Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION Purchase and Delivery of Hydrogen Gas to the National Weather Service (NWS), Birmingham, AL, Weather Forecast Office (WFO) (i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation f... COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION Purchase and Delivery of Hydrogen Gas to the National Weather Service (NWS), Birmingham, AL, Weather Forecast Office (WFO) (i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice and in accordance with the simplified acquisition procedures authorized in FAR Part 13. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. (ii) This solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). Submit written quotes on RFQ Number 1305M325Q0187. (iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2025-04 (Jun 2025) (Deviation 2025-02/03) (Feb 2025). (iv) This solicitation is being issued as a total Small Business Set-Aside. The associated NAICS code is 325120. The small business size standard is 1,200 employees. (v) This combined solicitation/synopsis is for purchase of the following commercial item(s): CLIN 0001 Base Period Purchase and delivery of hydrogen gas in accordance with the Statement of Need. Period of Performance 09/01/2025 through 08/31/2026. Provide unit pricing for the below: Cost per cylinder: ___________________ Delivery Costs: _____________________ Cylinder Rental Costs: _______________ Hazmat Fees: ______________________ Overhead/Other (optional): ___________ Estimated annual total for 230 cylinders: _______________ CLIN 1001 Option Period 1 Purchase and delivery of hydrogen gas in accordance with the Statement of Need. Period of Performance 09/01/2026 through 08/31/2027. Provide unit pricing for the below: Cost per cylinder: ___________________ Delivery Costs: _____________________ Cylinder Rental Costs: _______________ Hazmat Fees: ______________________ Overhead/Other (optional): ___________ Estimated annual total for 230 cylinders: _______________ CLIN 2001 Option Period 2 Purchase and delivery of hydrogen gas in accordance with the Statement of Need. Period of Performance 09/01/2027 through 08/31/2028. Provide unit pricing for the below: Cost per cylinder: ___________________ Delivery Costs: _____________________ Cylinder Rental Costs: _______________ Hazmat Fees: ______________________ Overhead/Other (optional): ___________ Estimated annual total for 230 cylinders: _______________ Estimated aggregate total for all years: _________________ (vi) Description of requirements is as follows: See attached Statement of Need which applies to Base Period and all Option Periods 1 – 2 INVOICES TO BE BILLED MONTHLY IN ARREARS. QUOTE PRICING MAY BE PROVIDED ON ATTACHED SF18 FORM OR ON COMPANY LETTERHEAD. (vii) Date(s) and place(s) of delivery and acceptance: Delivery schedule shall be: Base Year for a twelve month period 09/01/2025 through 08/31/2026. Option Period 1 for a twelve month period 09/01/2026 through 08/31/2027. Option Period 2 for a twelve month period 09/01/2027 through 08/31/2028. Option Period 3 for a twelve month period 09/01/2028 through 08/31/2029. The start date is an estimate and is subject to new funding approval processes. If there is a significant delay in awarding this contract, a shortened base year Period of Performance may be utilized or an updated quote may be requested with a new 12-month base year and corresponding option years. Delivery shall be FOB Origin to: National Weather Service 465 Weathervane Road Calera, AL 35040 (viii) FAR provision 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Sept 2023), applies to this acquisition and can be found on the Request for Quote form SF18 attachment. (ix) FAR provision 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021), applies to this acquisition and can be found on the Request for Quote form SF18 attachment. (x) FAR provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (May 2024) (Deviation 2025-02) (Deviation 2025-03) (Feb 2025), applies to this acquisition and can be found on the Request for Quote form SF18 attachment. Offerors are advised to include a completed copy of the provision with its offer, unless the offeror’s Reps & Certs section on SAM.gov is accurate and current. Per Deviation 2025-02/03: System updates may lag policy updates. The System for Award Management (SAM) may continue to require entities to complete representations based on provisions that are not included in agency solicitations, including 52.223-22, Public Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Reduction Goals—Representation, and paragraph (t) of 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Products and Commercial Services. Examples include 52.222-25, Affirmative Action Compliance, and paragraph (d) of 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Products and Commercial