Statement_of_Work.pdf

PERFORMANCE-BASED WORK STATEMENT

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

The Florence Bascom Geoscience Center (FBGC) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) requires the procurement of services to process geologic samples and provide geochemical, mineralogical, and isotopic analyses. Geochemical, mineralogical, and isotopic analyses of bedrock, sediment, and soil samples are necessary to understand the compositions, ages, origins, and distributions of geologic units and associated mineral resources. Along with field observations and remote sensing data, these analyses provide the scientific foundation of modern geologic maps which are critical to economic development, hazards mitigation, and national security. Accurate and precise analytical results are therefore necessary to characterize rock types and mineral resources in furtherance of the goals of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program

(NCGMP).

The purpose of this solicitation is to establish a five-year BPA with a laboratory registered to international quality standards through the International Organization for Standardization / International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 17025:2017 (including ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 9002 specifications). In order to maintain continuity of data and comparability of results for this critical, ongoing program, it is necessary that results must conform in content and format to analyses previously acquired for ongoing NCGMP projects.

II. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The BPA period of performance will be 09/15/2026 – 09/14/2031 unless cancelled by the Contractor or Contracting Officer.

III. SCHEDULE OF ORDERS

BPA Class shall be priced in accordance with Pricing Schedule below:

Since the number of samples may vary every year, to accommodate the situations like this, the government finds it convenient to set up a BPA for five years with flexible criteria like no minimum or maximum per year for the number of samples or the amount, however, there is a "Not to Exceed Amount" of $200,000.00 for the total 5-year period of the BPA. This provides the center the flexibility to send available samples when they are available. Therefore, it is very important for the contractor to bid for unit price per sample, and the total price will be calculated from the total number of samples. No funding will be obligated for the BPA. All charges will be processed through obligations on BPA calls, and they will be fixed price contracts.

BPA calls/task orders shall be priced in accordance with the Contractor's Government-approved price schedule. If a new service or product is offered by the contractor that may be offered by USGS, the contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer. If a new service or product is offered by the contractor that may be ordered by USGS, the contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer, and the price schedule shall be modified.

The Government is obligated only to the extent of the authorized purchases issued under the BPA.

IV. BPA CALLS

BPA calls will be issued on a monthly, as needed, basis.

V. CONTRACT TYPE

Blanket Purchase Agreement with Firm Fixed-Price Calls/Orders, over a maximum five-year period upon cancellation of this BPA, any outstanding calls or task orders shall be completed and invoiced in accordance with the standard schedule.

VI. ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS

Pricing of samples is set forth in the price schedule of the BPA award. No changes shall be recognized unless they have been incorporated via a modification to this agreement.

The terms and conditions included in this BPA apply to all purchases made pursuant to it.

In the event of an inconsistency between the provisions of this BPA and the Vendor's invoice, the provisions of this BPA will take precedence.

The total value of BPA calls and task orders shall be tracked by assigned and tracked by the Contractor and reported semiannually to the Technical Liaison. The purpose is to ensure the Maximum BPA Value, section III, is not exceeded.

NOTE: The BPA is not a contract, the Government is not obligated to place any orders, and the vendor is not obligated to accept any orders. The BPA can be canceled by either party at any time. A BPA is not enforceable against either party.

VII. TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

The contracted vendor will have the following capabilities:

• Dry crushing up to 7 kg of sample at a time.

• Riffle splitting and pulverizing rock sample to produce a powder with 95% of particles <105 µm

• Digestion of rock samples by lithium metaborate/tetraborate fusion performed robotically

• Geochemical analysis by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP- MS), instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), and X-ray fluorescence

(XRF)

• Mineral analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD)

• Radiogenic and stable isotope analysis in the following isotopic systems: lead

(Pb), neodymium (Nd), samarium (Sm), strontium (Sr), oxygen (O), sulfur (S), nitrogen (N), and carbon (C).

• Provide results including the abundances of major element oxides (SiO2, Al2O3, FeO/Fe2O3, CaO, Na2O, K2O, TiO2, P2O5, MnO) and the abundances of minor and trace elements (Ag, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Ga, Ge, Hf, In, Mo, Nb, Ni. Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sn, Sr, Ta, Th, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Zn, Zr, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) in a single analysis package.

• Measure the major element oxides SiO2, Al2O3, FeO/Fe2O3, CaO, Na2O, K2O, P2O5, and MnO to 0.01 weight per cent precision.

• Measure the abundance of TiO2 to 0.001 weight per cent precision.

• Measure the following minor and trace elements to the corresponding precision.

All values in parts per million.

o 0.002 Lu o 0.005 Eu, Tm o 0.01 Cs, In, Ta, Tl, U, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb o 0.02 Ag, Bi, Hf, Th o 0.05 Sb o 0.1 Mo, Rb o 0.2 Nb o 0.5 Co, Ga, Ge, Pb, Sn, W, Y o 1 Be, Cu, Sc, Zr o 2 Ba, Sr o 5 Cr, Ni, V o 15 Zn

• Provide quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) data with every batch of analyses. QA and QC data will include the results of duplicate analyses of a subset of submitted samples; the published and measured compositions of certified reference materials; and the measured composition(s) of analyzed blank material(s). QA and QC data will be included with analytical results in ScienceBase data releases to provide users with quantitative confidence windows with which to make decisions.

VIII. WORK REQUIREMENTS

A. Technical Requirements

1. Vendor will prepare samples in accordance with analysis or analyses requested and will conduct analyses of samples. The total number of samples per year will be determined by USGS Project Leads but will be no fewer than 130 and no more than 410 samples per fiscal year. The type(s) of preparation(s), analysis or analyses, and data acquired will be specified by USGS for each sample. Some samples will require only processing and return of processed samples.

2. Accepted services will include preparation and analysis of each sample submitted as specified by the USGS. The USGS will be provided with the results of analyses, supporting QA/QC data, and post-processed samples.

B. Deliverables

1. Analytical results and QA/QC data from the vendor will be submitted to USGS once analyses are complete. Because of differences in types of samples that will be submitted and types of analyses required, return times will vary but will not be greater than 120 days.

2. Processed samples will be returned to USGS within 90 days of processing and, if applicable, analysis or analyses.

3. Data will be returned in Excel workbook format.

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IX. PRICING INFORMATION

Please complete the pricing schedule:

Service Cost of service ($) Year 1

9/15/2026- 9/14/2027

Year 2 9/15/2027- 9/14/2028

Year 3 9/15/2028- 9/14/2029

Year 4 9/15/2029- 9/14/2030

Year 5 9/15/2030- 9/14/2031

Preparation of rock samples by dry crushing, riffle splitting, and pulverizing

Geochemical analysis by INAA Geochemical analysis by XRF (includes fusion of sample)

Geochemical multimethod analysis by ICP-OES and ICP-MS (includes fusion of sample)

Pb isotopic analysis by HR-ICP-MS Sm-Nd isotopic analysis XRD analysis (includes diffraction data only)

Semiquantitative mineralogical analysis (includes analysis by XRD, diffraction data among results delivered, identification of minerals, and determination of mineral abundances by the Rietveld method)

Quantitative mineralogical analysis (includes addition of internal standard, analysis by XRD, diffraction data among results delivered, identification of minerals and determination of mineral abundances by the Rietveld method, and determination of the abundance of amorphous material)