PRESOL | 66 | FURNISH AND DELIVER LIQUID NITROGEN FREEZER

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF SEPTEMBER 24, 2009 FBO #2861
SOLICITATION NOTICE

66 -- FURNISH AND DELIVER LIQUID NITROGEN FREEZER

Notice Date: 9/22/2009
Notice Type: Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
NAICS: 423490 — Other Professional Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
Contracting Office: Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, North Atlantic Area, Area Office, 600 East Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, 19038, United States
ZIP Code: 19038
Solicitation Number: AG-3615-S-09-0021
Point of Contact: Lisa M. Botella, Phone: 215-233-6551, Rebecca L. Coulter, Phone: 607-255-2448
E-Mail Address: lisa.botella@ars.usda.gov, rebecca.coulter@ars.usda.gov
(lisa.botella@ars.usda.gov, rebecca.coulter@ars.usda.gov)
Small Business Set-Aside: Total Small Business
Description: This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations, FAC 2005-35, as supplemented with additional information included in this announcement. Quotations are being requested and a written solicitation has also been issued. The Solicitation Number AG-3615-S-09-0021 is issued as a Request For Quotation (RFQ). The NAICS is 423490 with a size standard of 100 employees. This procurement is unrestricted. This announcement and any other documents related to this procurement will be available electronically at the Internet site http://www.fbo.gov. It is the offeror’s responsibility to monitor the website site for release of amendments (if any) and any other related documents. SCOPE OF WORK - The USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), requires the Contractor to provide all labor, equipment, materials, tools, assembly and supervision to furnish and deliver (F.O.B. Origin) one (1) MVE 1877P-2T-150 Liquid Nitrogen Freezer with Accessories to the USDA, ARS, NAA, Robert W. Holley Center in Ithaca, NY in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications contained in this document. The Government will use this equipment to accommodate the growing need to store the live germplasm of the ARS Collection of Entomopathogenic Fungal Cultures (ARSEF). SCHEDULE OF ITEMS – ITEM NO. 01: F urnish and deliver Liquid Nitrogen Freezer, Model, Chart/MVE Stock 1877P-2T-150B in accordance with the attached specifications. QTY: 1; UNIT: EA; UNIT PRICE: $___; AMOUNT: $____. ITEM NO. 02: Shipping (prepaid and added) NOTE: The Contractor shall prepay and add freight cost as a separate line item in accordance with the F.O.B. Origin clause. QTY: 1; UNIT: EA; UNIT PRICE: $___; AMOUNT: $____. ALL THIS FOR A TOTAL OF $ ____________. GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS - Our laboratory requires these seven interrelated specifications in order to maximize the value of the expenditure while increasing the capacity for the collection to continue to grow and minimizing the continuous use of liquid nitrogen. 1) high capacity storage; 2) 2-tier Lazy Susan Inventory System; 3) Storage Capacity for 2 ml; 4) Vials Vertically Arrayed SUC Canisters Diameter of opening to be reduced to approximately 25 inches; 5) Temperature range between -196 degrees C and -150 degrees C; 6) Equal to existing Harvey Instruments for interchangeability of accessories; 7) The entire system must fit into a space not greater than 6 ft x 6 ft x 7 ft (L x W x H, with the maximum height being when the dewar’s lid is opened. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS - 1. A cryogenic refrigerator (dewar) with these characteristics: a. A 2-tiered rotating lazy-susan storage system with each tier divided in labelled sectors. b. Each sector of the racking able to hold at least 50 vertically oriented industry-standard SUC canisters that each hold 16 canes, each able to hold six 2-ml cryogenic vials. c. A folding, self-storing step and platform to facilitate worker access to the interior space and materials stored on either tier of the racking system. d. A hinged, lockable insulated lid for the opening not to exceed 25 inches in diameter. e. Liquid nitrogen supply hose for connection to an external liquid nitrogen supply dewar (not included in this requisition). 2. A liquid nitrogen controller (included as part of the dewar system) with these characteristics: a. Display height of liquid nitrogen in dewar. b. Display temperatures at top and bottom of storage volume inside dewar. c. Multiple levels of visual and audible alarms for user-controlled settings of high and low temperatures or nitrogen levels. d. Automatic control of liquid nitrogen level in dewar within user-defined limits by means of solenoid-based control of nitrogen input from an external nitrogen supply dewar (not included in this procurement). e. Gas bypass and phase separator assures that only liquid (not gaseous) nitrogen is pumped from the nitrogen supply dewar into the main storage dewar. f. Battery back-up provides continued operation to monitor tank status and to control nitrogen level in tank in the event of power outages. SECTION 508 ACCESSIBILITY COMPLIANCE CLAUSE - T he following standards have been determined to be applicable to this contract: 1194.21 and 1194.25. YEAR 2000 COMPLIANCY CLAUSE - “Year 2000 Compliant,” (a) Definition: as used in this clause, means