Services. Contracting officers will not consider these representations when making award decisions or enforce requirements. Entities are not required to, nor are they able to, update their entity registration to remove these representations in SAM. (xi) FAR clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2023), applies to this acquisition and can be found on the Request for Quote form SF18 attachment. (xii) FAR clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Jan 2025) (Deviation 2025-02) (Deviation 2025-03) (Feb 2025), applies to this acquisition and can be found in full text on the Request for Quote form SF18 attachment. (xiii) Any additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions that apply can be found on the Request for Quote form SF18 attachment. (xiv) Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) and assigned rating does not apply. (xv) Quotes are required to be received in the contracting office no later than 12:00PM MST/MDT on 07/17/2025. All quotes must be submitted electronically via email to Diana.romero@noaa.gov. (xvi) Any questions regarding this solicitation should be submitted electronically via email to Diana.romero@noaa.gov. UTILIZATION OF FEDCONNECT® FOR CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION The Department of Commerce will utilize the FedConnect® web portal in administering this award. The contractor must be registered in FedConnect® and have access to the FedConnect® website located at https://www.fedconnect.net/Fedconnect/. For assistance in registering or for other FedConnect® questions please call the FedConnect® Help Desk at (800) 899-6665 or email at support@fedconnect.net. There is no charge for registration in or use of FedConnect®. (End) 1352.215-72 Inquiries (Apr 2010) OFFERORS MUST SUBMIT ALL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS SOLICITATION IN WRITING VIA EMAIL TO diana.romero@noaa.gov. QUESTIONS SHOULD BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 07/14/2025. Any responses to questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation. Even if provided in other form, only the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract. (End of clause) FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Sep 2023) NOTICE TO OFFERORS: Instructions for submitting quotations under this request for quote must be followed. Failure to provide all information to aid in the evaluation may be considered non-responsive. Offers that are non-responsive may be excluded from further evaluation and rejected without further notification to the offeror. 1. Submit PDF or Microsoft Word format quotations to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the time specified in the solicitation. Quote documents shall include signed copies of the SF 18 and SF 30(s) to acknowledge the solicitation and any applicable amendments. Email quotes are required and can be sent to diana.romero@noaa.gov. 2. Offeror shall have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM found at https://sam.gov/content/home) in order to provide a quote and be eligible for award. Must provide their UEID/CAGE CODE with their quote. 3. Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of them or their capability. 4. Offerors must provide all evaluation criteria in accordance with FAR 52.212-2. Offerors who do not provide all evaluation criteria may not be considered. 1. Technical Acceptability/Capability. 2. Price THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR NON-RECEIPT OF QUOTES. IT IS THE CONTRACTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY TO REQUEST AND RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION OF THE QUOTE RECEIPT. FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation- Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021) Offers will be evaluated based on price and the factors set forth in paragraph (a). (a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. Paragraph (a) is hereby completed as follows: Evaluation will be based on the following; 1. Technical Acceptability/Capability. Quotes must include all fees and costs listed in the RFQ and must confirm they meet the requirements listed in the Statement of Need. Failure to provide will result in unacceptance of quotes. 