Preventative Maintenance and Service Contract for NIAID Cage Wash Equipment

This notice is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Subpart 12.6 - Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items, as applicable, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; (a written solicitation will not be issued) and quotations (quotes) are being requested. The solicitation number is RFQ-NIAID-24-2215077 and the solicitation is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). This acquisition will be processed under FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures, FAR Subpart 13.5 - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items. The solicitation documents and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular FAC 2024-05 effective May 22, 2024. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 811310 - Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Repair and Maintenance with a small business size standard of $12.5 million. This requirement is not set-aside for small business. The Government anticipates making a single award Firm Fixed Price (FFP) purchase order to the responsible Quoter as a result of this RFQ that will include the terms and conditions set forth herein. By submitting a quote, the Quoter is accepting that all government terms and conditions shall prevail over the award. By submission of a quote, the Quoter acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered and viewable in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to award, during performance, and through final payment resulting from this solicitation (www.sam.gov). STATEMENT OF NEED The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), Comparative Medicine Branch (CMB), Laboratory of Animal Science Section (LASS) has cage wash equipment that requires preventative maintenance to ensure consistent performance, which include instruments such as tunnel washers, rack washers, bedding dispensers, water acidifiers, and bedding disposal units. LASS utilizes cagewash equipment, especially rack and tunnel washers, to process waste and as such, the equipment requires preventative maintenance to ensure consistent performance. In addition to preventative maintenance services, the cagewash equipment requires routine service calls and ad-hoc call backs for service. As such, LASS is seeking to procure a base plus four (4) option periods contract for maintenance services for the cagewash equipment. Specifically, CMB LASS is seeking a base plus four (4) option periods contract for maintenance services for the cage wash equipment listed below: Better Built Tunnel Washer, Model T236 (Serial No.: 236-0508-N2414, Location: Bldg. 14BS) Bedding Dispenser Model BD-200-M-76 (Serial No.: S0162688-1, Location: Bldg. 14BS) TBJ Acidifier, Model WBF-SMD (Serial No.: S0162689-1, Location: Bldg. 14BS) TBJ Acidifier, Model WBF-SMD (Serial No.: S0193297-1, Location: Bldg. 14BS) Scientek Tunnel Washer, Model Tunnel 2536 S (Serial No.: 250304-1023, Location: Bldg. 4) Getinge Bedding Dispenser Model RF1975 (Serial No.: N/A, Location: Bldg. 4) GetingeCastle Tunnel Washer, Model 3236 (Serial No.: 1008907-10, Location: Bldg. 33) GetingeCastle Rack Washer, Model 2110 (Serial No.: 1008907-15, Location: Bldg. 33) NuAire/Garb-el Waste Management System, Model NU-125-Spec (Serial No.: 103014120505, Location: Bldg. 33) Getinge Bedding Dispenser, Model BD-2000-RE (Serial No.: S0040738-1, Location: Bldg. 33) TBJ Acidifier, Model DP-5000-1B-0 (Serial No.: 101429091905, Location: Bldg. 33) Ionics FA series Model 10 A. Filt/ HT-8 545 6057 (Serial No.: N/A, Location: Bldg. 33) Getinge Glass Washer, S-8666 (Serial No.: SEV0514005, Location: Bldg. 33) Getinge Glass Washer, S-8666 (Serial No.: SEV0514006, Location: Bldg. 33) Getinge Glass Washer, S-8666 (Serial No.: SEV0514007, Location: Bldg. 33) BetterBuilt Tunnel Washer, Model T236 (Serial No.: T236-1021-N7423-2, Location: Bldg. 50) BetterBuilt Rack Washer, Model R690 (Serial No.: R690-1021-N7423-1, Location: Bldg. 50) TBJ Acidifier, Model DP-5000-1B-0 (Serial No.: 001214995, Location: Bldg. 50) BetterBuilt Tunnel Washer, Model T236 (Serial No.: 236-0517-N5742, Location: Bldg. 14DNR) Bedding Dispenser, Model BD-2000-92 (Serial No.: S0101600-1, Location: Bldg. 14DNR) TBJ Acidifier, Model WBF-SMD (Serial No.: S012186-2, Location: Bldg. 14DNR) The service contract must meet all the technical requirements listed in the attached Statement of Work (SOW). Additionally, all contractors working on this contract will be required to have, at a minimum, a NIH Serve Providers badge for access to the NIH Bethesda campus. Access and background checks will be elevated for Building 33 access. Failure to pass elevated background checks for Building 33 will result in revocation of the NIH badge. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The period of performance is as follows: Base Period: September 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025 Option Period 1: April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026 Option Period 2: April 1, 2026 - March 31, 2027 Option Period 3: April 1, 2027 - March 31, 2028 Option Period 4: April 1, 2028 - March 31, 2029 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE NIH/NIAID 33 North Drive Bethesda, MD 20892 The covered equipment is located on the Bethesda, MD Campus of the National Institutes of Health in Buildings 14BS, 4, 33, 50, and 14DNR. CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE (COR) The following Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) will represent the Government for the purpose of this contract: To be specified at the time of award. The COR is responsible for: (1) monitoring the Contractor's performance, including the surveillance, assessment, and recommending to the Contracting Officer changes in requirements; (2) interpreting the statement of work and any other technical performance requirements; (3) performing technical evaluation as required; (4) performing technical inspections and acceptances required by this contract; and (5) assisting in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance. The Contracting Officer is the only person with authority to act as agent of the Government under this contract. Only the Contracting Officer has authority to: (1) direct or negotiate any changes in the statement of work; (2) modify or extend the period of performance; (3) change the delivery schedule; (4) authorize reimbursement to the Contractor for any costs incurred during the performance of this contract; (5) otherwise change any terms and conditions