National Institue of Standards and Technology, Acquistion and Assistance Division, Procurement Office, Bldg. 301, Room B152, Gaithersburg, MD 20899

66 -- PRIME VENDOR PROVISION OF LABORATORY SUPPLIES SOL 45NANB9G5000 DUE 121598 POC Catherine Poole, Contracting Officer, (301) 975-4727; E-mail: catherine.poole@nist.gov The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is interested in establishing an agreement with a vendor to implement a streamlined ordering system for the provision of laboratory supplies and chemicals to its site in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The project objective is to establish and implement an ordering system that will meet the following criteria: (1) Ease of ordering for the end user, including minimal administrative paperwork/documentation of orders, ease of placing reorders; (2) Electronic accessibility to catalog(s) and order mechanisms; (3) Efficient, automated invoicing process, which allows categorization of orders by NIST cost center for efficient verification and approval by appropriate NIST divisions; (4) Timely delivery (within 24 hours for high demand products; within 48-72 hours for lower demand items); ability for ordering officials to choose the required delivery time (and associated cost) on each order; (5) Wide variety of quality laboratory supplies and chemicals; (6) Discounted pricing and electronic accessibility to NIST pricing (without having to contact the vendor by phone); ease of locating/identifying products and their respective prices to NIST; (7) All laboratory and chemical products available through a single source (prime vendor); all products provided with a "low price guarantee" (exclusive of handling fee); (8) Vendor performance of trend analysis/order analysis to make recommendations for improvements, such as adding additional items to 24-hour "high demand" list; further streamlining invoice process, etc. Under the authority of FAR 15.202, Advisory multi-step process, NIST is soliciting tailored statements of qualification from qualified companies who wish to be considered for award. After evaluation of the submittals, NIST will advise all offerors about their potential to be viable competitors. Each offeror will then be able to make an informed decision about whether to participate in the acquisition. Interested parties should submit one (1) original and three (3) copies of a qualification statement which includes: background information about the company, indication of current or planned elctronic catalogs and ordering processes, indication of ability to invoice electronically, information regarding relationships with manufacturers and suppliers of laboratory supplies and ability to form agreements to provide a wide variety of lab supplies, warehousing capabilities and ability to meet required delivery times. Statement should also include a list of previous prime vendor arrangements, if any. Detailed information regarding offeror's proposed technical approach is not requested at this time, but will be requested in the second step of the multi-step process. The Government will use the following criteria in making the initial evaluation of offerors' potential to be viable competitors: (1) History of prime vendor arrangement; (2) Quality and scope of relationships with third-party product sources; (3) Past performance in operating an electronic cataloging, ordering and billing system; (4) Ability to meet required delivery times; and (5) Ability to provide wide variety of laboratory supplies and chemicals. Prospective offerors who do not submit a qualification statement in response to this announcement will not be invited to participate in the acquisition. Qualifications statements shall be submitted by 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 15, 1998 to NIST Acquisition and Assistance Division, ATTN: Catherine Poole, 100 Bureau Drive, STOP 3570, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3570. Posted 11/24/98 (W-SN274357). (0328)

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