Evaluation of Molecular Structures

SUBJECT: Evaluation of Molecular Structures SOLICITATION NUMBER: NB632020-12-01873 CONTACT POINTS: Lisa Lovelace, Contract Specialist, (301) 975-6956 Cheryl Rice, Contracting Officer, (301) 975-3696 DESCRIPTION: This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial Items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6-streamlined procedures for evaluation and solicitation For commercial items-as supplemented with additional information Included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the ONLY solicitation; quotations are being requested, and a written Solicitation document will not be issued. The solicitation is being issued using simplified acquisition procedures. ***This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-27.***. *** The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334516 with a small business size standard of 500 employees. However, this requirement is unrestricted and all interested Contractors may submit a quotation.*** *** The National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking an individual to evaluate two and three dimensional structures of molecules for quality control prior to the publication in the NIST NIST WebBook. The United States Department of Commerce (DOC), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division (AMD), on behalf of Material Measurement Laboratory (MML), Chemical and Biochemical Reference Data Division (CBRDD) in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is seeking a contractor to review and evaluate two and three dimensional structures of molecules for quality control prior to publication in the WebBook. AMD is issuing a RFQ for evaluation services. AMD anticipates entering into a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) type contract. The Contractor shall perform the effort required by this FFP on a Fixed Price Labor Hour (FPLH) basis. AMD will conduct this acquisition using Subpart 12.6 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. If you are interested in this acquisition, you may participate by submitting your response in accordance with the following instructions. Submission shall be electronic via email. The Bidder is required to immediately notify Lisa Lovelace via email at Lisa.Lovelace@nist.gov of their intent to submit a quotation. Bidder is required to submit both a written Technical Quote and a separate Price Quote for the purpose of assuring that the prospective Contractor is fully cognizant of the scope of this contract and has the capability to complete all Statement of Work (SOW) requirements. If you have questions regarding this requirement, please submit your inquiries immediately via email but no later than March 20, 2012, at 3:00 pm EDT to Lisa Lovelace via email at Lisa.Lovelace@wdc.usda.gov. Please be advised that the Government reserves the right to transmit/post those questions and answers of a common interest to all prospective Bidders. Answers to questions will be shared to all bidders positively responsive to this solicitation. Award will be based upon overall best value to the Government. The Government anticipates an award with an FFP contract resulting in the work being performed on a FPLH basis. Bidder is cautioned to strictly adhere to the provisions of this RFQ regarding conflicts of interest brought to the attention of the Contracting Officer at or before the time quotations are due. Please be advised that if an actual or potential personal or organizational conflict exists between your firm and AMD that cannot be resolved, avoided, or mitigated to the satisfaction of AMD, then your firm shall not be considered eligible for an award. Bidder shall adhere to the following quotation instructions and submit their quotations with the completed Quotation Cover Page (Attachment 1). Bidder shall represent that their responses are valid for a period of no-less-than 60 days from the due date for submission. The technical quotation shall not exceed the number of respective pages as identified below in the Technical Quotation Instructions, excluding resumes and past performance information. There is no page limit for price quotations. A page is defined as one side of an 8 " x 11" sheet of white, un-textured paper, single-spaced, with at least one inch margins on all sides, using type not smaller than 12 characters per linear inch or be smaller than twelve (12) point, with no more than six (6) line per vertical inch. The written Technical and Price quotes shall be provided electronically via email to Lisa Lovelace at Lisa.Lovelace@nist.gov by 2 p.m. EDT on Monday, March 29, 2012. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES This contract is intended to evaluate two- and three-dimensional structures of molecules, for quality control prior to the publication in the NIST WebBook. The contractor shall judge whether two-dimensional structures and three-dimensional structures, proposed for publication in the WebBook, are high-quality representations of the intended molecules that will best meet the needs of the large and diverse base of WebBook customers. WebBook customers include students, teachers, engineers, scientists, and researchers. