Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

Amendment 1: Clarification Questions and Responses The purpose of this Amendment is to provide Government responses to clarification questions submitted by vendors, regarding this procurement. 1. Ques... Amendment 1: Clarification Questions and Responses The purpose of this Amendment is to provide Government responses to clarification questions submitted by vendors, regarding this procurement. 1. Question: What is the correct submission due date for quotes? Answer: Quote submissions must be received no later than 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 8, 2023. 2. Question: Under the section Quote Preparation Instructions, it states that “each quotation shall consist of two (2) separate electronic files: (1) Technical Quotation and (2) Pricing Quotation. “There are multiple documents that I will send regarding both the technical quotation and the pricing quotation. Do they need to be in “two (2) separate electronic files?” Answer: The purpose of requiring 2 separate electronic files is to ensure that pricing information is not included in the technical portion of the submission. You may submit multiple attachments to demonstrate your technical capabilities, however, you must submit your pricing information in a separate document. 3. Question: Where do I find the payment terms in your T&C’s? Answer: Please reference the attachment entitled “Provisions and Clauses” for payment terms. END OF AMENDMENT 1. __________________________________________________________________________________________ THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIALITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR SUBPART 12.6-STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A SEPARATE WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED. THE SOLICITATION IS BEING ISSUED USING SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF FAR PARTS 12 AND 13. This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) FAC 2023-01 effective December 30, 2022. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334516 with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees. Quoters must possess an ACTIVE registration in the System for Award Management system, www.SAM.gov, when submitting a quotation and shall continue to be registered until time of award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract resulting from this solicitation. The Contracting Officer will confirm that quoters have an “active” registration at the www.sam.gov website upon receipt of the quotation. If the SAM.Gov registration is not active, the quotation will not be considered for award. This is a Brand Name Only, Total Small Business Set-Aside requirement. Quoters must provide the brand name identified within the Statement of Requirement (SOR). The brand name only justification is as follows: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Applied Chemicals and Materials Division has a need to expand its existing calorimetric capabilities in support of current and planned thermophysical property research. The Thermophysical Properties of Fluids Group’s existing instrumentation is limited to measurements over a temperature range of 90 °C to 550 °C and atmospheric pressure. However, planned work on the properties of molten metals requires the capability for measurements at higher temperatures than are currently possible. Additionally, measurements at elevated pressures would allow for the expansion of current fuels research to include the determination of heat capacity as a function of pressure, as well as additional properties such as vapor pressure and critical point. There are commercial Differential Scanning Calorimeters (DSCs) available that would allow for either measurements at elevated temperatures or at elevated pressures, but not for both within a single instrument. However, the more flexible cell design of a Calvet-Pro calorimeter means that both needs can be met by a single instrument. The cell design of a Calvet-Pro calorimeter offers several advantages over that of a DSC. First, this type of calorimeter can deliver a more accurate heat measurement since the sample and sample containment are surrounded by thermocouples, allowing for the capture of approximately 95% of all forms of heat. Additionally, the instrument employs a joule effect calibration that is used to correct for the remaining few percent of unmeasured heat; this calibration is performed in factory and rarely requires recalibration, but when required, can be performed on-site. Such a robust heat flow calibration saves time and money since frequent calibration utilizing certified reference materials and other consumables are no longer required. Finally, the Calvet Pro calorimeter from KEP Technologies is a uniquely adaptable instrument. With the addition of a cooling unit, measurements spanning -120 °C to 830 °C are possible with a single instrument. Additionally, the availability of interchangeable crucibles and cells allow for measurements at high pressure (500 bar) under both controlled and uncontrolled pressure conditions. This flexibility would allow us to meet our immediate research goals for both current fuels research and planned molten metals research utilizing a single instrument; as well as offering the potential for expansion into new research areas with only a relatively small capital investment. Such flexibility ultimately results in a substantial savings in both the time and expense associated with the purchase and maintenance of instrumentation, as well as the training of personnel. The objective of this solicitation is to establish a Firm-Fixed-Price purchase order based on the specifications described in the attached Statement of Requirements. