Liquid Nitrogen and Argon Gas and Tank Rental

USDA, APHIS, has a requirement to provide a steady supply of liquid nitrogen and liquid argon to the National Grain Center (NGC) located at 10383 North Ambassador Drive in Kansas City, Missouri 64153. Contractor/supplier must be able to provide the rental of the tanks as well as both liquid nitrogen and liquid argon gases. We are seeking interested sources from small-business concerns that are capable of providing the following work: Rental of 2 tanks to be on site in Missouri 3000 L microbulk nitrogen system to existing plumbing using high purity tubing and Swagelok fittings to provide a constant flow rate of at least 2000 scf/h and maintain pressure adequate to supply eight instruments, each requiring an inlet pressure of 100 psi. This microbulk tank will also supply nitrogen to ten laboratory hoods, but this use of nitrogen is inconsequential relative to the requirements of the instruments. 1000 L microbulk argon system to existing plumbing using high purity tubing and Swagelok fittings to provide a constant flow rate of at least 100 scf/h and maintain pressure adequate to supply one instrument, requiring an inlet pressure of 100 psi. Consumption of nitrogen gas is estimated at 700 ccf per month for the facility. The storage vessel must be a Perma-Cyl 3000 HP (Chart Industries) or of equivalent specifications (see attachment). Consumption of argon gas is estimated at 80 ccf per month for the facility. The storage vessel must be a Perma-Cyl 1000 HP (Chart Industries) or of equivalent specifications (see attachment). On-site delivery of high purity liquid nitrogen and high purity liquid argon into respective microbulk system providing uninterrupted laboratory services is needed. The tank levels must be monitored by telemetry and refilled in order to maintain operating conditions. Response time for requested service must be within 4 business days. The nitrogen product from the vessel must be dry and oil-free with a purity of at least 99.998% purity, CO2 < 10 ppm, H2 < 10 ppm, H2O < 10 ppm, O2 < 10 ppm, and THC < 1 ppm. The argon product from the vessel must be dry and oil-free with a purity of at least 99.99% purity, CO2 < 10 ppm, CO < 0.5 ppm, N2 < 10 ppm, H2O < 5 ppm, O2 < 2 ppm, and CH4 < 0.5 ppm. The purities of the nitrogen and argon are critical as contamination of analytical instrumentation and shutdown of laboratory services may result from the presence of impurities. Implementation of this project cannot disrupt ongoing plant research activities and will require a high degree of coordination of work with the facility manager and the technical staff. The NGC labs will remain in continuous operation throughout the period of performance. Outages for connection of new tanks must be minimized. Therefore, weekend and after-hours work may be required and shall be coordinated with the facilities management and technical point of contact on site. Tanks must never run empty and fills must take place in a timely manner to prevent work stoppage. The estimated magnitude for this project is between $100,000 and $250,000 The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 325120 with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees. This is not a request for proposals or quotes, but instead market research to determine interested small-business concerns prior to issuing a solicitation. A determination by the Government on the method of competing this requirement has not been established. The Government will not award a contract based on this Sources Sought Notice or the information received, nor will it reimburse participants for the information they provide. If you are an interested small-business concern, please provide the following information: 1) Small business name and point of contact; 2) UEI code; 3) Evidence of small business concern status; and 4). A brief Statement of Capability (no more than three pages) which demonstrates the ability to meet the specialized work requirements above. Include any past performance information on contracts of similar size and scope, and indicate the degree of work self-performed (not subcontracted out). Also include past performance references with names and phone numbers. Electronic responses are preferred. Information provided will not be used as a part of any subsequent solicitation requirement. Interested sources who submit data are responsible for appropriately marking information if it is proprietary in nature. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract action based on this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Responses are due no later than 3 p.m., Central Standard Time, on Friday, March 31, 2023, to the attention of Jeremy Pouliot, Contracting Officer, via e-mail to [email protected].