Turbomolecular Vacuum Pump System

This acquisition is being re-solicited due to a lack of small business manufacturers in this industry. This acquisition has changed from a total small business set-aside to an unrestricted acquisition due to the nonmanufacturer rule. Combined Synopsis/Solicitation FA700018T0030 Turbomolecular Vacuum Pump System This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial turbomolecular vacuum pumping systems, prepared in accordance with (IAW) the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented, with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written (formal) solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ), solicitation number, FA700018T0030, IAW FAR Parts 12 & 13. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular FAC 2005-97, 24 January 2018. The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) is 339113, Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing and the size standard is 750 employees. This brand name or equal acquisition is unrestricted. All responsible sources may submit a quote, which if received timely, will be considered by the 10th Contracting Squadron, U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). The government bears no legal liability for cost associated with this RFQ. Vendors should not submit a quote unless they are willing to absorb all costs associated with submitting a quote. Quotes submitted with used, reconditioned, refurbished, gray market or liquidated stock will not be considered for award. Please read and comply with all requirements for submitting a quote under the solicitation instructions and the addenda to FAR 52.212-1. Failure to comply with all instructions contained within this synopsis/solicitation could result in the quote being ineligible for award. It is the offeror's responsibility to ensure their quote meets all the requirements identified herein. It is USAFA's preference/intent to acquire only domestic end products per the Buy American Act, except as provided in FAR 25.103. Foreign offers will be evaluated per DFARS 225.502 when comparing domestic and foreign offers. This requirement is for commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) items. Buy American certification of compliance is required and must be submitted with quote. (See DFARS clause 252.225-7000 - Attachment 1). 1. DESCRIPTION OF ITEMS: Four Turbomolecular Vacuum Pump Systems This is a brand name or equal acquisition for the Edwards XDS35i Scroll Pump/Leybold Turbovac 350i Package or equal system and the Salient Characteristics are as follows: - A turbomolecular vacuum pump with a pumping speed of greater or equal to 345 l/s (for He gas). - A turbomolecular vacuum pump with thermal isolation for optimized cooling of the bearing for improved pump lifetime. - A turbomolecular vacuum pump with an oil free, lubricated lower mechanical ceramic ball bearing, field replaceable to reduce system downtime and cost of ownership. - Inclusion of all necessary cables and controllers in order to operate the turbomolecular vacuum pumps - A dry scroll roughing pump with a pumping speed of greater or equal to 23 CFM. - A dry scroll roughing pump which has a noise level of less than or equal to 57dB - A dry scroll roughing pump which is hermetically sealed a lubricant-free vacuum environment. - A minimum of a one year warranty is required. - Must be a new unit Operating Conditions: These pumping systems will consist of two main components, a high vacuum turbomolecular pump, and a lower vacuum roughing pump. A variety of atomic cooling and trapping experiments will be conducted with these systems. The exhaust will vent into the room and no fittings or adapters are required. The motor voltage for both the turbo pumps and dry scroll roughing pumps is 120VAC. The intake should be CF flanges, 6", and the exhaust can be KF40. PRICING: Provide the pricing for the following line items: Line Item: 0001 Description: Turbomolecular Vacuum Pump System Qty: 4 Unit of Issue: Each Unit Price: Extended Price: Total of CLIN 0001: Vendor shall be an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), authorized dealer, authorized distributor or authorized reseller for the proposed equipment/system such that the OEM warranty and service provided are maintained by the OEM. 2. SOLICITATION INSTRUCTIONS Offerors must comply with all instructions contained in the addenda to FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors--Commercial Items (listed below). The offeror shall submit their quote on company letterhead to include the following: solicitation number, contact name, address, telephone number of the offeror, unit price, extended price, any discount terms, delivery terms, cage code, DUNS number, size of business, and warranty information. The Contracting Officer is not responsible for locating or obtaining any information not identified in the quote. Descriptive literature and technical specifications must contain adequate information to judge if products meet or exceed the characteristics supplied in the solicitation and address each salient characteristic listed. To assure timely and equitable evaluation of the proposal, the quoter must follow the instructions contained herein. Quoters are required to meet all solicitation