This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), is seeking information on a potential requirement for Delivery of Compressed Gases to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Health Effects Laboratory Division, Chemical and Biological Monitoring Branch (HELD/CBMB), Cincinnati, OH. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the NAICS code 325120 – Industrial Gas Manufacturing for the potential acquisition. Responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. See DRAFT Sample Performance Work Statement (subject to change). Anticipated period of performance. Base of one (1) year with four (4), one (1) year options. Contract Type: anticipated Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) – Firm Fixed price Capability statement /information sought. Respondents who believe that they possess the expertise and experience to meet the government’s needs as described above are invited to submit technical and management capabilities addressing those requirements. These may include but are not limited to: (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information. Respondent must indicate in your capability statement: Organization name, Address, DUNS number, Business size Classification (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, etc.) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code of 325120 – Industrial Gas Manufacturing size standard which is 1000 . Points of contact, Email, Telephone number, Page Limitation: No more than five (5) pages, 8 ½ x 11. Response Due Date: Submit information above to Spencer Kahn, Contracting Officer
[email protected]. Reference: HHS-CDC-NIOSH(SK)-SBSS-22-62979 . Responses are due no later than 12:00 pm, March 09, 2022 Eastern Time Local. Any information received by the government will not be returned. Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be posted on Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). Title: Delivery of Compressed Gases to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Health Effects Laboratory Division, Chemical and Biological Monitoring Branch (HELD/CBMB). Section C – Description/Specification/Work Statement Performance Work Statement (PWS) C. 1. BACKGROUND The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the U.S. federal agency for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. The Health Effects Laboratory Division, Chemical and Biological Monitoring Branch (HELD/CBMB) located in Cincinnati, OH is at the forefront of this, conducting applied research and establishing the methods for the identification and assessment of occupational exposures using biomonitoring, industrial hygiene field and laboratory based analytical methods, direct reading instruments and sensors, advanced microscopy techniques, and aerosol science. Using advanced laboratory science and innovative techniques, HELD/CBMB scientists and the work conducted in its laboratories continue to help improve occupational health and safety for the US worker. HELD operates a wide variety of scientific instruments that require the use of bottled liquid and compressed gas services, included but not limited to chromatographs, mass spectrometers, inductively coupled plasma, atmosphere vapor generation systems, and other analytical instrumentation. This facility requires a suite of services for HELD laboratorians that need such instruments as well as other types of compressed gases used in research and testing to meet the goals of HELD. It is essential for the operation of HELD that the supply of bottled liquid and compressed gas to be continuous and uninterrupted. Running out of liquid and compressed gas could damage, delay, or even compromise ongoing laboratory studies and damage scientific instruments. C.2. PURPOSE The purpose of this Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) is to supply liquid and compressed gas services of contractor-owned gas cylinders to ensure that HELD/CBMB has an uninterrupted adequate supply of bottled and bulk compressed gas services at the two NIOSH Cincinnati campuses. C.3. SCOPE OF WORK The contractor shall provide all labor and materials to deliver contractor-owned gas cylinders, to the NIOSH Cincinnati campuses, on an as needed basis, throughout the period of performance (ordering period). During the period of performance of this contract, the contractor is required to meet the following deliverables: The quantities shown in Table 1 of this Statement of Work are estimates of the facility's annual requirements for compressed gases. There is no express or implied guarantee that these quantities will be purchased. See the 2 price/cost schedule of the contract for the period of performance. The Contractor will be provided with names and contact information of primary and back-up Facility Points of Contact (Facility POCs). The contractor shall provide an annual report that details all work completed on the contract for each performance period broken down by month of the gases delivered and number of tanks rented. C.4. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The contractor shall perform each of the specified tasks below: TASK 1: Supply bottled and bulk compressed gas services Requirement: 1. The contractor shall deliver compressed gas in cylinders and pick up empty compressed gas cylinders at the loading dock of both the NIOSH Cincinnati Hamilton campus and the NIOSH Cincinnati Taft campus. Cylinders containing liquids shall be delivered to the room of use by the Deliverer. Compressed gases requested are those, but not limited to those, identified in Table 1 of this Statement of Work. 2. All cylinders must be accurately and clearly labeled as to the type and grade of gas provided. 3. All deliveries must be accompanied by itemized delivery tickets citing the vendor name, blanket purchase agreement number, date of order, name of individual placing the order, date of delivery, itemized list of gases furnished, including quantity, unit price and extension of cost, and itemized list of empty cylinders returned. Delivery tickets should include serial number or other identifying number of delivered or returned cylinders. 4. All invoices must include the account number/blanket purchase agreement number, the date, and the amount of each delivery ticket. 5. The Facility POC(s) will contact the Contractor to deliver compressed gases supplied under this agreement via website portal, email, or telephone for delivery within 72 hours of request. a. Deliveries shall be made to the NIOSH Cincinnati campuses only between the hours of 8:00am and 4:00pm Monday-Friday, and not on federal holidays. 6. All compressed gas cylinders shall be furnished by the Contractor. 7. The contractor is responsible for ensuring that all products, equipment, and services provided under the agreement are compliant with applicable Federal, state, and Local regulations. The Contractor is responsible for remaining compliant with any future revisions that become effective during the contract period of performance (ordering period). To help ensure the protection of the life and health of all persons, and to help prevent damage to property, the Contractor shall comply with all Federal, State, and local laws and regulations applicable to the work being performed under this contract. These laws are implemented or enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other regulatory/enforcement agencies at the Federal, State, and local levels. 8. On a semi-annual basis, the Contractor shall conduct a walk-through of each facility and supply an inventory of actual cylinders, on-site at each facility, to verify the accuracy of inventory counts. The inventory statement shall be supplied to the POC and Contracting Officer Representative (COR). 9. The Contractor shall invoice the Government monthly for compressed gas services and cylinder rentals that are held at NIOSH Cincinnati facilities and provide copies to POC and COR. The two NIOSH Cincinnati locations shall be invoiced for these services separately. 10. The Contractor shall ensure that the supplied compressed gas cylinders are in proper working order at all times and shall perform any preventative maintenance, repairs, or replacement that may be needed for optimal performance and to prevent leaks or incidents at no additional cost to the Government. 11. The contractor shall provide expertise in the supply and management of compressed gases and is encouraged to recommend methods that would result in efficiencies or cost savings. Table 1. Liquid and Compressed Gas Type and Usage Estimates for the NIOSH Cincinnati Campuses Description SEE ATTACHED. C.5. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED MATERIALS There is no government furnished property. C.6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The BPA ordering period of performance shall be five (5) years. C.7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE All work will be performed at the NIOSH Cincinnati facilities located at the following two addresses: CDC/NIOSH Cincinnati- Hamilton Campus 5555 Ridge Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45213 and CDC/NIOSH Cincinnati – Taft Campus 1050 Tusculum Cincinnati, OH 45226