6830--Research Gas

This contract is a firm-fixed-price solicitation issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 20, for research specialty gas delivery services to support over 490 active research protocols at the Portland VA Medical Center. It is exclusively set aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs), requiring all offerors to be certified small businesses in the SBA database with verified SDVOSB ownership and control under NAICS code 325120. The base period runs from November 1, 2026, to October 31, 2027, with four optional one-year extensions through October 31, 2031, and additional possible extensions of up to six months total under FAR 52.217-8. Deliveries must occur weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays, including holidays, to designated laboratory locations within the Portland campus, with F.O.B. destination terms placing risk of loss on the contractor until acceptance at the delivery site. The work entails consistent, high-reliability delivery of gases including argon, carbon dioxide, breathing air, and specialized cryogenic materials, with strict compliance requirements for packaging, labeling, and regulatory adherence to federal, state, and local safety and environmental standards even where specific technical specifications like ASTM or MIL-STD are not detailed. The contract incorporates extensive FAR clauses with deviations that reinforce compliance, accountability, and security, including whistleblower protections, prohibitions on confidential internal agreements, restrictions on inverted domestic corporations, and strict limitations on covered telecommunications equipment under Section 889 of the NDAA. Security requirements mandate that all technicians obtain PIV credentials at least 30 days before accessing research areas, with escorted access required for those without credentials. Offerors must submit three electronically signed volumes—Technical Capability, Pricing, and Past Performance—via email by 1:00 p.m. MST on July 30, 2026, referencing the solicitation number in the subject line. Evaluation will follow a trade-off method, weighting technical quality, price, and past performance risk, not as LPTA. Invoicing is mandatory through the VA’s Tungsten/IPPS system using electronic funds transfer, with no WAWF involvement. Contract administration is managed by Nazanin Kreiner, with payments processed through the VA’s financial center in Austin, TX. The contract requires compliance with numerous labor and ethics regulations, including fair labor standards, veteran employment reporting, paid sick