SOLICITATION NOTICE
66 -- Atomic Force Microscope
- Notice Date
- 4/11/2011
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Room B129, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899-1640
- ZIP Code
- 20899-1640
- Solicitation Number
- SB1341-11-RQ-0169
- Archive Date
- 5/10/2011
- Point of Contact
- Paula Wilkison, Phone: 301-975-8448, Todd D Hill, Phone: 301-975-8802
- E-Mail Address
-
paula.wilkison@nist.gov, todd.hill@nist.gov
(paula.wilkison@nist.gov, todd.hill@nist.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- 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 FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A SEPARATE WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED. THE SOLICITATION IS BEING ISSUED USING SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.5 TEST PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS. This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC-51) 1352.215-72 INQUIRIES (APR 2010) Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to the Contracting Officer. Questions should be received no later than ten calendar days after the issuance date of this solicitation. All responses to the 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, on the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract. (end of provision) The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334516 with a small business size standard of 500 employees. This requirement is unrestricted and all interested Contractors may submit a quotation. All offerors shall provide a quotation for the following line item: Line Item 0001: One (1) Atomic Force Microscope Introduction The contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, and equipment to fabricate, deliver, and install an Atomic Force Microscope. Background The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST's) Polymers Division has a requirement for an atomic force microscope system capable of measuring surfaces at the nanometer scale with high spatial resolution. The required instrument will be used to support efforts in the Polymers Division on membranes, fuel cells, organic electronics and photovoltaics, biomaterials, block copolymers, dimensional metrology, and carbon nanotubes. The required instrument shall include a large sample stage, ability to image in aqueous media, contact/non-contact/intermittent contact imaging, height/phase imaging, adhesion and mechanical property measurements, ability to image over a range of temperature, nanoindentation, electrical measurements, and surface potential measurements. Minimum Requirements The Atomic Force Microscope shall meet or exceed the technical specifications identified below. All items must be new. Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award. 1. System a. Shall include integrated data acquisition controller b. Shall include a piezo scanner (head) that can operate under both open-loop and closed-loop configurations in all three axes c. Shall have a noise floor of 50 pm or less d. Shall operate in both air and in liquids (e.g., via liquid cell) e. Shall include temperature control of sample from ambient to 200 °C. Sub-ambient temperatures shall be given stronger consideration. f. Shall be able to measure cantilever spring constants (e.g., thermal tuning) g. Shall be able to perform automated step-and-repeat measurements (i.e., programmed moves) over sample sizes of 100 mm × 100 mm or larger h. Shall include computer i. Operating system shall be Windows XP Pro ii. Hard drive capacity shall be 300 GB or greater iii. Shall be able to transfer data via USB i. Shall include acquisition and analysis software j. Shall include vibration isolation table k. Shall include acoustic hood 2. Scanner a. Shall be comprised of a single scanner head for various AFM modes b. Shall have open-loop XY noise of 0.25 nm or less c. Shall have closed-loop XY noise of 0.5 nm or less d. Shall have closed-loop Z noise of 0.25 nm or less e. Shall provide data sets/images of at least 5000 pixels × 5000 pixels on 8 or more data channels f. Shall have an X-Y scan range of at least 90 um x 90 um. g. Shall have a Z scan range of at least 7 um. 3. AFM Modes a. System shall include standard imaging modes such as contact, tapping (intermittent contact), lateral force microscopy, force distance, force volume, electric force microscopy, and surface potential b. System shall include an imaging mode that quantitatively maps the nanomechanical properties of a surface at high resolution (≈10 nm) and at standard AFM imaging rates (≈1 Hz), over a modulus range of typical polymers and biopolymers (1 MPa to 10 GPa) and adhesion range (pN to N) c. System shall include nanoindentation capability d. System shall include nanolithography capability 4. Sample Stage a. Shall have software-controlled motorized XY stage with a range of travel of at least 150 mm × 150 mm b. Shall be removable to accept larger experimental apparatus c. Shall have a resolution of 2 m or less and a repeatability of 3 m or less in any one direction 5. System Optics a. Shall include top-view optics with motorized focus b. Shall have resolution of 1.5 m or less c. Shall have Field-of-View (FOV) of at least 200 m d. Shall be capable of video capture OPTION LINE ITEMS: The following items are option line items. The Contractor shall provide pricing for these items. Award of option line items is at the sole discretion of the Government in accordance with 52.217-7. Option Line Item 0002: AFM imaging mode, which shall meet or exceed the following minimum specifications: 1. AFM imaging mode shall simultaneously acquire topographic and electrical data (e.g., TunA, C-AFM) Option Line Item 0003: AFM Maintenance and Service Plan (Option Year One), which shall meet or exceed the following minimum specifications: 1. The Contractor shall provide a service agreement for the service and maintenance of the AFM and its associated components to