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INVITATION TO SUBMIT PROPOSAL You are invited to submit a proposal for the items specified in this Request for Proposal (RFP), by the provisions contained herein, and the terms and conditions of the p... INVITATION TO SUBMIT PROPOSAL You are invited to submit a proposal for the items specified in this Request for Proposal (RFP), by the provisions contained herein, and the terms and conditions of the proposed firm-fixed price subcontract entered into as a result of this solicitation. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE AND SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN This acquisition is unrestrictive and contains no set-aside provisions. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this solicitation is 334419 - Other Electronic Component Manufacturing. The small business size standard for this NAICS code is 750 employees. A small business subcontracting plan will be required should the awardee not meet the definition of a small business as described in the paragraph above. The Subcontracting Plan shall follow the Federal Acquisition Clause, 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan (See Exhibit D). This plan must be submitted by the successful Offeror before award of the subcontract. EXPLANATION OR INTERPRETATION OF RFP DOCUMENTS / QUESTION PERIOD The prospective offeror should examine and review the solicitation with care. Any prospective offeror who has questions or desires an explanation or interpretation of the solicitation, drawings, specifications, etc., must request it in writing by close of business (4:00 P.M. CST), June 09, 2025, and submitted to the Procurement Specialist at the email address identified on the Request for Proposal Form and below. Oral explanations or instructions given before the award of a subcontract will not be binding. Any information given to a prospective offeror concerning a solicitation will be furnished promptly to all other prospective offerors as an amendment to the solicitation if that information is necessary for submitting proposals or if the lack of the information would be prejudicial to other prospective offerors. Any and all changes to these specifications are valid only if they are included by a written addendum and shall become a part of the subcontract. All questions concerning this RFP should be submitted in email form and directed to the Procurement Specialist identified below. Procurement Specialist: Richard Konan Phone: (630) 840 2835 Email: rkonan@fnal.gov Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC Procurement Department Kirk Road & Wilson Street Batavia, IL 60510-0500 CONTACT WITH FFDG PERSONNEL/BLACKOUT PERIOD All offerors are prohibited from making any contact (including sales calls) with officials or employees of FFDG (collectively “FFDG personnel”) with regard to the request for proposals, other than in the manner and to the persons designated herein, until after an award has been made. The Chief Procurement Officer or their designee reserves the right to disqualify any offeror found to have contacted FFDG personnel in any manner regarding the proposal request. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION FFDG may, by addenda/amendment, modify any provision or part of this RFP at any time before the award of any resultant subcontract. All terms and conditions that are not modified remain unchanged. An offeror shall acknowledge receipt of any addenda/amendments to this RFP. Failure to acknowledge may result in the disqualification of an offeror’s proposal with no further consideration for an award. The acknowledgment shall be provided in one of the following ways: Immediately upon receipt of the amendment via an email sent to the FFDG Procurement Specialist. Return of the Amendment with a signature on the acknowledgment signature line; or In the offeror’s proposal. PROPOSAL DUE DATE The offeror’s proposal shall be emailed to the Procurement Specialist no later than the close of business (4:00 P.M. CST), June 16, 2025. Partial or incomplete proposals [including required documents (e.g. project timeline, examples of prior work, references, submission of the Request for Proposal Form)] may be considered non-responsive and will not be considered for an award. LATE SUBMISSION Proposals received by FFDG after the Submittal Date and Time indicated will not be considered. The Respondent assumes the risk of the method of dispatch chosen. EXCEPTIONS AND DEVIATIONS Any exceptions to the General Terms and Conditions identified herein MUST be documented on a separate sheet on the Offeror’s Letterhead. FFDG is not required to accept any exceptions or deviations. Any exceptions or additional terms noted on a Quote Form will not be considered and are hereby expressly rejected. Likewise, any references—whether through language or hyperlink—to additional terms and conditions are not accepted and are similarly rejected. Offerors taking exceptions, deviations, or conditional assumptions to the specifications provided herein must clearly identify and explain each exception/deviation, or conditional assumption taken with sufficient amplification and justification to permit evaluations. Such exceptions, deviations, or conditional assumptions will not themselves automatically cause a proposal to be deemed unacceptable to FFDG. However, a large number of exceptions or one or more significant exceptions not