Tab 4 - RFI_Cobalt_053025.docx

Request for Information Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Strategic Materials Request for Information (RFI)

1.0 Description

1.1 The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Strategic Materials Contracting Directorate is seeking information on how an interested contractor could supply cobalt for a DLA Strategic Materials acquisition for addition of material into the National Defense Stockpile. For the submitted responses, please indicate whether the response is for cobalt.

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 and RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. 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; all costs associated with response to this RFI will be the sole responsibility of the interested party. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the SAM.gov website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

2.0 Background

DLA Strategic Materials is the operational agent of the Stockpile Manager, Under Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (USD-AT&L) 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 Stockpile 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 or single sources of supplies for such materials in times of national emergency”.

2.1 Proposed Buy: Cobalt metal (99.9% pure or higher) – approximately 2,500 short tons (5,000,000 lbs.)

2.2 Proposed Delivery Period: September 2025 – September 2033

2.3 Limitations: None

2.4 Security Requirements: N/A

2.5 Potential Storage Locations:

· Hammond Depot: 3200 Sheffield Avenue, Hammond, IN 46327-1003

· Scotia Depot: Route 5, BLDG 12, Scotia, NY 12302

3.0 Requested Information

Material Information

· What grades, forms, and specifications of cobalt do you provide?

· In your experience, what grades, forms, and specifications of cobalt are most common for aerospace and defense use?

· What are these specifications used for?

· Is there a grade or purity of cobalt that serves as a baseline for other cobalt products or applications?

· Are there specific purity requirements for aerospace and defense?

· Are there any known impurities that have adverse effects on performance?

· What are the common impurities, and how do they occur?

· What are the accepted industry limits of those impurities in the material to be provided?

· How are these impurities tested? Please specify which method for which element or compound.

· What are the locations of the impurities?

· What is the frequency which these impurities occur in a production batch?

· How are the impurities tested for (what are the industry standard tests, and equipment used for those tests)?

· Do you have an internal laboratory testing the material? What testing is performed? How often is the material tested?

· Do you use an external laboratory?

· If yes, which laboratory do you use? What testing is performed? How often is the material tested?

Supply Information

· Where is the source of your cobalt located?

· If there are multiple sources, please estimate what percentage of the material comes from which location.

· Please describe your supply chain of cobalt from source of the material to final processing - specifically indicating any instances where the material is not located in CONUS.

· What is your annual overall production/throughput/consumption?

· Estimate how long it would take to complete production of the amounts listed in section 2.1?

· Are you involved with recycling this material?

· How do you typically price the material?

· Can you provide a current market price for the produced specifications or purity levels?

Delivery Information

· What is your typical time from order to delivery for cobalt?

· What delivery quantities do you typically provide?

· Have you used subcontractors to produce/provide this material?

· Where would the deliveries originate from? If there are multiple locations, please list all locations.

· What is your delivery capacity per year?

· Estimate how long it will take to complete deliveries of the amounts listed in section 2.1?

· What additional amount of material could you produce per year and/or deliver without disrupting deliveries to your current customers, hiring additional personnel, or expanding output capacity

· Approximately what quantity of material would constitute a lot/batch?

· Do you provide spot deliveries? If so, typically how much could you provide and in what timeframe could you deliver?

· Does your company offer a discount for either long-term orders or large volume orders?

· What is the preferred method delivery?

· What is the preferred method packaging? Please describe any requirements (crates for handling, boxes, padding, wrapping, stacking, inerting, etc.)

· What are the industry standards for packing?

· Are there any safety concerns with packing or transporting this material?

· Any restrictions or other information you deem pertinent to deliveries?

Storage Information

· What are the common storage conditions for cobalt?

· How long is cobalt typically stored for prior to use?

· Please provide information on the following: (The material will be stored at a government depot. It is not uncommon for NDS inventory to be stored for periods of time exceeding twenty-five years):

· Shelf life

· Environmental impact

· Regulations

· Material Rotation Requirements

· Do you have any recommendations for long-term storage?

Market Information

· Are there frequent changes in the market price for this material?

· If yes, how do you address those changes?

· Does the time of year affect the availability and/or the production of cobalt? If yes, how?

· In the next two to five years, are there any anticipated manufacturing process changes, mature technology development programs, or shifts in end-user requirements that are likely to result in a change in the material?

· If so, what are they?

· In the next two to five years, are there any anticipated material substitutions that may drive a transition towards or away from the use of cobalt that will affect the demand of the material?

· If so, what are they?

· What customer market sector(s) (i.e., military-aerospace, commercial-automotive) purchases your material?

General Information

· Do you have provisions for agreements longer than one year? If so, how long term is tolerable?

· Do you have an active Wide Area Workflow account for submitting electronic invoices?

· If you were requested to provide sales data identifying the percentage of material sold to the Government and the percentage of material sold to the general public, would you comply?

· Would you agree to a contract that contains Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) clause 52.216-2-Economic Price Adjustment—Standard Supplies?

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

· Does your company have a cage code?

· Please submit lessons learned from current or previous contract awards.

4.0 Responses

4.1 All interested vendors shall submit responses in Microsoft Word or Office 2010 compatible format no later than June 11 2025, 3:00 PM EST. Responses shall be submitted via email to Rachel.Leak@dla.mil and christine.boyer@dla.mil. If late information is received, it may or may not be considered depending on agency time constraints. The limit for all responses is 20 pages single-sided in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format with a maximum of 12-point font on an 8.5 x 11 page with margins of 1”.

4.2 Proprietary information, if any, MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

4.3 Part 1 of the response shall provide administrative information and shall include the following as 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 Recommended contract strategy.

4.3.3 Either, (1) copies of executed non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the contractors supporting DLA Strategic Materials in technical evaluations or (2) a statement that the responders will not allow the Government to release its proprietary data to the Government support contractors. In the absence of either of the foregoing, the Government will assume that the responder does NOT agree to the release of its submission to Government support contractors.

4.3.4 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) 331410, Nonferrous Metals. “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 1,000 employees. Please refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR 19 for additional detailed information on Small Business Size Standards. The FAR is available at https://www.acquisition.gov/

4.3.5 The facility security clearance of the offeror.

4.4 Part 2 of the response shall include answers to Section 3 of this RFI, “Requested Information.”

5.0 Industry Discussions

DLA Strategic Materials representatives may or may not choose to meet with potential offerors. Such discussions would only be intended to get further clarification of potential capability to meet the requirements, especially any development and certification risks.

6.0 Questions

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by email to the Contracting office, email addresses listed in section 4.1. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be answered by posting answers to SAM.gov website; accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after the closing date of the RFI will be answered.

7.0 Summary

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY to identify sources that can supply cobalt. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. DLA Strategic Materials has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should NOT be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.