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS Responsible quoters shall provide a quotation for the following Contract Line Items (CLINs), in accordance with the specifications outlined in the attached Statement of Requirement. All equipment must be new. Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award.: CONTRACT LINE ITEMS: Line Item 0001: (Quantity 1 Each) High-temperature, high-pressure Calvet Pro calorimeter inclusive of accessories, software, instructions manual, delivery/shipping, installation, and training; in accordance with the Statement of Requirements. Line Item 0002: (Quantity 1 Year) Warranty, in accordance with the Statement of Requirements. DELIVERY TERMS Delivery terms shall be FOB Destination. The Contractor shall pack and mark the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the purchase order, be responsible for loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt and acceptance of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the purchase order; and pay all charges to the specified point of delivery. EVALUATION CRITERIA & BASIS FOR AWARD: The Government intends to award a purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Contractor whose quotation, conforming to the solicitation, provides the lowest priced, technically acceptable quote. Technically acceptable means that the quote: Meets or exceeds the brand name only minimum equipment specifications listed within the Statement of Requirements; Meets training, warranty, and installation requirements as applicable; and Meets the required delivery schedule. Price: The price evaluation will determine whether the quoted prices are fair and reasonable in relation to the solicitation requirements. Quoted prices must be entirely compatible with the technical quotation. INSTRUCTIONS: Completed Solicitation Provisions A completed version of all required solicitation provisions (see attached provisions/clauses document – required submissions highlighted in blue). Due Date for Quotations and Questions All quotations must be submitted, via e-mail, to Sadaf Afkhami, Contract Specialist, at Sadaf.Afkhami@nist.gov with a carbon copy to Donald Graham, Contracting Officer, at Donald.Graham@nist.gov. Submissions must be received no later than 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 8, 2023 FAX quotations will not be accepted. Quoters must reference the RFQ number in the subject line of the e-mail submission. Quotes shall not be deemed received by the Government until the quotation has entered the e-mail inbox of the individual(s) set forth above. Questions: All questions regarding this notice must be submitted via e-mail to Sadaf Afkhami, at Sadaf.Afkhami@nist.gov, with a carbon copy to Donald Graham, Contracting Officer, at Donald.Graham@nist.gov, no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on January 27, 2023. Quotation Preparation Instructions Each quotation shall consist of two (2) separate electronic files: (1) Technical Quotation and (2) Pricing Quotation. Technical Quotation- Shall include the following: (1) Technical description and/or product literature. Quoters shall include the manufacturer, make and model of the product, manufacturer sales literature or other product literature which CLEARLY DOCUMENTS that the offered products meet the brand name only specifications outlined in the statement of requirements. It is the responsibility of the quoter to ensure that submitted documentation clearly addresses all specifications and requirements. (2) The quoted delivery timeline for the contract line items. (3) A description of the quoted installation, training, and warranty. Price Quotation: (1) All Quoters shall submit a firm fixed price, FOB Destination, price quotation for the contract line items. The quotation must include a unit price and total amount for each line item and the aggregate price for all contract line items. (2) The price quotation shall include a cover page with the following information: The solicitation number 1333ND23QNB640104; The name and address, of the Quoter; The name, phone number, and email address of the Quoter’s point of contact; Unique Entity Identifier # for Quoter’s active SAM.Gov registration. Any applicable discount terms. A statement that the Contractor agrees to all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. If the Contractor objects to any of the terms and conditions contained in this solicitation, the Contractor shall state “The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following:” [Contractor shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s)]. It is the sole responsibility of the Contractor to identify in their quote any exceptions to the terms and conditions of the solicitation. A statement that the quotation is valid for a minimum of 90 days from the response deadline of this solicitation. Please note that this procurement IS NOT being conducted under the GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) program or another Government-Wide Area Contract (GWAC). If a contractor submits a quotation based upon an FSS or GWAC contract, the Government will accept the quoted price. However, the terms and conditions stated herein will be included in any resultant Purchase Order, not the terms and conditions of the contractor’s FSS or GWAC contract, and the statement required above shall be included in the quotation. PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES: The clauses and provisions applicable to this solicitation can be found under Applicable Clauses & Provisions. The full text of a FAR provision or clause may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov/far. The full text of a CAR provision or clause may be accessed electronically at https://farsite.hill.af.mil or http://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/acquistion_management/policy/. ATTACHMENTS: The following attachments apply to this solicitation: 1. The Statement of Requirements 2. Applicable Clauses & Provisions