Maintenance of levels of Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) in Cryogenic Storage Units

Amendment #2:The purpose of this amendent is to 1) provide responses to questions received; 2) upate the scope highlighted in bold. Questions & Responses: Question 1: Number and types of freezers? Answer 1: The number of cylinders are: 23-160 liter cylinders (source tanks) and 78 - 240 liter cylinders (source tanks) Question 2: Location of the freezers? Answer 2: The freezers are located CCR, NCI, Building 10 Question 3: Anticipated volume of liquid nitrogen? Answer 3: The anticipated volume of liquiq nitrogen is 3,680 liters filling the 160-liter tanks and 18,720 liters filling the 240 liter tanks per month. Question 4: Clarification of "Preventative Maintenance". The discription is the process of changing the liquid cylinder and running a fill cycle when the cylinder is changed, not a traditional freezer PM. Is a PM on the freezer required? Answer 4: No PM requirement on the Freezers, however, the Contractor while filling/serving the source tanks, the Freezers will be operationally tested through at least one complete operating cycle to assure optimum and efficient performance. Question 5: EMERGENCY SERVICE: What items are to be covered under the service agreement: the liquid cylinders? the freezers? Answer 5: Only the liquid nitrogen cylinders and unlimited supply of liquid nitrogen for all the liquid nitrogen freezers. Question 6: Software Updates/Service: What program is to be covered? Answer 6: The requirement is to have the tanks oufitted with a digital gauge to provide an accurate reading of the liquid nitrogen being stored in each cylinder before and after filling. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Office of Acquisitions, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 1E132, Bethesda, MD 20892, UNITED STATES The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), the Laboratory of Pathology's (LP) requires maintenance services of routine deliveries of Liquid Nitrogen required to maintain irreplaceable patient and research specimens stored in Cryogenic Storage Units of the NIH, NCI, CCR, LP. This acquisition will be processed in accordance with the simplified acquisition procedures as authorized by FAR Part 13.106-1 (b) (1) using simplified acquisition procedures for commercial acquisitions. The North American Industry Classification System Code is 811219 and the business size standard is $20.5 million. Only one award will be made as a result of this solicitation. This will be awarded as a severable firm fixed price type contract. The base period of performance shall be for twelve (12) months with four (4) 12-month option periods. Base Period: March 1, 2019 through February 29, 2020 Option Period One: March 1, 2020 through February 28, 2021 Option Period Two: March 1, 2021 through February 28, 2022 Option Period Three: March 1, 2022 through February 28, 2023 Option Period Four: March 1, 2023 through February 29, 2024 It has been determined there are no opportunities to acquire green products or services for this procurement. BACKGROUND This purchase request is for routine deliveries of Liquid Nitrogen required to maintain irreplaceable patient and research specimens stored in Cryogenic Storage Units within the NIH, NCI, CCR, LP. These deliveries shall be uninterrupted to preserve the integrity of the specimens stored within each Cryogenic Freezer. In the event of an emergency service request, the Contractor shall respond 24-hour, 365 days a year for loss of liquid nitrogen in storage freezers or malfunctioning instrumentation. The LP has the responsibility to maintain (levels of liquid nitrogen) in all Cryogenic Freezers for the purpose of maintaining irreplaceable specimen samples for patient Diagnosis and Research. The Liquid Nitrogen Cylinders are maintained by the Contractor (Robert Oxygen) and are rented by the LP to provide routine deliveries to specified rooms located in building 10, floors B1 and 2. All Cryogenetic freezers are monitored by the Contractor using a check-stop daily procedure to insure all equipment is functioning properly and levels of Liquid Nitrogen are sufficient. The Contractor is on-site daily, a key factor in maintaining the support required for the equipment and to provide uninterrupted support to our Researchers. SCOPE: The Contractor shall provide all labor, material and equipment (23-160-liter and 78 - 240-liter LN2 Source Tanks) necessary to provide LN2 and cylinder maintenance for Government-owned Cryogenic Freezers, located in Bldg 10, floors B1 & 2N, 2B. Anticipated volume of liquid LN2 is 3,680 liters filling the 160 liter tanks and 18,720 liters filling the 240 liter tanks per month. All maintenance services shall be performed in accordance with the manufacturer's standard commercial maintenance practices. Service shall be provided during normal working hours (8am to 5pm), Monday through Friday excluding Federal Holidays. The contract shall cover service calls, travel time, labor, and any necessary approved parts. PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE: The Contractor shall perform check-stops scheduled daily (Monday thru Saturday) for LN2 maintenance inspections during the contract period. Service shall be performed by technically qualified factory trained personnel. Service shall consist of delivery, installation, calibration, adjusting, inspection, and refilling of all Liquid Nitrogen Source Tanks by contractor in accordance with the manufacturer's latest established service procedures. All equipment shall be operationally tested through at least one (1) complete operating cycle at the end of the preventive maintenance inspection to assure