RRR300 Niobium Sheet, Rods and Discs

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory seeks RRR300 niobium sheets, rods, and discs in various sizes, with proposals due October 21, 2026. The procurement carries no set-aside; Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC is managing the solicitation on behalf of the Department of Energy under prime contract DE-AC02-07CH11359.

Place of performance is Fermilab's Receiving Warehouse 2 in Batavia, Illinois, with all freight charges included in the proposal quotation. Detailed material specifications are outlined in technical references ED0371037 Rev E and ED0371109 Rev 0. The NAICS code is 331410, Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining.

Vendor qualification requires either documented prior experience supplying greater-than-300 RRR niobium to a U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory or Fermilab affiliates for superconducting radio frequency cavity fabrication, or successful completion of Fermilab validation testing prior to award. Vendors reselling niobium must verify source material meets qualification requirements and provide all testing results per specification ED0371037 Rev E. Unqualified vendors must perform or contract testing outlined in sections 4 and 5 of ED0371037 Rev E and ED0371109 as part of bid submission, submitting both test results and sample material of the same lot at no cost to Fermilab for validation.

Niobium sheet material must conform to ASTM B393 Type 5, RRR grade with measured RRR value greater than 300, minimum 95% recrystallized state, grain size between ASTM #4 and #6, yield strength 50 MPa minimum, and ultimate tensile strength 95–175 MPa. Surface finish must be bright and free from oxide inclusions, cracks, and blisters.

Evaluation uses a best value trade-off approach with price and schedule ranked as primary criteria in that order of importance. FFDG intends award without discussions. All proposals must include the RFP form, Subcontractor Annual Representations & Certifications (SARC, Rev. 8), and Proposal Certifications (Proc-FRM-466). The subcontract will be governed by FFDG General Terms and Conditions for Commercial Products and Commercial Services (08.2025).