Basic Ordering Agreement for the NCNR Fabrication of Parts and Assemblies

This amendment is being issued to respond to the following vendor question and answer:

Question:
For Mock Delivery Order line items 0006-0011, are they to be fabricated complete (assembled, welded, tested and painted) prior to shipment to NIST?

Answer: Yes, the assembly drawings contain weld call outs that are required by the manufacturer or identifies welds done by NIST, also contains paint notes where painting is applicable, and call outs for leak testing where applicable.

This amendment is being issued to address the following vendor question and answewr:

Question:
In regards to the screw head on drawing 09-610-EC-001, Is a binding screw type or pan screw type required.

Answer: The drawing calls for a slotted fillister head screw

This amendment is being issued to address the following vendor question and answer:

Question:  After reviewing the drawing for Mock Delivery Order 0001-0005, drawing #09-610-EC-001 specifically, the material indicated is 6061 Al.  Is the material T6 or T6 511?

Answer: The material shall be 6061-T6

This amendment is being issued to address the following vendor questions and answers:

Question: In the RFP, Section L.2.A.4, page 47: The instructions to Volume II Technical Proposal states that the proposal must use elite font. However, that particular font is not a standard on Microsoft Word can Times New Roman or another serif font be substituted?

Answer: Yes, another font, such as Times New Roman shall be accepted

Question: In the RFP, Section L.1.2.4, page 40 and L.1.8.e.1, page 41: The instructions listed for the first page of the proposal includes name and address information on the offeror along with disclosure restrictions. Can this information be single spaced instead of double spaced as listed in instructions on page 47? Also, should information contained in photo captions and tables be double-spaced?

Answer: Yes, single spaced shall be accepted as long as the information is legible

The above referenced request for proposal is hereby amended to correct the due date for responses and provide answers to vendor questions as follows:

The response date is amended as follows:
From: June 20, 2014
To: July 16, 2014

Questions/Answers:

Question: Are we to fill out the mock order section and the actual solicitation sheet as well? If yes, on the solicitation, do we price out the base performance and option with what's based in the mock order?

Answer: Offerors are not required to price line items 0001-0005 on page 2 of the SF33. Offerors are to price line items 0001-0011 on Attachment 1 (Mock Delivery Order).

Question: There is reference to statements of work. Do we need to provide SOW's for CLIN0001 to 0011?

Answer: No, the statement of work applies to Line Items 0001-0005 on the SF 33 for the base and option years.

Question: Will the government accept Representations through the System for Award Management, nullifying the requirement to submit identical information in Volume I?

Answer: Yes, the Offeror shall submit documentation showing their SAM registration and representations are up to date

Question: Does the Government wish to accept three attachments to an Email, one each for Volume I, II, and III, or should there be separate uploads with attachments in their native format, i.e. docx, xls, ppt, etc.?

Answer: Offerors may choose how they submit them. As long as each volume is separated from each other.

NOTE: FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUBMITTING PROPOSALS BY EMAIL, THE SIZE LIMIT IN A SINGLE E-MAIL IS 25 MB.

Question: Each technical approach must include:
-Computer numerical control programs
Is it correct to interpret the above requirement to include only the approach/method used to develop the CNC program, and not the actual program itself?

Answer: Yes, that is correct

Question: In accordance with the RFP "The Government expects that Basic Ordering Agreements will be awarded based upon adequate price competition. However, in order to determine proposed prices fair and reasonable, the Government reserves the right to request the offeror provide a cost breakdown to support their proposed prices to the Mock Order. Is it the Government's intention that offerors should include the referenced information with their proposal, or is the inference that the information may be requested at some point in the future?

Answer: Offerors are not required to provide the information with their proposal. Should adequate price completion not be obtained, the Government reserves the right to additional information from the offeror.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research intends to award multiple Basic Ordering Agreements (BOAs) for the machining of parts & assemblies.

The National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Center for Neutron Research (NCNR), in pursuing its mission to be a world leading Facility for neutron scattering research, services a large and diverse group of outside users. To that end, it seeks to equip its laboratories with state-of-the-art parts that interface with the equipment and machines that are used to perform this research.

The NCNR designs, builds, operates and maintains a suite of cold and thermal neutron scattering instrumentation used in the conduct of material structure research. Recently the NCNR underwent a new expansion directive that included the construction of a new Guide Hall. This Guide Hall will increase the number of guides and the number of instruments on them.

The NCNR anticipates the need of machined parts and assemblies in quantities that would exceed our on-site manufacturing capacity.

The Contractor shall provide machining of parts, in accordance with drawings and design specifications that will be provided by NIST.

The Contractor shall manufacture parts using a variety of machining techniques. Applicable techniques include (but are not limited to) turning (Lathe, Conventional and CNC); threading (Lathe, Bore, Tap); milling (Conventional and CNC); Electric Discharge Machining (EDM) (Wire and Ram); broaching; welding; coating (paint, anodization, powder coating); and leak testing.

Specifications for the machining work will be provided by NIST with each delivery order and will consist mainly of PDF drawings which may or may not contain more specific work instructions. CAD STEP files may be provided or requested but are only provided as a tool or guideline to assist in understanding of the governing drawing. Specifications may include material certifications, leak rate certifications, boiler plate codes, paint specifications, etc.

The Contractor shall have quality control procedures, personnel, and equipment (Coordinate Measurement Machine or similarly functional equipment) in place so that inspection and verification can be performed at the Contractor's premises.

The period of performance shall be one (1) year from date of award with four (4) one year option periods.

Delivery shall be FOB Destination.

This requirement is being procured using contracting by negotiation under the authority of FAR Part 15.

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 332999. The small business size standard is 750 employees. This requirement shall be 100% set-aside for small business.

The competitive Request for Proposals (RFP), specifications, any subsequent amendments, and all questions and answers related to this procurement shall be made available via the Internet at HTTP://WWW.FEDBIZOPPS.GOV under RFQ number SB1341-14-RP-0024.

The RFP is anticipated for release to the vendor community on or about June 20, 2014 and will only be available via the Internet at the above website.

Potential offerors are responsible for accessing the website. Interested parties must respond to the RFP in order to be considered for award of any resultant contract.

No written solicitation document is available, telephone requests shall not be honored, and no bidders list shall be maintained. Potential offerors are requested to direct all questions via e-mail to joni.laster@nist.gov.