requirements, including terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements. Failure to meet a requirement may result in a quote being ineligible for award. Quoters must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions and provide complete accompanying rationale. The Contracting Officer has determined there is a high probability of adequate price competition in this acquisition. Upon examination of the initial quotes, the contracting officer will review this determination and if, in the Contracting Officer's opinion, adequate price competition exists, no additional cost information will be requested. However, if at any time during this competition the Contracting Officer determines that adequate price competition no longer exists, vendors may be required to submit information to the extent necessary for the Contracting Officer to determine the reasonableness and affordability of the price. FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS-COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JAN 2017) is incorporated by reference Addenda to 52.212-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS-COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JAN 2017) 1. This solicitation is being issued IAW FAR Parts 12 and 13 as a RFQ. IAW FAR 13.004, in all instances throughout this solicitation any use of the word "proposal" should be understood as "quote". All instances of the word "offeror" should be understood as "quoter". All instances of the word "award" should be understood as "order". Quotes supplied in response to this solicitation are not binding. Award of this requirement will be offered to the Quoter IAW 52.212-2, found herein. Late submissions: 2. Quoters are responsible for submitting quotations so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation. 3. Any quotation received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of quotations is late and will not be considered unless it is received before award is made and the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late quotation would not unduly delay the acquisition. 4. If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that quotations cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of quotations by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation or other notice of an extension of the closing date, the time specified for receipt of quotations will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal Government processes resume. Addendum to FAR 52.212-1(b), Submission of Quotes: Submit signed and dated quote via e-mail to 10th Contracting Squadron, 10 CONS/PKB, Attn: Wanda Farr, Contract Specialist, 8110 Industrial Drive, Suite 200, USAF Academy, CO 80840-2315. Quotes must be received no later than 1:30pm Mountain Daylight Time, 1 June 2018 to wanda.farr@us.af.mil. Questions should be addressed to the POC - Wanda Farr, Contract Specialist (719) 333-2796. Formal communications. Requests for clarification and information concerning the solicitation must be provided in writing no later than 4 days prior to closing. Answers will be compiled and posted electronically to the Federal Business Opportunities website: https://www.fbo.gov. All correspondence should reference the solicitation number. 1. Quotation preparation instructions: Specific Instructions: Quotes shall consist of three separate parts, as identified below. A. PART I - PRICE QUOTATION - Submit the price quote in accordance with the contract line item (CLIN) structure as listed in this solicitation. Prices quoted must be firm fixed-price to include shipping and handling charges based on F.O.B Destination. Quotes received with FOB: Other than Destination will not be considered. B. PART II - TECHNICAL/DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE - Offerors must submit technical information (descriptive literature/specifications) that adequately demonstrates their quote meets the salient characteristics requirement in contract line item (CLIN) 0001 of this solicitation. A general statement of compliance or restatement of the salient characteristics is insufficient. Ensure the descriptive literature addresses each salient characteristic listed. The Contracting Officer is not responsible for locating or obtaining any information not identified in the quote and literature. If an offeror cannot comply with every requirement, the quote may not be considered. Warranty information is also required. C. PART III - CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION (Representation and Certification). (i) Either complete Representation or Certification in the System of Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov, or print the provision and complete the necessary fill-ins and certification at FAR 52.212-3 (Nov 2017), and its Alt I (Oct 2014). Quoters are highly encouraged to complete all representations and certifications electronically online at https://www.sam.gov. If not completed online, 52.212-3 Alt I shall be completed in hard copy and submitted with your quote. FAR 52.212-3 and its Alt I can be found at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/ or a copy can be requested from the Contracting office and the POC listed in this combined synopsis/solicitation. (ii) Contractors must be registered with SAM (www.sam.gov) to conduct business with the Department of Defense. A purchase order cannot be awarded to a company without this registration at www.sam.gov. (iii) The provision at DFARS 252.225-7000, Buy American Act-Balance of Payments Program Certificate, must be completed and returned with the quote. This provision is included in this solicitation and is also attached as Attachment 1. (iv) Provide a written statement that the offeror's quote incorporates all amendments to the solicitation (if applicable). FAR 52.212-2 EVALUATION - COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014) (a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose quote conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotes: 1. Price 2. Meeting or exceeding the salient characteristics (Pass/Fail basis) 3. Past Performance (End of Provision) Addendum to FAR 52.212-2 -- EVALUATION -- COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014): BASIS FOR CONTRACT AWARD: This is a competitive acquisition in accordance with FAR Parts 12 and 13. Evaluation of quotes will be conducted using Simplified Acquisition Procedures in accordance with FAR Part 13.106. The evaluation process will proceed as follows: 1. Solicitation Requirements. All quotes submitted will be reviewed for completeness to determine if they contain all information requested in the addenda to FAR 52.212-1. Quotes that are incomplete or missing information may be excluded from the evaluation. Quotes that comply with the solicitation requirements will be considered responsive and evaluated as shown below: a) Price Evaluation. Quotes will be ranked according to price. An offeror's proposed price will be determined by multiplying the quantity by the contractor's proposed unit price to confirm the extended amount for each contract line item (CLIN). The unit price of the vendor's quote shall control any conflict between the unit price and the extended amount submitted in response to this solicitation. No advantage will accrue to a vendor who quotes an unrealistically low price. The price evaluation will document the reasonableness and affordability of the proposed total evaluated price. b) Meeting or exceeding the salient characteristics (Pass/Fail basis) c) Past Performance: (i) Past performance will be evaluated IAW DFARS 252.213-7000, Notice to Prospective Suppliers on Use of Supplier Performance Risk System in Past Performance Evaluations and IAW FAR 13.106-2(b)(3)(ii)(A) "the contracting officer's knowledge of and previous experience with the supply or service being acquired.". (ii) PPIRS-SR collects quality and delivery data on previously awarded contracts and orders from existing Department of Defense reporting systems to classify each supplier's performance history. The PPIRS-SR application provides the contracting officer quantifiable past performance information regarding a supplier's quality and delivery performance. The quality and delivery classifications identified for a supplier in PPIRS-SR will be used by the Contracting Officer to evaluate a supplier's past performance in conjunction with the Contracting Officer's knowledge of and previous experience with the supply or service being acquired. In the case of a supplier without a record of past performance history in PPIRS-SR, the supplier may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably for its past performance history. The Government reserves the right to award to the supplier whose quotation represents the best value to the Government. (iii) PPIRS-SR classifications are generated monthly for each contractor and can be reviewed by following the access instructions in the PPIRS-SR User's Manual found at https://www.ppirs.gov/pdf/PPIRS-SR_UserMan.pdf. Contractors are granted access to PPIRS-SR for their own classifications only. Suppliers are encouraged to review their own classifications. 2. If the lowest price quote passes technically and the quoter has either a favorable or neutral rating in PPIRS-SR, that quote represents the best value for the Government, and the evaluation process shall stop at this point. An award will be based on a best value of price and past performance provided by responsive and technically acceptable quotes. An award will be made to that quoter without further consideration of any other quotes. The evaluation process will continue in this manner until a vendor's quote passes the technical evaluation and has a favorable or neutral past performance rating. If no quotes are considered technically acceptable or all quoters have an unfavorable past performance rating, the solicitation may be canceled. (End of Addendum) 3. CONTRACT CLAUSES The following clauses are incorporated by reference: 52.203-19 Prohibition on Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements. (Jan 2017) 52.204-10 Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Oct 2016) 52.204-21 Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems (Jun 2016) 52.209-6 Protecting the Governments Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment. (Oct 2015) 52.209-10 Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (Nov 2015) 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions- Commercial Items (Jan 2017) 52.219-28 Post-Award Small Business Program Representation (Jul 2013) 