Laboratory Material and Component Level Testing to Obtain General and Mechanical Properties of Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Specimens from Cargo Tank Motor Vehicle ...

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice.  This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.  Solicitation No. 6913G620Q300041 is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ).  This solicitation is being conducted in accordance with the policies and procedures prescribed in FAR Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items and FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures.  The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-04, effective January 15, 2020.  This procurement is being solicited under NAICS code 541380 small business size standard $16.5 million.  This Combined Synopsis/Solicitation is being issued as full and open competition. The U.S. Department

of Transportation, John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), Cambridge, MA, has a requirement for Laboratory Material and Component Level Testing to obtain general and mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced plastic specimens from cargo tank motor vehicle manufacturers.  The contractor is required to provide facilities, labor and equipment necessary to perform all laboratory testing services in accordance with the attached Statement of Work, Instructions Conditions and Notice to Offeror and Service Contract Act Wage Determination in contractor’s city/town, state for Occupation Code 30210 - Laboratory Technician. REQUIREMENTS/SPECIFICATIONSThe Government intends to award a firm fixed price purchase order as a result of this Combined Synopsis/Solicitation. This notice is expected to result in a single or multiple award (whichever is in the best interest of the Government), subject to receipt of an acceptable proposal(s) in accordance with the Instructions, Conditions and Notice to Offeror attached.  The Offeror’s price quotation shall include a firm fixed price for the Tests identified in the attached Test Pricing Sheet and CLIN’s identified in the CLIN Pricing Sheet.BASIS FOR AWARDAn award will be made to the responsive and responsible Offeror(s) whose offer(s), conforming to this Combined Synopsis/Solicitation, is determined to offer the best value to the Government in terms of: 1) technical approach; 2) staffing; 3) prior experience; and 4) price (including unit prices per test method). The technical evaluation criteria that are addressed in the Technical Proposal are considered more important than price in the selection of the contractor(s) for award(s). When the Technical Proposals are evaluated as essentially equal, the quoted price may become the determining factor in making award(s). It is the Government’s intent to award a single or multiple firm fixed price purchase order(s) based upon initial offers without entering into discussions or negotiations (except clarifications as described in FAR 15.306(a)).  Therefore, the offeror’s initial proposal should contain the offeror’s best terms from a price standpoint, reflecting ANY AVAILABLE DISCOUNTS. While it is the Government's intent to make award based upon initial offers, the Government may, nevertheless, determine during the evaluation period that it is necessary to conduct discussions.NOTICE TO OFFERORSThe Offeror’s proposal shall be prepared in accordance with FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items incorporated by reference, Instructions, Conditions and Notice to Offeror (attached) and the all other instructions included in this solicitation. FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation- Commercial Items applies to this acquisition and is incorporated by reference All Offerors must include a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certification-Commercial Items (the complete provision is provided in an attachment).  An Offeror shall complete only paragraph (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certifications electronically using the System for Award Management (SAM) accessible via http://www.Sam.gov.  If the Offeror has not completed the annual representations and certifications electronically in SAM, the Offeror shall complete only paragraphs (c) through (o) of this provision.  All Contractors must be registered in SAM in order to receive an award from a DOT Agency.  The Government intends to award a single or multiple purchase order(s) on a firm-fixed price basis as a result of this solicitation, subject to receipt of an acceptable proposal(s). FAR Clauses and Provisions 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, Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors are hereby incorporated by reference. Additional clauses cited in 52.212-5 that apply to this acquisition are: 52.203-6, 52.203-6 (Alt. I), 52.204-10, 52.204-14, 52.209-6, 52.219-8, 52.222-3, 52.222-21, 52.222-26, 52.222-35, 52.222-36, 52.222-37, 52.222-40, 52.222-50, 52.222-54, 52.223-18, 52.225-13 and 52.232-33. Note – The complete clause is attached to this notice and will be included in full text in any resultant contract at time of award.This combined synopsis/solicitation hereby incorporates all Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provisions and clauses contained herein. All questions regarding this solicitation shall be received by the Contracting Officer not later than March 30, 2020 at 4:00pm ET. The offer should be addressed to the following: U.S. Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Attn: Christine Guy, V222, 55 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02142.  The signed offer must be submitted via e-mail to Christine.guy@dot.gov  by closing date of April 6, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. ET.  No telephone requests will be honored.  