohmsett facility the final draft protocol should be applicable to, and replicable at other test facilities. The contractor will coordinate member participation and travel for members (other than the BSEE and Ohmsett members), provide a detailed meeting agenda and other read-ahead materials, and along with BSEE, facilitate the meeting. The meeting materials shall be provided to members at least two weeks before the introduction meeting to allow them time to read and prepare for the meeting and shall include relevant information including background, purpose, goals and objectives, desired outcomes, and any useful reference test methods. The contractor shall provide comprehensive meeting minutes, action items, and next steps no later than two weeks after the meeting is concluded.

2.3.6 TASK 6: Provide and Maintain a Virtual Collaboration Area for Working Group Members The contractor will set up and maintain a virtual collaboration area accessible to working group members for document sharing, meeting announcements, and storage of past meeting minutes and project-related documents.

2.3.7 TASK 7: Virtual Working Group Meetings

Monthly virtual meetings will be conducted by the contractor with the working group members to advance the development effort. Meeting agendas and goals will be shared at least three days in advance, and a comprehensive meeting summary will be provided to all members no later than one weeks after each meeting.

2.3.8 Task 8: Prepare Draft field Scale Test Protocol

The contractor will develop an initial draft consensus-driven plan for a Type I Sorbents Field Scale Test Protocol, fully detailing the developed test method. The final test protocol will be in a format suitable for presentation to the ASTM F20 committee for consideration.

2.3.9 TASK 9: Complete Final Reports, draft manuscript, and Graphical Abstract and Compile Data Sets The Contractor will complete a final report, which will include a graphical abstract. A graphical abstract is a single, concise, pictorial, and visual summary of the main findings of the project, and summarizes the project for readers in a single glance. BSEE will forward a report template for use in structuring the final report. The Contractor shall deliver the final report in pdf and .doc electronic formats. The final report shall follow APA style formatting. All comments received from BSEE on the Draft Final Report shall be addressed by the Contractor, either by incorporating them into the Final Report, or explaining why they were not incorporated. The Final Report shall be written as a non-proprietary report, releasable by the BSEE to the public either through posting on the BSEE webpage or by other means.

The final report shall include a graphical abstract. A graphical abstract is a single, concise, pictorial, and visual summary of the main findings of the project, and summarizes the project for readers in a single glance. Graphical Abstract Image size: Include an image with a minimum of 531 x 1328 pixels using a minimum resolution of 600 dpi, the highest resolution possible is preferred. The image should fit within the page and be scaled proportionally to fit on the page.

The Contractor shall prepare a draft Journal Manuscript to be submitted by the Contractor to the ISCO newsletter or other publications upon completion of the project.

All data sets created as a result of this work shall be included as a separate electronic file and delivered on a CD or hard drive. This includes electronic copies of the test methods reviewed, the test reports reviewed, and any other data sets created. These data sets shall not be locked or protected in a way as to restrict them from being used in future analyses.

2.4 MEETINGS, REPORTS, AND OTHER DELIVERABLES

The following deliverables shall be submitted and meetings held in accordance with the schedules specified in Section 2.5. The Contractor is responsible for editing and proofreading all material in order to prepare products as error free as possible prior to their delivery to BSEE.

• Initial post-award/kickoff meeting agenda and meeting minutes as described in Task 1 above.

• Summary report for initial research conducted as described in Task 1 above.

• Finalize working group members as described in Task 3 above.

• Project plan and project schedule as described in Task 4 above.

• Workgroup initial meeting agenda including scope, purpose, goals and objectives, expected outcomes, and read-ahead materials, provided to members, as described in Task 4 above.

• Organize and execute the collaborative 1½- 2 day team meeting at OHMSETT where current equipment and procedures will be reviewed and modified as described in Task 5 above

• Virtual collaboration area as described in Task 6 above.

• Monthly meetings with group members as described in Task 7 above.

• Monthly meeting agenda as described in Task 7 above, to be submitted at least 5 days before each meeting.

• Meeting summary as described in Task 7, to be submitted no later than 14 days after each meeting.

• Draft final report as described in Task 8 above

• Final Report, Graphical Abstract, Draft Journal Manuscript to be submitted to ISCO newsletter or other publication upon completion of the project as described in Task 9.

2.5 SCHEDULE AND DISTRIBUTION OF DELIVERABLES

Deliverable products shall be submitted to the addresses shown in Section 2.6 in accordance with the following schedule. NOTE: If the Contractor is unable to deliver the requested materials electronically due to size constraints, the Contractor shall provide an FTP site, or similar system, for the delivery of deliverables. Final Data Sets shall be delivered via CD/DVD.