52.222-3 Convict Labor (Jun 2003) 52.222-19 Child Labor -- Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Jan 2018) 52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Apr 2015) 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity (Sep 2016) 52.222-50 Combat Trafficking in Persons (Mar 2015) 52.223-18 Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (Aug 2011) 52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (Jun 2008) 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer--Central Contractor Registration (Jul 2013) 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Contractors (Dec 2013) 52.233-3 Protest After Award (Aug 1996) 52.233-4 Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (Oct 2004) Additional DFARS clauses applicable to this acquisition are: 252.203-7000 Requirements Relating to Compensation of Former DoD Officials (Sep 2011) 252.204-7015 Disclosure of Information to Litigation Support Contractors (May 2016) 252.225-7001 Buy American and Balance of Payments Program - Basic (Dec 2017) 252.225-7002 Qualifying Country Sources as Subcontractors (Dec 2017) 252.232-7003 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests and Receiving (Jun 2012) 252.232-7010 Levies on Contract Payments (Dec 2006) 252.244-7000 Subcontracts for Commercial Items (Jun 2013) 252.246-7008 Sources of Electronic Parts (May 2018) Addendum to FAR 52.212-4 - Text in paragraph (c) is deleted and replaced with the following: (a) Changes in terms and conditions of this contract may be made only by written agreement of the parties with the exception of certain changes such as administrative changes including changes in paying office, appropriation data, etc. authorized by the Federal Acquisition Regulation and its supplements that may be made unilaterally by the Contracting Officer (for a complete list of changes that may be made unilaterally, see FAR 43.103(b)). FAR 52.212-5 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (DEVIATION 2013-O0019) (NOV 2017) (a) Comptroller General Examination of Record. The Contractor shall comply with the provisions of this paragraph (a) if this contract was awarded using other than sealed bid, is in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold, and does not contain the clause at 52.215-2, Audit and Records -- Negotiation. (1) The Comptroller General of the United States, or an authorized representative of the Comptroller General, shall have access to and right to examine any of the Contractor's directly pertinent records involving transactions related to this contract. (2) The Contractor shall make available at its offices at all reasonable times the records, materials, and other evidence for examination, audit, or reproduction, until 3 years after final payment under this contract or for any shorter period specified in FAR Subpart 4.7, Contractor Records Retention, of the other clauses of this contract. If this contract is completely or partially terminated, the records relating to the work terminated shall be made available for 3 years after any resulting final termination settlement. Records relating to appeals under the disputes clause or to litigation or the settlement of claims arising under or relating to this contract shall be made available until such appeals, litigation, or claims are finally resolved. (3) As used in this clause, records include books, documents, accounting procedures and practices, and other data, regardless of type and regardless of form. This does not require the Contractor to create or maintain any record that the Contractor does not maintain in the ordinary course of business or pursuant to a provision of law. (b) (1) Notwithstanding the requirements of any other clause in this contract, the Contractor is not required to flow down any FAR clause, other than those in this paragraph (b)(1) in a subcontract for commercial items. Unless otherwise indicated below, the extent of the flow down shall be as required by the clause- (i) 52.203-13, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (Oct 2015) (41 U.S.C. 3509). (ii) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Oct 2014) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(2) and (3)), in all subcontracts that offer further subcontracting opportunities. If the subcontract (except subcontracts to small business concerns) exceeds $650,000 ($1.5 million for construction of any public facility), the subcontractor must include 52.219-8 in lower tier subcontracts that offer subcontracting opportunities. (iii) 52.222-17, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers (May 2014) (E.O. 13495). Flow down required in accordance with paragraph (1) of FAR clause 52.222-17. (iv) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Apr 2015). (v) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Sep 2016) (E.O. 11246). (vi) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (Oct 2015) (38 U.S.C. 4212). (vii) 52.222-36, Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (Jul 2014) (29 U.S.C. 793). (viii) 52.222-62 Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706 (JAN 2017) (E.O. 13706). (ix) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (Feb 2016) (38 U.S.C. 4212). (x) 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (Dec 2010) (E.O. 13496). Flow