of this contract; or (6) sign written licensing agreements. Any signed agreement shall be incorporated by reference in the contract. The Government may unilaterally change its COR designation. INSTRUCTIONS All capable vendors shall provide a quote for the requirement as outlined in this solicitation. All quotes shall include: Response to all minimum service requirements and instructions for the quote to be accepted as responsive. Support response. Quote must indicate: Onsite visit response time (include guarantees, zoning/geography restrictions if applicable). Onsite call-back repair service visit response time (include guarantees, zoning/geography restrictions if applicable). All service terms, conditions, and exclusions as a part of, or as an attachment to the quotation. Referenced or linked terms and conditions will not be considered nor included in award. Indicate the order of priority in which repairs will be scheduled. (For example, if the vendor serves multiple clients, which clients, if any, take precedence over others. If there is a tier-based system that prioritizes certain clients or certain types of repairs over others, indicate at what tier or priority of service that is being quoted). Indicate the nature of software updates/revisions during the service period. Include when they will be implemented (for example, will revisions/updates be provided and released to NIAID, during PM visits only, upon immediate release, or on another schedule). All manufacturers and serial number must be listed for each piece of equipment quoted per line. Period of performance must be included on quote. Documentation of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) trained technicians/engineers: All third-party service providers, must include a letter from OEM certifying service technicians/engineers or proof of OEM training. Price(s) (unit price, extended price, total price). Point of contact: name, phone number & email. Unique Entity ID (UEI) and cage code from active SAM.gov registration. Completed certification for FAR 52.222-48 Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment - Certification (Attachment 3 - Full Text Provisions). Completed certification for FAR 52.225-6 Trade Agreements Certificate (Attachment 3 - Full Text Provisions). Vendor is invited to include past performance references of similar services, including the description of the service, the period of performance, and a client contact name and phone number for that award. No more than three (3) references within the last three (3) years indicating past performance of similar size and scope. Each response must clearly indicate the capability of the vendor to meet all specifications and requirements. The Government will evaluate only those quotes that fully meet the requirements as outlined above and respond to the solicitation instructions and requirements. Failure to furnish a full and complete quote as instructed will result in the Quoter's response being considered non-responsive and will therefore be eliminated from further consideration and award. All or part of the successful vendor's quote may be incorporated in any contract resulting from this solicitation. The successful vendor's quote may be incorporated by reference. Quotes are due by 3:00 PM EST on August 21, 2024. Quotes must be emailed to Kathy Song, Contract Specialist at contact@example.gov. Late quotes will not be considered. All responsible sources may submit an offer that will be considered by this Agency. Any questions or concerns regarding this combined synopsis/solicitation should be emailed by August 15, 2024 at 3:00 PM EST to contact@example.gov. EVALUATION NIAID will evaluate quotes to determine the best value to the government. NIAID will make that determination based on technical acceptability, past performance, and price. NIAID will evaluate past performance and price only for those quotes which are rated as technically acceptable. In the event quotes are evaluated as technically equal, past performance, and price will become major considerations in selecting the successful Quoter. The Government will not award a purchase order to a Quoter at a significantly higher evaluated price to achieve only slightly superior performance capabilities. Likewise, the Government will not award to a Quoter simply because its quote is technically acceptable and also the lowest quoted price. The Government intends to award without discussions but reserves the right to conduct discussions should it be deemed in the Government's best interest. The Government will evaluate quotes for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that a quote is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). SPECIAL NOTICE TO QUOTERS Quoters are advised that the Government may share your information with non-government personnel who are assisting with the evaluation of quotes. The exclusive responsibility for source selection will reside with the Government. By submitting your quote, you will be consenting to disclosure of your quote to non-government personnel for purposes of evaluation. ELECTRONIC INVOICING The successful vendor may submit an invoice once a shipment is delivered, and services have been rendered. NIAID will only accept invoices for completed services and units that have been delivered to NIAID. An electronic courtesy copy shall be emailed to the Contracting Officer, COR, and Invoice Specialist specified at the time of award. NIH is using a phased transition approach from the NIH Office of Financial Management (OFM) Electronic Invoice Submission instructions to the Department of Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). For contractors that have transitioned to IPP, the Contractor must submit invoices to the Department of Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) at https://www.ipp.gov. For contractors that have not transitioned to IPP, the Contractor shall submit invoices to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Office of Financial Management (OFM) via email at contact@example.gov with a copy to the approving official until the Contractor has been notified of its transition to IPP. PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES FAR 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998) This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): https://www.acquisition.gov/ FAR 52.203-18 - Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements - Representations (Jan 2017) FAR 52.204-7 - System for Award Management (Oct 2018) FAR 52.204-16 - Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020) FAR 