The Government will not pay for any information received.  It is anticipated that an award resulting from this combined synopsis/solicitation will be made on or about April 17, 2020.ADDITIONAL FAR PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY FULL TEXT:52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment. (Dec 2019)The Offeror shall not complete the representation in this provision if the Offeror has represented that it “does not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services as a part of its offered products or services to the Government in the performance of any contract, subcontract, or other contractual instrument” in the provision at 52.204-26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation, or in paragraph (v) of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items.(a) Definitions. As used in this provision—“Covered telecommunications equipment or services”, “critical technology”, and “substantial or essential component” have the meanings provided in clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.(b) Prohibition. Section 889(a)(1)(A) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) prohibits the head of an executive agency on or after August 13, 2019, from procuring or obtaining, or extending or renewing a contract to procure or obtain, any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. Contractors are not prohibited from providing—(1)A service that connects to the facilities of a third-party, such as backhaul, roaming, or interconnection arrangements; or(2) Telecommunications equipment that cannot route or redirect user data traffic or permit visibility into any user data or packets that such equipment transmits or otherwise handles.(c) Procedures. The Offeror shall review the list of excluded parties in the System for Award Management (SAM) (https://www.sam.gov) for entities excluded from receiving federal awards for “covered telecommunications equipment or services”.(d) Representation. The Offeror represents that it □ will, □ will not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services to the Government in the performance of any contract, subcontract or other contractual instrument resulting from this solicitation.(e) Disclosures. If the Offeror has represented in paragraph (d) of this provision that it “will” provide covered telecommunications equipment or services”, the Offeror shall provide the following information as part of the offer—(1) A description of all covered telecommunications equipment and services offered (include brand; model number, such as original equipment manufacturer (OEM) number, manufacturer part number, or wholesaler number; and item description, as applicable);(2) Explanation of the proposed use of covered telecommunications equipment and services and any factors relevant to determining if such use would be permissible under the prohibition in paragraph (b) of this provision;(3) For services, the entity providing the covered telecommunications services (include entity name, unique entity identifier, and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, if known); and(4) For equipment, the entity that produced the covered telecommunications equipment (include entity name, unique entity identifier, CAGE code, and whether the entity was the OEM or a distributor, if known).(End of provision)52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation.  (Dec 2019)      (a) Definitions. As used in this provision, “covered telecommunications equipment or services” has the meaning provided in the clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.      (b) Procedures. The Offeror shall review the list of excluded parties in the System for Award Management (SAM) (https://www.sam.gov) for entities excluded from receiving federal awards for “covered telecommunications equipment or services”.      (c) Representation. The Offeror represents that it □ does, □ does not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services as a part of its offered products or services to the Government in the performance of any contract, subcontract, or other contractual instrument.(End of provision)ADDITIONAL FAR CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:52.202-1 Definitions.52.203-5 Covenant Against Contingent Fees.52.203-6 Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government.52.203-6_Alternate I52.203-7 Anti-Kickback Procedures.52.203-17 Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights and Requirement To Inform Employees of Whistleblower     Rights.52.204-4 Printed or Copied Double-Sided on Postconsumer Fiber Content Paper (MAY 2011)52.204-19 Incorporation by Reference of Representations and Certifications.52.204-25 Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.52.209-5 Certification Regarding Responsibility Matters (Oct 2015)52.216-24 Limitation of Government Liability.52.216-25 Contract Definitization.52.216-25_Alternate I52.217-7 Option for Increased Quantity-Separately Priced Line Item (Mar 1989) (5 days)52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (Nov 1999) (30 days)52.222-17 Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers.52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons.52.223-18 Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving.52.224-1 Privacy Act Notification (APR 1984)52.224-2 Privacy Act (APR 1984)52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases.52.225-25 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in Certain Activities or Transactions Relating to Iran-Representation and Certifications.52.232-1 Payments.52.232-39 Unenforceability of Unauthorized Obligations.52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors52.233-3 Protest after Award.52.233-3_Alternate I52.233-4 Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim.52.244-6 Subcontracts for Commercial Items.TAR CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:1252.223-73 Seat Belt Use Policies and Programs (APR 2005)1252.237-70 Qualifications of Contractor Employees (APR 2005)1252.242-72 Dissemination of Contract Information (OCT 1994)The FAR and TAR provisions and clauses cited in this notice can be viewed at http://www.acquisition.gov/far and http://www.dot.gov/administrations/assistant-secretary-administration/transportation-acquisition- regulation-tarCONTRACT ADMINISTRATION RESPONSIBILITIESContracting Officer (CO): The CO has the overall responsibility for this contract. The CO alone, without delegation, is authorized to take actions on behalf of the Government to amend, modify, or deviate from the contract terms, conditions, requirements, specifications, details, and/or delivery schedules. However, the CO may delegate certain other responsibilities to his/her authorized representatives. The CO is:Christine Guy 617-494-3559Christine.Guy@dot.govDepartment of TransportationVolpe National Transportation System Center 55 BroadwayCambridge, MA 02142-1001Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR): A COR will be designated by the CO for each contract award in accordance with TAR Clause 1252.242-73 (hereby incorporated by reference). The responsibilities of the COR include, but are not limited to, inspecting and monitoring the Contractor’s work; determining the adequacy of performance by theContractor in accordance with the terms and conditions of this contract; acting as the Government’s representative in charge of work at the site to ensure compliance with contract requirements in so far as the work is concerned; and advising the CO of any factors which may cause delay in performance of the work. The COR does not have the authority to make new assignments of work or to issue directions that cause an increase or decrease in the price of this contract or otherwise affect any other contract terms.PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONSIn accordance with FAR Subpart 42.15; Contractor Performance Information, the Government shall prepare evaluations of Contractor performance for contracts that exceed $150,000. Performance evaluations will be accomplished at the completion of each year of contract performance. The Government uses the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) as the primary method to complete evaluations (www.cpars.gov). Completed past performance evaluations may be accessed in the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) at www.ppirs.gov.The Contractor is required to register in CPARS and shall have 14 calendar days in which to respond to Government comments. The Government will consider any comments provided by the Contractor before finalizing a past performance evaluation and will attach the Contractor’s comments to the final report.FAR 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (AUG 2019)“Covered telecommunications equipment or services”, “Critical technology”, and “Substantial or essential component” have the meanings provided in clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or EquipmentProhibition. Section 889(a) (1)(A) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) prohibits the head of an executive agency on or after August 13, 2019, from procuring or obtaining, or extending or renewing a contract to procure or obtain, any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. Contractors are not prohibited from providing—A service that connects to the facilities of a third-party, such as backhaul, roaming, or interconnection arrangements; orTelecommunications equipment that cannot route or redirect user data traffic or permit visibility into any user data or packets that such equipment transmits or otherwise handles.Representation. The Offeror represents that—It □ will, □ will not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services to the Government in the performance of any contract, subcontract or other contractual instrument resulting from this solicitation.Disclosures. If the Offeror has responded affirmatively to the representation in paragraphof this provision, the Offeror shall provide the following information as part of the offerAll covered telecommunications equipment and services offered (include brand; model number, such as original equipment manufacturer (OEM) number, manufacturer part number, or wholesaler number; and item description, as applicable);Explanation of the proposed use of covered telecommunications equipment and services and any factors relevant to determining if such use would be permissible under the prohibition in paragraph (b) of this provision;For services, the entity providing the covered telecommunications services (include entity name, unique entity identifier, and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, if known); andFor equipment, the entity that produced the covered telecommunications equipment (include entity name, unique entity identifier, CAGE code, and whether the entity was the OEM or a distributor, if known).(End of provision)52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation (Dec 2019)      (a) Definitions. As used in this provision, “covered telecommunications equipment or services” has the meaning provided in the clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.      (b) Procedures. The Offeror shall review the list of excluded parties in the System for Award Management (SAM) (https://www.sam.gov) for entities excluded from receiving federal awards for “covered telecommunications equipment or services”.      (c) Representation. The Offeror represents that it □ does, □ does not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services as a part of its offered products or services to the Government in the performance of any contract, subcontract, or other contractual instrument.(End of provision)