Additional In-Scope Wind Speed Modeling, Mapping, and Related Analysis Services for Tornado Research

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE Additional In-Scope Wind Speed Modeling, Mapping, and Related Analysis Services for Tornado Research Announcement Type: Special Notice Announcement Number: NIST-NOI-20-02956 PSC Code: R425 - Support - Professional: Engineering/Technical Subject: Additional In-Scope Wind Speed Modeling, Mapping, and Related Analysis Services for Tornado Research Introduction This is a notice of intent, not a request for a quotation. A solicitation document will not be issued and quotations will not be requested. Purpose The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate additional firm-fixed priced in-scope work under purchase order 1333ND19PNB730060 on a sole source basis with Applied Research Associates, Inc. The Contractor is located at 4300 San Mateo Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110-1295. Purchase order 1333ND19PNB730060 was issued to Applied Research Associates, Inc. on a sole source basis on February 8, 2019 with a period of performance of February 11, 2019 through February 10, 2022. The additional in-scope work to be negotiated will be an extension of existing wind load parameter development tasks through February 10, 2022, the end of the contact period of performance. This task was originally negotiated to last only until May 31, 2021. Authority This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of FAR Subpart 13.106(b)(1) allowing the Contracting Officer (CO) to solicit from one source. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (Except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) with a size standard of 1,000 employees. Description Please see the attached Statement of Work for details. The Statement of Work uses track changes to indicate the new in-scope work to be added. Sole Source Determination The sole source determination for this modification is based on the information below. Purchase order 1333ND19PNB730060 was originally awarded on a sole source basis for the following reasons which also lend themselves to the sole source rationale for the addition of in-scope work: The extreme wind modeling and analysis tasks required build on work previously conducted in several tornado research efforts, including contract SB1341-12-CQ-0014, with Applied Research Associates. The requirement has a focus on NIST's Hurricane Maria Technical Investigation and must compare the best estimates of wind speeds experienced during Maria to the design wind speeds required by the building code. Therefore, it is imperative that NIST use the same hurricane model in the forensic work that was used to create the design wind speed maps in the building code, to ensure we are comparing apples to apples. Applied Research Associates developed the design wind speed maps used in the building code with their proprietary hurricane modeling software; therefore, Applied Research Associates is the only contractor capable of meeting the need. For the current requirement to add in-scope work to 1333ND19PNB730060, a similar overall logic applies. The revised scope of work for the current modification builds on the tornado speed estimation methodology developed by Applied Research Associates for NIST under contract number SB1341-12-CQ-0014. NIST requires services to develop more detailed documentation on this methodology specifically to support NIST's proposal to the standards committee on adopting this new methodology into the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) standard. Since parts of the tornado speed estimation methodology are based on Applied Research Associates proprietary methodology and software, it would be impossible for any company but Applied Research Associates to be able to conduct this work. Information for Interested Parties Interested parties that believe they could satisfy the requirements listed above for NIST may clearly and unambiguously identify their capability to do so in writing by or before the response date for this notice. This notice of intent is not a solicitation. Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Ms. Lauren Roller, Contract Specialist, at contact@example.gov. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted via email to contact@example.gov so that they are received no later than July 30, 2020 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time. Each response should include the following Business Information: Contractor Name, Address, Point of Contact Name, Phone Number, and Email address Contractor DUNS Contractor Business Classification (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, hubZone, veteran owned, etc.) as validated in System for Award Management (SAM). All offerors must register in the SAM located at http://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1 Capability Statement