U.S. Geological Survey, Branch Of Acquisition and Federal Assistance, Box 25046, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225-0046

66 -- MICROFLUORESCENCE ANALYZER SOL 00CRQQ0167 DUE 050500 POC Janice L. Cofflet, Contracting Officer, (303) 236-5900, ext. 321 E-MAIL: Click here to contact the contracting officer via, jcoffelt@usgs.gov. 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. The announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals/bids are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation is being issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) 00CRQQ0167. The provisions and clauses incorporated are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular #97-15. The associated Standard Industrial Classification Code (SIC) for this procurement is 3826 and the small business size is 500 employees. This acquisition is unrestricted (full and open competition). This solicitation is under the Simplified Acquisition Procedures. This will be a Firm, Fixed-Price contract. The following is a list of contract line item numbers (CLIN) quantities and units: CLIN 001, KevexSpectrace Omicron Microfluorescence analyzer XYZ Stage, 1 EA; CLIN 002,Vacuum Pump, 6 CFM, 1 EA; CLIN 003: X-ray Source; 100-watt, Rh anode, 1 EA; CLIN 004: Source Collimator, 50 micron, 1 EA; CLIN 005: Source Collimator, 500 micron, 1 EA; CLIN 006: ChemImage Software, 1 EA; CLIN 007: Advanced Software Package & Grapher/Surfer: CLIN 008: Additional Training Course of one week duration, 2 EA. The above line items are intended to be descriptive, not restrictive. Unless clearly marked that the vendor is quoting an "equal," the offered item shall be considered as the brand name product referenced in this announcement. If the vendor proposes to furnish an "equal" product, the brand name, if any, of the product to be furnished shall be inserted on the proposal. The evaluation of the quotations and the determination as to equality of the product shall be the responsibility of the Government and will be based on information furnished by the vendor. The purchasing activity is not responsible for locating or securing any information that is not identified in the quotation and reasonably available to the purchasing activity. To ensure sufficient information is available, the vendor must furnish, as part of his quotation all descriptive material necessary for the government to determine whether their product meets the salient characteristics which follow: The Yucca Mountain Project (Environmental Science Team) requires a nondestructive small area elemental analysis system for performing trace and minor element analysis in geologic materials. This need includes the ability to do automatic line and area elemental scans to determine elemental distributions in minerals. The capabilities provided by this additional instrumentation would supplement those already in place, and the similarities of the proposed instrument to existing equipment will simplify and save associated costs for user training and maintenance. The primary task of this instrument for Fiscal Year 2000 is acquiring line scans of calcite vein samples from the unsaturated zone to screen samples to be used for more expensive U-Pb and U-series age determination. Also, the identification of cryptic zonation of the calcite coatings will enable a secondary geochronology to be determined that will be useful in determining ages of coatings with no directly datable minerals. It should be noted that the instrument provides analyses non-destructively and without extensive sample preparation or conductive coating. Also, the lack of significant sample heating allows for preservation of fluid inclusions for microthermometric analysis after chemical maps have been made. Other potential tasks include acquisition of data on glass shards collected from volcanic ash samples exposed in trenches and from volcanic ash reference samples, and mapping of metal distributions in fractured bedrock as indicators of hydrothermal activity. Salient Characteristics: The x-ray microfluorenscence system shall provide the elemental sensitivity of bulk material XRF spectroscopy along with the spatial resolution approaching scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive XRF spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). The elemental sensitivity of the x-ray microfluorescence system shall exceed that of SEM/EDS by approximately a factor of 100. The sample preparation required should be minimal; no coating shall be required. The x-ray microfluorescence system shall have the sensitivity required for small area (50 to 200 mm diameter) analyses. The x-ray microfluorescence system shall have a precision XYZ microstepping stage and a camera viewing system to locate and analyze small features of interest. The x-ray microfluorescence system shall be able to analyze elements Na (atomic number = 11) through U (atomic number = 92) simultaneously. The sample chamber (which can be evacuated) shall accommodate a wide range of sample types, including standard x-ray cups, thin sections, and irregular rock slabs up to 8 inches across. The high-flux density microfocus x-ray tube of 100 watt maximum power shall use a Rh target and operate at energies of 4 to 50 kV; a computer-controllable filter/collimator turret shall be provided and collimators of 50 mm, 100mm, 500 mm, and 2000 mm shall be included. The x-ray detection system shall be an energy-dispersive type using a multichannel analyzer; its resolution shall be less than 175 eV FWHM (full width at half maximum) at 5.9 keV (1000 cps). A view of the sample shall be continuously available