that the information technology (IT) (hardware, software and firmware, including embedded systems or any other electro-mechanical or processor-based systems used in accordance with its associated documentation) accurately processes data and date-related data (including, but not limited to, calculating, comparing, and sequencing) from, into, and between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and the years 1999 and 2000 and leap year calculations, to the extent that other information technology, used in combination with the information technology being acquired, properly exchanges date and date-related data with it. (b) Any information technology provided, operated and/or maintained under this contract is required to be Year 2000 compliant. To ensure this result, the Contractor shall provide documentation describing how the IT items or services demonstrate Year 2000 compliance, consisting of: standard product literature or test reports. (c) The Contractor warrants that any IT or service under this contract that involve the processing of date and date-related data are Year 2000 compliant. If the contract requires that specific listed products must perform as a system in accordance with the foregoing warranty, then the warranty shall apply to those listed products as a system. d) The remedies available under this warranty shall include repair or replacement, at no additional cost to the Government, of any provided items or service whose non-compliance is discovered and made known to the contractor in writing within 90 days after acceptance. In addition, all other terms and limitation of the Contractor’s standard commercial warranty or warranties shall be available to the Government for the IT items or services acquired under this contract. Nothing in the warranty shall be construed to limit any rights or remedies the Government may otherwise have under this contract with respect to defects other than Year 2000 performance. 52.211‑6 BRAND NAME OR EQUAL (AUG 1999) - (a) If an item in this solicitation is identified as "brand name or equal," the purchase description reflects the characteristics and level of quality that will satisfy the Government's needs. The salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics that "equal" products must meet are specified in the solicitation. (b) To be considered for award, offers of "equal" products, including "equal" products of the brand name manufacturer, must‑ (1) Meet the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristic specified in this solicitation; (2) Clearly identify the item by‑ (i) Brand name, if any; and (ii) Make or model number; (3) Include descriptive literature such as illustrations, drawings, or a clear reference to previously furnished descriptive data or information available to the Contracting Officer; and (4) Clearly describe any modification the offeror plans to make in a product to make it conform to the solicitation requirements. Mark any descriptive material to clearly show the modification. (c) The Contracting Officer will evaluate "equal" products on the basis of information furnished by the offeror or identified in the offer and reasonably available to the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer is not responsible for locating or obtaining any information not identified in the offer. (d) Unless the offeror clearly indicates in its offer that the product being offered is an "equal" product, the offeror shall provide the brand name product referenced in the solicitation. CONTRACTOR = S BRAND NAME AND INFORMATION - Offeror's are required to identify the brand and type of equipment offered in the space below: ITEM DESCRIPTION:______; BRAND NAME:_____; MAKE/MODEL: ______. (Continue on a separate sheet.) The Contractor shall provide two sets of the descriptive literature even if literature has been submitted previously. Failure to submit this literature may render the offer non-responsive on the Technical evaluation criteria and ineligible for contract award. 52.214-21 DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE – ( a) “Descriptive literature,” as used in this provision, means information furnished by a bidder, such as cuts, illustrations, drawings, and brochures, that shows a product’s characteristics or construction or explains its operation. The term includes only that information required to evaluate the acceptability of the product and excludes other information for operating or maintaining the product. (b) Descriptive literature is required to establish, for the purpose of evaluation and award, details of the product offered that are specified elsewhere in the solicitation and pertain to significant elements such as -- (1) Design; (2) Materials; (3) Components; (4) Performance characteristics; and (5) Methods of manufacture, assembly, construction, or operation. (c) Descriptive literature, required elsewhere in this solicitation, shall be -- (1) Identified to show the item(s) of the offer to which it applies; and (2) Received by the time specified in this solicitation. (d) If the bidder fails to submit descriptive literature on time, the Government will reject the bid, except that late descriptive literature sent by mail may be considered under the Late Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals of Bids provision of this solicitation. (e) If the descriptive literature fails to show that the product offered conforms to the requirements of the solicitation, the Government will reject the bid. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY - This equipment shall be able to accept standard nitrogen transfer hose couplings to connect the controller and dewar to existing liquid nitrogen storage/transfer dewars already being used to service cryogenic storage of fungal cultures in the receiving facility. DELIVERY INFORMATION - The Contractor shall furnish and deliver the equipment and documentation to PDC Warehouse 321 E. Palm Road, c/o Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 Attn: Rebecca Coulter within eight (8) weeks after the receipt of the purchase order. Delivery to the designated facility shall be between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excl. Federal holidays. Arrangements for the uncrating and physical delivery of the unit shall be arranged with the Cornell University receiving facility since they have both a suitable receiving dock and the small crane required to uncrate and assist in the final placement of so large and heavy a unit into the USDA-ARS facility in a greenhouse basement where it will be used. The Contractor shall provide advance notification of delivery. Such notice shall be provided in writing, not less than two (2) weeks prior to delivery. The Contractor shall provide at least 24 hours advance notice to Rebecca Coulter, 607-255-2448, prior to actual delivery. The system will be moved in place by the recipient’s designated agents at Cornell University. PACKING AND SHIPPING - The Contractor shall be responsible for shipping the equipment. The Contractor shall pack each item for shipment in a new container in such a manner that will ensure acceptance by common carrier and safe delivery at the destination. Containers and closures shall comply with the Interstate Commerce Regulation, Uniform Freight Classification Rules, or regulation of other carriers as applicable to the mode of transportation. The items to be furnished hereunder shall be labeled with the purchase order number and delivered, all transportation charges pre-paid and added as a separate line item by the Contractor. WARRANTY - The Contractor shall provide a two-year standard warranty on all parts and labor. The vacuum that insulates the dewar shall have a warranty of 5 years. The Contractor shall provide a copy of the warranty for each item with their offer. The warranty shall begin from the acceptance date by the Government. DOCUMENTATION - The Contractor shall provide one (1) copy each of the operations, repair, software, maintenance manuals, lubrication, and service instructions upon delivery of the equipment. All documentation shall include the P.O. number. DESIGNATION OF CONTRACTING OFFICER'S TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE (TR) - The Contracting Officer shall designate the Technical Representative (TR) at the time of contract award. The TR is responsible for administering the performance of work under this purchase order. In no event, however, will any understanding, agreement, modification, change order, or other matter deviating from the terms of this purchase order be effective or binding upon the Government unless formalized by proper contractual documents executed by the Contracting Officer prior to completion of the purchase order. The Contracting Officer should be informed as soon as possible of any actions or inactions by the Contractor or the Government which will change the required delivery or completion times stated in the purchase order so that the contract may be modified accordingly. (This does not apply to individual task assignments which were issued by the TR; provided they do not affect the delivery schedule or performance period stated in the purchase order.) On all matters that pertain to the purchase order terms, the Contractor must communicate with the Contracting Officer. Whenever, in the opinion of the Contractor, the TR requests efforts outside the scope of the purchase order, the Contractor should so advise the TR. If the TR persists and there still exists a disagreement as to proper contractual coverage, the Contractor should notify the Contracting Officer immediately, preferably in writing if time permits. Proceeding with work without the proper contractual coverage could result in nonpayment or necessitate submittal of a purchase order claim. The clause at 5 2.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS - COMMERCIAL ITEMS applies to this acquisition and is amended to include the following: 1. Item (a) Inspection and Acceptance is amended to include the following: AGAR 452.246-70 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE (FEB 1988). (a) The Contracting Officer or the Technical Representative will inspect and accept the supplies to be provided under this contract. (b) Inspection and acceptance of the item shall be performed at the field site: USDA, ARS, NAA, ROBERT W. HOLLEY CENTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND HEALTH, Biological Integrated Pest Management Research Unit, Cornell University, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853. 