ensure uninterrupted performance within manufacturers' specifications on a scheduled and as-needed basis. a. The service agreement shall include at least two (2) preventive maintenance visits during each one year term of the service agreement. Preventive maintenance visits shall occur during NIST's regular business hours. b. Under this agreement, the contractor shall install all commercial hardware and software upgrades to owners of the AFM for the purposes of instrument optimization not later than 60 days after any such upgrade is released. c. The Contractor shall also respond to an unlimited number of requests for service calls in the event of instrument failure which requires immediate repair. The Contractor shall respond to all services calls within 48 hours with an onsite service technician or via telephone support. c. In the event that a part needs to be repaired off-site, the Contractor shall be responsible for all packaging, shipping and transportation costs as well as liability for the shipment to and from NIST Gaithersburg. d. All service call issues must be resolved not later than 15 calendar days after a service call is placed. If, for any given breakdown, the equipment is not usable for a period of 30 days or more, the Government reserves the right to pursue consideration including, but not limited to, loaner equipment, from the Contractor. Option Line Item 0004: AFM Maintenance and Service Plan (Option Year Two), which shall meet or exceed the following minimum specifications: 1. The Contractor shall provide a service agreement for the service and maintenance of the AFM and its associated components to ensure uninterrupted performance within manufacturers' specifications on a scheduled and as-needed basis. a. The service agreement shall include at least two (2) preventive maintenance visits during each one year term of the service agreement. Preventive maintenance visits shall occur during NIST's regular business hours. b. Under this agreement, the contractor shall install all commercial hardware and software upgrades to owners of the AFM for the purposes of instrument optimization not later than 60 days after any such upgrade is released. c. The Contractor shall also respond to an unlimited number of requests for service calls in the event of instrument failure which requires immediate repair. The Contractor shall respond to all services calls within 48 hours with an onsite service technician or via telephone support. c. In the event that a part needs to be repaired off-site, the Contractor shall be responsible for all packaging, shipping and transportation costs as well as liability for the shipment to and from NIST Gaithersburg. d. All service call issues must be resolved not later than 15 calendar days after a service call is placed. If, for any given breakdown, the equipment is not usable for a period of 30 days or more, the Government reserves the right to pursue consideration including, but not limited to, loaner equipment, from the Contractor. Option Line Item 0005: AFM Maintenance and Service Plan (Option Year Three), which shall meet or exceed the following minimum specifications: 1. The Contractor shall provide a service agreement for the service and maintenance of the AFM and its associated components to ensure uninterrupted performance within manufacturers' specifications on a scheduled and as-needed basis. a. The service agreement shall include at least two (2) preventive maintenance visits during each one year term of the service agreement. Preventive maintenance visits shall occur during NIST's regular business hours. b. Under this agreement, the contractor shall install all commercial hardware and software upgrades to owners of the AFM for the purposes of instrument optimization not later than 60 days after any such upgrade is released. c. The Contractor shall also respond to an unlimited number of requests for service calls in the event of instrument failure which requires immediate repair. The Contractor shall respond to all services calls within 48 hours with an onsite service technician or via telephone support. c. In the event that a part needs to be repaired off-site, the Contractor shall be responsible for all packaging, shipping and transportation costs as well as liability for the shipment to and from NIST Gaithersburg. d. All service call issues must be resolved not later than 15 calendar days after a service call is placed. If, for any given breakdown, the equipment is not usable for a period of 30 days or more, the Government reserves the right to pursue consideration including, but not limited to, loaner equipment, from the Contractor. Installation Upon contract award, Contract shall provide to NIST a list of installation requirements, including house services and furniture, with explanations. The instrument shall be installed by the Contractor and meet contract specifications no later than two weeks after delivery. Installation, at a minimum, shall include uncrating/unpackaging of all equipment, rigging, set-up and hook-up of the instrument, demonstration of all specifications, and removal of trash. Onsite installation and demonstration shall be done at NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Training The contractor shall conduct one (1) training session for up to six (6) technical personnel at NIST. The training shall provide a thorough demonstration of all system/solution functions, maintenance, data administration, and basic troubleshooting. The training may be completed at NIST immediately after installation/set-up, but shall be completed no later than two weeks after installation. Express Warranty Contractor shall provide a minimum one-year warranty. Warranty shall include unlimited telephone/e-mail support for questions regarding operation. Warranty shall cover non-consumable parts and travel/labor on-site. Delivery FOB Destination delivery terms are requested, and shall take