on the computer monitor; the position of the x-ray beam shall be indicated on the monitor. The capability to "dump" the screen image to a color, ink-jet printer (to be included) shall be provided. The analysis system shall have a computer system capable of controlling the stage and x-ray source and providing a complete package of Windows -based x-ray analysis software for qualitative and quantitative analysis including the capability to map distributions of elements or element ratios and identify principal components. The computer shall have, at a minimum, a PentiumIII microprocessor operating at 500 Mhz, 64 MB of RAM, 10 GB of disk storage, and a Zip-100 removable drive. A multi-sync color monitor not less than 21 inches diagonally shall be provided for display and a high-speed ink-jet printer shall be provided for standard output. Future revisions of all x-ray analysis and control software shall be obtainable for a charge not to exceed the cost of media and shipping. A full set of user documentation shall be provided, including computer-based tutorials. Also, a one-week training course at the vendor's facility shall be provided for two people (not to include any travel or living expenses). On-site installation, calibration, and acceptance testing not to exceed four days shall be included in the system price. All items shall be delivered FOB destination to the USGS, Bldg. 21, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 within 60 days of the date of the resultant contract. The following FAR provision applies to this solicitation: 52.212-1, Evaluation Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items. Offerors MUST submit the following and other information required under this clause to be considered for award: Product literature or written technical proposal addressing each of the specifications cited above. Past performance information of similar contracts for the manufacture of microfluorescence analyzers, including Government contracts currently performed or completed by offeror's business within the past two years. Data should include: name and address of customer company or Government agency; contract number and period of performance; brief description or title of contract; approximate dollar value of contract; and name and phone number of both the Contracting Officer and the technical or Contracting Officer's Representative. Past performance information provided by references, from Government records, or from other sources may be used in this evaluation. Evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of provision 52.212-2 are as follows: The Contracting Officer will screen proposals to identify and eliminate any proposals that are so incomplete as to preclude a meaningful evaluation of technical and past performance issues. The Government anticipates awarding one contract resulting from this combined synopsis/solicitation to the responsible vendor whose quotation, conforming to this announcement, will offer the Best Value to the Government, price and other factors considered, based on the following factors in descending order of importance: (a) Technical capability to meet the specifications herein; (B) Past Performance. All offerors are to include with their offer a completed copy of provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications and the following local clause: (a) The Offeror represents that, if it is subject to the reporting requirements of 38 U.S.C. 4212 (d), (i.e. the VETS-100 report required by the Federal Acquisition Regulation clause 52.222-37, Employment Reports on disabled Veterans and Veterans for the Vietnam Era), it has [ ], has not [ ] submitted the most recent report required by 38 U.S.C. 4212(d), (b) An Offeror who checks "has not" may not be awarded a contract until the required reports are filed (31 U.S.C. 1354). (Copies of FAR 52.212-2 and 52.212-3 are available at http://www.arnet.gov/far/) The following FAR clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.211-6, Brand Name or Equal, and 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items. The following FAR clauses, which are cited in clause 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders, are applicable to this acquisition: 52.203-6 Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government; 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns; 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; 52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; 52.225-3 Buy American act-North American Free Trade Agreement-Israeli Trade Act-Balance of Payments Program; 52.225-15, Sanctioned European Union country End Products; 52.232-34, Payment by electronic Funds Transfer-Other than Central Contractor registration. In addition, FAR 52.203-8, Cancellation, Recision, and Recovery of Funds for Illegal or Improper Activity and FAR 52.203-10, Price or Feed Adjustment for Illegal or Improper Activity apply to this solicitation. Funds are not presently available for performance under this contract; therefore, vendors are required to honor their quoted prices for 120 days after the date of the response to this RFQ. All offers shall be sent to the U.S. Geological Survey, Branch of Acquisition and Federal Assistance, P.O. Box 25046, MS 204A, Bldg. 53, Ent. S-1, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225, Attn: Jan Coffelt. Faxed offers will not be accepted. All offers are due by 2:00 PM local time, Denver, CO on May 1, 2000. Full text of these clauses may be accessed electronically at http://www.arnet.gov/far/. See Note 12. Posted 04/21/00 (W-SN447500). (0112)

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