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Both quotations (Technical and Price) SHALL be dated and signed by those authorized to commit your firm and your quote MUST cite your tax identification number (TIN) and Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS), Standard Product Code (SPC) and other pertinent information found on the Quotation Cover Page. Please ensure that your firm is Central Contractor Registry (CCR) Certified (http://www.ccr.gov). ASSUMPTIONS OR CONDITIONS Bidder must acknowledge all (if any) assumptions or conditions with any of the terms and conditions of this solicitation including the SOW. If not noted in this section of your Quote, it will be assumed that the Bidder proposes no assumptions for award and agrees to comply with all of the terms and conditions as set forth herein. TECHNICAL AND PRICE QUOTE INSTRUCTIONS To facilitate evaluation of quotations, Bidder shall provide a technical and separate price quotation that includes name and address of company including TIN, signature of person authorized to commit company, and the following information two (2) volumes: Volume I - Technical Quote Bidder is required to provide a written technical quotation that explains their proposed technical approach for performing the required support services described in the SOW and its plan to meet the required services within the contract period of performance. Reports and Database Updates - Monthly Status Reports shall be provided showing a complete status of all deliverables required under this SOW. A deliverable schedule shall be identified. Reports are due by the second Tuesday of each month. Weekly status meetings will be scheduled and weekly status reports will be provided electronically to track progress on assignments. The updates to add all structure evaluations including problems identified and other remarks, to the NIST database that has been developed for this purpose shall perform according to the Government-approved specifications. Priority of these efforts will be determined by the AMD project managers through the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). Authorization will be provided by the COR. Other Direct Costs (ODC)/Travel Funds - The government will not fund the purchase of any software, manuals, supplies in relation to this requirement efforts. Labor Categories - The Government will issue Firm Fix Price contract using the labor category listed below. A. CHEMIST Provides supervisory, technical, and administrative direction for personnel Analyzing organic and inorganic compounds to determine chemical and physical properties, composition, structure, relationships, and reactions, utilizing chromatography, spectroscopy, and spectrophotometry techniques. The Chemist develops, improve, and customize products, equipment, formulas, processes, and analytical methods. Compile and analyze test information to determine process or equipment operating efficiency and to diagnose malfunctions. Confer with scientists and engineers to conduct analyses of research projects, interpret test results, or develop nonstandard tests. The Chemist directs completion of tasks within estimated time frames and budget constraints. Direct, coordinate, and advise personnel in test procedures for analyzing components and physical properties of materials. Induce changes in composition of substances by introducing heat, light, energy, and chemical catalysts for quantitative and qualitative analysis. Write technical papers and reports; and prepare standards and specifications for processes, facilities, products, and tests. Study effects of various methods of processing, preserving, and packaging on composition and properties of foods. (a) Chemist must possess a degree of M.S. or an equivalent in chemistry with a demonstrated expertise in nomenclature of organic and inorganic compounds, (b) Chemist must possess at least 3 years' experience naming organic compounds with defined stereochemistry. Contractor must have greater expertise in organic nomenclature than that encoded in commercial software since most of the raw structures are generated by using commercial software. The Contractor shall provide the skilled personnel necessary to successfully meet the government's requirements. The government reserves the right to accept or reject personnel based on individual resumes and contract requirements. Further, the government reserves the right to review the resumes of any proposed individual for work under this contract. Should the continued assignment to this contract of any person in the Contractor's organization be deemed by the government to conflict with the interest of the government, the Contractor shall be required to remove that person from the assignment and replace him/her with an individual of comparable or better qualifications, approved by the COR. The Contractor and its employees shall conduct only business covered by this contract during periods paid for by the government and will not conduct any other business on government premises. Contractor personnel will abide by the normal rules and regulations applicable to the government premises on which they work, including any applicable safety and security regulations. The contractor shall provide courtesy copies of resumes detailing work experience and references for each employee assigned to perform on the task to the COR. AMD is interested only in