RFI-_Ge_12.11.2018_v12.doc

Ge RFI – 2018

Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Strategic Materials

Request for Information (RFI) Germanium (Ge) Recycling

1. Description

1.1 The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Strategic Materials is seeking information from industry on the demilitarization (DEMIL) of Department of Defense (DoD) assets and the removal of coatings from Germanium (Ge) lenses within such components.

1.2 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes; it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service. Further, DLA Strategic Materials is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that DLA Strategic Materials will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if one is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website.

2. Background

2.1 DLA Strategic Materials is the operational agent of the National Defense Stockpile (NDS) Manager, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD-A&S), who is charged with implementation of the provisions of the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. Section 98 et seq., hereafter referred to as the “Act”). Section 2(b) of the Act requires the NDS Manager to “…provide for the acquisition and retention of stocks of certain strategic and critical materials…, to decrease and to preclude, when possible, a dangerous and costly dependence by the United States upon foreign sources or a single point of failure for supplies of such materials in times of national emergency.”

2.2 DLA Strategic Materials notes that proprietary information submitted to the Government will be held as Business Confidential; all government and contractor personnel reviewing RFI responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as described in 41 USC 423.

2.3 Table 1.0

For the most recent DLA Strategic Materials reclaimed cleaned germanium (Ge) scrap, the following components comprised 200 items undergoing DEMIL. Respondents are advised to use these data to inform their responses under this RFI.

2.4 Approximate period of performance: 12 months from date of contract award.

2.5 Limitations: All DEMIL activities must be performed within the Continental United States (CONUS)

2.6 Security Requirements: The contractor is subject to provisions of the U.S. Government OPSEC plan, per AR 530-1, Operations Security

(https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/r530_1.pdf).

This Plan specifies the government’s critical information, why it needs to be protected, where it is located, who is responsible for it, and how it needs to be protected.

3. Requested Information

3.1 Pricing and Industrial Capability Questions

3.1.1 Please provide informal quotes or fees for the DEMIL of the components listed in Table 1.0 in 2.3.

3.1.2 Please provide informal quotes or fees for the removal of coatings from Ge lenses contained within such components as listed above in Table 1.0 in 2.3. Please indicate the cost drivers for coating removal processes (e.g., size / curvature of the lens, thoriated coatings).

3.1.3 Does your facility/subcontracted facility have an NRC license for the removal/disposal of radioactive (thorium) materials?

3.1.4 How does your facility/subcontracted facility manage/dispose of the waste materials, including radioactive wastes, after demilitarization?

3.1.5 What is your process for ensuring all coatings/radiated coatings have been removed? Are the materials inspected after coating removal? If so, how?

3.1.6 Are there any special shipping requirements after demil of the proposed materials? Would the product be considered a hazardous material under transportation requirements?

3.1.7 If the material does have hazardous qualities, are there special packing requirements that are used in order to ensure the safety of others? Is any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required to handle the material?

3.1.8 Does your company follow the criteria in the Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication for the material(s) (includes labeling and chemical classification)?

3.2 Contracting Questions

3.2.1 Do you have an active Wide Area Workflow (WAWF) account for submitting electronic invoices?

3.2.2 Is your company registered in the System for Award Management (SAM)? (https://www.sam.gov/).

3.2.3 What are the comparative strengths and weaknesses of DLA Strategic Materials awarding DEMIL services under a fixed-price vs a cost-type contract?

3.2.4 What is your typical or estimated delivery time for the delivery of cleaned Ge lenses, upon receipt of components for DEMIL? Please explain the time and cost drivers for DEMIL (e.g., large, complex parts) and the removal of coatings.

3.2.5 If you have previously performed DEMIL services on a Department of Defense contract, in which Ge lenses were cleaned and / or reclaimed, list those contracts and describe your company’s lessons-learned from that work.

4. Responses

4.1 Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI with a white paper.

4.2 Responses to the RFI written in Microsoft Word or Office 2010 compatible format are due no later than January 15, 2019, 5:00 pm (EST). Responses shall be limited to two pages which do not include pagination for Safety Data Sheet. It must be submitted via e-mail only to SMContracting@dla.mil. Proprietary information, if any, MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information.

4.3 Section 1 of the white paper shall provide administrative information and shall include the following, at a minimum:

4.3.1 Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, and email of designated point of contact.

4.3.2 Business type (large business, small business, small disadvantaged business, 8(a)-certified small disadvantaged business, HUBZone small business, woman-owned small business, very small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business) based upon North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). “Small business concern” means a concern, including its affiliates that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on Government contracts, and qualified as a small business under the criteria and size standards in 13 CFR part 121. A small business concern for the purposes of this procurement is generally defined as a business, including its affiliates, averaging no more than 3 million dollars in annual receipts. Annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for 3 or more complete fiscal years means the annual average gross revenue of the concern taken for the last 3 fiscal years. Annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for less than 3 complete fiscal years means its total receipts for the period it has been in business, divided by the number of weeks including fractions of a week that it has been in business, and multiplied by 52. Responders are cautioned, however, that this is a general description only. Additional standards and conditions apply. Please refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR 19 for additional detailed information on Small Business Size Standards. The FAR is available at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm.

4.3.3 A statement providing the conditions, if any, under which the Government may release Proprietary Information to Government support contractors assisting with technical evaluation.

4.3.3.1 Responses to this RFI are to be submitted by e-mail to SMContracting@dla.mil and

RECEIVED by COB January 15, 2019. Responses must be single-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font, with one inch margins, and compatible with MS Office Word 2010. Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials. All information received that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. All government and contractor personal reviewing RFI responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as described in 41 USC 423. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is not properly identified.

4.4 Section 1 of the white paper shall be limited to one page.

4.5 Section 2 of the white paper shall answer the issues addressed in Section 3 of this RFI.

5. Questions

5.1. Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the Contracting Office, email address above. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be answered by posting answers to the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website; accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after January 10, 2019, 5:00 pm (EST) will be answered.