Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

Amendment 001: The purpose of this solicitation amendment is to clarify the brand name only justification and to extend the question deadline and quotation deadline. Please see the revised combined sy... Amendment 001: The purpose of this solicitation amendment is to clarify the brand name only justification and to extend the question deadline and quotation deadline. Please see the revised combined synopsis solicitation document attached which shows the brand name only justification clarifications in tracked changes. The new question deadline is March 3, 2022 at 11:00 AM ET and the new quotation deadline is March 9, 2022 at 11:00 AM ET. All other solicitation terms remain unchanged. ___________________ This is a Combined Synopsis / Solicitation for Commercial Items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6 – Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation of Commercial Items – as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. The solicitation is issued using simplified acquisition procedures under the authority of FAR Part 13. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT (i.e. STANDARD FORM) WILL NOT BE ISSUED. This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2022-04 dated January 30, 2022. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 333999 – All Other Miscellaneous General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing. The small business size standard is 500 Employees. This BRAND NAME ONLY request for quotation is issued on a total small business set-aside basis. Only small businesses under the identified small business size standard are eligible for competition. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENTS Background The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Robotics Laboratory has developed initial performance metrics to quantitatively evaluate the relative benefits of basic robotic capabilities for unstructured environments. The standards that have been developed by NIST are available through ASTM International at https://www.astm.org/. Despite having developed initial performance metrics, however, NIST currently has no ongoing access to a robot to support in-depth experiments for quadruped robots. This hinders data collection and development efforts across NIST’s comprehensive suite of apparatuses and test procedures for maneuvering, mobility, dexterity, sensors, endurance, etc. necessary for unstructured environments. Acquisition of a NIST-owned robot is essential to practically schedule and conduct inter-laboratory experiments to establish the “reproducibility” of NIST-developed apparatuses and test procedures. An added benefit would be to enhance communications with stakeholders, including the general public during tours, using hands-on demonstrations of state-of-the-science remote robot capabilities within relevant test apparatuses in the NIST Robot Test Facility. Objectives The NIST Robotics Laboratory requires a state-of-the-art quadrupedal robot with a manipulator with six degrees of freedom to be used for the development of performance metrics to quantitatively evaluate and develop standard test methods for legged robots. This is a brand name only requirement: only the “Spot” robot manufactured by Boston Dynamics, Inc. is acceptable. Brand Name Only Justification: NIST requires a quadrupedal robot with a coordinated control manipulator in order to validate the next generation of tests for robots with advanced mobility and computer-assisted manipulation. These tests include the 11" (28 cm) scale crate terrain and omnidirectional inspection, touch/insert, and extract/place tasks, individually and in combination. The ability for a robot to combine mobility and manipulation tasks is a critical capability that NIST needs to validate. Fully validating these tests requires that the robot not only be capable of traversing such terrain, but it must also be able to fully coordinate control of both its manipulator and its mobility platform through the use of inverse kinematics and other related control methodologies. Robots that lack fully integrated and coordinated control require either individual control of the joints and/or of the arm in isolation from its base, placing an excessive cognitive load on the operator that will not allow these tests to be properly validated. The Boston Dynamics, Inc. "Spot" robot is the only quadrupedal robot currently available at this scale that has the required level of mobility, an integrated manipulator with the requisite mechanical capabilities, as well as fully integrated coordinated control of the manipulator and robot base to properly validate these new tests. Boston Dynamics, Inc., a small business, has multiple small business resellers of its equipment. Therefore, this acquisition is processed on a brand-name-only competitive basis set aside for small businesses. Required Specifications The Contractor shall provide a Boston Dynamics, Inc. Spot Robot, a state-of-the-art quadrupedal robot with a manipulator with six degrees of freedom, which meets the following minimum specifications: 6-degrees-of-freedom manipulator with fully integrated coordinated control for dexterity arm capable of a continuous lifting capacity of at least 5kg arm capable of dragging at least 25kg arm/robot combination capable of reaching to a height of at least 1800mm peak clamp force of the manipulator of 130 N or greater 3D range sensors for navigation and mapping autonomous functionality to include stair-climbing, door opening, and navigation in various environmental conditions (i.e., indoors, outdoors, wet, and dry). capable of carrying a minimum of two (2) external payloads (inspection cameras, laser scanners etc., with a weight of at least 14kg) 360° camera: Field of view 360x170, Video streaming, Resolution 10MP, still image format of PPM (Portable Pixel Map) PTZ Camera: Resolution of 2MP and 1080p video, optical zoom 30x, Range of motion 170°/sec, tilt range -30 to 270° integrated radiometric thermal camera (IR) with a resolution of 640 x 512. Video speed of 7.5Hz. FoV 69x56° cameras shall be enclosed in a roll cage to prevent damage capable of climbing at least a plus or minus 30-degree incline capable of traversing grass, sand, and water battery run time of no less than 90 minutes via a single charge. Batteries shall be chargeable via a 120V power outlet. capable of two-way communication between the