providing benefit to FFDG may result in the rejection of the offeror’s proposal as unacceptable. Exceptions, deviations, or conditional assumptions must be identified on company letterhead with your proposal submission. Exceptions to FFDG’s Terms and Conditions MUST be clearly and completely indicated on a company letterhead. NOTE TO OFFERORS: Please be advised that any exceptions to the specifications or to FFDG’s terms and conditions may cause your proposal to be disqualified. OFFEROR’S MODIFICATION AND WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS The offeror may submit modifications to its proposal at any time before the solicitation closing date and time and may submit modifications in response to an amendment or to correct a mistake at any time before award. Proposals may be withdrawn at any time before the submission deadline. Withdrawals are effective upon receipt of notice by the Procurement Specialist. ORDER OF PRECEDENCE Where there appear to be variances or conflicts, the following order of precedence shall prevail: FFDG’s drawings (if applicable), FFDG’s Statement/Scope of Work, the RFP General Terms and Conditions, and the offeror’s response. SUBCONTRACT AWARD Issuance of the RFP does not compel FFDG to make an award. FFDG reserves the right to accept or reject all proposals if that is determined to be in its best interest. A decision may be made without discussion; hence, an offeror’s proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms. The proposed award is based on a continuing program requirement and the issuance of obligation authority from the Procurement Department of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL). Any subsequent award issued by FFDG shall be constituted in writing by authorized representatives of the Procurement Department of the FNAL. No other representatives of FFDG are authorized to issue contracts or agreements or bind FFDG to any form of agreement or understanding. The authorized Procurement Department official of the FNAL is the only individual who can legally commit FFDG to the expenditure of funds in connection with this proposed procurement. PREPARATION, SUBMISSION, AND EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS This is a best-value trade-off source selection. This process permits tradeoffs between cost or price and non-cost factors. As a result, FFDG will accept an offer based on the totality of the proposal, not simply based on the lowest-priced proposal. All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. An award shall be made to the offeror who is deemed most responsive and responsible by FFDG, whose proposal conforms to the solicitation’s requirements and is judged to represent the best value to FFDG. FFDG intends to award without discussions. FFDG shall be the sole determiner of what is of the best value to FFDG. FFDG reserves the right to cancel this solicitation at any time without incurring any liability or damages associated with such cancellation. Under no circumstances shall FFDG be responsible for any proposal preparation expenses, submission costs, or any other expenses, costs, or damages, of whatever nature, incurred as a result of an offeror’s participation in this RFP process. The Offeror understands and agrees that it submits its proposal at its own risk and expense and releases FFDG from any claim for damages or other liability arising out of the RFP and award process. FFDG shall not be liable for any errors in the offeror’s proposal submission. Except during negotiations initiated by FFDG, no modifications to the proposal shall be accepted from the offeror after the Submittal Date. The offeror is responsible for a careful review of their entire proposal to ensure that all information, including pricing, is correct and complete. Offerors are liable for all errors or omissions contained in their proposals. FFDG reserves the right to award a subcontract only to responsive and responsible proposers. Responsive offers are defined as a proposal that meets all of the minimum requirements (e.g. submits all required documents, meets minimum years requirement, etc.). Responsible proposers are defined as companies that demonstrate the financial ability, resources, skills, capability, willingness, and business integrity necessary to perform on the subcontract. FFDG shall be the sole determiner of whether an offer or Offeror is considered responsive and/or responsible. The proposal shall be submitted in two (2) parts: Part I - Technical Proposal and Part II – Business/Management Proposal. Under no circumstances shall Part I and Part II be bound together or presented in such manner as to make them not severable. The Technical Proposal shall not contain any reference to cost other than what is referenced in Current/Past Projects. Any information of a proprietary nature shall be CLEARLY MARKED and identified in the offeror’s submission. Offerors shall explain, provide support, and address each of the Evaluation Criteria below, which will assist FFDG in the Source Selection process. All information shall be provided in a clear and organized manner. Additionally, Offerors may state any recommendations or areas of concern related to the scope of work requirements in their proposals. Part I – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL/EVALUATION CRITERIA Offerors shall provide information for the following technical criteria to enable FFDG to evaluate technical