quotations that demonstrate the Bidder's requisite expertise in performing engagements of this type as illustrated by the Bidder's description of how it proposes to perform the requirements set forth in the SOW. Therefore, a Bidder's technical quotation should not merely state that the "Bidder will perform in accordance with the SOW" or similar verbiage. Volume II - Price Quote Your signed and dated Price Quote shall be a separate volume (marked "Price Proposal," and shall include document number and date of issuance) from your Technical Quote. The Price Quote shall be submitted as an FFP quote with FFPLH and shall be based on contracts fully burdened labor rates for the applicable labor category, utilizing any and all discounts. The following labor category is required to perform the services of this contract and may be subject to the Service Contract Act: A. Chemist The Contractor shall provide the necessary resources and management to satisfy the requirements of this contract. SCHEDULE OF SERVICES Evaluation of three-dimensional (3D) structures (http://www.t.soka.ac.jp/chem/iwanami/stereo/stereoCh1.pdf ). The contractor shall determine whether each structure is an accurate representation of the molecule, as identified by its name. This includes verification of correct stereochemistry and conformation, when that information is explicit or implicit in the name of the molecule. Evaluation of two-dimensional (2D) structures (http://www.tuflow.com/Downloads/Modelling%20of%20Bends%20and%20Hydraulic%20Structures%20in%20a%202D%20Scheme,%20Syme,%202001.pdf ). The contractor shall determine whether each structure is an accurate representation of the molecule, as identified by its name. This includes verification of correct stereochemistry and conformation, when that information is explicit or implicit in the name of the molecule. **All interested Contractors shall provide a quote for the following: This contract is a FFP contract. Services are procured on a Firm-Fixed Price (Labor Hour) basis. Base Year: April 1, 2012, through March 30, 2013 Option Year 1: April 1, 2013 through March 30, 14 Option Year 2: April 1, 2014 through March 30, 2015 PRICE SCHEDULE CLIN LABOR CATEGORY UNIT ESTIMATED HOURLY EXTENDED HOURS RATE 0001 Chemist Labor Hour 300 $ $ 1001 Chemist Labor Hour 300 $ $ 2001 Chemist Labor Hour 300 $ $ TOTAL FOR CLINs (0001 - 2001) YEAR $__________________________ 1. TOTAL FOR BASE PERIOD $_______________________ 2. TOTAL FOR OPTION PERIOD 1 $_______________________ 3. TOTAL FOR OPTION PERIOD 2 $_______________________ GRAND TOTAL (1+2+3) $_______________________ PLEASE CHECK YOUR CALCULATIONS CAREFULLY In case of calculation errors, unit price proposed will be applied to calculate extended amounts. General Instructions Quotations submitted in response to this Solicitation shall be furnished in the following format with the number of copies as specified below. - One (1) email electronic copy of the technical proposal, which is limited to 10 pages (Times New Roman, 12 Font). Technical proposal page limitations do include resumes. - The price Quotation shall be submitted as a FFP Quotation and shall be based on labor categories defined in the Schedule of Services. - Contractor shall provide fully burdened rates for all applicable labor categories, utilizing any and all discounts for electronic price quotation submission. - The Quote must include a price quote to be considered. Delivery of Quotations The RFQ due date (closing date) is 2:00 pm EDT, March 28, 2012. The quotation shall be provided electronically to the email address listed below. Inquiries regarding this procurement may also be submitted electronically to the address below. E-MAIL: Lisa.Lovelace@nist.gov Quotations submitted after the deadline will not receive consideration by AMD. Please note that this request does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the submission of your quote, nor to contract for said services. Note also, that full, accurate, and complete information is required by this request in accordance with 18 U.S.C. - 1001 which also prescribes the penalties for making false statements. STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) EVALUATION OF DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURES Section 1. Introduction Section 1.1 Background The United States Department of Commerce (DOC), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Acquisition Management Division (AMD), is seeking a contractor to evaluate two- and three-dimensional structures of molecules, for quality control prior to the publication in the WebBook. The Chemical and Biochemical Reference Data Division (CBRDD) is responsible for the NIST Chemistry WebBook (http://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/). Section 2. Descriptive of Services Section 2.1 Objective This contract is intended to evaluate two- and three-dimensional structures of molecules, for quality control prior to the publication in the WebBook The contractor shall judge whether two-dimensional structures and three-dimensional structures, proposed for publication in the WebBook, are high-quality representations of the intended molecules that will best meet the needs of the large and diverse base of WebBook customers. WebBook customers include students, teachers, engineers, scientists, and