DELIVERABLE DISTRIBUTION DUE DATE

Task 1:

Post-Award/Kickoff Meeting agenda

Post-Award Meeting and Summary

One (1) copy by email to each of the following: BSEE CO and COR.

Not later than 3 days prior to the Post-Award/Kickoff Meeting.

Within 1 week of the Post- Award/Kickoff Meeting.

Task 2:

Literature Review

One (1) copy by email to each of the following: BSEE CO and COR.

Within 2 months of the award

Task 3:

Work Group Organization

Final list of Working Group Members

One (1) copy by email to each of the following: BSEE CO and COR.

Within 3 months of the award

Task 4:

Preparation of an overall Project Management Plan (PMP) with Detailed Schedule

One (1) copy by email to each of the following: BSEE CO and COR.

Within 3 months of the award

Task 5:

Hands-On Workgroup Demonstration

One (1) copy by email to each of the following: BSEE CO and COR.

Within 5 months of the award

Task 6:

Virtual Collaboration Area – link and access instructions

Initial working group meeting minutes

One (1) copy by email to each of the following: BSEE CO and COR.

Not later than 1 month after the Post-Award/Kickoff Meeting.

Within 1 week of the Initial working group meeting

Task 7:

Virtual working group meeting agendas

Virtual working group meeting minutes

One (1) copy by email to each of the following: BSEE CO and COR.

Not later than 3 days prior to the working group meeting.

Within 1 week of the working group meeting

Task 8:

Prepare Draft field Scale Test Protocol for Filed Scale Sorbent test protocol.

One (1) copy by email to each of the following: BSEE CO and COR.

Within 7 months of the award

Task 9:

Final Report

Draft Manuscript

Graphical Abstract

One (1) copy by email to the BSEE CO and COR.

One (1) copy by email to the BSEE CO and COR.

One (1) copy by email to the BSEE CO and COR.

Within 8 months of the award

2.6 ADDRESSES FOR DELIVERABLES

Contracting Officer’s Representative [COR]:

TBD AT TIME OF AWARD

Contracting Officer [CO] Catie Robertson Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

Acquisition Operations Branch 45600 Woodland Rd., MS VAE-AMD Sterling, VA 20166 catherine.robertson@bsee.gov

2.7 GENERAL ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

General quality measures, as set forth below, will be applied to each work product received from the Contractor under this statement of work.

● Accuracy - Work Products will be accurate in presentation, technical content, and adherence to accepted elements of style.

● Clarity - Work Products will be clear and concise. Any/All diagrams will be easy to understand and be relevant to the supporting narrative.

● Consistency to Requirements - All work products must satisfy the requirements of this statement of work.

● File Editing - All text and diagrammatic files will be editable by the Government.

● Format - Work Products will be submitted in media mutually agreed upon prior to submission. Any hard copies will be submitted in formats that follow specified Directives or Manuals.

● Timeliness - Work Products will be submitted on or before the due date specified in this statement of work or submitted in accordance with a later scheduled date determined by the Government.

The COR will review, for completeness, preliminary or draft documentation that the Contractor submits, and may return it to the Contractor for correction. Absence of any comments by the COR will not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility for complying with the requirements of this project. Final approval and acceptance of documentation required herein will be by e-mail of approval and acceptance by the COR, CO and/or by other representatives designated by the CO under the purchase order. The Contractor will not construe any letter of acknowledgment of receipt of material as a waiver of review, nor as an acknowledgment that the material is in conformance with this project, nor as formal acceptance. Any approval given during preparation of the documentation, or approval for shipment will not guarantee the final acceptance of the completed documentation.

2.8 SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY

Scientific integrity is vital to Department of the Interior (DOI) activities under which scientific research, data, summaries, syntheses, interpretations, presentations, and/or publications are developed and used. Failure to uphold the highest degree of scientific integrity will result not only in potentially flawed scientific results, interpretations, and applications but will damage DOI’s reputation and ability to uphold the public’s trust. All work performed must comply with the DOI Scientific Integrity Policy posted to http://www.doi.gov, or its equivalent as provided by their organization or State law.

SECTION 3

GENERAL PURCHASE ORDER TERMS AND CONDITIONS

3.1 SCOPE

A Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Purchase Order shall be issued under the authority of the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) for the effort identified in Section 2, Statement of Work.

