Vector Network Analyzer Extension Heads

THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR SUBPART 12.6-STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A SEPARATE WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED. THE SOLICITATION IS BEING ISSUED USING SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.5 TEST PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS. 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-48) 1352.215-72 INQUIRIES (APR 2010) Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to the Contracting Officer. Questions should be received no later than TWENTY calendar days after the issuance date of this solicitation. All responses to the questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation. Even if provided in other form, only the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract. (end of provision) The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334515, Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity, with a small business size standard of 500 employees. This acquisition is 100% set-aside for small business. In accordance with the non-manufacturer rule, the contractor shall be a small business under the applicable size standard and shall provide either its own product or that of another domestic small business manufacturing or processing concern. See FAR 19.102(f) for additional information. All offerors shall provide a quote for the following line items: Line Item 0001: One Vector Network Analyzer Extension Head Line Item 0002: (Option 1) One Additional Vector Network Analyzer Extension Head Introduction: The contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, and equipment to fabricate, deliver, and install one (or two if Option 1 is exercised) Vector Network Analyzer Extension Head(s). Purpose: The U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is soliciting quotes to supply a pair of 750 GHz - 1050 GHz vector network analyzer extension heads to NIST in Boulder, Colorado. Purchase is for one extension head with an option to purchase a second extension head if funds are available. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: Extension heads Minimum System Requirements: Full 2 Port S-Parameter Banded Waveguide Frequency Range Coverage: 750 GHz - 1050 GHz WM 250 (WR 1.0) (Coverage from 850 GHz to 1050 GHz is acceptable, but additional consideration will be given to vendors that can provide coverage over the full frequency range 750-1050 GHz.) Minimum usability criteria: The VNAs and extension heads shall be deployable in multiple measurement arenas including rectangular-waveguide and on-wafer measurement setups. It is anticipated that the Waveguide Frequency Extenders will be placed in several different configurations including on-wafer probe stations. Vendors shall provide cabling necessary to allow the frequency Extenders to be placed in a typical probe station. The Waveguide Frequency Extender Heads shall support full transmit & receive, and the systems shall be capable of measuring forward and backward waves on any port with any port excited. Minimum Support Software and Hardware: Must, in conjunction with the Agilent PNA-X, support full vector S-parameter measurement and calibration. Full enclosures shall be provided for each extension head. Three year manufacturer's warranty for parts and repair. Frequency Extension Head Capabilities: Waveguide Band (GHz) 750-850 850-1050 Dynamic Range (dB)** 40 50 Magnitude Stability ( dB)** 1.2 0.8 Phase Stability ( deg)** 15 10 Port-match, directivity and linearity specifications are not required but will be given additional consideration. Due to the newness of units operating in this band, nominal expectations are listed. These should not be considered minimum requirements, these are goals for performance. Additional consideration will be given to offerors whose quotations state that these goals will be exceeded. Stronger consideration will be given to offerors whose quotations provide measurement data demonstrating that these goals will be met. Strongest consideration will be given to offerors whose quotations provide measurement data demonstrating that these goals will be exceeded. Express Warranty Contractor shall provide standard commercial warranty. Delivery Our target delivery date is by the end of September, 2011. Offerors should include guaranteed delivery date in their quotes. All quotes will be considered, regardless of ability to meet the target delivery date, but offerors that can meet the target delivery date will be given stronger consideration. FOB Destination delivery terms are requested, and shall take place in accordance with Contractor's commercial schedule. FOB Destination means: The contractor shall pack and mark the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the purchase order, be responsible for any loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt and acceptance of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the purchase order; and pay all charges to the specified point of delivery. The contractor shall deliver line item 0001 and line item 0002 (if Option 1 is exercised) to NIST, Shipping and Receiving, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305. PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES: The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are hereby incorporated by reference. All FAR clauses may be viewed at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html. Provisions 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items Offerors shall 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. Clauses 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items-Commercial Items including subparagraphs: 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government; 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation; 52.209-6, Protecting the Government's Interest when Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended or Proposed for Debarment 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside; 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns; 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting; 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Re-representation; 52.222-3, Convict Labor; 52.222-19 Child Labor - Cooperation With Authorities And Remedies; 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52-222-26, Equal Opportunity; 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans; 52.223-18, Contractor Policy to Ban Text Messaging While Driving; 52.225-1, Buy American Act - Supplies 52.225-13 Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases; 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration. INSTRUCTIONS: Central Contractor Registration In accordance with FAR 52.204-7, the awardee must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (www.ccr.gov) prior to award. Refusal to register shall forfeit award. Due Date for Quotations Offerors shall submit their quotations so that NIST receives them no later than 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Friday, May 20, 2011. FAX quotations shall not be accepted. E-mail quotations shall be accepted at Jennifer.malcolm@nist.gov. Please reference the RFQ number in the subject line of email communications. Offerors' quotations shall not be deemed received by the Government until the quotation is entered in the e-mail inbox set forth above. Quotations shall be sent to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Acquisition Management Division, Attn: Jennifer Malcolm, 325 Broadway, Mail Stop 194, Boulder, CO 80305. All offerors should ensure the RFQ number is visible on the outermost packaging. Because of heightened security, FED-EX, UPS, or similar delivery methods are the preferred method of delivery of quotes. If quotes are hand delivered, delivery shall be made on the actual due date, and a 48 hour prior notice shall be provided to Jennifer Malcolm, Contract Specialist on 303-497-3764. Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Quotation Preparation Instructions 1) Price Quotation: The offeror shall submit an original and one copy of the completed price schedule. If the quotation is submitted electronically, additional copies are not required. The pricing quotation shall be separate from any other portion of the quotation. The offeror should propose a firm-fixed-price, FOB Destination, for each CLIN. Contractor shall state express warranty coverage. Price quotations shall remain valid for a period of 90 days from the date quotations are due. 2) Technical Quotation: The offeror shall submit an original and one copy of the technical quotation. If the quotation is submitted electronically, additional copies are not required. The technical quotation shall address the following: Technical Capability: The offeror shall submit a technical description or product literature for the equipment it is proposing, which clearly identifies the manufacturer, make and model. The offeror must demonstrate that its proposed equipment meets or exceeds each minimum requirement described in the technical specifications by providing a citation to the relevant section of its technical description or product literature. If applicable, evidence that the Offeror is authorized by the original equipment manufacturer to provide the item(s) in the quotation should be included. Past Performance: The offeror shall provide past performance information regarding relevant contracts over the past five (5) years with Federal, state, or local governments, or commercial customers. If the offeror has no relevant past performance, it may include a statement to that effect in its quotation. The government reserves the right to consider data obtained from sources other than those described by the offeror in its quotation. It is recommended that approximately 3-5 contracts be referenced. Acceptance of Terms and Conditions: This is an open-market solicitation for equipment as defined herein. The Government intends to award a Purchase Order as a result of this solicitation that will include the clauses set forth herein. The quotation should include one of the following statements: "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition." OR "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) QUOTATION EVALUATION: Evaluation Factors Award shall be made to the offeror whose quotation offers the best value to the Government, price and other factors considered. The Government will evaluate quotations based on the following evaluation criteria: 1) Technical Capability 2) Past Performance, and 3) Price. All non-price factors, when combined, are approximately equally important to price. Technical Capability: No prototypes, demonstration models, used or refurbished instruments will be considered. Evaluation of technical capability shall be based on the information provided in the quotation. NIST will evaluate whether the offeror has demonstrated that its proposed equipment meets or exceeds all minimum requirements. Quotations that do not demonstrate the proposed equipment meets all requirements will not be considered further for award. If an offeror does not indicate whether its proposed equipment meets a certain minimum requirement, NIST will determine that it does not. NIST will give preference to offerors who demonstrate that their proposed equipment exceeds NIST's requirements. Past Performance: The Government will evaluate the Offeror's past performance information and, if appropriate, its proposed subcontractors' past performance to determine its relevance to the current requirement and the extent to which it demonstrates that the offeror has successfully completed relevant contracts in the past five years. In assessing the offeror's past performance information, NIST will evaluate the quality, timeliness, and ability to control cost and schedule of the past work. Evaluation of this factor will be based on information contained in the technical portion of the quotation and information provided by references. The Government will evaluate past performance information by contacting appropriate references, including NIST references, if applicable. The Government may also consider other available information in evaluating the Offeror's past performance. The Government will assign a neutral rating if the offeror has no relevant past performance information. Price: The Government will evaluate price for reasonableness. Past Performance and Price shall not be evaluated on quotes that are determined technically unacceptable under the Technical Capability Evaluation factor. 1352.233-70 AGENCY PROTESTS (APR 2010) (a) An agency protest may be filed with either (1) the Contracting Officer, or (2) at a level above the Contracting Officer, with the agency Protest Decision Authority. See 64 Fed. Reg. 16,651 (April 6, 1999). (b) Agency protests filed with the Contracting Officer shall be sent to the following address: NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION ATTN: Jason Gerloff, CONTRACTING OFFICER 325 Broadway Boulder, CO 80305 (c) Agency protests filed with the Protest Decision Authority shall be sent to the following address: NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION ATTN: HEAD OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICE (HCO) 100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (d) A complete copy of all agency protest, including all attachments, shall be served upon the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel within one day of filing a protest with either the Contracting Officer or the Protest Decision Authority. (e) Service upon the Contract law Division shall be made as follows: U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the General Counsel Chief, Contract Law Division Room 5893 Herbert C. Hoover Building 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230 FAX: (202) 482-5858 1352.233-71 GAO AND COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS PROTESTS (APR 2010) (a) A protest may be filed with either the Government Accountability Office (GAO) or the Court of Federal Claims unless an agency protest has been filed. (b) A complete copy of all GAO or Court of Federal Claims protests, including all attachments, shall be served upon (i) the Contracting Officer, and (ii) the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel, within one day of filing a protest with either GAO or the Court of Federal Claims. (c) Service upon the Contract Law Division shall be made as follows: U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the General Counsel Chief, Contract Law Division Room 5893 Herbert C. Hoover Building 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230 FAX: (202) 482-5858