researchers. Section 2.2 Scope The Agency requires a contractor to evaluate and determine whether each structure is an accurate representation of the molecule, as identified by its name. The contractor shall validate the correct stereochemistry and conformation. The contractor shall determine when that information is explicit or implicit in the name of the molecule. Additional information on the two (2) and three (3) dimensional structures can be found at the following sites: Evaluation of two-dimensional (2D) structures (http://www.tuflow.com/Downloads/Modelling%20of%20Bends%20and%20Hydraulic%20Structures%20in%20a%202D%20Scheme,%20Syme,%202001.pdf ). Evaluation of three-dimensional (3D) structures (http://www.t.soka.ac.jp/chem/iwanami/stereo/stereoCh1.pdf ). The Contractor will provide the necessary resources to satisfy the requirements of this contract. Section 2.3 FFP Services with FP Labor Hours All services are funded annually and may be pursuant to the availability of funds. The Contractor shall provide the necessary labor, skill mix, and project management to address requirements as they relate to any individual Task Order. Section 2.4 Government Furnished Property The work will be performed on-site. NIST will provide the contractor with an office, equipment, email and internet access, and NIST library access. NIST will provide names and structures of molecules (http://www.fileinfo.com/extension/mol), and database software for recording evaluations. The contractor will have an access to all scientific data of the Chemical Reference Data Group. Section 3 Deliveries or Performance Section 3.1 Database Updates The Contractor shall add all structure evaluations, including problems identified and other remarks, to the NIST database that has been developed for this purpose. PROGRESS REPORT In addition, the contractor shall provide a monthly progress report to the POC via electronic mail every second Tuesday of the month. The report shall include details of the prior period's activities and any problems, issues or risks identified during this period. It should also detail any resolution on previously identified problems, issues and risks. (1) The content of the monthly progress reports shall contain the following: Contractor's name, Contract #, date of report, the period covered by the report, title of report; (2) Number of 3D structures definitively evaluated during the reporting period; (3) Number of 2D structures definitively evaluated during the reporting period; (4) Results, positive and negative, obtained related to previously identified problem areas, with conclusions and recommendations; (5) Any new problem areas identified; (6) Any significant changes to the contractor's organization or method of operation; (7) Action items requiring the Federal government's resolution; (8) List of all structure files evaluated, along with corresponding evaluations and remarks. Number Description Format Quantity Due Date Report 1 Evaluation results of three- MS Word 36 Reports Every third dimensional (3D) structures format (one report Tuesday of each month) the month Report 2 Evaluation results of two- MS Word 36 Reports Every third dimensional (2D) structures format (one report Tuesday of each month) the month Section 3.2 Inspection/Acceptance or Performance Requirements Summary The reports containing the evaluation results and the recommendations shall undergo the procedure of acceptance testing by the Point of Contact/Order Contact. The POC/OC will provide comments on each deliverable within 3 calendar days from the receipt of a given deliverable. The criteria for acceptance shall be that over 99% of the data submitted to NIST are found acceptable. Section 3.3 Place of Performance The work will be performed on-site. Section 4 Contract Administration Section 4.1 Contracting Officer The Contracting Officer (CO) for this contract will be Ms. Cheryl Rice. All questions regarding this solicitation/contract shall be directed to: Lisa Lovelace 100 Bureau Drive, Bldg 301 Room 122 (Mail Stop 1640) Gaithersburg, MD 20899 Phone Number: (301) 975-6956 Fax Number: (301) 975-8882 Email Address: Lisa.Lovelace@wdc.usda.gov Section 4.2 Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) The Contracting Officer's Representative for this contract shall be identified after award. In no event shall any understanding, agreement, modification, change order or other matter deviating from the terms of the contract be effective or binding upon the government unless formalized by proper contractual documentations executed by the Contracting Officer. The COR shall monitor all technical aspects and assist in administering the contract. After contract award, the COR designation letter will be provided to the contractor that clarify the responsibilities. On the matters that pertain to the contract terms, the contractor must communicate with the CO. Whenever the COR requests effort outside the scope of the contract, the contractor shall so advise the Contracting Officer in writing. Section 4.3 Payment Procedures a. Invoices: The Contractor will submit an invoice monthly for services provided during the month. Invoices will be submitted electronically to the COR. The quoter should include the payment address in the quote, if it is different from that shown for