capability: Technical Merit & Quality In order to demonstrate their ability to deliver thermal straps with performance that meets or exceeds technical specifications; the offeror is to submit detailed documentation that affirms their competence in the field of thermal straps fabrication. The objective is to obtain a clear and detailed understanding of the offeror's operational capabilities, quality assurance practices, and commitment to delivering superior products. The facilities description and capabilities should include information on the size and layout of the manufacturing plants, showcasing the organizational structure of the plant and workflow. Details on the machinery and equipment utilized in the production process, with an emphasis on their modernity, efficiency, and capacity, should be clearly outlined. Photographs, schematics, or any other visual aids that support their ability to fulfill the subcontract are encouraged. Moreover, the offeror should elaborate on any advanced technologies, automation, or state-of-the-art systems incorporated within their facilities to enhance the precision, reliability, and efficiency of the manufacturing and quality assurance processes for thermal straps. Delivery Requirements Documentation provided to support that the offeror will deliver within the timeframe specified. To substantiate the offeror's commitment to timely delivery, a thorough documentation package is required. This documentation should include a detailed project schedule (Gantt chart) outlining key milestones, production timelines, and delivery milestones aligned with the specified timeframe as specified in PIP-II. In addition, the offeror is requested to furnish comprehensive documentation clarifying their project management capabilities, specifically regarding the punctual delivery of goods outlined in this contract. This documentation should encompass an overview of the current workload, detailing project scale, scope, and anticipated completion timelines. The offeror must articulate their strategy for resource allocation among various projects, emphasizing measures to ensure the project in question, receives requisite attention and resources. Clear criteria for project prioritization and effective risk mitigation strategies should be outlined, accompanied by historical performance metrics showcasing on-time delivery records for comparable projects. Management Control Plan Demonstrated ability to ensure that each item offered for acceptance or approval conforms to the technical requirements. The offeror should provide a detailed quality management plan outlining systematic procedures for inspecting, testing, and validating each item against the specified technical requirements. This plan should encompass key checkpoints in the production process, ensuring that all aspects of the manufacturing, assembly, and finishing stages adhere to the outlined specifications. Moreover, the offeror is encouraged to showcase any industry certifications, quality control standards, or relevant accreditations that validate their commitment to delivering products that consistently meet or exceed technical expectations. Evidence of past successful compliance with technical requirements, along with any corrective actions taken in the event of non-conformities, will further strengthen the offeror's demonstration of technical capabilities. Past Experience Provide information that demonstrates the offeror’s previous experience with projects of a similar size, scope, and complexity that demonstrates the offeror’s capability to successfully perform the requirements of this project. Provide at least two (2) projects completed within the past five (5) years that are of similar type, size, scope, and complexity as described in the solicitation documents. The information shall include the following: Customer Name; Project Name and Location; Project Description; Total Contract Amount; Contracted project schedule duration; and Project Start and Completion Date. If a current project, please provide the Percent (%) Complete and the projected completion date. Examples of documentation Part II – BUSINESS MANAGEMENT & PRICE PROPOSAL The Business Management and Price proposal submitted shall include, at a minimum, the following documentation: Price Proposal The proposed pricing of each heat exchanger shall be specified on the Request For Proposal Form provided herein. THE OFFEROR MUST SUBMIT THEIR PRICING USING THE FORM PROVIDED HEREIN. If a subcontract is awarded to the offeror, payment shall be issued upon delivery, inspection, testing (if applicable) and acceptance of each heat exchanger as defined on the Request for Proposal Form, pursuant to the General Terms and Conditions, and the Statement of Work as identified herein. The proposed pricing shall be a firm-fixed price for the work as identified herein, and the price proposal shall be valid for 90 days from the final proposal due date. An Offeror allowing less than the minimum acceptance period as identified herein may be rejected without further consideration for an award. All pricing must be submitted in USD, and no allowances shall be made for currency conversion during the term of the subcontract. Economic price escalation language will not be accepted or considered. FFDG may consider a proposal nonresponsive if the prices proposed are materially unbalanced. A proposal is considered materially unbalanced when the price of one or