down required in accordance with paragraph (f) of FAR clause 52.222-40. (xi) 52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards (May 2014), (41 U.S.C. chapter 67). (xii) ____ (A) 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (Mar 2015) (22 U.S.C. chapter 78 and E.O. 13627). ___ (B) Alternate I (Mar 2015) of 52.222-50 (22 U.S.C. chapter 78 E.O. 13627). (xiii) 52.222-51, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment--Requirements (May 2014) (41 U.S.C. chapter 67.) (xiv) 52.222-53, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Certain Services--Requirements (May 2014) (41 U.S.C. chapter 67) (xv) 52.222-54, Employment Eligibility Verification (Oct 2015). (xvi) 52.222-55, Minimum Wages Under Executive Order 13658 (Dec 2015) (E.O. 13658). (xvii) 52.222-62, Paid sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706 (JAN 2017) (E.O. 13706). (xviii) (A) 52.224-3, Privacy Training (Jan 2017) (5 U.S.C. 552a). (B) Alternate I (Jan 2017) of 52.224-3. (xix) 52.225-26, Contractors Performing Private Security Functions Outside the United States (Jul 2013) (Section 862, as amended, of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008; 10 U.S.C. 2302 Note). (xx) 52.226-6, Promoting Excess Food Donation to Nonprofit Organizations. (May 2014) (42 U.S.C. 1792). Flow down required in accordance with paragraph (e) of FAR clause 52.226-6. (xxi) 52.247-64, Preference for Privately-Owned U.S. Flag Commercial Vessels (Feb 2006) (46 U.S.C. Appx 1241(b) and 10 U.S.C. 2631). Flow down required in accordance with paragraph (d) of FAR clause 52.247-64. (2) While not required, the contractor may include in its subcontracts for commercial items a minimal number of additional clauses necessary to satisfy its contractual obligations. (End of Clause) 52.222-36 - Equal Opportunity for Workers With Disabilities (Jul 2014) (a) Equal opportunity clause. The Contractor shall abide by the requirements of the equal opportunity clause at 41 CFR 60.741.5(a), as of March 24, 2014. This clause prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability, and requires affirmative action by the Contractor to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities. (b) Subcontracts. The Contractor shall include the terms of this clause in every subcontract or purchase order in excess of $15,000 unless exempted by rules, regulations, or orders of the Secretary, so that such provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor. The Contractor shall act as specified by the Director, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs of the U.S. Department of Labor, to enforce the terms, including action for noncompliance. Such necessary changes in language may be made as shall be appropriate to identify properly the parties and their undertakings. [Class Deviation- 2017-O0008, Office of Federal contract Compliance Programs Waiver of Certain Clause Requirements in Contracts for Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts. This clause deviation is effective on Sept 01, 2017, and remains in effect until incorporated into the FAR, or otherwise rescinded. (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the Contractor will not be obligated to develop the written affirmative action program required under the regulations implementing section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. (End of Clause) DFARS 252.232-7006 WIDE AREA WORKFLOW PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS (MAY 2013) (a) Definitions. As used in this clause-- Department of Defense Activity Address Code (DoDAAC) is a six position code that uniquely identifies a unit, activity, or organization. Document type means the type of payment request or receiving report available for creation in Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF). Local processing office (LPO) is the office responsible for payment certification when payment certification is done external to the entitlement system. (b) Electronic invoicing. The WAWF system is the method to electronically process vendor payment requests and receiving reports, as authorized by DFARS 252.232-7003, Electronic Submission of Payment Requests and Receiving Reports. (c) WAWF access. To access WAWF, the Contractor shall-- (1) Have a designated electronic business point of contact in the System for Award Management at https://www.acquisition.gov; and (2) Be registered to use WAWF at https://wawf.eb.mil/ following the step-by-step procedures for self-registration available at this Web site. (d) WAWF training. The Contractor should follow the training instructions of the WAWF Web- Based Training Course and use the Practice Training Site before submitting payment requests through WAWF. Both can be accessed by selecting the "Web Based Training" link on the WAWF home page at https://wawf.eb.mil/. (e) WAWF methods of document submission. Document submissions may be via Web entry, Electronic Data Interchange, or File Transfer Protocol. (f) WAWF payment instructions. The Contractor must use the following information when submitting payment requests and receiving reports in WAWF for this contract/order: (1) Document type. The Contractor shall use the following document type(s) following inspection/acceptance locations in WAWF. Stand Alone (2) Inspection/acceptance