Critical energy measurement

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) within the Department of the Interior has issued a Request for Proposal for Critical Energy Measurement services under solicitation number 140E0125R0004. The project requires measuring the critical heat flux needed to ignite fresh, weathered, and emulsified crude oil on water to determine the viability of In Situ Burning as an oil spill response strategy. The solicitation includes multiple Contract Line Item Numbers with firm-fixed pricing, covering base critical energy measurement services and optional tasks such as crude oil chemical characterization, burn pan experiments, sample acquisition, conference travel, and journal manuscript submission. Proposals must be submitted in two separate volumes consisting of a Business/Cost Proposal and a Technical Proposal, with evaluation focusing on understanding and technical approach, key personnel adequacy, and past performance/experience, where technical factors carry more weight than price. The proposal submission deadline is July 17, 2025, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.

This procurement does not utilize any set-aside designations and will follow FAR Part 15 Contracting by Negotiation procedures for award determination. The contract has an 18-month performance period and is classified under NAICS code 541690 for Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services and PSC code AH42 for Natural Resources and Environment R&D Services. The contract is rated under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System, indicating its critical importance to national priorities. The solicitation is administered by the BSEE-Sterling ACQ Ops Branch located in Sterling, Virginia, with Michelle Potter serving as the contract point of contact. No incumbent contractors or specific award values are mentioned in the available documentation, though the structured CLIN approach suggests a comprehensive scope of work with both required and optional components.