Standard Reference Material Charpy Specimen Production

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE
Notice ID: NIST-MML-26-SS05
Title: Standard Reference Material Charpy Specimen Production

GENERAL INFORMATION

This is a Sources Sought Notice ONLY and is issued for market research purposes in accordance with FAR Part 10. This notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation (RFQ), Invitation for Bids (IFB), or any commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will not pay for any information submitted in response to this notice. Submission of information is voluntary and will not result in any obligation on the part of the Government.

NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS EXIST AT THIS TIME

Requests for solicitation documents will not receive a response.

Respondents shall clearly mark any proprietary or restricted information. In the absence of such markings, NIST will assume unlimited rights to all technical data submitted.

CONTRACTING OFFICE

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Acquisition Management Division
100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1640
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640

NAICS CODE

• NAICS: 332710 – Machine Shops
• Small Business Size Standard: 500 employees

BACKGROUND

The NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRM) Program provides SRM 2093, SRM 2113, SRM 2197, SRM 2561, and SRM 2562 (Low-Energy Charpy Specimens), SRM 2097, SRM 2112, SRM 2198, SRM 2563, and SRM 2564 (High-Energy Charpy Specimens), and SRM 2098, SRM 2099, and SRM 2199 (Super-High-Energy Charpy Specimens) to industry for the indirect verification of Charpy machines in accordance with the ASTM E23 and ISO 148-2 standards. NIST Charpy SRMs are required in various industry codes and specifications to verify the performance of industrial impact machines, so that a common measurement base for purposes of trade and commerce is ensured. All measurements made by the United States and international industry under the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International) E23 test standard are traceable to NIST through these SRMs. The Charpy reference specimens are the highest-demand SRMs distributed by NIST. 

Machining Qualification Program: The purpose of this qualification procedure is to identify and qualify machine shops and producers (“Vendors”) capable of machining and supplying Charpy V-Notch Specimens according to NIST specifications. Qualified Vendors will be placed on the Qualified Manufacturers List (QML).  Qualification program process attached to the Sources Sought.

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIRED SERVICES

NIST is seeking information from contractors capable of Machining Qualification and providing the Charpy SRM Specimens according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) specifications.

Services include, but are not limited to, the following:

Charpy specimens are notched steel bars that have a specific hardness due to heat treatment and tight machining requirements. NIST has qualified vendors produce Charpy specimens in batches. The process includes three major steps:

1. Rough machining, where the steel bar is cut to length and machined into blanks. The blanks are unnotched and have oversized dimensions, suitable for heat treating. Blanking eliminates surface defects that can induce quench cracks during processing, and the oversized dimensions of the blanks allow for re-processing if necessary.
2. Heat treatment of the blanks, so that the final machined specimens meet the NIST energy level and homogeneity acceptance criteria.   
3. Final machining of the heat-treated specimens to the final dimensions.

Also includes:

1. Pilot lot specimen sampling and testing
2. Pilot lot and production lot acceptance testing
3. Marking and packaging requirements

MARKET RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to:

• Identify responsible sources capable of performing the required services
• Determine the availability of small businesses, including socio-economic categories
• Assess industry experience with scientific data evaluation, foreign-language literature, scientific publishing workflows, and custom content management systems

Information received may be used to support acquisition strategy decisions, including potential set-aside determinations.

ANTICIPATED ACQUISITION

NIST anticipates issuing a Request for Quotation (RFQ) in the first quarter of FY 27, with contract award anticipated no later than the second quarter of FY 27.

RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

Interested parties shall submit a written capability statement addressing the following:

1. Company name, address, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, CAGE code, and point-of-contact information
2. Business size and socio-economic status (if applicable)
3. Description of company capabilities relevant to the services described above
4. Description of prior experience performing similar services
5. Identification of applicable contract vehicles (e.g., GSA FSS, GWACs), including contract numbers
6. Any other information the Government should consider for market research purposes

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Submission Method: Email
• Email Address: donald.graham@nist.gov
• Format: Microsoft Word
• Page Limit: 12 pages maximum
• Font: Times New Roman, 11-point
• Paper Size: 8.5 x 11 inches
• Margins: Minimum 1 inch on all sides

Header and footer information that does not contain evaluative content may be included within the margin space.