location. The Contractor shall select the following inspection/acceptance location(s) in WAWF, as specified by the contracting officer. Destination (3) Document routing. The Contractor shall use the information in the Routing Data Table below only to fill in applicable fields in WAWF when creating payment requests and receiving reports in the system. Routing Data Table* Field Name in WAWF Data to be entered in WAWF Pay Official DoDAAC F67100 Issue By DoDAAC FA7000 Admin DoDAAC FA7000 Inspect By DoDAAC FE7000 Ship To Code FE7000 (4) Payment request and supporting documentation. The Contractor shall ensure a payment request includes appropriate contract line item and subline item descriptions of the work performed or supplies delivered, unit price/cost per unit, fee (if applicable), and all relevant back-up documentation, as defined in DFARS Appendix F, (e.g. timesheets) in support of each payment request. (5) WAWF email notifications. The Contractor shall enter the email address identified below in the "Send Additional Email Notifications" field of WAWF once a document is submitted in the system. wanda.farr@us.af.mil (Contract Specialist) (g) WAWF point of contact. (1) The Contractor may obtain clarification regarding invoicing in WAWF from the following contracting activity's WAWF point of contact wanda.farr@us.af.mil (Contract Specialist) (2) For technical WAWF help, contact the WAWF helpdesk at 866-618-5988. (End of clause) 5352.201-9101 Ombudsman (June 2016) (a) An ombudsman has been appointed to hear and facilitate the resolution of concerns from offerors, potential offerors, and others for this acquisition. When requested, the ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The existence of the ombudsman does not affect the authority of the program manager, contracting officer, or source selection official. Further, the ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals, the source selection process, or the adjudication of protests or formal contract disputes. The ombudsman may refer the party to another official who can resolve the concern. (b) Before consulting with an ombudsman, interested parties must first address their concerns, issues, disagreements, and/or recommendations to the contracting officer for resolution. Consulting an ombudsman does not alter or postpone the timelines for any other processes (e.g., agency level bid protests, GAO bid protests, requests for debriefings, employee-employer actions, contests of OMB Circular A-76 competition performance decisions). (c) If resolution cannot be made by the contracting officer, concerned parties may contact the USAF Academy Ombudsmen, James Anderson 8110 Industrial Drive, Ste 103 USAFA, CO 80840 Telephone number 719-333-2074 FAX 719-333-2379 email: james.anderson.72@us.af.mil Concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations that cannot be resolved at the MAJCOM/DRU level, may be brought by the interested party for further consideration to the Air Force ombudsman, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (ADAS) (Contracting), SAF/AQC, 1060 Air Force Pentagon, Washington DC 20330-1060, phone number (571-256-2395, facsimile number (571)-256-2431. (d) The ombudsman has no authority to render a decision that binds the agency (e) Do not contact the ombudsman to request copies of the solicitation, verify offer due date, or clarify technical requirements. Such inquiries shall be directed to the Contracting Officer (End of clause) 4. SOLICITATION PROVISIONS 52.211-6 -- Brand Name or Equal (Aug 1999) (a) If an item in this solicitation is identified as "brand name or equal," the purchase description reflects the characteristics and level of quality that will satisfy the Government's needs. The salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics that "equal" products must meet are specified in the solicitation. (b) To be considered for award, offers of "equal" products, including "equal" products of the brand name manufacturer, must- (1) Meet the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristic specified in this solicitation; (2) Clearly identify the item by- (i) Brand name, if any; and (ii) Make or model number; (3) Include descriptive literature such as illustrations, drawings, or a clear reference to previously furnished descriptive data or information available to the Contracting Officer; and (4) Clearly describe any modification the offeror plans to make in a product to make it conform to the solicitation requirements. Mark any descriptive material to clearly show the modification. (c) The Contracting Officer will evaluate "equal" products on the basis of information furnished by the offeror or identified in the offer and reasonably available to the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer is not responsible for locating or obtaining any information not identified in the offer. (d) Unless the offeror clearly indicates in its offer that the product being offered is an "equal" product, the offeror shall provide the brand name product referenced in the solicitation. (End of provision) 252.225-7000 BUY AMERICAN--BALANCE OF PAYMENTS PROGRAM CERTIFICATE-- BASIC (NOV 2014) (a) Definitions. Commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) item, component, domestic end product, foreign ...