the quote. b. To assist NIST, Acquisition Management Division in making timely payments the invoice must include at a minimum: - Name and address of the Contractor (mailing address for check) - Contract Number; Purchase Order Number; Task Order Number - Invoice Number, date and Vendor Express Number (VXP), if any - DUNS & Bradstreet Number, Tax ID No. (or equivalent) - Total amount due under the Invoice - Total amount per contract line item by ordering entity Section 5 Special Requirements Section 5.1 Background Investigation Requirements Prior to beginning any work on this contract, all identified Contractor employee(s) shall undergo a security screening. All Contractor employees are, at a minimum, subject to a minimum background investigation (MBI) conducted by the Government. Contractor employees who undergo Minimum Background Investigation checks which reveal the following may be unacceptable under this contract: conviction of a felony, a crime of violence or a serious misdemeanor, or a record of arrests for continuing offenses. Should the results of any background investigation included any of the above items, the Contractor shall agree to remove the person assigned within one business day of official notification by the Government and provide a replacement within ten business days. New hires or substitution of personnel are subject to the Minimum Background Investigation requirement. a. The computer systems under this contract may contain financial data subject to privacy laws and regulations. The Contractor shall be responsible for assuring that all personnel having access to Privacy Act data have a Minimum Background Investigation security clearance prior to access to the data. This includes personnel and technicians on or off-site in which access to the data is possible. Individuals with security clearances to work on site shall be responsible for ensuring that sensitive data is not transmitted to unauthorized parties. b. The Government has the right to perform periodic on-site inspections of Contractor operations to ensure compliance with information protection requirements outlined in Federal Government regulations. c. The AMD reserves the right, at any time, to require replacement of Contractor personnel, if the individual does not meet the security requirements. a. Each Contractor employee will be subject to Federal laws applicable to Government installations, e.g., a ticket issued by the Federal Protective Officers and possible tow-away of vehicle. b. The Government reserves the right to exclude or remove from the site or building any employee of the Contractor or Sub-Contractor whose background investigation indicates an undesirable history as discussed in Section 7.1, c. When the Government directs, the Contractor shall remove from performance on the contract any person who is identified as a potential threat to the health, safety, security, general well-being, or operational mission of the USDA and its population. Section 5.2 HSPD-12 Security Operating Procedures The Contractor shall comply with agency personal identity verification procedures identified in the contract that implement Homeland Security Presidential Directive - 12 (HSPD-12), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance M-05-24, and Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB) Number 201. Section 5.3 Physical Security The Contractor shall be responsible for properly protecting all information used, gathered, or developed as a result of this contract. The Contractor shall implement procedures to ensure that appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security and confidentiality of sensitive government information, data, and/or equipment. The Contractor's procedures shall be consistent with Government and GSA policies, including GSA Order 2100.1, Information Technology Security Policy (or most current version), OMB Memorandums & Circulars, FISMA, the Computer Security Act of 1987, and the Privacy Act. In addition, during all activities and operations on Government premises the Contractor shall comply with the policies, rules, procedures and regulations governing the conduct of personnel or protection of Government facilities and data as expressed by GSA, written or oral. Section 5.4 Sensitive Information Storage and Disclosure The services do not involve confidential or proprietary data. The certification and accreditation requirements of Clause 1352.239-73 do not apply and a security accreditation package is not required. Section 5.5 Patent Rights/Media Inquiries The Government retains a Government to use license to all inventions arising from this work. The Contractor employee shall not respond to any media inquiries. Any inquiries from the media shall be immediately relayed to the TIC and/or COTR. There shall be no interviews, comments, or any other response without the knowledge and approval of the NIST Director. 