place within ninety (90) days of contract award. FOB Destination means: 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. The contractor shall deliver line item 0001 to NIST, Building 301, Shipping and Receiving, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640. PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES: The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are hereby incorporated by reference. All FAR clauses may be viewed at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html. Provisions 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items 52.217-5 Evaluation of Options Offerors shall complete annual representations and certifications on-line at http://orca.bpn.gov in accordance with FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items. If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required. Clauses 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-Commercial Items including subparagraphs: 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government; 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation; 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns; 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns; 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting; 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Re-representation; 52.222-3, Convict Labor; 52.222-19 Child Labor - Cooperation With Authorities And Remedies; 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; 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights under the National Labor Relations Act; 52.223-18, Contractor Policy to Ban Text Messaging While Driving; 52.225-1, Buy American Act - Supplies 52.225-13 Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases; 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration. 52.217-7 Option for Increased Quantity - Separately Priced Line Item: The Government may require the delivery of the numbered line item, identified in the Schedule as an option item, in the quantity and at the price stated in the Schedule. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within one year of date of award. Delivery of added items shall continue at the same rate that like items are called for under the contract, unless the parties otherwise agree. INSTRUCTIONS: Central Contractor Registration In accordance with FAR 52.204-7, the awardee must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (www.ccr.gov) prior to award. Refusal to register shall forfeit award. Due Date for Quotations Offerors shall submit their quotations so that NIST receives them not later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 25, 2011. FAX quotations shall not be accepted. E-mail quotations shall be accepted at paula.wilkison@nist.gov. Please reference the RFQ number in the subject line of email communications. Offerors' quotations shall not be deemed received by the Government until the quotation is entered in the e-mail inbox set forth above. Quotations shall be sent to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Acquisition Management Division, Attn: Paula Wilkison, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640. All offerors should ensure the RFQ number is visible on the outermost packaging. Because of heightened security, FED-EX, UPS, or similar delivery methods are the preferred method of delivery of quotes. If quotes are hand delivered, delivery shall be made on the actual due date through Gate A, and a 48 hour (excluding weekends and holidays) prior notice shall be provided to Paula Wilkison, Contract Specialist on 301-975-8448. Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Quotation Preparation Instructions 1) Price Quotation: The offeror shall submit an original and one copy of the completed price schedule. If the quotation is submitted electronically, additional copies are not required. The pricing quotation shall be separate from any other portion of the quotation. The offeror should propose a firm-fixed-price, FOB Destination, for each CLIN. Contractor shall state express warranty coverage. Price quotations shall remain valid for a period of 90 days from the date quotations are due. 2) Technical Quotation: The offeror shall submit an original and one copy of the technical quotation. If the quotation is submitted electronically, additional copies are not required. The technical quotation shall address the following: Technical Capability: The offeror shall submit a technical description or product literature for the equipment it is proposing, which clearly identifies the manufacturer, make and model. The offeror must demonstrate that its proposed equipment meets or exceeds each minimum requirement described in the statement of work by providing a citation to the relevant section of its technical description or product literature. If applicable, evidence that the Offeror is authorized by the original equipment manufacturer to provide the item(s) in the quotation should be included. The Offerors shall acknowledge that NIST will not store the equipment onsite before it is installed. 3) Experience: The offeror shall demonstrate the extent to which it has recently manufactured or distributed similar equipment. 