FDC Rigging Services

Project Background:

A global neutrino physics community is developing a leading-edge, dual-site experiment for neutrino science and proton decay studies, the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), hosted by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Batavia, IL (the Near Site).

The facility required for this experiment, the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment-US (LBNF/DUNE-US), is an internationally designed, coordinated, and funded program. Once it is completed, it will comprise the world's highest-intensity neutrino beam, at Fermilab, and the infrastructure necessary to support massive, cryogenic detectors installed deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), 800 miles (1,300 km) downstream, in Lead, South Dakota (the Far Site). The LBNF/DUNE-US Project is also responsible for the facilities to house the experiment's near detectors on the Fermilab site.

The LBNF/DUNE-US beamline will be built off Fermilab's existing Main Injector, extracting a proton beam from this source and using magnets to direct the proton beam toward the DUNE detectors. Once the beam direction is established, the protons will smash into a target creating secondary particles, most of which decay into neutrinos in the decay pipe and continue traveling in the same direction. An absorber will stop the leftover secondary particles, creating a very pure beam of neutrinos for the experiment.

More information may be found at https://lbnf.fnal.gov.   

Under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC (FermiForward), is leading the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) Project to enable a world-class program in neutrino physics.  Specifically, the LBNF Project (https://lbnf-dune.fnal.gov) provides the infrastructure for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), which will consist of two large liquid argon-based neutrino detectors located nearly a mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, SD.

Description of Services Required:

The Far Detector & Cryogenics (FDC) subproject of LBNF/DUNE-US will install the cryostats, detectors,

cryogenics and supporting infrastructure at the SURF laboratory.  A Rigging Service is needed to provide support for the FDC project.  The services are required for the safe and efficient movement of materials to support the installation of the cryostats, infrastructure, and detectors.  The Subcontractor will provide all rigging, personnel, equipment, tools, and materials for the rigging services.  A typical “Rigger” is defined as an individual who can perform typical rigging duties of connecting, disconnecting and movement of materials.  The estimated level of needed rigging services will fluctuate over the entirety of this Subcontract.  The anticipated need will be equivalent to the number of shifts required for that particular project phase.  All rigging activities will take place within the North and South caverns located 4850 feet underground at SURF, in the DOE leased space.    

FRA is seeking to engage a Rigging Service provider in support of the FDC subproject. This Sources Sought/Request for Information is to inform potential offerors of this opportunity and to build an interested supplier list for the purpose of direct solicitation once the associated Request for Proposal (RFP) is released.  The RFP is anticipated to be release in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025.

FRA intends to solicit for the rigging services using the best value with trade off approach, and the result will be the award of one Subcontract.  The Subcontract type will be a Time and Material contract.

Anticipated Dates for Solicitation/Award:

Solicitation Posting: 2QFY25

Solicitation Period: 8 weeks

Award of Subcontract: August 2025

Period of Performance: October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, and include options for two additional years.

The dates and details specified in this notice are subject to change based on the final Request for Proposal document. 

Response:

Interested parties are requested to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to @fnal.gov   Submission of an EOI does not commit an interested party to submit a proposal, nor does failure to submit a response preclude an interested party from submitting a proposal. 

While there is no specific format required, EOI’s should include the following information: 

1.    Prospective offerors business name, including parent and member organizations 

2.    Point of contact, including a telephone number and an email address

3.    Brief description of your firm’s capabilities