Services for Carbon Management: In-situ Studies of Co2, Capture for Clean Coal Technology

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 SERVICES-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. ***This 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) 2005-57. *** *** The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541690 with a small business size standard of $7.0M. This requirement is a 100% Small Business Set-Aside. *** This is an Open-Market Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for services as defined herein. The Government intends to award a Purchase Order as a result of this Combined Synopsis/Solicitation that will include the terms and conditions that are set forth herein. In order to facilitate the award process, ALL quotes shall include a statement regarding the terms and conditions herein as follows: The offeror shall state "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition." OR The offeror shall state "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following: Offeror shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s) Please note that this procurement is not being conducted under the GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) program or another Government-Wide Area Contract (GWAC). If an offeror submits a quotation based upon an FSS or GWAC contract, the Government will accept the quoted price. However, the terms and conditions stated herein will be included in any resultant Purchase Order, not the terms and conditions of the offeror's FSS or GWAC contract, and the statement required above shall be included in the quotation. *** The National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking services for Carbon Management: In-situ Studies of Co2, Capture for Clean Coal Technology ***All interested Contractors may provide a quote for the following: Line Item 0001 - (1) JOB -- Carbon Management: In-situ Studies of Co2, Capture for Clean Coal Technology. Please submit a listing of items that make up line item 0001. Line Item 0002 - (1) LOT -- TRAVEL BACKGROUND: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Ceramics Division is currently developing a project on materials for carbon mitigation for application to clean coal technologies. One particular area of interest pertains to carbon dioxide capture from the coal-fired power plants. The continual rise in anthropogenic atmospheric CO2 and the concomitant effect on climate change underlie the urgent need for the implementation of carbon capture approaches to stabilize the CO2 concentration while more sustainable energy technologies are developed. Currently, more than 33% of global CO2 emissions are from coal-fired power plants, which represent the largest point source of CO2. Before carbon dioxide can be sequestered from power plants and other stationary sources, the CO2 generated from exhaust and production streams must be captured and concentrated. Carbon mitigation technology has three components: capture, transportation, and sequestration. Carbon capture is the most energy intensive and costly component of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), estimated to represent about 75 % of the total cost. The largest cause of efficiency reduction observed in carbon capture technology is the energy required to regenerate the amine solution presently used as the CO2 sorbent material. Mid-term to long-term opportunities to lower capture costs via improved performance could come from the development of energy efficient membranes and multi-scale solid sorbents. In that light, the development of a series of metrologies for a systematic sorbent performance analysis, and the construction of a physico-chemical property/performance database would be the key enablers to screen, select, and design energy efficient solid sorbent materials for carbon capture applications. The objective of this work is the following: (1) to develop a suite of in situ measurement techniques including high pressure differential scanning calorimetry (HP-DSC), in situ near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS), and in situ small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to address the need for metrologies to determine the - active' structural state and characteristics of candidate materials during CO2 adsorption/desorption, and (2) vet a preliminary roadmap of standards and metrology needs for carbon capture materials research with the help of stakeholders from industry and Government. The combination of in situ measurement techniques will address the need for: (i) metrologies related to CO2 adsorption/desorption performance evaluation of sorbent materials (with emphasis on amino-functionalized mesoporous silica and metal-organic framework materials) and (ii) a physico-chemical property/performance database for sorbent materials. The construction of a roadmap of standards and metrology needs for carbon capture materials research and the successful development of such metrologies and property databases would advance the scientific foundations for lowering the overall cost of CCS. SCOPE of WORK The Contractor shall design and perform experiments using the new combined instrumentation (in situ structure/kinetic characterization