optimum and efficient performance. Reports indicating the work performed shall be issued to the NCI Technical Point of Contact (TPC.). No PM requirement on the Freezers, however the Contractor while filling/serving the source tanks, the Freezers will be operationally tested through at least one complete operating cycle to assure optimum and efficient performance. EMERGENCY SERVICE: Emergency repair and/or delivery of LN2 shall be provided on an unlimited basis during the term of this contract at no additional cost to the government. Only the LN2 cylinders adn an unlimited supply of LN2 for all LN2 freezers. Emergency service shall be provided during normal working hours, Monday thru Friday excluding Federal Holidays. Upon receipt of notice that any part of the equipment is not functioning properly the Contractor shall within twenty-four (24) hours furnish a qualified factory-trained service representative to inspect the equipment and perform all repairs and adjustments necessary to restore the equipment to normal and efficient operating condition. Emergency service calls shall NOT replace the necessity for scheduled PMIs. Reports indicating the work performed shall be issued to the TPC. TECHNICAL SUPPORT: The Contractor shall provide unlimited technical support hot-line number for telephone troubleshooting for the instrument, reagents and applications during normal working hours (8am to 5pm), except Federal holidays using the Contractor's technically qualified factory-trained personnel or service providers authorized by the Contractor. REPLACEMENT PARTS: The contractor shall furnish all required replacement parts on their 160 liter and 240liter LN2 Source Tanks at no additional cost to the Government, with the exception of consumable parts to include batteries. Parts shall be new or remanufactured to original equipment specifications. SOFTWARE UPDATES/SERVICE: The LN2 tanks are required to be outfitted with a digital gauge to provide an accurate reading of the LN2 being stored in each cylinder before and after filling. The Contractor shall provide Software Service in accordance with the manufacturer's latest established service procedures, to include telephone access to technical support for use of program software and troubleshooting of the operating systems, at no additional cost to the Government. The Contractor shall receive advance approval for the installation of all software updates and revisions from the Government. Defective software shall be replaced at no additional cost to the Government. SERVICE EXCLUSIONS: Contractor shall not be responsible for any repairs necessitated by abuse, neglect, vandalism, Acts of God, fire or water. These repairs shall be the subject of a separate purchase order and shall not be performed under this contract. Consumables, such as printer paper and ink, shall be the subject of a separate purchase order and shall not be provided under this contract. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Services shall be performed at the following location: NIH/NCI/LP Bethesda, MD 20892 PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS: Personnel shall have a minimum of three (3) years factory training and experience in the servicing of cryogenic freezers as covered by this contract. All primary service personnel shall have at least one backup support with at least the same level of expertise on the equipment covered by this contract. REPORT(S)/DELIVERABLES AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE: Upon completion of any preventative maintenance visit, a written report showing instrument passing performance standards will be submitted. All reports shall be submitted for approval to the NCI TPC within five (5) business days after any work is performed in an electronic format, such as Word or as a PDF. PAYMENT: Payment shall be made monthly in arrears. This requirement is for a follow-on contract that was awarded to Roberts Oxygen. The LP has the responsibility to maintain (levels of LN2) in all cryogenic freezers for the purpose of maintaining irreplaceable specimen samples for patient Diagnosis and Research. The LN2 cylinders are maintained by the Contractor and are rented by the LP to provide routine deliveries to specified rooms. Roberts Oxygen is the only known source that will deliver inside the building and maintain the LN2 levels to all the CryoFreezers to meet all of the CCR/LP criterion, using a check-stop procedure to insure all equipment is functioning properly and levels of LN2 are sufficient. Roberts Oxygen Company, Inc. technicians are factory-trained to specifically service and maintain the levels of LN2 for all the cryogenetic freezers. Because of the requirement of a 24-hour, 365 days monitoring of Freezers, their locality plays a critical role in achieving this objective. This notice is not a request for competitive quotation. However, if any interested party, especially small businesses, believes it can meet the above requirement, it may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the agency. The statement of capabilities and any other information furnished must be in writing and must contain material in sufficient detail to allow NCI to determine if the party can perform the requirement. Responses must be received in the contracting office by 3:00 PM EST, on February 8, 2019. All responses and questions can be emailed to Ronette Collins, Contract Specialist via electronic mail at ronette.collins@nih.gov. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. In order to receive an award, contractors must be registered and have valid certification in the System for Award Management (SAM) through sam.gov. Reference: 75N91019Q00020 on all correspondence.