National Cancer Institute, Research Contracts Branch, PSCS, 6120 Executive Blvd, Eps/room 638, Bethesda, MD 20892-7227

68 -- CHEMICAL & CHEMICAL PRODUCTS SOL RFQ-NCI-80053 DUE 020398 POC Cynthia Brown, Purchasing Agent, 301-402-4509, Patricia Haun, Contracting Officer The National Institutes of Health intends to contract for the furnishing of Liquid Helium and Liquid Nitrogen for the In-Vivo NMR Center, the National Institute of Neurologic Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutes' (NHLBI) Laboratory of Cardiac Energetics (LCE) as described herein. These services shall be provided for a twelve month period with options to extend performance for up to four 12-month option periods. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for Commercial Items, prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 12.6, with additional information included in this notice, and NCI does not intend to issue a separate written solicitation. This solicitation RFQ-NCI-80053 is set-aside for small businesses. The Standard Industrial Classification Code is 2813 and the business size standard is less than 1,000 employees. This acquisition will be made pursuant to the authority in FAR 13.6 to use simplified procedures for commercial acquisitions. BACKGROUND: The NINDS' In-Vivo NMR Center and the LCE are located in Bethesda, Maryland. The In-Vivo Center and LCE are involved in ongoing research for biological and clinical studies (human and animal) using nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) methods. The MRI instruments use large superconducting magnets to acquire images and signals from patients or samples. The magnets require Liquid Helium and Liquid Nitrogen as refrigerations to maintain the systems in their superconducting state. The magnets are kept in large vacuum dewars containing liquid helium in order to maintain the magnet conductor windings at a temperature of 4.2 Kelvin. This low temperature is sustained by the continuing evaporation of the liquid helium from within the magnet dewars. The liquid nitrogen is in a separate dewar surrounding the helium vessel and used to further isolate the magnet helium vessel from the temperature difference between room temperature and the helium dewar. There is a constant evaporation of the cryogenics. The magnets require refilling of the cryogenics on a periodic schedule, e.g., weekly or monthly. The individual magnets will require different amounts of liquid helium and liquid nitrogen depending upon their consumption size, design and construction. The LCE and NMR Center also require gas nitrogen for anesthesia ventilators and as a compressed gas source for the machine shop. The gas nitrogen dewars are attached to high pressure distribution manifolds. REQUIREMENT: At the present time the LCE and the In-Vivo NMR Center have a total of eight (8) superconducting magnets requiring liquid helium and liquid nitrogen as follows: 1 each -- 7 Tesla, 2 each -- 4.7 Tesla (1 system is located in Bldg. 1, rm. B3-07), 1 each -- 4 Tesla, 1 each -- 2 Tesla and 3 each -1.5 Tesla. The contractor shall make a regularly scheduled delivery once a week (Tuesday only) and provide emergency non-scheduled deliveries during the week as requested by the Government Project Officer. The liquid helium shall be delivered to the In-Vivo NMR Center in Bldg. 10, with occasional deliveries to Bldg. 1. The liquid nitrogen shall be delivered to the NMR Center and Bldg. 1. The contractor will be responsible for attaching nitrogen tanks to the high pressure manifold and removing empty dewars. The contractor will be required to deliver and unload/load the cryogens at the NIH NMR Center (Bldg. 10) and Bldg. 1 sites to the cryogen storage areas. The contractor shall furnish all personnel, vehicles, dewars, and required hand trucks. The cryogens and gases storage areas are located within Bldg. 10 and Bldg. 1 and adjacent to the NMR Center truck-loading dock. (CHECK the use of "shall" with program). All cryogenic dewars shall be non-magnetic -- preferably stainless steel. The liquid helium and liquid nitrogen shall be a COMMERCIAL GRADE and free of impurities and ice. The liquid cryogen dewars shall have a evaporative loss from the storage dewar of less than 2% per day. The dewars shall have self-contained wheels for transport from the storage area to the magnet bays. The liquid helium and liquid nitrogen dewars shall have industry standard fittings for liquid transfer and gas. The liquid helium dewars shallhave heating elements for gas pressurization and liquid transfer. The gas pressure building heaters shall be in good operating order and meet standard hospital electrical codes for safety. The pressure regulation shall be in the range of 3-5 PSI. The liquid nitrogen dewars shall be self- pressurizing for liquid transfer. The gas supply liquid nitrogen dewars may be magnetic and require a cart for transport. The numbers of dewars to be delivered will vary depending upon NIH weekly demand and the contractor shall be able to adjust the amount of weekly order within a minimum of three-day notification upon proper notification from the NIH Project Officer. Due to the existing maintenance schedule for the clinical systems, emergency deliveries are to be made within 24 hours notification from the Project Officer.. Specifically, the contractor shall: 1) provide Regular-Scheduled Delivery service for the products specified herein; on the Tuesday of each week (excluding the following Federal holidays : New Year's Day, Martin Luther King's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas); 2) provide Emergency Non-Scheduled Delivery service for the products specified herein. These services shall be available twenty-four(24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week and shall include the above Federal holidays. Under emergency services, the product shall be delivered within twenty-four(24) hours after the Government notifies the contractor; 3) submit to the Project Officer, prior to award, the name(s) and telephone number(s) of the individual(s) Contractor's personnel or representative(s) that will be designated and responsible for handling the Emergency Non-Scheduled Delivery Service as specified in Item 2; 4) make Regular-Scheduled Deliveries each Tuesday between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 p.m.; 5) make all deliveries directly to NIH; 6) not charge additional charge (Demurrage or rental charges) to the government for the use of the dewars and the pickup and return (Contractor facility) of the empty dewars 7) pick-up all empty dewars at the time of delivery (regular and emergency); 8) make all deliveries in company- owned vehicles, common carriers shall not be used; 9) furnish helium in nonmagnetic, self- pressurizing dewars on wheels; 10) provide liquid nitrogen in 240/265 liter dewars and liquid helium is provided in 250/350/500 liter dewars, 11) have a service staff to handle immediate problems -- such problems shall be resolved within twenty four (24) hours (maximum) after notification by the NIH Project Officer (this services shall be provided at no additional cost to the Government); 12) provide the service specified in Item 11 twenty four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week including all Federal holidays. (Prior to contract award, the contractor shall submit to the NIH Project Officer the name(s) and telephone number(s) of the individual(s) that will handle the service specified in Item 11; and 13) take appropriate action to (a) adhere to the NIH safety procedures as they pertain to biologically restricted areas, (b) comply with all traffic regulations and vehicle requirements as prescribed by NIH -- the contractor shall be responsible for consulting with the NIH Project Officer to determine all applicable parking and traffic restrictions, (c) adhere to all appropriate safety measures as related to the services specified herein, and (d) not place obstacles in traffic lanes or other locations in such a manner as to create safety hazards. ESTIMATED QUANTITIES: The Government's monthly estimate for regular scheduled deliveries is 4225 liters of liquid helium and 5900 liters of liquid nitrogen with a tolerance of +15 percent each month. The monthly estimate for emergency deliveries is 1/250 and 1/250 liters respectively with a tolerance of +15 per cent each month. It is mutually agreed and understood that the Government will not request and the contractor shall not provide quantities in excess of the 15 percent tolerances. The contractor will be entitled to payment for the actual quantities delivered to the Government up to and including the tolerance quantities. (NOTE: The estimates are for the base year and each option year). PRESERVATION, PACKAGING, AND PACKING: Unless otherwise specified, Fed. Std. No. 102, Level C preservation, packaging and packing shall be used to afford adequate protection against corrosion, deterioration and physical damage during shipment from the supply source to the destination specified in the "Delivery" provision. MARKING: Unless otherwise specified, standard commercial marking shall be used. Exterior shipping containers and material not shipped in containers shall be marked, labeled or tagged as applicable, and shall include (a) Contractor's name and address; (b) contract and/or delivery order number, and (c) total number of cartons in shipment. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE: (a) The Contracting Officer or the duly authorized representative will perform inspection and acceptance of materials and services to be provided, (b) Inspection shall be performed by (to be provided at time of award), (c) Inspection and acceptance will be performed at 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 1 and Building 10, Bethesda, Maryland 20892. DELIVERY: Except for emergency deliveries or unless otherwise specified, regular scheduled deliveries shall be made to the delivery point specified above each Tuesday (excluding Federal holidays) of the week between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. only. Trucks arriving after 4:00 p.m. will not be allowed to remain overnight and must return the following day for unloading. Supplies or services schedule for delivery on a Federal holiday shall be made the following workday. Delivery of the products specified herein shall be made FOB Destination within consignee's premises to the addresses indicated. (NIH/DHHS, Bldg. 10, Rm. B1D-166, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda,Maryland 20892 and NIH/DHHS, Bldg. 1, Room 3B-07, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892). The Contractor shall pack and mark the shipment to comply with contract specification; or in the absence of specification, prepare the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, prepare and distribute commercial bills of lading, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the contract. Be responsible for any loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the contract. Furnish a delivery schedule and designate the mode of delivery carrier and pay and bear all charges to the specified point of delivery. GOVERNMENT PROJECT OFFICER: (To be identified at time of award). This solicitation and the incorporated provisions/clauses are those in effect thru Federal Acquisition Circular 97-01. Offerors are advised that the following FAR provisions apply to this procurement: FAR 52.212-1, "Instruction to Offeror- Commercial Items;" FAR 52.212-4, "Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items;" FAR 52.212-3, "Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items;" FAR 52.212-5, "Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Items Deviation for Simplified Acquisitions;" FAR 52.217-5, "Evaluation of Options;" FAR 52.217-9, "Option to Extend the Term of the Contract;" FAR 52.214-32, "Descriptive Literature;" and FAR 52.219-6, "Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside." The following FAR clauses cited in paragraphs (b) and (c) of Clause 52.212-5 are also applicable to this acquisition: FAR 52.222-3, "Convict Labor;" FAR 52.233-3, "Protest After Award;" FAR 52.222-26, "Equal Opportunity;" FAR 52.222-35, "Affirmative Action for Special Disabled and Vietnam Era Veterans;" FAR 52.222-36, "Affirmative Action for Handicapped Workers;" FAR 52.222.37, "Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans and Veterans of Vietnam Era;" and FAR 52.225-3,"Buy American Act -- Supplies". Full text copies of the representations and certifications or other cited provision and clauses may be obtained from Cynthia Brown on (301) 496-8608. Proposals are due no later than Feb. 3, 1998, at 2:00 p.m., local prevailing time. Facsimile submissions are not authorized. Proposals should be submitted as follows: (1) one original and two copies of a completed SF 1449, signed by an individual authorized to bind the organization; (2) a Schedule of Supplies/Services containing pricing for the items being offered, published price lists (if applicable) and a delivery schedule; (3) a completed "Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items, FAR 52.212-3", with the DUNS Number addendum, signed by an authorized representative of the offeror; and (4) descriptive literature, warranties, and/or other information that demonstrates that the offeror meets the foregoing requirements. Offerors shall include descriptive literature which demonstrates that the items are in fullcompliance with specifications stated herein. The Government will evaluate proposals based on FOB Destination (Bethesda, Maryland). The contract will be awarded to the responsive responsible offeror with the lowest- price offer that fully meets the requirements of the solicitation. Submit to: Cynthia Brown, Purchasing Agent, to the above address. Offers that fail to furnish the required information or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration. See numbered note #1. (0013)

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