Updated NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD SOLE SOURCE.pdf

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

This is a notice of intent to award a sole source contract in accordance with Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulations Overhaul (RFO) 12.102(a). Contracting Officers may solicit from one source if it's determined only one source is reasonably available to satisfy agency requirements, as supplemented with additional information in this notice.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), Office of Acquisition Management (OAM), Shared Services Procurement Office (SSPO), located in Washington, D.C., intends to negotiate on a sole-source basis and award a contract to CRU International Ltd. (CRU) on behalf of the International Trade Administration (ITA), Office of Enforcement and Compliance (E&C).

This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of permitting other than full and open competition in accordance with the Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (RFO) 12.102 and in accordance with 41 U.S.C. 1901. This acquisition will result in a purchase order with a base 12-month period.

DOC plans to issue a sole source purchase order to CRU for the Global Steel and Aluminum Monitoring services. E&C must have ready access to a database on aluminum smelter-level production, country-level production and capacity, aluminum consumption, utilization rates, and current and historical pricing data to reply to the many requests quickly and efficiently it receives from the Secretary’s office. E&C requires a resource for a full range of global weekly and monthly steel and aluminum prices, as well as analyses of short-term market developments and a comprehensive market data service for current aluminum price information. E&C also requires access to a source of large reports covering data points on both steel and aluminum inputs as well as finished products, pricing and written analysis on current highlights. The inputs and goods should include scrap, dri, hbi, pig iron, iron ore, met coke, met coal, hot rolled sheet, cold rolled sheet, galvanized sheet, plate, wire rod, rebar, billet, bar, wire mesh, beams, etc. The data must include quarterly forecasts out two years and annually out five years. E&C needs weekly analyses of steel and aluminum pricing and comprehensive coverage of global markets on a monthly basis. The databases to deliver on these requirements are as follows from CRU: Aluminum Premium, Steel Metallics Classic. Steelmaking Raw Materials Classic, & Steel Premium.

Currently, CRU provides the following requirements under this requirement:

A. Aluminum Monitoring and Outlook

E&C requires access to a database that provides a full range of global weekly and monthly aluminum prices combined with analysis of short-term market developments and a comprehensive market data service. It must include:

• Key premia and discount indices across Europe, North America, China, South Korea, Japan and Singapore published weekly or monthly.

• In-depth analysis of global demand, production, trade, stocks, price and premiums.

• Near term forecasts for the quarter ahead.

• Personal contact with a global team of analysts and price assessors and access to regular and direct meetings and contact with these experts, as needed.

• A team with experts on the ground in various global regions, especially China, to firsthand evaluate the statuses of smelters and facilities and trends in local commodity markets.

• Access to analysis, commodity experts, and other crucial information immediately to satisfy tight turnaround deadlines

• Access to analysis provided by the vendor’s global economics teams.

• Both up-to-date and historical data in a variety of formats, include Excel, online interactive data tool and data feed.

In addition, a data service is required from which detailed aluminum data can be extracted, including global production level and capacity statistics. The requirements for this data service must include coverage for the U.S, China, Canada, Australia, India, Russia, and all major aluminum producing countries, especially those countries involved in the Section 232 aluminum investigation and exclusion process. This requirement must also include:

• Direct access for the user to the data and various means of immediate download or extraction

• Primary aluminum production data by smelter and country.

• Primary aluminum capacity data by country.

• Primary aluminum price and market data.

• Employee count by plant if available

• Plant level equipment data

• Smelter-level products produced information.

• Smelter information.

• Smelter operating status.

B. Steel Monitoring and Crude Steel Outlook

E&C requires access to a database that provides current information on key prices, analysis of short-term market developments and a market data service across the global steel sheet, steel longs and steel plate markets. The analyses must be updated every week, with comprehensive coverage of global markets every month. It must include:

• Weekly price updates for U.S., German, Italian, and Chinese hot-rolled oil, cold-rolled oil, galvanized oil and plate, as well as monthly prices for other types of steel products.

• Indices with both historical data and an 18-month forecast.

• In-depth analysis of global demand, production, trade, stocks, price, and premiums.

• Personal contact with a global team of analysts and price assessors and access to regular and direct meetings and contact with these experts.

• A team with experts on the ground in various global regions, especially China, to firsthand evaluate the statuses of smelters and facilities and trends in local commodity markets.

• Access to analysis, commodity experts, and other information immediately to satisfy tight turnaround deadlines

• Access to analyses provided by the vendor’s global economics teams.

• Up-to-date and historical data in a variety of formats, include Excel, online interactive data tool and data feed.

In addition, a data service is required that provides in-depth coverage of the global crude steel industry with a five-year forecast, as well as long term steel forecasts out 10 to 15 years.

Information is necessary for crude steel, hot metal and DRI/HBI on a country-by-country basis to afford visibility into the steelmaking value chain. It must include:

• Direct access for the user to the data and various means of immediate download or extraction

• Concise information covering the finished steel market, semi-finished steel market and crude steel production.

• Historical data, with quarterly forecasts out two years and annually out five years.

• Long term forecasts of steel demand and production to include end-use sector splits of demand for China, Russia, India, etc.

• Five-year price forecasts for merchant slab and billet and a comprehensive list of profiles of key merchant semi-finished steel suppliers and buyers.

• Comprehensive steelmaking capacity database that provides information by company and by country.

C. Redistribution of Data

It is imperative that ITA be allowed to internally redistribute the data obtained from the vendor’s databases, including visualizations and derivative analytical products. Clear documentation must be provided of the ability to redistribute and publish with the dataset.

D. Dataset Tools

The online resource must include dataset tools to allow the user to:

• Create like-to-like comparisons across countries

• Create interactive graphs and tables

• Allow for user friendly research

• Contain data that is updated on a quarterly basis

• Contain analysis that is updated on a daily basis

• Receive technical assistance from Help Desk personnel

• Receive commodity-specific assistance from commodity expert personnel

• Directly download data themselves immediately on demand and have access to change and specify queries instantly

As previously stated, this is NOT a solicitation for quotations, quotation abstracts, a request for competitive quotations; or request for competitive proposals; There is no solicitation package available for review due to the Government’s intention to conduct this requirement as a sole source award. If a company determines that their company can meet all requirements mentioned above, the company shall submit a written response within 10 days from the date of publication of this synopsis for it to be taken into consideration by the Government. Responses must clearly and thoroughly defend any claims or assertions that attempt to refute the Government’s claim. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed action based upon responses to this notice is solely with the discretion of the Government.

Information received will normally be considered for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Information received on this notice must eliminate the Government's concerns and address how the required services can be provided.

If no qualified/affirmative responses are received within 10 days of this notice to determine whether a qualified source is more advantageous to the Government, a contract will be awarded to CRU International Ltd.

Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Alicia Brister (ABrister@doc.gov). Telephonic questions or requests are strongly discouraged.