52.204-24 - Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021) FAR 52.204-26 - Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation. (Oct 2020) FAR 52.212-1 - Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Sep 2023) FAR 52.212-3 - Offeror Representations and Certification - Commercial Products and Commercial Services (May 2024) The following HHSAR provision is applicable and provided in full text below: HHSAR 352.239-78 - INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE (FEB 2024) (DEVIATION) (a) Any offeror responding to this solicitation must comply with established HHS Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility standards. Information about Section 508 is available at https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/index.html. (b) The Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this solicitation are stated in the clause at 352.239-79 Information and Communication Technology Accessibility. In order to facilitate the Government's determination whether proposed ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, and documentation meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must submit an appropriate HHS Section 508 Accessibility Conformance Checklist (see https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html) or an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) (based on the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) see https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat), in accordance with the completion instructions. The purpose of the checklists and conformance reports are to assist HHS acquisition and program officials in determining whether proposed ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, and documentation conform to applicable Section 508 accessibility standards. Checklists and ACRs evaluate'in detail'whether the ICT conforms to specific Section 508 accessibility standards and identifies remediation efforts needed to address conformance issues. (c) If an offeror claims its supplies or services meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, and it is later determined by the Government, i.e., after award of a contract or order, that supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support delivered do not conform to the described accessibility standards, remediation of the supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its expense. (d) In order to facilitate the Government's determination whether proposed ICT supplies meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must submit an Accessibility Conformance Report, in accordance with its completion instructions and tailored to the requirements in the solicitation. The purpose of the Report is to assist HHS acquisition and program officials in determining whether proposed ICT supplies conform to applicable Section 508 accessibility standards. The template allows offerors or developers to self-evaluate their supplies and document, in detail, whether they conform to a specific Section 508 accessibility standard, and any underway remediation efforts addressing conformance issues. Instructions for preparing the HHS Section 508 Evaluation Template are available at https://Section508.gov/. (e) In order to facilitate the Government's determination whether proposed ICT services meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must provide enough information to assist the Government in determining that the ICT services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards, including any underway remediation efforts addressing conformance issues. (f) Respondents to this solicitation must identify any inability to conform to Section 508 requirements. If an offeror claims its supplies or services meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, and it is later determined by the Government, i.e., after award of a contract or order, that supplies or services delivered do not conform to the described accessibility standards, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its expense. (g) Items delivered as electronic content must be accessible to HHS acceptance criteria. Checklist for various formats are available at http://508.hhs.gov/. Materials, other than items incidental to contract management, that are final items for delivery should be accompanied by the appropriate checklist, except upon approval of the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer's Representative. (End of provision) FAR 52.252-2 - Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998) This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): https://www.acquistion.gov/ FAR 52.204-13 - System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018) FAR 52.204-18 - Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020) FAR 52.204-21 - Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems (Nov 2021) FAR 52.212-4 - Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2023) FAR 52.242-15 - Stop-Work Order (Aug 1989) By reference the Department of Health and Human Services Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) provisions and clauses that are applicable to this requirement. Copies are available from http://www.hhs.gov/policies/hhsar/: Clauses HHSAR 352.203-70 - Anti-lobbying (December 18, 2015) HHSAR 352.208-70 - Printing and Duplication (December 18, 2015) HHSAR 352.222-70 - Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (December 18, 2015) HHSAR 352.223-70 - Safety and Health (December 18, 2015) By full text the Department of Health and Human Services Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) as attachments: HHSAR 352.232-71 - Electronic Submission of Payment Requests (February 2, 2022) HHSAR 352.239-79 - Information and Communication Technology Accessibility (Feb 2024) (DEVIATION) The following additional FAR provisions and clauses are applicable to this requirement and provided in full text as Attachments: FAR 52.212-5 - Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Status or Executive Orders - Commercial Products and Commercial Services (May 2024) FAR 52.217-8 - Option to Extend Services (Nov 1999) FAR 52.217-9 - Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000) FAR 52.222-48 Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment-Certification (May 2014) FAR 52.225-6 Trade Agreements Certificate (Feb 2021) LIST OF ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1 - Statement of Work (SOW) Attachment 2 - Full Text Clauses Attachment 3 - Full Text Provisions Amendment 001: Publish general questions and answers received.