Inactive

Amendment 002: The purpose of this amendment is to: 1) revise the Performance Work Statement key personnel requirements, 2) to revise the evaluation factor for Technical Approach/ Capability, 3) to re... Amendment 002: The purpose of this amendment is to: 1) revise the Performance Work Statement key personnel requirements, 2) to revise the evaluation factor for Technical Approach/ Capability, 3) to revise the response instructions related to the Technical Approach/ Capability evaluation factor, and 4) to extend the Solicitation response deadline to 11:00 AM on November 20, 2023. Both original respondents and new respondents are encouraged to respond to this revised solicitation. In the event originally responding quoters do not submit revised quotations, NIST will evaluate the original quotations against the revised solicitation. If revised quotations are submitted by originally responding quoters, those quoters are asked to use tracked changes in their revised responses. All other terms and conditions remain unchanged. ___________________________ Amendment 001: The purpose of this amendment is to provide answers to contractor questions and to provide a revised Performance Work Statement which reflects the answers to the questions. The revised Performance Work Statement uses tracked changes. The Combined Synopsis Solicitation is also updated, including a PDF version attached that uses tracked changes, to revise evaluation factor A and to revise the quotation deadline to October 12, 2023 at 11:00 AM ET. All other terms and conditions also remain unchanged. _________________________________ Request for Quotations No. NIST-RFQ-23-7302958 Geotechnical Investigation Support Services for Champlain Towers South NCST Teams 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 13.5. 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 2023-04 dated June 2, 2023. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541330 – Engineering Services. The small business size standard is $25.5 Million. This is an unrestricted solicitation. Both large and small businesses are eligible to respond. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENTS Background On June 24th, 2021, the Champlain Tower South Condominium suffered a partial collapse. NIST sent a preliminary reconnaissance team to collect information and data related to the collapse. Based on the recommendations of the preliminary reconnaissance team and evaluation of the criteria listed in the regulations implementing the Act, specifically in 15 CFR § 270.102, on June 30, 2021, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States Department of Commerce, established a Team to study the collapse of the Champlain Towers South Condominium in Surfside, FL. The Team may include members who are Federal employees and members who are not Federal employees. Team members who are Federal employees are governed by the Federal conflict of interest laws. Team members who are not Federal employees will be Federal government contractors. Objectives The objective of this acquisition is to procure technical assistance in evaluating selected geotechnical aspects of the CTS site. In particular, support is needed to assess technical contributors to the site characterization and foundation design, its as-built construction, and its condition at the time of collapse. This project is expected to be critical for analyzing the relationship and interactions between the structure and the subsurface of the site. Scope of Work & Specific Tasks Please see the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS) for details. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The period of performance shall be one (1) year from date of award. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE The primary place of performance is expected to be the Contractor’s facility. However, some travel to and from Florida is required. CONTRACT TYPE & PAYMENT TERMS A firm fixed price purchase order is anticipated. Payment will be made on a NET30 basis using milestone payments following inspection and acceptance of individual deliverables. 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 September 18, 2023 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 November 20, 2023 at 11:00 AM ET. Note: Quoters must have an active registration at www.SAM.gov at time of quote 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, UEI 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, schematics, key personnel resumes, certificates, cut sheets, or past performance information) shall not exceed fifteen (15) single-spaced, single-sided pages or thirty (30) double-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: A narrative of the Quoter’s relevant technical capabilities and the proposed approach to executing the PWS. If subcontractors will be used, the Quoter shall provide the names of the companies or organizations and their expected roles. The following items should be included in the technical approach narrative: Proposed methods to successfully complete PWS requirements A summary of proposed laboratory testing facilities and their certification to operate, as well as certification that the Quoter and laboratory meet requirements to perform the tests identified in Table I. List of Additional Potential Laboratory Testing on page 16 of the PWS. A summary of any proposed software and tools to be used, including copies of current and active access certificates for proposed software OR a certification as follows: ““[Quoter] affirms that appropriate licenses for proposed software necessary for base tasks