SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- Blind Audit of EPA Protocol Gas Cylinders
- Notice Date
- 6/29/2005
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Environmental Protection Agency, Administrative Contract Service Center, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, Nw, Washington, DC 20460
- ZIP Code
- 20460
- Solicitation Number
- RFQ-DC-05-00246
- Response Due
- 7/14/2005
- Archive Date
- 8/14/2005
- Description
- NAICS Code: 541620 This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, and Subpart 13.106 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; offers are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Request for quotation number RFQ-DC-05-00246 shall be referenced on any quotation. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect thru Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-04. STATEMENT OF WORK: Blind Audit of EPA Protocol Gas Cylinders. BACKGROUND: EPA is responsible for implementing air quality programs that rely on accurate calibration gases. Under these programs, calibration gases are used to calibrate EPA reference methods which, in turn, are used to perform stack tests or to calibrate installed pollutant continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMs) that are used by regulated sources to report emissions to EPA. If the reference methods are low by 20%, then emissions are underreported by 20%. Calibration gases are also used to ensure that ambient air quality analyzers provide accurate results. Accurate calibrations gases are critical in helping to ensure that the Clean Air Act-mandated National Ambient Air Quality Standards and emission reductions are achieved. Between 1978 and 1996, EPA's Office of Research and Development conducted several performance audits of calibration gases from various manufacturers. These audits had two goals, to provide a quality check for gas vendors and to connect users with good gas vendors. One notable result in the most recent five consecutive years of audits is a steady, significant reduction in failure rate of the calibration gases, from about 27% in 1992 down to 5% in 1996. In 2003, EPA's Clean Air Markets Division conducted a "surprise" audit of 14 national specialty gas producers and found that the failure rate had risen to 11%. Section 2.1.10 of "EPA Traceability Protocol for Assay and Certification of Gaseous Calibration Standards" (Protocol Procedures), September 1997 (EPA-600/R-97/121) states that EPA will periodically assess the accuracy of calibration gases and publish the results. TASKS AND DELIVERABLES: Task #1: The Contractor shall audit EPA Protocol Gas cylinders and check the cylinders' certificates of analysis for conformance with requirements, according to "EPA Traceability Protocol for Assay and Certification of Gaseous Calibration Standards"(Protocol Procedures), September 1997 (EPA-600/R-97/121) or equivalent written cylinder analysis protocol. The analytical reference standards for the audit shall be National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) primary standards, NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) or NIST-Traceable Reference Materials (NTRMs). The Contractor shall not be responsible for obtaining EPA Protocol gas cylinders from specialty gas producers as this function will be performed by another organization under contract with EPA. Task #2: The Contractor shall produce a draft report of the results of the audit of EPA Protocol Gases. At a minimum, the draft report shall include: (1) a description of the analytical method, analytical instrumentation, the statistical data analysis techniques, and the analytical reference standards that were used with their compositions, certified concentrations, stamped cylinder numbers and expiration dates; (2) a description of the EPA Protocol Gases that were audited, including their compositions, original certified concentrations and uncertainties, stamped cylinder numbers and expiration dates; (3) audited cylinder concentrations with calculated uncertainties; (4) percent difference between original certified concentrations and audited cylinder concentrations; (5) a documentation checklist for each certificate of analysis with any non-conformances identified; (6) the date that the last cylinder was received by the gas metrology laboratory; (7) an Excel spreadsheet or other written documentation showing the calculations that the Contractor used to convert the instrumentation readings into the audited cylinder concentrations and calculated uncertainties; and (8) if a specialty gas producer elects to re-analyze a cylinder after learning the results of the audit, the final report shall include a comparison of the original cylinder concentration and the re-analyzed cylinder concentration. The Contractor shall ensure that the draft report is received by the EPA Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) within 30 calendar days of the Contractor receiving the last cylinder. The Contractor shall submit the draft report in Microsoft Word and/or Excel files via e-mail according to the Report Distribution List. Task #3: The Contractor shall produce a final report of the results of the audit of EPA Protocol Gases. The Contractor shall ensure that the COR receives the final report within 14 calendar days after receiving comments on the draft report from the COR. The Contractor shall submit the final report in Microsoft Word and/or Excel files via e-mail according to the Report Distribution List. Task #4: The Contractor shall ship the EPA protocol Gas cylinders back to the cylinder providers within 14 calendar days of COR acceptance of the final report. The Contractor will not be paid until the final report is deemed acceptable by the COR. Report Distribution List: Send via e-mail (1) copy of monthly progress reports, (1) copy of all draft products and (1) copy of all final products to the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative: John Schakenbach, schakenbach.john@epa.gov. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Date of award through 7/31/06. Estimated Hours: 770 hours. BASIS FOR AWARD: The Government will make award to the responsive, responsible firm, whose quotation is most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. This is a best-value procurement. The Government may or may not award to the low price quotation. Technical merit is considered to be of greater importance than price. The Government will utilize the evaluation criteria identified below, listed in descending order of importance, during the evaluation of responses received to this Request for Quotation. 