related to CO2 evolution and adsorption) using an appropriate number of selected sorbent materials, including multi-scale porous materials. The Contractor shall also set up the new high pressure Differential Scanning Calorimeter (HP-DSC) and ensure proper operation. After establishing the new instrumentation, the Contractor shall develop measurement methodologies and procedures, selecting suitable sorbent systems, and designing and performing analysis of the kinetic/structural studies related to the CO2 capture process. The number of experiments will be such that the relative standard deviation shall be 0.3 or less. To achieve reliable results, the Contractor must calibrate the system with known reference materials provided by the manufacturer of the HP-DSC. The Contractor shall compile at least 50 literature articles, and use his/her knowledge base to continue to develop new and sound approaches to CCS research for the Ceramics Division of NIST. Important functions of the NIST Ceramics Division are dissemination of research results describing development of new measurement methods and standards for advanced materials, and engagement with customers and peer developers of such measurement methods and results. One dissemination and engagement mechanism is the presentation of the results by talks, posters, and discussions with customers and other researchers at technical meetings. Accordingly, the Division requires the Contractor to present a technical research presentations at the following conferences: MRS October 16-18, 2012 in Pittsburgh PA; Boston, MA, November 26-30, 2012; a conference in Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY on February 4-7, 2013; and MRS conference in San Francisco, CA, April 1- 5, 2013. SPECIFIC TASKS AND PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS The Contractor shall provide all support for project oversight, administration and technical execution of the required tasks. The Contractor is responsible for maintaining accurate records of project activities. Task 1. Integration of the combined HP-DSC/EGA instrument The Contractor shall develop measurement methods with the new HP-DSC system in combination with the EGA to complement data obtained from in situ neutron experiments under comparable experimental conditions. A thorough testing of the system shall be performed to ensure the validity of the system for data collection. Critical experiments must be performed on important sorbent materials (for example, industrial samples obtained from NETL and CCS companies) to study their heat of CO2 adsorption and other relevant characteristics. Task 2. Development of a vetted technical approach on standards and metrology needs for carbon capture materials research The Contractor shall share the current version of the preliminary technical approach, of standards and metrologies for carbon capture materials research with key industry and Government scientists to obtain the necessary feedback. Based on the comments and suggestions received, the Contractor shall put together a revised version of the technical approach, describing the plan and activities of the carbon mitigation project at the Ceramics division of NIST (part of the deliverables), in order to obtain management approval for internal publication within the NIST community and discuss with management possibilities for external publication elsewhere. Task 3. Investigation of bonding characteristics of sorbents/CO2 The Contractor shall perform the investigation of CO2 bonding/adsorption mechanisms using ex situ and in situ near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) on relevant CO2 chemisorbent and membrane materials obtained from either NETL or CCS companies. Task 4. Investigation of microstructure characteristics of CO2 sorbents and membranes The Contractor shall complete the following tasks: (1) obtain, analyze and interpret neutron data with particular emphasis on fine nanoscale pore structure investigated by small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and correlations with small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), (2) design program of in situ neutron scattering characterization of CO2 capture materials prior to and upon arrival of new automated equipment for simultaneous sorption and in situ neutron measurements. Task 5. The Contractor shall complete two technical research presentations concerning the adsorption characteristics of selected sorbent materials using various measurement techniques including HP-DSC, SANS, and NEXAFS. These presentations shall comply with standards set forth by the ACS and CCS conferences. The NIST COR will review the presentations prior to submission to these conferences. Task 6: Travel; In addition to work at NIST Gaithersburg the contract employee will be required to travel to the NETL Visit in Pittsburgh, PA from October 16-18, 2012, MRS Conference Boston, MA from November 26-30, 2012, Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY Feb 4-7, 2013; and the MRS Conference San Francisco, CA from April 1-5, 2013,. Contractors who travel outside the NIST Gaithersburg Maryland campus will be accompanied by Government official. Performance Standards. The Contractor shall ensure that all research