will be acquired within two weeks of award, in the event of an award, and understands that failure to do so would result in termination for cause. [Quoter] also affirms that appropriate licenses for software necessary for optional tasks will be acquired within two weeks of option exercise, in the event of such, and understands that failure to acquire such licenses would result in termination for cause.” The resumes of the proposed key personnel which demonstrate qualifications and expertise, including years of experience in each role and professional certifications. Quoters shall clearly identify the individual(s) being proposed as key personnel and the positions for which they are proposed. Quoters shall clearly map their proposed candidates to each of the required key personnel position titles detailed in the “Key Personnel Requirements” section of the PWS. Past performance information to include information on at least three (3) purchase orders or contracts in which the Quoter performed work similar to the scope of this requirement. Past performance information provided shall be for work completed or substantially completed within the past five (5) years. Past performance shall include the following information: Name of the Organization Supported Organization Point of Contact with Current Phone Number and Email Address Contract Number Period of Performance Dollar Value of the Contract Narrative describing the services performed. The narrative should make clear similarities to the scope of work outlined in this solicitation. A narrative of the Quoter’s management approach for the requirement. The management approach shall outline responsibilities of key individuals, consultants or sub-contractors, communications plans, project administration and reporting, operational procedures, interactions between the tasks outlined in the PWS, and procedures to monitor and assure progress to meet the project schedule. Completed provision responses, from the provisions attached to this solicitation. Provisions requiring response are highlighted in yellow. A list of assumptions and/or exceptions made in preparing the quotation. Volume 2: Price Quotation and Small Business Subcontracting Plan This volume shall contain the Quoter’s price quotation and Small Business Subcontracting Plan (SBSP) in read-only Microsoft Excel format, or in searchable PDF format. All figures must be rounded to the nearest hundredth. Price Quotation: Price quotations shall be submitted on a firm fixed price basis in accordance with the contract line item numbering structure and price quotation template provided in this solicitation. Quotations shall be valid for 90 days after solicitation close. Quoters shall completed the yellow highlighted cells in the attached price quotation template and submit the completed template as a summary of the proposed pricing. However, Quoters shall provide additional pricing documentation in addition to completing the price quotation template, to include at minimum the information referenced in the following two paragraphs. To assist the Government in evaluating firm fixed price quotations, the Quoter shall provide a breakdown of the proposed labor and materials costs per task identified in the Statement of Work. The proposed labor breakdown shall include proposed labor categories and estimated hours per labor category. Quoters shall also include a proposed fixed price payment schedule based on requirement milestones/deliverables in relation to the deliverables table in the PWS. Quoters may propose alternate payment schedules. Individual Small Business Subcontracting Plan: The quoter shall prepare and propose an Individual Small Business Subcontracting Plan conforming to the content and formatting requirements of FAR 52.219-9. CONTRACT LINE ITEM STRUCTURE: The table in the Combined Synopsis Solicitation (CSS) attachment to this solicitation identifies the required contract line item numbering (CLIN) structure for this Solicitation. Please also see the attached Price Quotation Template document; Quoters shall complete the Price Quotation Template document as part of or attached to their price quotation. The total ceiling price for CLINs 0002, 0003, and 0004 is predetermined; the contractor shall quote the stated ceiling prices. For CLINs 0004, 0008, and 0009, the contractor shall quote a ceiling price that shall not be exceeded (the CLIN 0004 ceiling price is pre-determined). For these CLINs, the contractor shall quote tests and fixed, fully burdened unit pricing for tests using the Price Quotation template document as part of or attached to their price quotation. Only those tests quoted will be allowable under any resultant award. The contractor may quote different unit pricing for different stated quantities of tests. To assist the Government with price analysis only, detailed information regarding the test pricing shall be provided. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND BASIS FOR AWARD (Addendum to FAR 52.212-2) The Government intends to award a purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the responsible contractor whose quotation conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous and represents the best value to the Government, price and other factors considered. Best value shall be determined using the trade-off evaluation method. Therefore, the Government may award to other than the lowest priced quote or the highest technically rated quoter. The Government intends to evaluate quotations and issue a purchase order based on the initial quotations received. Therefore, the quoter’s initial quotation should contain the quoter’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint. The Government reserves the right to request revised quotations from, or negotiate final purchase order terms with one or more, but not all, quoters if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. The Government may reject any or all quotations if the quotation fails to comply with the requirements of this solicitation. The factors identified below will be used to evaluate quotations. Factor A (Technical Factor): Technical Approach/Capability Factor B (Technical Factor): Key Personnel Factor C (Technical Factor): Past Performance Factor D (Technical Factor): Management Approach Factor E (Non-Technical Factor): Price Technical / non-price factors are listed in descending order of importance. Technical / non-price factors, when combined, are more important than price. However, price will become more important as the degree of equality among technical non-price evaluations increases. Note that the quoter’s proposed Small Business Subcontracting Plan will be reviewed for compliance with the requirements of this solicitation and with FAR 52.219-9. However, there is no separate evaluation factor for the Small Business Subcontracting Plan. A. Technical Approach/Capability The Government will evaluate the quoter’s technical approach and capabilities for performing each task in the Performance Work Statement. The technical volume will be evaluated for the quoter’s overall understanding of and capability to complete the Government requirements, and the realism and expected effectiveness of the proposed approach. Included in the evaluation will be the applicability of the methods, laboratory resources, software, and tools proposed to perform each task identified in the Performance Work Statement. Evaluation of laboratory resources and software will include confirmation that 1) the laborator(ies) to be used have valid certification to operate and that they meet requirements to perform the tests identified in Table I. List of Additional Potential Laboratory Testing on page 16 of the PWS and 2) quotations include verification of ownership of or active licensed access to the software packages proposed to be used in relation to this requirement. Evaluation will also include review for evidence confirming that the Contractor holds the relevant active licenses and certifications to perform and/or use the Contractor’s proposed methods, laboratory testing, software, and tools. In lieu of active software license confirmation, Contractors may provide certification that 1) appropriate licenses for the specific software proposed for the base tasks will be acquired within two weeks of award and 2) that appropriate licenses for the software required for the optional tasks will be acquired within two weeks of option exercise, in the event the Contractor receives award. B. Key Personnel The Government will evaluate the extent to which the resumes submitted for the quoter’s proposed key personnel demonstrate that the proposed individuals meet or exceed the minimum qualifications detailed in the Performance Work Statement, and has the appropriate education, qualifications, and experience to efficiently and effectively address requirements in accordance with the Performance Work Statement. C. Past Performance The Quoter’s past performance will be evaluated to determine the extent to which the quoter has past performance relevant to the work described in the Performance Work Statement. Relevancy shall be considered similarity to the current requirement in scope of work, period of performance, and total dollar value. The government will consider past performance on efforts completed or substantially completed within the past five (5) years. The Government prefers past performance that includes 1) evaluation of uncertainties in site characterization and geotechnical and foundation parameter development, 2) foundation design of recently constructed mid-rise reinforced concrete building and of mid-rise reinforced concrete building built in the 1980s, preferably in South Florida or similar subsurface conditions, 3) foundation systems design, construction, and testing in similar conditions to those in South Florida, and 4) advanced numerical soil-structure interaction simulations of basement models. References may be contacted and the Government may consider past performance information from other sources, such as the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). D. Management Approach Quotes will be evaluated to determine the expected effectiveness of the proposed management approach which outlines responsibilities of key individuals, consultants or sub-contractors, project administration and reporting, operational procedures, interactions between the tasks and subtasks outlined in the Performance Work Statement, and procedures to monitor and assure progress to meet or exceed the project schedule for the required tasks. The Government will consider the extent to which the proposed approach will ensure the availability of personnel and resources to successfully complete the work within the required schedule. The Government will evaluate the approach for realism and expected effectiveness, ability to successfully coordinate multidisciplinary teams for post-disaster studies, as well as for productive communications, schedule adherence or better, and successful performance of tasks. E. Price Quoted pricing will be evaluated but not scored. Price evaluation will determine whether the quoted price is complete, fair, and reasonable in relation to the RFQ requirements.