National Institute of Standards & Technology, Acquisition & Assistance Div.,100 Bureau Drive Stop 3572, Bldg. 301, Rm B117, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3572

68 -- LIQUID HELIUM SOL 53SBNB060008 DUE 102099 POC Paul Cataldo, Contract Specialist (301) 975-6332, Fax (301) 963-7732; Pauline E. Mallgrave, Contracting Officer (301) 975-6330. WEB: NIST Contracts Homepage, HTTP://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm. E-MAIL: NIST Contracts Office, Contract@nist.gov. DESCRIPTION: THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR) SUBPART 12.6, AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTES ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. SOLICITATION NUMBER 53SBNB060008 IS BEING ISSUED AS A REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ) USING SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES. Incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 97-13. The SIC code applicable to this acquisition is 2813 and the related small business size standard is 1,000 employees; however, this requirement is unrestricted. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, Maryland has a requirement for liquid helium on an as needed basis for the base period November 1, 1999 through September 30, 2000 and four (4) one-year renewal option years. Quantity is estimated at 83,000 liters per year. The contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, services, and facilities to supply liquid helium in size 30, 60, 100, and 250 liter contractor-owned dewars. Dewar size indicates product capacity of the dewar. All capacities are approximate and NIST shall be billed only for the actual amount of gas delivered. The contractor's price shall include all services that are required to comply with applicable regulations, specifications, and normal good practices and standards of the Compressed Gas Association. Such services shall include but are not limited to: inspection, testing, evacuation, and cleaning services at each and every filling; pin indexing, when required. Material shall be packed for shipment in such a manner that will ensure acceptance by common carrier and safe delivery at destination. Containers and closures shall comply with the ICC regulations, Uniform Freight Classification rules, or regulations of other carriers as applicable to the mode of transportation. NIST staff will call orders in on Monday by 11:30 a.m. for delivery on Tuesday or on Wednesday by 11:30 a.m. for delivery on Thursday. If a Government holiday falls on Monday or Wednesday, orders will be called in by 11:30 a.m. Friday for Tuesday delivery and by 11:30 a.m. Tuesday for Thursday delivery. The contractor and NIST share the responsibility of ensuring a call order is placed each week to ensure a delivery is made on time each week. NIST will not be charged any penalty fees if both NIST and the contractor fail to ensure a call order is placed in a timely manner, yet delivery is still required for that week. If NIST is closed for any reason on delivery days (Tuesday and Thursday), delivery shall be the first business day thereafter. Pick-up of empty dewars shall be coordinated with deliveries on Tuesday and Thursday or at contractor's discretion. Required delivery shall be FOB Destination (Gaithersburg, MD). The Government will award a purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror submitting the lowest-priced technically acceptable offer. To be considered technically acceptable, an offer must meet all the minimum requirements stated above (i.e., product specifications, delivery requirements). The provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The clause at 52.208-8, Helium Requirements Forecast and Required Sources for Helium and 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items, also applies to this acquisition. In addition, the clause at 52.212-5(a), Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition, including subparagraphs (b) (1) 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government, with Alternate I, (5) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns, (6) 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, (11) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; (12) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; (13) 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; (14) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; 15) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; (16) 52.225-3, BuyAmerican Act-Supplies, (17) Buy American Act-Trade Agreements Act-Balance of Payments Program, (230 52.232-34 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Other than Central Contractor Registration, and Department of Commerce Agency-Level Protest Procedures Level Above the Contracting Officer, which can be downloaded from the NIST Web Page located at http://sage.ogc.doc.gov/OGC/fl/cld/car/car1333.html. Copies of all FAR clauses are available at www.arnet.gov/far. All offerors shall submit the following as part of their offers: (1) quotation which includes the per liter price for the base and each option year; (2) technical description and/or product literature; (3) most recent published price list, if available; and (4) a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items, which may be downloaded from http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/repcert.htm. Offers should be sent to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Acquisition and Assistance Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 3572, Building 301, Room B-117, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3572, Attn: Paul Cataldo. For additional information, call the POC identified above. Submissions must be received by 3:00 PM local time on October 20, 1999. Faxed offers will not be accepted. Posted 10/13/99 (W-SN391205). (0286)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0240 19991015\68-0001.SOL)