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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. All questions concerning this RFP should be submitted in email form and directed to the Procurement Specialist listed 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 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 334519, Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing. The small business size standard for this NAICS code is 500 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), April 14 , 2025 and submitted to the Procurement Specialist at the email address identified on the Request for Proposal Form. 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 written addendum and shall become a part of the subcontract. CONTACT WITH FFDG PERSONNEL/BLACKOUT PERIOD All offerors are prohibited from making any contact (including sales calls) with officials or employees of Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC (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 her designee reserves the right to disqualify any Offeror found to have contacted FFDG personnel in any manner with regard to the request for proposal. ORDER OF PRECEDENCE Where there appears 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. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION FFDG may, by 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 an amendment to this RFP. Failure to acknowledge receipt of an amendment may result in the disqualification of an Offeror’s proposal. The acknowledgment shall be provided in one of the following ways: Immediately upon receipt of the amendment via email to the FFDG Procurement Specialist. Return of the Amendment with a signature on the acknowledgment signature line; or In the Offeror’s Proposal Letter that accompanies an Offeror’s proposal. DESCRIPTION OF WORK The selected subcontractor shall provide all labor, materials, tools, equipment, and supervision required to complete all work to fabricate gauge systems as defined as follows: (118) Convection gauges (88) Cold cathode (inverted magnetron) gauges (49) Controllers of capability to run (2) cold cathode and (2) convection gauges listed above simultaneously. Each controller must be configured identically. (11) Controllers, each having capability to run (4) convection gauges listed above simultaneously. Each controller must be configured identically. Any interface/measurement boards as required for the controller and system to be fully functional Power cords for all controllers Rack mount kits for all controllers Gauge cables and connector kits that are not commercially available (do not quote cables and/or connectors that are commercially available) The selected subcontractor shall deliver the fabricated gauge system in the quantities specified and in compliance with all fabrication requirements in the specification and drawings documents identified herein. The gauge system will be fabricated in accordance with the required quality control plan and subject to the specified acceptance criteria. PREPARATION, SUBMISSION, AND EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS Award shall be made to the supplier who is deemed responsible by FFDG, whose proposal conforms to the solicitation’s requirements and is judged to represent best value to FFDG. The best value is represented by the lowest price of technically acceptable offerors. FFDG intends to award without discussions. 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 Offeror’s participation in this RFP process. 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 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. 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. 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. Additionally, Offerors may state any recommendations or areas of concern related to the requirements of the scope of work in their proposals. 8.1 PART I – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL/EVALUATION CRITERIA Offers will be scored using the technical criteria identified below; the criteria are listed in no specific order of importance. Offerors shall provide information for the following technical criteria to enable FFDG to evaluate technical capability. 8.1.1. Technical Merit and Quality Demonstrated ability of the Offeror to deliver the vacuum gauge system with performance that meets or exceeds the technical specifications identified herein. The Offeror shall submit documentation of any relevant certifications, qualifications, or industry acknowledgments that affirm the offeror’s competence to vacuum gauge systems. The Offeror should elaborate on any value-added items, which may include 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 vacuum gauge systems. The offeror’s proposal shall include all elements to provide fully functional gauge measurement, readback, and control as stated in the requirements listed below. This includes, but is not limited to, any status, interface, or measurement boards as well as any specialty cables/connectors. This gauge system shall conform to the requirements as identified below. ANY VARIANCES MUST BE IDENTIFIED IN YOUR RESPONSE. Failure to identify variances could result in disqualification. 1. Gauges shall be cleaned and packed according to Ultra High Vacuum (UHV) cleaning and handling procedures. They shall arrive ready for UHV use. 2. Gauges shall be radiation resistant to 1E6 Gy. 3. Gauges shall be metal-sealed and mounted on a DN40 CF flange. 4. Gauges shall be bakeable to 100 deg C. 5. Gauges shall provide readings to 30% accuracy. 6. Gauges shall have no vacuum-wetted surfaces that are coated. 7. Gauges shall operate with cables up to 300 ft long. 8. The combined measurement range for this convection and cold cathode gauge system shall be atmosphere to 1E-11 mbar. 9. Convection gauges shall be no longer than 140mm and no wider than 70mm. 10. Cold cathode gauge field at the magnet axis 4” from the magnet center shall not exceed 1 mT. 11. Cold cathode gauges shall be no longer than 160mm and no wider than 70mm. 12. Controllers shall provide multiple gauge operation and have the capability to run in two configurations: a. One configuration that runs (4) convection gauges per controller. b. Another configuration that runs (2) convection gauges and (2) cold cathode gauges per controller. 