2. Item (g) Invoice is amended to include the following: INVOICES - A. An original invoice shall be submitted as shipments occur and sent to Rebecca Coulter (see below) and includes at a minimum the following information: 1. Name of business concern, invoice number and invoice date; 2. Tax Identification Number; 3. Contract number; 4. Description, price, and quantity of item(s) actually delivered; 5. Shipping and payment terms; 6. Name, title, phone number, and complete mailing address of responsible official to whom payment is to be sent. B. All invoices shall be submitted to: USDA, ARS, NAA, ROBERT W. HOLLEY CENTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND HEALTH, Biological Integrated Pest Management Research Unit, Purchasing Office, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853, Attn: Rebecca Coulter. 3. Item (o) Warranty is amended as stated in item A.13. CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS -- COMMERCIAL ITEMS includes the following: 52.203-6; 52.219-6; 52.222-3; 52.222-19; 52.222-21; 52.222-26; 52.222-35; 52.222-36; 52.222-37; 52.222-39; 52.223-15; 52.225-1; 52.225-13; 52.232-33. ADDENDA TO FAR CLAUSE 52.212-5 includes the following: 1. This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. The full text of these clauses may be accessed electronically at this address: http://www.arnet.gov/far/ and AGAR Clauses at http://www.usda.gov/procurement/policy/agar.html. 52.204-4; 52.214-34; 52.214-35; 52.223-11; 52.223-12; 52.232-18; 52.232-19; 52.225-8; 52.242-17; 52.247-32 and ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PRODUCTS (EPP) - The procurement of EPP is established in EO 13423. Environmentally preferable products are products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose. This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance, or disposal of the products or services. Examples of EPP include cleaning products that are non-toxic, non-volatile, and biodegradable; paint with no or low volatile organic compounds; and 100 percent post-consumer paper that is not chemically de-inked and is process chlorine free. This program is managed by EPA which maintains a database of products and specifications defined by Federal, state, and local agencies, and other nations. The database can be found at www.epa.gov/epp. BIOBASED PRODUCTS - The procurement of biobased products is established in section 9002 of FSRIA and EO 13423. Biobased products are products determined by the Secretary of Agriculture to be commercial or industrial products (other than food or feed) that are composed in whole, or in significant part, of biological products or renewable domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials) or forestry materials. Examples of USDA designated biobased products include mobile equipment hydraulic fluids, roof coatings, diesel fuel additives, penetrating lubricants, water tank coatings, and bedding, bed linens, and towels. USDA is responsible for implementing the BioPreferred SM procurement preference program. Information on these designated products, USDA’s guidance, and related documentation can be found at USDA’s web site at www.biopreferred.gov/. the providisions at 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial Items are included by reference and amended to include: 1. I tem (b) Submission of Offers is amended to include the following: Submit your offer, acknowledgment of amendments (if any), the Submit your offer (pages 1-3), acknowledgment of amendments (if any), the Schedule of Items (A.2), Section 508 Accessibility Compliance Clause (A.5), Year 2000 Compliance Clause (A.6), Contractor's Brand Name and Information (A.7); Descriptive Literature (A.9); Warranty (A.13); Other Offeror's Information (D.2., item 3), Evaluation Criteria (D-4 and D.5), the Certifications at FAR 52.212-3 (D.7) to Lisa M. Botella, Contracting Officer, USDA, ARS, North Atlantic Area, 600 E. Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038 OR BY FAX 215-836-6919. This information must be resubmitted if submitted previously. 2. Item (c) Period for acceptance of offers is amended to include the following: The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 120 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers. B. OTHER OFFEROR'S INFORMATION - A. Please complete the following: i. Our company [ ] does, [ ] does not accept a Government Visa Credit Card. ii. Our company [ ] does, [ ] does not accept a Government Purchase Order (PO). iii. Our company [ ] does, [ ] does not accept a Government Convenience Check. 