52 -- Charpy V-Notch Standard Reference Material

NOAA's Acquisition & Grants Office, Mountain Region Acquisition Division, intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, under authority of FAR 15, with MPM Research & Consulting of State College, PA for high quality machining and heat treating services for the production of Charpy V-Notch specimens. The sole source determination is based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology?s (NIST) requirement for Charpy V-Notch specimens. The Charpy V-Notch verification Program contracts for the machining and heat treating of Super-high Charpy specimens (SRM) 2092, SRM 2096 and SRM 2098 indirect verification specimens. These SRM's are used to perform indirect verification of Chapy V-notch impact machines for ASTM E23. A total of 8 to 10 batches of SRM's are produced per year (10,000 to 12,000 specimens). Based on our market research, MPM Research and Consulting is the only company that can meet the required manufacturing and delivery schedule. To control the quality of these SRM's, the contractors used for this work must be qualified according to the NIST Manufacturing Qualification Program Policy. The variation in impact energy allowed for the specimens is small, and it is difficult to consistently achieve the quality required by the program. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation package is available. However, firms that believe they can provide the service that fully meets the Government's requirements may submit substantiation documents in writing to the identified point of contact within 15 days after publication of this synopsis. Such documentation will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to conduct a competitive procurement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.