2. Price. The Government intends to award a low priced, technically acceptable, single firm fixed-price purchase order on an all or none basis with payment terms of Net 30. (b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). (c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. (End of provision) STATEMENT OF NEED (SON) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (DOC) NATIONAL OCEANIC ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA) NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (NWS) WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE (WFO) Birmingham, AL HYDROGEN GAS SUPPLY, DELIVERY AND CYLINDER RENTAL DELIVERY PERIOD: Base Year: 09/01/2025 – 08/31/2026 Option Year 1: 9/1/2026 to 8/31/2027 Option Year 2: 9/1/2027 to 8/31/2028 1. BACKGROUND: The NWS is a 24-hour, 365-day operation and is a public safety agency. The primary mission of the NWS is the protection of life and property. The NWS in 465 Calera, AL, launches weather balloons routinely twice a day at 0600 and 1800 CDT. Each balloon requires approximately 75 cubic feet (CF) of hydrogen. Instrumentation is attached to each balloon that provides measurements of temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and height. This data is transmitted worldwide, incorporated into weather models, and used to make weather forecasts out to 10 days into the future. 2. OBJECTIVE The objective of the NWS is to receive and keep on-site an adequate supply of hydrogen gas in individual cylinders to perform the weather balloon launches on schedule. SCOPE The Contractor is responsible for supplying hydrogen to the NWS upper air building located at 465 Weathervane Road, Calera, AL 35040. The total amount of hydrogen to be delivered for the 12-month period of this requirement will be a maximum of 230 full 300 CF hydrogen cylinders. The hydrogen will be supplied at regular intervals throughout the period, provided as individual cylinders. See Delivery Schedule in Section 6, below, for details. 3. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE All deliveries are to be made to the NWS office at 465 Weathervane Road, Calera, AL 35040. The point of delivery is at the Upper Air Inflation Building, located past the main office and through the locked gate. The contractor must coordinate with the NWS office upon arrival to unlock the gate. The hydrogen truck is permitted to use the main driveway for delivery. The drop off door is located on the north side of the inflation building as depicted by the red arrow in the aerial picture below. 4. REQUIREMENTS Site Storage and Usage: All hydrogen must be provided in individual cylinders as the facility is not arranged to allow for other configurations. The Government will store ten 300 CF bottles of hydrogen. This site uses approximately 150 CF of hydrogen every day of the year. Actual use can vary, particularly if we have to launch extra balloons. The Contractor shall ensure bottles are individually and securely chained upright at delivery and placed in an orderly/neat and clean fashion with cap loose and nozzle facing out. NWS personnel will not assist with loading or unloading of cylinders. NWS personnel will make an attempt to mark empty cylinders by placing a small box on the cap of each empty cylinder. The Contractor will remove the boxes and place them away from the main traffic area and the cylinders, on the East side of the room. The Contractor will unchain each empty cylinder prior to removal. After cylinders are replaced and secured, any extra chains will also be placed away from the main traffic area and the cylinders, on the East side of the room. Initial Delivery: The contractor will supply 10 full 300 CF individual cylinders. Initial delivery date will be at the start of the period of performance Delivery Schedule: Deliveries shall be made every two weeks, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 0800 and 1530 local time. This is a strict time slot as balloon launches must not be delayed or interrupted in order to receive the delivery. Balloon launches occur twice a day, every day of the year, regardless of holidays. Therefore, the delivery schedule needs to be maintained regardless of holidays. If a holiday falls on a scheduled delivery day and the Contractor is not able to complete a regularly scheduled delivery, the Contractor shall make arrangements in advance for an alternate delivery date. The Contractor will contact the NWS office if a delivery is going to be delayed for any other reason. If the Contractor is unable to find a reasonable supply in time to fill the requirement, the NWS reserves the right to purchase hydrogen from another supplier outside of this contract. The delivery schedule shall be arranged with the Administrative Support Assistant (ASA), Upper Air Program Point-of Contact or Meteorologist-in-Charge (MIC) upon contract award (see Section 9 below for contact information). Transition Period: If this contract is awarded to a provider other than the incumbent Contractor, then prior to the first day of the contract, the new Contractor and one of the NWS points of contact listed in Section 9 below shall establish the delivery schedule, including coordinating the initial delivery to coincide with the pickup of cylinders by the former Contractor. Likewise, upon completion of this contract, if the new follow-on contract is awarded to a provider other than the current Contractor, the current