52.214-31 FACSIMILE BIDS - (a) Definition. “Facsimile bid,” as used in this solicitation, means a bid, modification of a bid, or withdrawal of a bid that is transmitted to and received by the Government via electronic equipment that communicates and reproduces both printed and handwritten material. (b) Bidders may submit facsimile bids as responses to this solicitation. These responses must arrive at the place and by the time, specified in the solicitation. (c) Facsimile bids that fail to furnish required representations or information or that reject any of the terms, conditions, and provisions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration. (d) Facsimile bids must contain the required signatures. (e) The Government reserves the right to make award solely on the facsimile bid. However, if requested to do so by the Contracting Officer, the apparently successful bidder agrees to promptly submit the complete original signed bid. (f) Facsimile receiving data and compatibility characteristics are as follows: (1) Telephone number of receiving facsimile equipment: (215) 233-6558. Confirmation Telephone number: (215) 233-6551. (2) Compatibility characteristics of receiving facsimile equipment (e.g., make and model number, receiving speed, communications protocol): Panasonic UF-885, Super G3 - commercial telephone line. (g) If the bidder chooses to transmit a facsimile bid, the Government will not be responsible for any failure attributable to the transmission or receipt of the facsimile bid including, but not limited to, the following: (1) Receipt of garbled or incomplete bid. (2) Availability or condition of the receiving facsimile equipment. (3) Incompatibility between the sending and receiving equipment. (4) Delay in transmission or receipt of bid. (5) Failure of the bidder to properly identify the bid. (6) Illegibility of bid. (7) Security of bid data. Clause 52.212-2 EVALUATION—COMMERCIAL ITEMS is included by reference and includes: (a) This procurement is solicitated as a Small Business set-aside. The Government intends to make an award based on the technically acceptable offer with the lowest evaluated price. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: (i) Technical capability of the item offered to meet the Government requirement; (ii) Price; (iii) Past performance (see FAR 15.304); Technical and past performance, when combined, more important than price; although price may become the determining factor. (c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. ADDENDA TO 52.212-2 EVALUATION-COMMERCIAL ITEMS - A. Deletes item D.3(b); B. EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD-FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION RELATIVE TO EACH EVALUATION FACTOR MAY RENDER YOUR OFFER NON-RESPONSIVE. Listed below are all the factors that will be considered: Technical capability, past performance and price. Technical Capability and Past Performance shall be scored on a “GO/NO-GO” basis. The Government intends to make an award based on the technically acceptable offer with the lowest evaluated price. 1. TECHNICAL CAPABILITY OF THE FIRM. Technical capability will be based on product literature, technical features, Catalog pricing sheets, warranty provisions. Each offeror is required to furnish information for each component. Documentation is to be furnished to show how the offered item is in compliance with the statement of work or how it meets/exceed each specification requirements. 2. PAST PERFORMANCE - Past performance history may be based on the Contracting Officer’s knowledge of any previous history of this type of work, customer surveys or any other verifiable information available to the Contracting Officer. In order to be considered for a contract award, Contractors shall provide a list of three (3) contracts of a similar nature and complexity that were awarded within the past five (5) years or that is/are currently in force. PAST PERFORMANCE OF SUBCONTACTOR’S THAT WILL PERFORM MAJOR OR CRITICAL ASPECTS OF THIS WORK SHALL BE CONSIDERED. This information must be submitted with your offer. For each contract, list the following: 1. Name, address, and telephone number of the contracting organization, the Contractor’s and Government Project Officers and Contracting Officers. 2. Contract number, type, and dollar value, quantity. 3. Date of contract and period of performance. 4. List any contract(s) terminated for convenience or default (partial or complete) within the past three (3) years. Include the contract number, name, address, and telephone number of the terminating officer. Past performance will only be checked on the technically acceptable, lowest price offer. 3. PRICE - Price includes all supplies, materials, labor, delivery, warranty costs and any discount terms. AGAR 452.204-70 INQUIRIES - Inquiries and all correspondence concerning this solicitation should be submitted in writing and can be faxed to the Contracting Officer at (215) 233-6551. Offerors should contact only the Contracting Officer issuing the solicitation about any aspect of this requirement prior to award. 52.212-3 OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS -- COMMERCIAL ITEMS are included by reference, but the contractor must submit these with their quotation.
Web Link: FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USDA/ARS/NAAO/AG-3615-S-09-0021/listing.html)
Place of Performance: Address: USDA, ARS, NAA, ROBERT W. HOLLEY CENTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND HEALTH, Biological Integrated Pest Management Research Unit, Purchasing Office, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853, Attn: Rebecca Coulter, DELIVERY ADDRESS: PDC Warehouse 321 E. Palm Road, c/o Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 Attn: Rebecca Coulter, ITHACA, New York, 14853, United States; Zip Code: 14853
Record: SN01966308-W 20090924/090923003153-1a9f5df20ce603f741e91aea864334fd (fbodaily.com)
Source: FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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66 -- FURNISH AND DELIVER LIQUID NITROGEN FREEZER