3.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance (POP) of this contract is anticipated to be eight (8) months. The project period shall encompass all tasks from initial planning, through and including BSEE’s final acceptance of all deliverables. The Contractor shall deliver all required deliverables in accordance with Section 2 of this contract.

BSEE anticipates the following periods of performance within the 8-month contract period of performance. The contractor shall provide a schedule and any variations requested of the period of performance.

Total Contract Period of Performance: September 23, 2024 - May 31, 2025

3.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The primary place of performance is at the Contractor’s location.

3.4 ADMINISTRATIVE POINTS OF CONTACT

3.4.1 Contracting Officer: The Contracting Officer (CO) for this effort is as follows:

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Acquisition Operations Branch Attn: Catie Robertson Phone Number: 703-787-1559 Email: catherine.robertson@bsee.gov

3.4.2 Contracting Officer’s Representative: The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for this effort is as follows:

TBD AT TIME OF AWARD

3.5 DIAR 1452.201-70 AUTHORITIES AND DELEGATIONS (SEP 2011)

(a) The Contracting Officer is the only individual authorized to enter into or terminate this contract, modify any term or condition of this contract, waive any requirement of this contract, or accept nonconforming work.

(b) The Contracting Officer will designate a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) at time of award. The COR will be responsible for technical monitoring of the contractor's performance and deliveries. The COR will be appointed in writing, and a copy of the appointment will be furnished to the Contractor. Changes to this delegation will be made by written changes to the existing appointment or by issuance of a new appointment.

(c) The COR is not authorized to perform, formally or informally, any of the following actions:

(1) Promise, award, agree to award, or execute any contract, contract modification, or notice of intent that changes or may change this contract;

(2) Waive or agree to modification of the delivery schedule;

(3) Make any final decision on any contract matter subject to the Disputes Clause;

(4) Terminate, for any reason, the Contractor's right to proceed;

(5) Obligate in any way, the payment of money by the Government.

(d) The Contractor shall comply with the written or oral direction of the Contracting Officer or authorized representative(s) acting within the scope and authority of the appointment memorandum. The Contractor need not proceed with direction that it considers to have been issued without proper authority. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing, with as much detail as possible, when the COR has taken an action or has issued direction (written or oral) that the Contractor considers to exceed the COR's appointment, within 3 days of the occurrence. Unless otherwise provided in this contract, the Contractor assumes all costs, risks, liabilities, and consequences of performing any work it is directed to perform that falls within any of the categories defined in paragraph (c) prior to receipt of the Contracting Officer's response issued under paragraph (e) of this clause.

(e) The Contracting Officer shall respond in writing within 30 days to any notice made under paragraph (d) of this clause. A failure of the parties to agree upon the nature of a direction, or upon the contract action to be taken with respect thereto, shall be subject to the provisions of the Disputes clause of this contract.

(f) The Contractor shall provide copies of all correspondence to the Contracting Officer and the

COR.

(g) Any action(s) taken by the Contractor, in response to any direction given by any person acting on behalf of the Government or any Government official other than the Contracting Officer or the COR acting within his or her appointment, shall be at the Contractor's risk.

3.6 INVOICE FREQUENCY AND PAYMENTS

Invoices shall be submitted based upon delivery and acceptance of the tasks performed as proposed and agreed to by the Government in accordance with Section 1.4 – Partial Delivery Payment Schedule via the Internet Payment Platform (IPP) as delineated in Section 3.6.1 below.

3.6.1 Invoice Submission Instructions

DOI-AAAP-0028, Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements - Internet Payment Platform (IPP) (February 2021) Payment requests must be submitted electronically through the U. S. Department of the Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform System (IPP).

"Payment request" means any request for contract financing payment or invoice payment by the Contractor. To constitute a proper invoice, the payment request must comply with the requirements identified in the applicable Prompt Payment clause included in the contract, or the clause 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Products and Commercial Services included in commercial contracts. The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov.

Under this contract, the following documents are required to be submitted as an attachment to the IPP invoice:

1. Detailed invoice(s) as an attachment to the IPP showing:

a. Documentation required by FAR 32.905(b)

The Contractor must use the IPP website to register access and use IPP for submitting requests for payment. The Contractor Government Business Point of Contact (as listed in SAM) will receive enrollment instructions via email from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRBSTL) within 3 - 5 business days of the contract award date. Contractor assistance with enrollment can be obtained by contacting the IPP Production Helpdesk via email IPPCustomerSupport@fiscal.treasury.gov or phone (866) 973-3131.