Contractor shall participate in the transition coordination efforts in order to minimize the risk of a missed balloon launch due to the hydrogen being unavailable at the launch site. The end-of-contract transition period may include a lighter delivery in the final weeks of the contract. Recurring Deliveries: The point of delivery is not staffed except for during the balloon launches. The Contractor shall supply hydrogen gas to the Place of Performance in accordance with the coordinated date and time schedule The Contractor will supply ten (10) full 300 CF cylinders every two weeks. If additional cylinders are needed the WFO will coordinate with the contractor three business days in advance of the next scheduled delivery. The Contractor shall then pick up the empty cylinders in the same trip; the empty cylinders to be picked up will be capped and marked as empty by NWS personnel. NWS personnel will unchain the capped, empty cylinders upon the Contractor’s arrival to the Place of Performance. The total quantity of bottles will not exceed 260 tanks total per year The Contractor shall contact NWS personnel at this location when arriving for a delivery. The loading area is located on the South side of the Inflation Building. The loading area will remain clear of obstructions and all safety rules shall be followed. Cylinders can be rolled from a truck lift gate to its delivery point. All equipment necessary for loading and unloading the hydrogen shall be provided by the Contractor. The Contractor shall ensure the bottles are securely strapped to the stand at delivery and placed in an orderly/neat and clean fashion with cap loose and nozzle facing out. The Contractor shall perform the deliveries in such a manner that there will be minimal interruption to or interference with the normal operation of Government business on the premises. NWS personnel will not assist with loading or unloading of cylinders. Evidence of Delivery: The Driver shall provide evidence of delivery by way of receipt signed by an NWS representative at the time of delivery. A copy of the signed receipt shall be left with the NWS representative, and a copy shall also be attached to the associated invoice. NWS will perform random tests of bottles delivered using a certified pressure gage and notify the contracted vendor within 48 hours of discrepancies. After that time, the vendor will be held harmless for shipment discrepancies. Compliance: At the start of the contract the contractor will provide the government with a “Certified Pressure Gauge” that will be used to verify the pressure of the bottles. The pressure gauge will be recertified annually at the contractors expense in accordance with the option periods. If any of the deliveries do not conform to contract requirements (i.e. a delivery of tanks not completely filled), the Government reserves the right to require the Contractor to bring the delivery into conformity with contract requirements, at no increase in contract amount (i.e. without additional delivery charges). SAFETY AND SECURITY All rules concerning safety, including but not limited to not smoking and the security of the property, must be observed at all times. Safety Data Sheets (SDS) must be provided by the Contractor to the MIC or ASA at each office, where the information will be kept on file in accordance with applicable guidelines of the OSHA Hazard Communications Standard. Requirements pertaining to recordkeeping will be strictly followed, with copy(s) provided to MIC as necessary and upon request. 5. POINTS OF CONTACT The Government contacts at the NWS office in Birmingham, AL, are: ¿ Administrative Support Assistant: Tara Goggins, 205-621-5646,tara.goggins@noaa.gov ¿ Meteorologist-in-Charge: Chris Darden ,205-621-5646, chris.darden@noaa.gov ¿ Upper Air Program Point-of-Contact: Chris Darden ,205-621-5646, chris.darden@noaa.gov INVOICING The Contractor will invoice monthly. The invoice must include the following items: a. Name and address of the Contractor, which must be the same as that on the Purchase Order. b. Invoice date and invoice number. c. Purchase Order number and associated line-item number from the Purchase Order. d. Description, quantity, unit of measure, unit price and extended price of supplies delivered. e. Date of delivery. f. Evidence of delivery by way of receipt signed by NWS representative at the time of delivery g. Name (where practicable), title, phone number, and mailing address of person to notify in the event of a defective invoice (a defective invoice is one that does not meet all the above requirements) The invoices must be submitted using the system governments Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) Invoices The invoices will be submitted through the Invoice Processing Platform. Invoices will include each element as identified in the bidding instructions