Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

Amendment 001: The purpose of this amendment is to release anonymized questions and answers, along with a revised Statement of Work which reflects the answers to questions. Please find the questions a... Amendment 001: The purpose of this amendment is to release anonymized questions and answers, along with a revised Statement of Work which reflects the answers to questions. Please find the questions and answers, and revised Statement of Work, attached. All other terms and conditions remain unchanged. The quotation submission deadline remains July 25, 2025 at 11:00 AM ET. ________________ Original Solicitation: Request for Quotations Environmental and Curing Chamber Replacement for NIST Gaithersburg Building 226 Laboratory RFQ No. NIST-RFQ-25-7301915 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 2025-04 dated June 11, 2025. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 333415 – Air Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing. The small business size standard is 1,250 employees. This is a total small business set-aside solicitation. Only small businesses under the applicable NAICS code are eligible to respond. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENTS Background The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Engineering Laboratory (EL) Materials and Structural Systems Division (MSSD) studies the durability and service life of infrastructure materials (polymer, concrete, engineered composites) for resilience infrastructure applications. The Resilient Construction and Structural Material Performance groups rely on leading-edge technology to carry out critical national support investigations. Many of these require the ability to cure, store, or conduct operations under very specific environmental conditions. Currently, these groups all rely on a single outdated environmental chamber and a single moist curing chamber that have each long passed their normal operating lives. Careful service and constant maintenance have enabled their continued viable use. However, that time has been exhausted and is a single malfunction away from permanent inoperability. If any failure were to occur during use, this would significantly diminish these programs’ ability to carry on with mission-critical investigations, with the potential loss of revenue, time, and irreplaceable test specimens. Scope of Work & Specific Requirements The purpose of this acquisition is to procure one walk-in environmental chamber and one walk-in moist-curing chamber. The Contractor is also responsible for installation. Please see the attached Requirements Document for details. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The period of performance shall be six months from date of award. DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS The contractor shall deliver all ordered products F.O.B Destination to the address. The Contractor shall install all ordered products and provide training on product operation as well. Delivery, installation, and training shall all be completed within six months from date of award. National Institute of Standards and Technology Shipping and Receiving 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 F.O.B Destination means that 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 any 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, inclusive of any applicable tariffs. CONTRACT TYPE & PAYMENT TERMS A firm fixed price contract is anticipated. Payments will be made on a NET30 basis following inspection and acceptance of deliverables. APPLICABLE PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES Please see the attached document for applicable provisions and clauses. SITE VISIT A site visit will be conducted by NIST personnel to allow potential Quoters to view the existing chambers which are to be replaced. The site visit will provide an escorted view of the space and an opportunity to ask questions to obtain a better understanding of the work required. While not required in order to submit an offer, potential Quoters are strongly encouraged to schedule and participate in the site visit. In no event shall failure to attend the site visit or to inspect the site constitute grounds for a claim after contract award. The site visit will be conducted on July 8, 2025 from 10:00 AM through 11:00 AM Eastern Time on the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, MD. A contractor may send a maximum of two participants to attend the site visit. At least one NIST employee will be present for the site visit. Contractors must be physically present to participate in the site visit and may not participate via teleconference. Note that no alternate dates or times will be scheduled. Site Visit Details To participate in a site visit, potential Quoters must request a visit via email to the Contracting Specialist, Ms. Lauren Roller, at lauren.roller@nist.gov. Requests must be received not later than July 3, 2025 at 11:00 AM ET. Potential Quoters must provide the following information with their requests: Full name of each attendee (maximum of 2 attendees per request). The name must match the individual’s photo identification (driver’s license, passport, etc.) which will be presented at the NIST Security Office before the site visit. Company Name (If subcontractor) Prime Company Name Contact Information for each attendee, including email address and phone number NIST will respond to timely requests with confirmation of assigned site visit information as well as site access guidance. Please refer to the following web site for additional Visitor Information http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/visitor/. Contractors shall be required to familiarize themselves with all requirements at this website prior to entering the NIST campus. Questions will be allowed during the site visits. Note that any questions asked during the site visit will be recorded, anonymized, and answered in a Question and Answer (Q&A) amendment associated with this solicitation. Photographs are not allowable at the site visit. Potential Quoters are cautioned that all terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged unless they are changed by written amendment to the solicitation. It is the responsibility of each Quoter, prior to submitting a quotation, to seek clarification of any perceived ambiguity in the solicitation or created by an amendment of the solicitation. 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 July 10, 2025 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. 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, July 25, 2025 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) shall not exceed ten (10) single-spaced, single-sided pages. Text shall be no less than 12-point Times New Roman font in 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: Proposed design information for the required chambers with a narrative explain how the proposed design addresses the Government’s requirements A description of the proposed pre-installation, installation, and training methods for addressing the Government’s requirements A description of proposed warranty and preventative maintenance services A description of the proposed contract schedule, detailed for each task associated with the requirement. Please include any potential issues that might cause delays and risk mitigation plans. Prior experience information to include information on at least one (1) and up to three (3) purchase orders or contracts in which the Quoter performed work similar to the scope of this requirement. Prior experience information provided shall be for work completed or substantially completed within the past five (5) years. Prior experience 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. 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 This volume shall contain the Quoter’s price quotation in 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 and fixed rate basis in accordance with the contract line item numbering structure details below. Quotations shall be valid for 60 days after solicitation close. CONTRACT LINE ITEM STRUCTURE: The required contract line item numbering (CLIN) structure for this Solicitation is listed below. CLINs shall include FOB Delivery pricing inclusive of any tariffs. CLIN 0001: Environmental and Curing Chamber Replacement for NIST Gaithersburg Building 226 in accordance with the attached Requirements Document 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): Design and Technical Approach Factor B (Technical Factor): Schedule, Preventative Maintenance, and Warranty Factor C (Technical Factor): Prior Experience Factor D (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. A. Design and Technical Approach The Government will evaluate quotations for understanding of the Government’s requirements and the degree to which the proposed design and approach address stated product requirements. The Government will evaluate proposed products for quality and expected effectiveness and useful life in the laboratory. B. Schedule, Preventative Maintenance, and Warranty The Government will evaluate quotations for the degree to which they address the schedule, preventative maintenance, and warranty requirements. Faster schedule (including ready availability of parts proposed) and longer warranty may increase confidence. C. Prior Experience The Quoter’s response will be evaluated for the extent to which the Quoter has demonstrated prior experience relevant to the requirements of the solicitation Statement of Work. Relevancy shall be considered similarity to the current requirement in scope of work, period of performance, and total dollar value. The government will consider prior experience on efforts completed or substantially completed within the past five (5) years. D. Price Quoted pricing will be evaluated but not scored. Price evaluation will determine whether the quoted price is fair and reasonable in relation to the solicitation requirements and what a prudent person would pay in the marketplace. The fair and reasonableness price determination will include both base and optional requirements. EVALAUTION RATING SCALE The Government will use the rating scale defined below to assign ratings to each individual technical evaluation factor (not to price). The Government will not assign an overall confidence rating to each Quoter. This evaluation may be done holistically, and the assigned rating will inherently consider an overall assessment of risk. High Confidence - The Government has high confidence that the Offeror understands the requirement, proposes a sound approach, and will be successful in performing the contract. Some Confidence - The Government has some confidence that the Offeror understands the requirement, proposes a sound approach, and will be successful in performing the contract. Low Confidence - The Government has low confidence that the Offeror understands the requirement, proposes a sound approach, or will be successful in performing the contract.