4) Past Performance: The offeror shall provide past performance information regarding relevant contracts over the past five (5) years with Federal, state, or local governments, or commercial customers. If the offeror has no relevant past performance, it may include a statement to that effect in its quotation. The government reserves the right to consider data obtained from sources other than those described by the offeror in its quotation. It is recommended that approximately 3-5 contracts be referenced. Acceptance of Terms and Conditions: This is an open-market solicitation for equipment as defined herein. The Government intends to award a Purchase Order as a result of this solicitation that will include the clauses set forth herein. The quotation should include one of the following statements: "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition." OR "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following: Offeror shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s) Note: This procurement is not being conducted under the GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) program or another Government-Wide Area Contract (GWAC). If an offeror submits a quotation based upon an FSS or GWAC contract, the Government will accept the quoted price. However, the terms and conditions stated herein will be included in any resultant Purchase Order, not the terms and conditions of the offeror's FSS or GWAC contract, and the statement required above shall be included in the quotation. QUOTATION EVALUATION: Evaluation Factors Award shall be made to the offeror whose quotation offers the best value to the Government price and other factors considered. The Government will evaluate quotations based on the following evaluation criteria: 1) Technical Capability 2) Experience 3) Past Performance, and 4) Price. All non-price factors, when combined, are approximately equally important to price. Technical Capability: No prototypes, demonstration models, used or refurbished instruments will be considered. Evaluation of technical capability shall be based on the information provided in the quotation. NIST will evaluate whether the offeror has demonstrated that its proposed equipment meets or exceeds all minimum requirements. Quotations that do not demonstrate the proposed equipment meets all requirements will not be considered further for award. If an offeror does not indicate whether its proposed equipment meets a certain minimum requirement, NIST will determine that it does not. NIST will give preference to offerors who demonstrate that their proposed equipment exceeds NIST's requirements. NIST will give stronger preference to offerors whose quoted equipment exceeds minimum requirements 1e. Experience: NIST will evaluate the extent of the offeror's experience providing similar equipment. Manufacturer of quoted instrument shall have at least three (3) years of experience in manufacturing Atomic Force Microscopes. NIST will give preference to offerors who demonstrate they have experience delivering the same equipment they are proposing for the current requirement. Past Performance: The Government will evaluate the Offeror's past performance information and, if appropriate, its proposed subcontractors' past performance to determine its relevance to the current requirement and the extent to which it demonstrates that the offeror has successfully completed relevant contracts in the past five years. In assessing the offeror's past performance information, NIST will evaluate the quality, timeliness, and ability to control cost and schedule of the past work. Evaluation of this factor will be based on information contained in the technical portion of the quotation and information provided by references. The Government will evaluate past performance information by contacting appropriate references, including NIST references, if applicable. The Government may also consider other available information in evaluating the Offeror's past performance. The Government will assign a neutral rating if the offeror has no relevant past performance information. Price: The Government will evaluate price for reasonableness. Price will be evaluated based on the cumulative total of all the line item prices, IAW FAR 52.217-5. Experience, Past Performance, and Price shall not be evaluated on quotes that are determined technically unacceptable under the Technical Capability Evaluation factor. 1352.233-70 AGENCY PROTESTS (APR 2010) (a) An agency protest may be filed with either (1) the Contracting Officer, or (2) at a level above the Contracting Officer, with the agency Protest Decision Authority. See 64 Fed. Reg. 16,651 (April 6, 1999). (b) Agency protests filed with the Contracting Officer shall be sent to the following address: NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION ATTN: PATRICK STAINES, CONTRACTING OFFICER 100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (c) Agency protests filed with the Protest Decision Authority shall be sent to the following address: NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION ATTN: HEAD OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICE (HCO) 100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (d) A complete copy of all agency protest, including all attachments, shall be served upon the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel within one day of filing a protest with either the Contracting Officer or the Protest Decision Authority. (e) Service upon the Contract law Division shall be made as follows: U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the General Counsel Chief, Contract Law Division Room 5893 Herbert C. Hoover Building 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230 FAX: (202) 482-5858 1352.233-71 GAO AND COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS PROTESTS (APR 2010) (a) A protest may be filed with either the Government Accountability Office (GAO) or the Court of Federal Claims unless an agency protest has been filed. (b) A complete copy of all GAO or Court of Federal Claims protests, including all attachments, shall be served upon (i) the Contracting Officer, and (ii) the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel, within one day of filing a protest with either GAO or the Court of Federal Claims. (c) Service upon the Contract Law Division shall be made as follows: U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the General Counsel Chief, Contract Law Division Room 5893 Herbert C. Hoover Building 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230 FAX: (202) 482-5858 (End of clause)
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