more line items in a submission is significantly overstated or understated, even though the total price may be acceptable when reviewing using cost or price analysis techniques. This would include a reasonable doubt that the proposal will result in the lowest overall cost to FFDG, even though it may be the lowest evaluated proposal, or if it is so unbalanced as to be tantamount to allowing an advance payment. When applicable, FFDG will reimburse the subcontractor for actual costs (e.g., freight, pre-pay and add) incurred. No allowance shall be made for overhead and profit; any invoice containing overhead, profit, surcharges, handling costs, etc., will be rejected. Duties/Tariffs FFDG recognizes that international shipments may be subject to additional charges related to duties and tariffs. Accordingly, offerors are requested to itemize these potential costs separately from the pricing for the scope of work outlined in this RFP. The resulting subcontract will include the understanding that FFDG will reimburse the subcontractor for applicable duties and tariffs in effect at the time of shipment. However, if such duties or tariffs have been lifted or are no longer applicable at the time of shipment, FFDG will not be responsible for reimbursing these charges. Offerors should include a separate line item for any such costs on the Proposal Form included in this RFP. PLEASE NOTE: Failure to use the form provided herein for the submission of pricing may result in the rejection of your offer, with no further consideration for an award. Milestone Payments FFDG may, at its discretion, consider milestone payments as part of the award determination process. If an offeror proposes milestone payments, all associated terms and detailed justifications must be included in the pricing proposal submission. These will be reviewed and scored as part of the overall evaluation. FFDG reserves the right to accept or decline milestone payments based on what is determined to be in the best interest of FNAL. Subcontractor Annual Representations & Certifications (SARC), Form SARC The SARC certification submitted by the successful Offeror will be incorporated into the subsequent subcontract. If an offering entity is a joint venture, association, consortia, or partnership, each member entity must submit an individual Representations and Certifications Form. Proposal Certifications, Form PUR-466 The PUR-466 certification submitted by the successful Offeror will be incorporated into the subsequent subcontract. All sections are required to be completed and must be signed by a company official. DESCRIPTION OF WORK The selected subcontractor shall provide all labor, materials, tools, equipment, and supervision required to complete all work to fabricate the thermal straps as defined in Exhibit A - ED0037774 C - Thermal straps for SSR CMS - Procurement Specs. The awarded offeror shall deliver the fabricated thermal straps in the quantities specified and in compliance with all fabrication requirements in the specification and drawings documents identified herein. The thermal straps will be fabricated in accordance with the required quality control plan and subject to the specified acceptance criteria. 14. DELIVERY TERMS Delivery terms shall be FOB Destination Fermilab Dock Batavia, IL 60510 for domestic offerors, which shall include shipping/freight costs within their firm-fixed-price proposal submission. Delivery terms shall be DAP Fermilab Dock Batavia, IL 60510 per Incoterms 2020 for non-domestic vendors. Non-domestic offerors will be provided with FFDG’s Customs Clearance Broker Information upon subcontract award. As tariff and duty costs continue to fluctuate, FFDG requires all non-domestic offerors to include their proposed tariff costs in the Request for Proposal Form. PLEASE NOTE: FFDG will only reimburse actual tariff/duties expenses that are in effect at the time of shipment. The Offeror must include their shipping/freight costs on the Price Submission Sheet within their proposal. RESTRICTION ON DISCLOSURE AND USE OF DATA Offerors or quoters who include in their proposals or quotations data that they do not want to be disclosed to the public for any purpose or used by FFDG except for evaluation purposes, shall – Mark the title page with the following legend: “This proposal or quotation includes data that shall not be disclosed outside FFDG and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed – in whole or in part – for any purpose other than to evaluate this proposal or quotation. If, however, a subcontract is awarded to this Offeror or quoter as a result of – or in connection with – the submission of this data, FFDG shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting subcontract. This restriction does not limit FFDG’s right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction are contained in sheets (insert numbers or other identification of sheets)”, and Mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend “Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this proposal or quotation.” EXHIBITS ED0037774 C - Thermal straps for SSR CMS - Procurement Specs Drawings GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR SUPPLIES (3/2024) FL-55 - SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN Subcontractor Annual Representations & Certifications (SARC), Form SARC (Rev. 3) (04/08/2022) Proposal Certifications, Form PUR-466, Rev. 1 (10/14/2021) Sample Subcontract