13. All combined cold cathode/convection gauge controller units shall have identical interface/measurement board configurations to each other. 14. All convection gauge controller units shall have identical interface/measurement board configurations to each other. 15. Controllers shall have ability to switch automatically from convection to UHV gauges. 16. Controllers shall have capability to automatically turn cold cathode gauges on or off based on convection gauge pressure readings. 17. Controllers shall have at least one individual relay set point for each gauge. 18. Controllers shall have ethernet communication. Alternatively, RS485 is acceptable. 19. Controllers shall provide simultaneous pressure readings. 20. Controllers shall provide pressure readings in mbar units. 21. Controllers shall provide output in log or log linear scale. 22. Controllers shall operate on input power 120 VAC and 60 Hz. 23. Controllers shall be operable both remotely via a hardwired connection and from the front panel. 24. No LEMO connectors. 25. SHV and/or BNC/SHV connectors are preferred but others will be considered. 26. Gauge cables and connectors shall be radiation resistant. 27. Gauge cables and connectors shall be commercially available. The cables/connectors recommended by the subcontractor shall be identified in the proposal but not included in the quote. Alternately, if cables and connectors are not commercially available, they shall be included in the quote. 28. Gauge system shall be NRTL certified. 29. All manuals required for operation of the gauge system shall be provided. 8.1.2. Delivery Requirements Documentation shall be provided to support that the Offeror will deliver within the time FFDG 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 time FFDG in the Linac Vacuum Gauge System - specification. In addition, the Offeror shall provide documentation clarifying their project management capabilities with the RFP submission, specifically regarding the punctual delivery of goods outlined in this contract. This documentation shall encompass at a minimum, an overview of the current workload, detailing project scale, scope, and anticipated completion timelines. As a value-added item, the Offeror may articulate their strategy for resource allocation among various projects, emphasizing measures to ensure the project in question, receives requisite attention and resources. This may include clear criteria for project prioritization and effective risk mitigation strategies outlined, accompanied by historical performance metrics showcasing on-time delivery records for comparable projects. 8.1.3. Management Control Plan The Offeror shall demonstrate their ability to ensure that each item offered for acceptance or approval conforms to the technical requirements. The Offeror shall 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/critical 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 and include, with their submission, documentation of 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 and any corrective actions taken in the event of non-conformities will further strengthen the offeror’s demonstration of technical capabilities. 8.1.4. Current/Past Projects The Offeror shall provide documentation that demonstrates their 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. Please provide at least (3) three examples of past projects within the last (5) five years that are of similar type, size, scope, and complexity as defined in the solicitation documents. At a minimum, the information submitted shall include: Customer Name; Project Name and Location; Project Description; Total Contract Amount; Contracted project schedule duration; and Project Start and Completion Date. If the reference provided is a current project, the Offeror shall provide the Percentage (%) of completion of the Project at the time of RFP submission, including the projected completion date. Examples of documentation submitted. 8.2. PART II – BUSINESS MANAGEMENT & PRICE PROPOSAL The Business Management and Price proposal submitted shall include, at a minimum, the following documentation: 8.2.1. Price Proposal 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 with no further consideration for an award. The proposed pricing of each Vacuum Gauge System shall be specified on the Request For Proposal 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 vacuum gauge system as defined on the Request for Proposal Form, and pursuant to the General Terms and Conditions, as identified herein. 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 to be 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 are 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. 8.2.2. 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. 8.2.3. 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. PROPOSAL DUE DATE The Offeror’s proposal shall be emailed to the Procurement Specialist no later close of business (4:00 P.M. CST), April 21, 2015. Partial or incomplete proposals will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered for an award. EXCEPTIONS AND DEVIATIONS Offerors taking exceptions, deviations, or conditional assumptions 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 proposals submission. 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. 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. 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. 14. DELIVERY TERMS The linac vacuum gage system shall be Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) per Incoterm 2020: Fermilab, Batavia IL, by the dates identified herein. 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 Linac Vacuum Gauge System – Specification GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR SUPPLIES (01/2025) 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