NR-ARD-271 improve ION analysis RFP

The National Park Service seeks a single awardee to conduct ion analysis of air quality monitoring samples on an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity basis, with proposals due June 22, 2026, and questions due June 8, 2026. The procurement is set aside for Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), and the contract is unrestricted regarding small business subcontracting requirements.

Place of performance is the contractor's laboratory facility, with delivery to the NPS NRSS Air Resources Division at 12795 West Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, Colorado 80228. The contractor shall analyze approximately 17,300 nylon filters annually for nitrite, nitrate, sulfate, and chloride concentrations using ion chromatography or approved equivalent methods, meeting minimum detection limits of 0.010 ppm (nitrite), 0.014 ppm (nitrate), 0.012 ppm (sulfate), and 0.006 ppm (chloride), with extraction efficiencies exceeding 92–95%. Analyzed samples must be retained for at least six months and results delivered within 60 calendar days of receipt. The contractor must maintain documented Standard Operating Procedures with written Contracting Officer Representative approval for changes, implement quality assurance protocols including replicate analyses, blank sample analysis, third-party validation, and laboratory audits, and participate in annual IMPROVE Steering Committee technical presentations. A contingency operations plan addressing catastrophic failures is required.

The contract runs August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2031, comprising one base year and five one-year ordering periods plus an optional six-month extension. The minimum contract value is $300,000 and the maximum is $2.997 million, with task order minimums of $10,000 and maximums of $1,000,000. Annual pricing for the base year is $40,000. NAICS code is 541380 (Testing Laboratories and Services); PSC is B502 (Special Studies/Analysis—Air Quality).

Evaluation factors in descending order of importance are Technical Approach (50 pages maximum), Key Personnel (2 pages per person), Experience (10 pages), Past Performance (15 pages), Small Business Participation (10 pages), and Price. Non-price factors combined are significantly more important than price. Large business offerors proposing total prices exceeding $700,000 must submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan meeting NPS goals: 45.87% Small Business Concerns, 5% Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, 5% Small Disadvantaged Business, 5% Women-Owned Small Business, 3% HUBZone, and 3% Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises. All documents and work products become sole property of the Government. Amendment 0001 (May 27) attached missing solicitation pages; Amendment 0002 (June 9) provided posted offeror questions and Government responses clarifying that offerors must complete both the IDIQ Price Schedule and Task Order Price Schedule, with labor rates established on the IDIQ Price Schedule becoming enforceable upon award.