508 REFERENCE MATERIAL Section 508 information is available at the following websites: NIST Information Officer IO) - Section 508 Requirements/Policies: Section 508: http://www.Section508.gov Section 6 Evaluation Factors The Government intends to use a technical/price tradeoff process to award a Firm Fixed Price type contract to the responsible Offeror whose quote represents the best value to the Government, evaluated cost/price and other factors considered. The Government reserves the right to make an award to other than the lowest-cost/priced Offeror or to the Offeror with the highest technical rating if the Contracting Officer determines that to do so would result in the best value to the Government. Upon receipt of quotes, the Contracting Officer will review them to determine if each Offeror followed all of the quotation preparation/submission instructions in this solicitation. A quotation that did not follow the submission instructions may be deemed unacceptable and may not be further evaluated. Each quote will be evaluated against the factors described below. An Offeror's failure to address any factor may be considered indicative of the Offeror's lack of understanding of the Government's requirements and may result in the quote being determined unacceptable. Evaluation Factors for Award: FACTOR A - TECHNICAL APPROACH FACTOR B - EXPERIENCE FACTOR C - PAST PERFORMANCE FACTOR D - KEY PERSONNEL FACTOR E - PRICE In determining best value, non-price Factors A through D, when combined, are approximately equal in importance to evaluated cost/price. Factors A and B are the most important factors, and are slightly more important than Factors C and D. Factors C and D are approximately equal in importance. Factor A - Technical Approach The Government will evaluate the Offeror's understanding of the requirements, MML's role, and the complexity of developing and maintaining the webbook; the extent to which its technical approach to the statement of work, demonstrate its ability to provide the required services; and the risks associated with its technical approach. Factor B - Experience The Government will evaluate the Offeror's experience to determine the extent to which the general background, experience, and qualifications demonstrate its ability to perform similar services. Factor C - Past Performance Information The Government will evaluate the Offeror's and, if appropriate, its proposed subcontractors' past performance information to determine its relevance to the current requirements and the extent to which it demonstrates that the Offeror has successfully completed relevant contracts in the past three years. In assessing the Offeror's past performance, NIST will evaluate the quality, timeliness, and ability to control cost and schedule of past work to determine the quality of service, and the extent to which the Offeror has performed work of a similar type, magnitude, and complexity. The Government will assign a neutral rating to Offerors with no relevant past performance. Factor D - Key Personnel Qualifications The Government will evaluate the extent to which the resumes submitted for the Offeror's proposed key personnel demonstrate they have satisfied the minimum requirements described in the SOW and have appropriate education, qualifications, and experience necessary to successfully perform the contract requirements. Cost/Price Evaluation The proposed cost will be evaluated but not scored. 1. The Government will evaluate whether the quoted cost/price is fair and reasonable in relation to the solicitation requirements and consistent with the Offeror's proposed Technical Approach. 2. The Government may use the results of a cost realism analysis to adjust the offeror's proposal to a most probable cost to the Government, for example, price/cost may be adjusted for evaluation purposes if they are deemed to be unrealistically high or low. This may include information from a Government auditing agency, Government technical personnel, and other sources. *** The full text of a FAR provision or clause may be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html. *** *** The following provisions apply to this acquisition: 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items; 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items.*** *** Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications on-line at http://orca.bpn.gov in accordance with FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items. If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required.*** ***The following clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.202-1 Definitions 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items; 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items including subparagraphs: (16) 52.222-3, Convict Labor; (17) 52.222-19 Child Labor - Cooperation With Authorities And Remedies; (18) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; (19) 52-222-26, Equal Opportunity; (21) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; (24) 52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons (29) 52.225-3 Buy American Act - Free Trade Agreements - Israeli Trade Act; ALTERNATE II (31) 52.225-13 Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases; (36) 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration. Department of Commerce Agency-Level Protest Procedures Level above the Contracting Officer is also incorporated. It can be downloaded at www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/agency.htm. *** This is an Open-Market Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for equipment as defined herein. The Government intends to award a Purchase Order as a result of this Combined Syno...