Inactive 8(a) Set-Aside (FAR 19.8)

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE for market research purposes. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OR A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS. Founded in 1901, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST... This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE for market research purposes. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OR A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS. Founded in 1901, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a non- regulatory federal agency within the United States Department of Commerce (U.S. DOC). The mission of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. The NIST laboratories that support the NIST mission are: Physical Measurement Laboratory Material Measurement Laboratory Engineering Laboratory Information Technology Laboratory Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology Center for Neutron Research Communications Technology Laboratory Additionally, NIST carries out its mission through the following cooperative programs: The Baldrige National Quality Program The Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership NIST has sites that are located in Gaithersburg, Maryland and Boulder, Colorado. NIST also has partners in: a. JILA, formerly called Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA), a partnership with the University of Colorado; b. The Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), a partnership with the University of Maryland; c. The Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML), a partnership with NOAA's National Ocean Service, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the College of Charleston, and the Medical University of South Carolina; d. The Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology Research (IBBR), a partnership with the University of Maryland; e. The Joint Initiative for Metrology in Biology (JIMB), a partnership with Stanford University, Stanford, California; f. National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS II), a partnership with the Department of Energy, Upton, New York; and g. NIST U.S. Pacific Islands Program, support of the Marine Specimen Bank Program. The Government is performing market research for the anticipated recompete of a single indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide scientific, technical, and engineering support services for on-going programs, which range from basic scientific requirements to in-depth and complex scientific requirements, to enable NIST to continue to advance measurement science, standards, and technology through specific research. Scientific, technical, and engineering support services shall be provided in accordance with task orders that would be issued on a firm fixed price basis. The period of performance is anticipated to be a base period of one year with four one-year option periods. The Contractor must have extensive project management capabilities as well as technical knowledge and judgment in scientific, technical and engineering fields, with proficiency in engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, measurement science, nuclear science, forensic science, environmental science, modeling, and scientific principles and practices to be able perform and manage multiple, concurrent task orders. The anticipated contract would primarily service NIST sites in Gaithersburg, MD and Boulder, CO, but may also service the partner sites listed above. The number of task orders is expected to exceed 300 over the life of the contract. Task orders will be awarded and performed concurrently. The types of services procured will be directly relevant to one or more of the following areas of expertise: Engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, measurement science, nuclear science, forensic science, and/or environmental science. Below are services representative of those that may be required under the contract: -Work in measurement science pertaining to the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions in metrology in scientific and engineering specialized fields of study. -Design or modification of scientific measurement instrumentation and methods. Includes design and testing of new scientific instrumentation or modification of existing instrumentation to improve the state-of-the-art measurement in a given scientific/engineering field of study, and/or implementing machine learning systems and algorithms. -Optimization and advancement of existing measurement instrumentation and methods pertaining to improving an existing instrument and/or method in accordance with NIST-provided performance standards. Examples of optimization include lower detection limit, reduced bias and/or imprecision, and better specificity. -Mathematical and statistical analyses and modeling of data pertaining to an evaluation of existing databases in accordance with NIST-provided performance standards. Examples include modeling in smart manufacturing, advanced materials, low gate voltage transistors, wireless networking, and greenhouse gas impact on the environment. -Writing of technical reports compliant with NIST-provided performance standards. The performance standards may include content, format, compliance with a style guide or Editorial Review Board (ERB) requirements. -Presentation of report and/or project findings during conference calls, meetings, conferences, and/or trade shows. -Calculation or measurement of chemical and physical properties including measuring chemical and physical properties and conducting measurements identified by NIST. This effort may include improving existing formulas for calculating a chemical and physical property in order to obtain a more accurate and/or repeatable result. -Development of applications of measurement science to the biosciences pertaining to use of recent research results and methods for applications in related or diverse areas of measurement science to the biosciences. -Developing and/or writing a model or data base that requires software to implement the analysis. While software development shall not be a primary task and software or code shall not be a primary deliverable under any given task order, the development of science may require software to support and/or implement the science. -Conducting field investigations on disasters and structural failures to include collecting pertinent data on the event and analyzing the data for potential causes. The Contractor may be required to write reports to document results to help to minimize future risk and increase safety through improved codes, standards and practices. -Working independently to develop solutions for difficult scientific/technical/engineering problems; Generating concepts as evidenced by product or process improvement; and use scientific/engineering tools to integrate requirements and solve technical problems. -Forensic and biometric analytics. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS NIST is seeking responses from capable, responsible, and certified 8(a) companies. The contemplated opportunity is limited to certified 8(a) companies. The NAICS code for this effort is 541690 with a small business size standard of $19.0M. After the results of this market research are obtained and analyzed, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a contract. A Limitation Subcontracting clause will be applicable to the anticipated contract. The successful certified 8(a) vendor shall not pay more than 50% of the amount paid to it, by the Government, to firms that are not similarly situated. REQUIRED SUBMISSIONS Responses to this notice shall not exceed 15 pages in length and must demonstrate the respondent’s capabilities as indicated herein. The response must provide detail well beyond a standard capability statement. Organization name, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) for the Company’s active System for Award Management (SAM.Gov) registration; Documentation of Certified 8(a) status; Contact Name, Telephone Number, and E-mail address; Interested parties that do not have an active SAM.gov registration are strongly encouraged to visit the SAM.Gov website immediately to begin the registration process. This process can take several weeks to complete. Parties responding to Government solicitations are required to have an active SAM.gov registration at the time proposals are submitted; Relevant documentation which demonstrates the company’s expertise in each of the following areas: Engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, measurement science, nuclear science, forensic science, and/or environmental science; Documentation which demonstrates the company’s ability to identify and secure subject matter experts in the areas of engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, measurement science, nuclear science, forensic science, and/or environmental science necessary to complete the required work; A summary of the company’s project management expertise and the company’s ability to manage, track, troubleshoot problems, and report on large numbers of concurrent projects (>250); A summary of the company’s knowledge of the process associated with obtaining H-1B Visas; Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider in performing its market research. Responses must be emailed to carol.wood@nist.gov not later than June 19, 2023, at 3:30 PM Eastern Time.