robot (and nearby individuals) and robot operator via high-sensitivity 2-way microphone and speaker minimum speed of no less than 1.5 meters per second maximum base robot weight of 33kg ability to control the robot from a remote location using an intuitive tablet and application with built-in stereo cameras all electronics shall be sealed to the environment IP65 (Robot only) Manipulator shall be water and dust resistant Operating temperature of Robot with Manipulator shall be between -20°C to 45°C The robot shall be provided with electronic manuals specific to its software, hardware, and operation. WARRANTY The contractor shall provide a one-year manufacturer’s warranty on all parts, components and software associated with the robot. Software updates shall be provided during the warranty period when available. TRAINING The contractor shall conduct one (1) training session for up to three (3) NIST personnel. The training shall cover operations, maintenance, troubleshooting and safety of the robot. The training may take place via video conference and shall take place at a mutually agreed upon time within 30 days following delivery. DELIVERY The Contractor shall deliver the quadruped robot to the address below on a F.O.B Destination basis within four months of contract award. NIST 100 Bureau Drive Building 301 Shipping & Receiving Gaithersburg, MD 20899 The robot shall arrive fully assembled, ready to charge and begin operating. INSPECTION & ACCEPTANCE Following receipt, the Government will charge the robot and test it against the specifications identified in this document. The inspection and testing process will be completed within 30 days after delivery. If the equipment meets all stated specifications during inspection, it will be accepted. CONTRACT TYPE & PAYMENT TERMS A firm fixed price purchase order is anticipated. Payment will be made on a NET30 basis after receipt of a proper invoice. A lump-sum amount covering 100% of the total firm fixed price agreed upon by the two parties may be invoiced after all required items (including the required training) have been delivered and accepted by the Government. APPLICABLE PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES Please see the attached document for applicable provisions and clauses. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD CAR 1352.215-73 INQUIRIES (APR 2010): Quoters must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing electronically to Ms. Lauren Roller, Contract Specialist, at lauren.roller@nist.gov. Questions must be received by or before March 3, 2022 at 11:00 AM ET. 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 Provision). DUE DATE FOR QUOTATIONS All quotations must be submitted via email to Ms. Lauren Roller, Contract Specialist, at Lauren.Roller@nist.gov. Submission must be received not later than March 9, 2022 at 11:00 AM ET. Note: Quoters must have an active registration at www.SAM.gov at time of offer submission to be considered for award. INSTRUCTIONS TO QUOTERS (Addendum to FAR 52.212-1) The Quoter’s quotation shall be submitted electronically via email and shall consist of two volumes as detailed below. Each quotation volume shall include the Quoter’s name, DUNS number, and point of contact information in a cover page, header/footer, or other easily identified location. The Contracting Officer intends to award a purchase order without discussions but reserves the right to enter into discussions if in the best interest of the Government. Volume 1: Technical Response This volume shall contain the Quoter’s technical response. The technical response (not including table of contents, figures, or corporate experience information) shall not exceed ten (10) single-spaced, single sided pages. Text shall be no less than 12-point Arial or otherwise reasonably legible font in read-only Microsoft Word or searchable Adobe PDF format. The technical response shall include the name, title, phone number, and email address of the Quoter’s primary point of contact and the individual authorized to negotiate on behalf of the Quoter (if negotiations are determined to be necessary). The technical response shall include: Sufficiently detailed information that the Government may evaluate whether the robot quoted meets the brand name only specifications identified in this solicitation. Information regarding the delivery timeframe applicable to the quoted products. The delivery timeframe quoted shall take any relevant supply chain concerns into consideration. Completed provision responses, from the provisions attached to this solicitation. Provisions requiring response are highlighted in yellow. Volume 2: Price Quotation This volume shall contain the Quoter’s price quotation in read-only Microsoft Excel format, or in searchable PDF format. All figures must be rounded to the nearest hundredth. Price quotations shall be submitted on a firm fixed price basis in accordance with the contract line item numbering structure identified in this solicitation. Quotations shall be valid for 60 days after solicitation close. To assist the Government in evaluating firm fixed price quotations, the Quoter shall provide a breakdown of the proposed materials costs and labor costs. CONTRACT LINE ITEM STRUCTURE: Responsible Quoters shall provide pricing for the following line item: LINE ITEM 001: Quadruped Robot in accordance with the requirements of the attached Specifications document. This line item shall clearly include F.O.B Destination delivery. The contractor may invoice the Government for a lump-sum amount covering 100% of the total firm fixed price agreed upon by the two parties, only after all required items (including the required training) have been delivered and accepted by the Government. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND BASIS FOR AWARD (Addendum to FAR 52.212-2) The Government intends to evaluate quotations using the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable method. A quotation will only be considered technically acceptable if it clearly demonstrates the following: The quotation includes the required Boston Dynamics, Inc. brand name only robot in accordance with all of the specifications and other requirements identified in this solicitation. The quotation affirms that delivery shall be made within 4 Months after purchase order award and that training shall be provided within 30 days after delivery. Award may be made by the Contracting Officer without discussions.