Reload of High Dose Irradiators

This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding:  

(1)  Availability and capability of qualified small business sources;

(2) Whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-di[MT([1] sabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and

(3) Size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition.

Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice.

Project Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is currently seeking small business sources to perform source exchange on two J.L. Shepherd & Associates (JLS) irradiators located at its Rocky Mountain Laboratories facility in Hamilton, Montana, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) main campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Any prospective source shall be a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) designated manufacturing and distribution (M&D) licensee. The selected Contractor will provide all labor, equipment, and material to install new source capsules as well as take possession and remove, decommission, transport, and recycle the source capsules being replaced.

Project Requirements

Prospective sources shall have the knowledge, skill, ability, certifications, and resources to complete a turn-key source reload operation of the JLS irradiators – Model 484R-2 at Rocky Mountain Laboratories and on the NIH main campus. Prospective sources shall be able to be responsible for supply of three Co-60 sources suitable for each gamma irradiator. The new source capsules shall be a JLS Model 7810 or equivalent and shall be suitable for use in the JLS Model 484R-2 irradiators as recognized by the NRC. Prospective sources shall be able to be responsible for the following:

1. Delivery of the sources to and from the government facilities using methods in accordance with requirements enforced by the NRC, Department of Transportation (DOT) and/or any applicable Agreement State regulations.
2. Providing all security and safeguards while the sources are being transported to and from the government facilities per the requirements of 10 CFR Part 37.
3. Certification of FBI fingerprinting, background investigation, and criminal history records check for all individuals involved in the planning, transportation and installation.
4. Arrangement of any material handling equipment during the reload operations.
5. Proper removal and disposal of the government’s currently existing sources in accordance with NRC or Agreement State regulations.
6. Centering all sources.
7. Conducting external radiation level surveys.
8. Performing National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable calibration of dose rates.
9. Providing a detailed written plan describing the reload process.
10. Repairing any damage to the irradiator or facility during the reload operation.

The Government anticipates making a single award, Firm Fixed Price (FFP) purchase order.

Anticipated Period of Performance

It is anticipated that an award will be made on or about September 1, 2023. Completion of services will be expected no later than August 30, 2024.

Capability Statement/Information Sought

All capable small business vendors should respond with a capability statement of no more than six (6) pages by July 14, 2023 at 3:00 PM ET. (No large businesses should respond to this announcement.) Capability statements shall reference similar work that has been performed by the contractor in the last three (3) years and the dollar value of that work. Respondents shall specifically demonstrate the authority to perform the source reload task. Respondents shall be authorized by NRC or an Agreement State (Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended) in their license to provide service (source exchange) to Category I self-contained dry storage irradiators at the customer’s job site.  Respondents shall also demonstrate past experience with contracts of similar size and scope.

If your organization has the potential capacity to perform these contract services, please provide the following information:

1. Organization name, address, point of contact, email address, website address, telephone number, UEI number, business size classification pursuant to NAICS 334517, and the type of ownership for the organization
2. Documentation demonstrating the authority to perform the source reload task
3. Tailored capability statements addressing the particulars of this effort, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements.  Capability document shall be no more than 6 pages. 
4. Please describe any customary commercial[MT([2]  contract terms or conditions that you feel would make any resulting contract more effective if applicable.

This notice is for small business respondents only. As such, capability statements should also include documentation indicating that offerors business size meets current standards as determined by the Small Business Administration’s Table of Size Standards located at: (https://www.sba.gov/content/small-business-size-standards) for NAICS 334517. This SBA size standard is currently 1,000 employees but is subject to change. Prospective offerors may also note whether they meet any other socio-economic business categories such as 8(a), Hub-Zone, or Service-Disabled Veteran when submitting their capability statement.

Submission Instructions

Interested small businesses who consider themselves qualified to provide the above-listed services are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by July 14, 2023, at 3:00 PM ET.  All responses under this Sources Sought Notice shall be emailed to Seth Schaffer at seth.schaffer@nih.gov.

Disclaimer and Important Notes

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in SAM.gov.  However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

Confidentiality

No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).