If the Contractor is unable to comply with the requirement to use IPP for submitting invoices for payment, the Contractor must submit a waiver request in writing to the Contracting Officer with its proposal or quotation.

3.7 DOI-AAAP-0050, v02 CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

REPORTING SYSTEM (DEC 2015)

1) FAR 42.1502 directs all Federal agencies to collect past performance information on contracts. The Department of the Interior (DOI) has implemented the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) to comply with this regulation.

One or more past performance evaluations will be conducted to record your contract performance as required by FAR 42.15.

2) The past performance evaluation process is a totally paperless process using CPARS.

CPARS is a web-based system that allows for electronic processing of the performance evaluation report. Once the report is processed, it is available in the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) for Government use in evaluating past performance as part of a source selection action.

3) We request that you furnish the Contracting Officer (CO) with the name, position title, phone number, and email address for each person designated to have access to your firm's past performance evaluation(s) for the contract no later than 30 days after https://www.ipp.gov/ mailto:IPPCustomerSupport@fiscal.treasury.gov award. Each person granted access will have the ability to provide comments in the Contractor portion of the report and state whether or not the Contractor agrees with the evaluation, before returning the report to the Assessing Official (AO). Information in the report must be protected as source selection sensitive information not releasable to the public.

4) When your Contractor Representative(s) are registered in CPARS, they will receive an automatically generated email with detailed login instructions. Further details, systems requirements, and training information for CPARS is available at https://www.cpars.gov/.

5) Within 60 days after the end of a performance period, the AO will complete an interim or final past performance evaluation, and the report will be accessible at https://www.cpars.gov/.

a) Contractor Representatives may then provide comments in response to the evaluation or return the evaluation without comment.

b) Your comments should focus on objective facts in the AO's narrative and should provide your views on the causes and ramifications of the assessed performance.

c) All information provided should be reviewed for accuracy prior to submission.

d) If you elect not to provide comments, please acknowledge receipt of the evaluation by indicating "No comment" in the space provided, and then selecting “Accept the Ratings and Close the Evaluation”.

e) Your response is due within 60 calendar days after receipt of the CPAR. On day 15, the evaluation will become available in PPIRS-RC marked as “Pending” with or without comments and whether or not it has been closed.

f) If you do not sign and submit the CPAR within 60 days, it will automatically be returned to the Government and will be annotated: "The report was delivered/received by the contractor on (date). The contractor neither signed nor offered comment in response to this assessment."

6) The following guidelines apply concerning your use of the past performance evaluation:

a) Protect the evaluation as source selection information. After review, transmit the evaluation by completing and submitting the form through CPARS. If for some reason you are unable to view and/or submit the form through CPARS, contact the CO for instructions.

b) Strictly control access to the evaluation within your organization. Ensure the evaluation is never released to persons or entities outside of your control.

c) Prohibit the use of or reference to evaluation data for advertising, promotional material, pre-award surveys, responsibility determinations, production readiness reviews, or other similar purposes.

7) If you wish to discuss a past performance evaluation, you should request a meeting in writing to the CO no later than seven days following your receipt of the evaluation.

The meeting will be held in person or via telephone or other means during your 60-day review period.

8) A copy of the completed past performance evaluation will be available in CPARS for your viewing and for Government use supporting source selection actions after it has been finalized.

3.8 DATA USE, DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION, AND HANDLING OF

SENSITIVE INFORMATION

The Contractor shall maintain, transmit, retain in strictest confidence, and prevent the unauthorized duplication, use, and disclosure of information. The Contractor shall provide information only to employees, Contractors, and subcontractors having a need to know such information in the performance of their duties for this project.

Information made available to the Contractor by the Government for the performance or administration of this effort shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the written agreement of the CO.

If public information is provided to the Contractor for use in performance or administration of this effort, the Contractor except with the written permission of the CO may not use such information for any other purpose.

If the Contractor is uncertain about the availability or proposed use of information provided for the performance or administration, the Contractor will consult with the COR regarding use of that information for other purposes.

The Contractor agrees to assume responsibility for protecting the confidentiality of Government records which are not public information. Each employee of the Contractor to whom information may be made available or disclosed shall be notified in writing by the Contractor that such information may be disclosed only for a purpose and to the extent authorized herein.

Each employee shall sign the non-disclosure agreement form as provided at Attachment 1, and the Contractor shall submit the signed form to the CO prior to the employee’s information access.