procedures are fully documented in a laboratory notebook, such that the research could be duplicated independently. The accuracy of the results shall be consistent with similar measurements in the recent published literature. Uncertainty analysis shall comply with NIST publication requirements as specified in Technical Note 1297, "Guidelines for Evaluating and Expressing Uncertainty of NIST Measurement Results" (http://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/guidelines/contents.html). Reports shall use SI units as specified in NIST Special Publication 811, "Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI)" (http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/pdf/sp811.pdf) Review and Approval. Quality of work will be assessed by the NIST COR, based on the Contractor's proficiency in the knowledge of CO2 capture science and technology, and structural analysis of CO2 sorbent materials. These results will be compared with noise and uncertainty levels of comparable measurements in the scientific literature, and by meeting the relative standard deviation values set forth above. Reports will be examined and reviewed by the NIST COR to evaluate the Contactor's performance. Identification Badges: Contractor employees shall comply with NIST identification and access requirements. The Contractor employee is responsible for absences due to expired identification and access documents. Each Contractor employee shall wear a visible identification badge provided by the NIST Security Office. The badge must show the full name, title, and if required by NIST, the words "Contractor" in front. The Contractor employee shall turn in the NIST identification badge and vehicle pass to the TIC or Contracting Officer (CO) upon termination of their services under this contract. Vehicle Registration: All Contractor employees must register their vehicles with the NIST Security Office to gain access to the campus. A valid driver's license, Government-furnished civilian ID, proof of insurance and current registration must be presented to the NIST Security Office, at which time a NIST vehicle pass will be issued. The pass shall be displayed on the vehicle's rear view mirror in accordance with instructions. The Contractor employee shall follow NIST procedures for removal and turn-in of the vehicle pass upon termination of services under this contract. Media Inquiries: The Contractor employee shall not respond to any media inquiries. Any inquiries from the media shall be immediately relayed to the TIC and/or CO. There shall be no interviews, comments, or any other response without the knowledge and approval of the NIST Director. DELIVERABLES AND DELIVERABLE DUE DATES The Contractor shall prepare and submit task based reports to the NIST COR five business days after the completion of each task (due day of completion of each task is listed below). A total of four reports are required. All reports shall be submitted electronically in Microsoft Word 2010 format. Each report shall contain the following sections: Introduction, Experimental Procedure, Data Analysis, and Summary or Conclusions. Each report shall identify the equipment used, the specimen preparations, the measurement conditions, raw and processed measurement results, images as constructed in the tasks, and all calculated or otherwise derived results specified in the tasks. The reports shall be submitted to NIST COR in electronic form as an e-mail attachment. Depending on the nature of the report, portions of the reports must be prepared in one of the following styles: - Fully documented research procedures in written laboratory notebooks (Task 1)Manuscripts suitable for submission to peer reviewed technical journals such as Journal of Sustainability, Journal of Materials and Chemistry, Journal of Materials Research, (Task 3 and Task 4) or - Posters suitable for presentation at major international meetings such as the NETL or ACS Conferences (Task 3 and Task 4), or - Internal NIST reports (Task 1 and Task 2) The Contractor shall ensure that all research procedures shall be fully documented such that the research could be duplicated independently. Report for Task 1. (Integration of the combined HP-DSC/EGA instrument): A report describing the progress on the development of a measurement method with the new HP-DSC/EGA system to complement data obtained from in situ neutron experiments at comparable experimental conditions (in collaboration with several NIST personnel) must be submitted to the NIST COR not later than 330 days after receipt of order. Report for Task 2. (Development of a vetted roadmap on standards and metrology needs for carbon capture materials research) A report on the revised version of the roadmap of standards and metrology needs in carbon capture materials research vetted by industry and Government scientists must be submitted to the NIST COR not later than 180 days after receipt of order. Report for Task 3. (Investigation of bonding characteristics of sorbents/CO2) A report on the investigation of CO2 bonding/adsorption mechanisms using in situ near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) on relevant CO2 chemisorbent and membrane materials obtained from Georgia Tech must be submitted to the