1. Technical Merit-The Government will determine based on information that the offeror submits and other information whether the offeror has the ability to analyze tri-blend (SO2, NO, CO2), source-level and single and multi-component ambient level, EPA Protocol compressed gases with an accuracy of 0.5 percent or better. The Government will determine based on information that the offeror submits and other information whether the offeror has the ability to analyze without interferences tri-blend, source-level, EPA Protocol compressed gases with CO2 concentrations up to 20%. The Government will determine based on information that the offeror submits and other information whether the offeror has appropriate facilities, including instrumentation, reference standards, and personnel. The Government will evaluate based on information that the offeror submits and other information whether the offeror has any conflicts of interests. 2. Past Performance/ Experience-The Government will evaluate the offeror's past performance and demonstrated experience performing completed projects that are similar to the Statement of Work for this requirement. 3. Cost-Price -The Government will evaluate the total expected cost of performing this work. The Government anticipates award of a purchase order in a firm fixed price. The Government's estimated level of effort for this requirement is approximately 770 hours. The provision at FAR 52.212-1 "Instructions to Offerors-Commercial" applies to this acquisition. Offerors are to include a completed copy of FAR provision 52.212-3 "Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items" with their response. The following FAR clauses also apply: 52.212-4 -"Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items", 52.212-5 "Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items", with the following clauses cited in 52.212-5 being applicable to this acquisition: 52.222-3 "Convict Labor", 52.222-21 "Prohibition of Segregated Facilities", 52.222-26 "Equal Opportunity", 52.222-35 "Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans", 52.222-36 "Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities", 52.222-37 "Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans", 52.225-13 "Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases", 52.232-33 "Payment of Electronic Funds Transfer - Central Contractor Registration", and 52.232-34 "Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer - Other than Central Contractor Registration". The aforementioned provision and clauses can be accessed electronically at http://www.arnet.gov/far and http://www.gsa.gov/far. The following EPAAR clauses apply to this requirement: EPAAR 1552.209-70 Organizational Conflict of Interest (a) The prospective contractor certifies, to the best of its knowledge and belief, that it is not aware of any information bearing on the existence of any potential organizational conflict of interest. If the prospective Contractor cannot so certify, it shall provide a disclosure statement in its proposal which describes all relevant information concerning any past, present, or planned interests bearing on whether it (including its chief executives and directors, or any proposed consultant or subcontractor) may have a potential organizational conflict of interest. (b) Prospective contractors should refer to FAR Subpart 9.5 and EPAAR Part 1509 for policies and procedures for avoiding, neutralizing, or mitigating organizational conflicts of interest. (c) If the Contracting Officer determines that a potential conflict exists, the prospective contractor shall not receive an award unless the conflict can be avoided or otherwise resolved through the inclusion of a special contract clause or other appropriate means. The terms of any special clause are subject to negotiation; 1552.209-72 Organizational Conflict of Interest. The offeror [ ] is [ ] is not aware of any information bearing on the existence of any potential organizational conflict of interest. If the offeror is aware of information bearing on whether a potential conflict may exist, the offeror shall provide a disclosure statement describing this information. Prospective sources are reminded that award can only be made to a Contractor who is registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS REQUEST FOR QUOTATION: Each offeror shall submit (1) one electronic copy of their Quotation or (2) two original copies of their Quotation, which shall include each of the following written Technical portions required to be provided in response to the RFQ: (1) Technical Approach - Each offeror shall provide a description of their technical approach, detailed and complete enough to clearly and fully demonstrate an understanding of the Statement of Work requirements. Quotations which merely offer to conduct a program in accordance with the requirements of the Government's Statement of Work will not be eligible for award. Phrases such as "Standard procedures will be employed" and "well known techniques will be used" are not considered an adequate description. Although it is recognized that all of the technical factors cannot be detailed in advance, the techniques and procedures you plan to follow in conjunction with the task areas to be performed must be described in as much detail as the offeror considers necessary to fully explain their proposed technical approach or method. Offeror's shall limit the number of pages under their technical approach to no more than 15 pages. (2) Past Performance - The offeror shall identify up to three contracts, which it has recently performed (within the last 3 years), or is currently performing, that are similar in nature to this contract. The offeror shall provide the following information with respect to each of these contracts: *Name, address and phone number of all applicable contract points of contact, *Brief description of contract work, scope, and responsibilities. (3) Pricing Information - The offeror shall provide, in writing, a price quotation broken down by quantity and type of cylinder (ie. Single or multi-component). Also, please include proposed amounts for any indirect costs and other direct costs . (4) Completed FAR 52.212-3. All questions concerning this RFQ must be submitted in writing and faxed to (202) 565-2554 or e-mailed to roberson.denise@epa.gov. No telephonic response to this solicitation will be accepted. Due date for receipt of responses to this RFQ will be July 14, 2005 to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, ATTN: Denise Roberson 3803R, Washington, DC 20460 via U.S. Mail; or to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ATTN: Denise Roberson, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Reagan Building Room 71271, Washington, DC 20004 via commercial delivery; or e-mail at roberson.denise@epa.gov. Electronic responses are preferred. Point of contact: Denise Roberson, Contract Specialist, Phone (202) 564-4899.
- Record
- SN00839177-W 20050701/050629212711 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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