Performance of this effort may require the Contractor to access and use data and information proprietary to a Government agency or Government contractor which is of such a nature that its dissemination or use, other than in performance of this effort, would be adverse to the interests of the Government and/or others.

Contractor and/or contractor personnel shall not divulge or release data or information developed or obtained in performance of this effort, until made public by the Government, except to authorized Government personnel or upon written approval of the CO. The Contractor shall not use, disclose, or reproduce proprietary data that bears a restrictive legend, other than as required in the performance of this effort. Nothing herein shall preclude the use of any data independently acquired by the Contractor without such limitations or prohibit an agreement at no cost to the Government between the Contractor and the data owner that provides for greater rights to the Contractor. All data received, processed, evaluated, loaded, and/or created as a result of this task order shall remain the sole property of the Government unless specific exception is granted by the CO.

3.9 INFORMATION SECURITY

The term “sensitive information” means any information which warrants a degree of protection and technical, operational, and administrative control as defined by DOI or that meets the criteria for exemption from public disclosure set forth under Sections 552 and 552a of Title 5, United States Code: The Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act. Sensitive information is generally categorized as For Official Use Only (FOUO) and shall include other unclassified information and proprietary data (The protection of classified information is beyond the scope of this clause. If any work on classified information is required under this contract, it is addressed under other task order clauses). The Contractor shall protect this type of information from unauthorized release into public domain, or to unauthorized persons, organizations, or subcontractors. Information which, either alone or in aggregate, is deemed sensitive or proprietary by the DOI shall be protected as instructed by BSEE in accordance with the magnitude of the loss or harm that could result from inadvertent or deliberate disclosure, alteration, or destruction of the data. All provisions of this clause also apply to all subcontractors that are performing under this contract.

3.10 RELEASE OF INFORMATION

No release (including photographs and films, public announcements, denial or confirmation of same) on any part of the subject matter of this effort shall be made without the prior written approval of the CO.

3.11 INTERNET PROTOCOL VERSION 6 (JUN 2012)

(a) Any system hardware, software, firmware and/or networked component (voice, video or data) developed, procured, or acquired in support and/or performance of this contract shall be capable of transmitting, receiving, processing, forwarding and storing digital information across system boundaries utilizing system packets that are formatted in accordance with commercial standards of Internet Protocol (IP) version 6 (IPv6) as set forth in the USGv6 Profile (NIST Special Publication 500-267) and corresponding declarations of conformance defined in the USGv6 Test Program. In addition, this system shall maintain interoperability with IPv4 systems and provide at least the same level of performance and reliability capabilities of IPv4 products.

(b) Specifically, any new IP product or system developed, acquired, or produced must:

(1) Interoperate with both IPv6 and IPv4 systems and products, and

(2) Have available contractor/vendor IPv6 technical support for development and implementation and fielded product management.

(c) As IPv6 evolves, the Contractor commits to upgrading or providing an appropriate migration path for each item developed, delivered or utilized at no additional cost to the Government. The Contractor shall retrofit all non-IPv6 capable equipment, as defined above, that is fielded under this contract with IPv6 capable equipment, at no additional cost to the Government.

(d) The contractor shall provide technical support for both IPv4 and IPv6.

(e) Any system or software must be able to operate on networks supporting IPv4, IPv6 or one that supports both.

(f) Any product whose non-compliance is discovered and made known to the Contractor within one year after acceptance shall be upgraded, modified or replaced to bring it into compliance at no additional cost to the Government.

3.12 CLAUSES

3.12.1 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

In accordance with FAR 52.252-2, this solicitation incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. The Contractor shall comply with these clauses unless the circumstances do not apply. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at https://www.acquisition.gov/far/.

Clause Title Date 52.203-12 Limitation on Payments to Influence Certain Federal

Transactions

JUN 2020

52.204-14 Service Contract Reporting Requirements OCT 2016 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance OCT 2018 52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance AUG 2020 52.204-19 Incorporation by Reference of Representations and

Certifications

DEC 2014

52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services- Representation

OCT 2020

52.204-30 Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act Orders- Prohibition

DEC 2023

52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions- Commercial Products and Commercial Services

NOV 2023

3.12.2 CLAUSES FULL TEXT

The following FAR clauses as required by the Federal Acquisition Regulations are attached hereto in full text.