NIST COR not later than 280 days after receipt of order. Report for Task 4. (Investigation of microstructure characteristics of CO2 sorbents and membranes): A report concerning the collaboration with NETL scientists on carbon capture research should be submitted before December 15, 2012. The report must include the progress on the analysis and interpretation of neutron data obtained with particular emphasis on fine nanoscale pore structure investigated by small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and correlations with small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). Task 5. The Contractor shall also provide a technical research presentations concerning the adsorption characteristics of selected sorbent materials using various measurement techniques including HP-DSC, SANS, and NEXAFS no later than 90 days after receipt of order. Task 6: Travel; In addition to work at NIST Gaithersburg the contract employee will be required to travel to NETL Visit in Pittsburgh, PA from October 16-18, 2012, MRS Conference Boston, MA from November 26-30, 2012, Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY Feb 4-7, 2013; and the MRS Conference San Francisco, CA from April 1-5, 2013,. Contractors who travel outside the NIST Gaithersburg Maryland campus will be accompanied by Government official. Standards for Acceptance of Deliverables: The NIST COR will provide comments on each deliverable within 5 calendar days from receipt of a given deliverable. The Contractor shall make any needed changes to the reports within 7 calendar days from receipt of electronic or written comments from the TIC. The NIST COR will provide written notification when deliverable is accepted. GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY, DATA, AND/OR INFORMATION All material and equipment provided by the Government in the performance of this contract remains the property of the Government and shall be surrendered to the Government upon completion or termination of this requirement. Likewise, all deliverables and data generated under this contract remain the property of the Government. Government furnished equipment will be provided in an as-is condition and in working condition. Upon contract award, the Government will provide the Contractor with access to the NIST Center for Neutron Research, synchrotron soft X-ray facilities at NSLS, and other relevant laboratory facilities for materials characterization. The Contractor will work closely with NIST personnel for access to NIST characterization tools. A NIST computer for data analysis and report production will also be provided for the Contractor. These facilities will be maintained and provided by the Functional Properties Group of the NIST Ceramics Division. The Government will also provide an office, furnished with a desk, chair, and a telephone. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE AND PLACE OF PERFORMANCE The period of performance will be from one year from the date of award. All work shall be accomplished at NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Normal duty hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with the exception of Federal holidays or other official closures. TRAVEL Travel will be reimbursed in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) and FAR 31.205-46 -- Travel Costs. Travel will not exceed the maximum per diem rate (meals and lodging), and transportation costs, in effect at the time of travel. (http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104790). The Contractor shall obtain a written authorization for travel from the NIST POC. CONTRACTOR'S QUALIFICATIONS: The Contractor shall be a materials scientist, chemist or chemical engineer with a Ph.D. degree, and: a. At least two years post-doctoral experience in materials science, chemistry or chemical engineering research. CO2 capture/sequestration research experience preferred b. Industrial experience at a company involved in carbon sequestration Experimental skills in x-ray diffraction, in situ small-angle neutron scattering, near-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, gas analysis, IR, and Raman spectroscopy. Experimental experience and theoretical understanding of the kinetics and thermodynamics of gas/liquid/solid phases. Award shall be made to the quoter whose quote offers the best value to the Government, technical approach, past performance, and price will be considered. The Government will evaluate information based on the following evaluation criteria: 1) Technical approach factor meeting or exceeding the minimum requirement 2) Past performance 3) Price. Technical experience and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price. The importance of price in the evaluation will increase with the degree of equality among quotations of the non-price factors. The total number of pages for the technical quote shall not exceed fifteen (15) pages, using 1"margins and a font size of 12. Technical Capability: Evaluation of Technical approach will be based on the information provided in the quotation which shows Experience to perform the services. The offorer shall provide the following: Factor (1) Technical approach SUBMISSION OF TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS: The Offeror's shall provide a (a) technical approach on how they will meet the requirements in the statement of work; (b) identify potential technical risks and how they would mitigate them; and (c) resume of offeror's personnel. Note that the resume is not included in the above page limitation for the technical proposal. Technical approach evaluation: The offeror's technical approach will be evaluated to determine its ability to successfully complete the requirements. The offeror shall discuss: (a) understanding of the requirements; (b) risk mitigation strategy to ensure timely performance of the requirements; (c) proposed staffing plan to demonstrate efficient and effective performance of the requirements with an appropriate staff; and (d) resumes of offeror's personnel. Note that resumes are not included in the above page limitation for the technical proposal. Experience SUBMISSION OF EXPERIENCE DOCUMENTS: The Offeror shall provide detailed information on their experience in (a) developing measurement techniques for carbon mitigation for application to clean coal technologies; and (b) developing a systematic technical approach (i.e., roadmaps) for standards and metrology needs for carbon capture materials research. The information on experience with roadmaps shall include a description of the process of vetting the roadmap(s) with the stakeholders. Experience evaluation: Evaluation of experience will be evaluated to determine the extent to which the offeror's technical background, experience, and qualifications demonstrate its ability to perform similar services. Factor (2) Past Performance Submission criteria for past performance review: a. Customer Contract/Order Number; b. Name, address, phone number, and email address of customer; c. Description of the requirements of the contract and the work performed by the Offeror under that contract/order; d. Contract type for the contract/order (e.g., firm-fixed-price, labor-hour, time-and-material, cost-plus-fixed-fee); 1) Total dollar amount of the contract/order including options; and 2) A list of problems encountered and corrective actions taken, if any. Factor (3) Evaluation of Past performance: The Government will evaluate the offeror's and, if appropriate, its subcontractor's and/or joint ventures and/or mentor prot'g's past performance information to determine its relevance to the current requirement and the quality , timeliness, and ability of the offeror to control cost and schedule on similar past projects. The Government will assign a neutral rating to the offeror's with no relevant past performance information within the past three (3) years. The Government may also obtain past performance information from sources other than those provided by the offeror in its proposal to complete its evaluation of this factor. Price: Quoted price will be evaluated for reasonableness. *** The full text of the FAR provisions 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. *** *** 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: The following clauses apply to this acquisition: 1. 52.202-1 Definitions (JAN 2012) 2. 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items (FEB 2012); 3. 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items including subparagraphs (APR 2012): a. 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations ((MAY 2011) b. 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Aside (Nov 2011) c. 52.222-3, Convict Labor (JUNE 2003) d. 52.222-19, Child Labor--Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (MAR 2012) e. 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (FEB 1999) f. 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (MAR 2007) g. 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (OCT 2010) h. 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (AUG 2011) i. 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration (OCT 2003) 4. 52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (JUNE 2008) 5. 52.225-25 Prohibition on Contracting With Entities Engaging In Sanctioned Activities (NOV 2011) 6. 52.227-14, Rights in Data--General (DEC 2007) 7. 52.217-8 OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES (NOV 1999) The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 15 days. (End of clause) The following Department of Commerce (CAR) clauses Department of Commerce Clauses apply to this acquisition. 1. 1352.201-70 Contracting Officer's Authority (March 2010) 2. 1352.201-72 Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) (APR 2010) 3. 1352.209-73 Compliance With The Laws (APR 2010) 4. 1352.209-74 Organizational Conflict Of Interest (APR 2010) 5. 1352.246-70 Place Of Acceptance (APR 2010) 6. 1352.227-70 Rights in Data, Assignment of Copyright (APR 2010). *** 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. *** *** Offerors shall submit their complete quotations no later than 12:00 PM Eastern Time on May 10, 2012 FAX quotations shall not be accepted. E-mail quotations shall only be accepted atjames.cariaga@nist.gov, Electronic versions of all proposals must be received in MSWord or Adobe acrobat pdf format only. E-mail quotations shall not be deemed received until the quotation is entered in the e-mail inbox of James Cariaga. ***