3.12.2.1 FAR 52.204-29 FEDERAL ACQUISITION SUPPLY CHAIN SECURITY ACT

ORDERS – REPRESENTATION AND DISCLOSURES (DEC 2023)

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision, Covered article, FASCSA order, Intelligence community, National security system, Reasonable inquiry, Sensitive compartmented information, Sensitive compartmented information system, and Source have the meaning provided in the clause 52.204-30, Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act Orders— Prohibition.

(b) Prohibition. Contractors are prohibited from providing or using as part of the performance of the contract any covered article, or any products or services produced or provided by a source, if the prohibition is set out in an applicable Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act https://www.acquisition.gov/far/

(FASCSA) order, as described in paragraph (b)(1) of FAR 52.204-30, Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act Orders—Prohibition.

(c) Procedures. (1) The Offeror shall search for the phrase “FASCSA order” in the System for Award Management (SAM)( https://www.sam.gov) for any covered article, or any products or services produced or provided by a source, if there is an applicable FASCSA order described in paragraph (b)(1) of FAR 52.204-30, Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act Orders— Prohibition.

(2) The Offeror shall review the solicitation for any FASCSA orders that are not in SAM, but are effective and do apply to the solicitation and resultant contract (see FAR 4.2303(c)(2)).

(3) FASCSA orders issued after the date of solicitation do not apply unless added by an amendment to the solicitation.

(d) Representation. By submission of this offer, the offeror represents that it has conducted a reasonable inquiry, and that the offeror does not propose to provide or use in response to this solicitation any covered article, or any products or services produced or provided by a source, if the covered article or the source is prohibited by an applicable FASCSA order in effect on the date the solicitation was issued, except as waived by the solicitation, or as disclosed in paragraph (e).

(e) Disclosures. The purpose for this disclosure is so the Government may decide whether to issue a waiver. For any covered article, or any products or services produced or provided by a source, if the covered article or the source is subject to an applicable FASCSA order, and the Offeror is unable to represent compliance, then the Offeror shall provide the following information as part of the offer:

(1) Name of the product or service provided to the Government;

(2) Name of the covered article or source subject to a FASCSA order;

(3) If applicable, name of the vendor, including the Commercial and Government Entity code and unique entity identifier (if known), that supplied the covered article or the product or service to the Offeror;

(4) Brand;

(5) Model number (original equipment manufacturer number, manufacturer part number, or wholesaler number);

(6) Item description;

(7) Reason why the applicable covered article or the product or service is being provided or used;

(f) Executive agency review of disclosures. The contracting officer will review disclosures provided in paragraph (e) to determine if any waiver may be sought. A contracting officer may choose not to pursue a waiver for covered articles or sources otherwise subject to a FASCSA order and may instead make an award to an offeror that does not require a waiver.

3.12.2.2 FAR 52.212-5 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO

IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS

AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (MAY 2024)

a) The Contractor shall comply with the following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses, which are incorporated in this contract by reference, to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial products and commercial services:

(1) 52.203-19, Prohibition on Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements (Jan 2017) (section 743 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235) and its successor provisions in subsequent appropriations acts (and as extended in continuing resolutions)).

(2) 52.204-23, Prohibition on Contracting for Hardware, Software, and Services Developed or Provided by Kaspersky Lab Covered Entities (DEC 2023) (Section 1634 of Pub. L. 115-91).

(3) 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment. (NOV 2021) (Section 889(a)(1)(A) of Pub. L. 115-232).

(4) 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (Nov 2015).

(5) 52.232–40, Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (MAR 2023) (31 U.S.C.

3903 and 10 U.S.C. 3801).

(6) 52.233-3, Protest After Award (Aug 1996) (31 U.S.C. 3553).

(7) 52.233-4, Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (Oct 2004) (Public Laws 108-77 and 108-78 (19 U.S.C. 3805note)).

(b) The Contractor shall comply with the FAR clauses in this paragraph (b) that the Contracting Officer has indicated as being incorporated in this contract by reference to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial products and commercial services:

[Contracting Officer check as appropriate.] ☒ (1) 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Jun 2020), with Alternate I (NOV 2021) (41 U.S.C. 4704 and 10 U.S.C. 4655).

☐ (2) 52.203-13, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (NOV 2021) (41 U.S.C. 3509)).

☐ (3) 52.203-15, Whistleblower Protections under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (June 2010) (Section 1553 of Pub. L. 111-5). (Applies to contracts funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.)

☒ (4) 52.203–17, Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights (NOV 2023) (41 U.S.C. 4712);

this clause does not apply to contracts of DoD, NASA, the Coast Guard, or applicable elements of…