SOURCES SOUGHT
66 -- Neutron Guides
- Notice Date
- 9/29/2006
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 333314
— Optical Instrument and Lens Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Room B129, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899-1640
- ZIP Code
- 20899-1640
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-06-856-SS04
- Response Due
- 10/26/2006
- Archive Date
- 11/9/2006
- Description
- NIST seeks information on commercial vendors that are capable of designing, manufacturing and delivering neutron guides for use at the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR). After results of this market research are obtained and analyzed and specifications are developed for neutron guides that can meet NIST's minimum requirements, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) (with multiple vendors if appropriate). Neutron guides are used as a conduit for beams of cold neutrons originating from a neutron cold source operated at the NCNR. These devices utilize total external reflection to guide neutrons long distances with very low loss to neutron scattering instruments. The performance of a neutron guide system is measured by the fraction of neutrons that can be transmitted through the guide system as a function of their angular divergence from the guide axis and as a function of neutron energy. This performance is dependent on many factors that include the configuration of the reflecting surfaces (this will generally be a NIST responsibility to specify), quality and composition of the neutron-reflective coating(s), quality of the interior guide surfaces (flatness, roughness, waviness), and geometric accuracy. Additional neutron guide performance qualities that are of importance to NIST include resistance to radiation damage, mechanical strength and stability, ability to withstand an internal vacuum, and ability to align the guides accurately. Typical dimensions for a single neutron guide would be 5-6 cm wide (internal), 12-15 cm high (internal) and .5 - 1.5 m in length. These are individually aligned and butt-joined by the NCNR in a linear fashion to form a guide tube. A single Delivery Order might contain a single guide or as many as 50+ guides. These might be identical or a composite of several line items of dissimilar guides. The accumulated total demand for neutron guides at NIST may approach 300 meters over a two year period. If NIST competitively solicits this requirement, we will utilize ?mock? delivery orders as part of the solicitation in order to thoroughly evaluate each offeror?s technical capability, past performance, and any other relevant information. A delivery order is defined by a package containing a list of content items and quantities, corresponding drawings describing the guide geometry and parameters for each item, specifications and a delivery schedule. Upon award of a BOA, the vendor(s) would in essence be prequalified to meet the Government?s requirements and thereafter, the Government would solicit amongst the BOA holder(s) as requirements are determined. Under the BOA(s), NIST would have the flexibility to purchase neutron guides as our needs and project schedules dictate over a predetermined time period. No funding is provided upon the initial award of a BOA; only upon award of a delivery order under the terms and conditions of the BOA are funds provided by the Government. NIST is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large, foreign, and small businesses. Small businesses are defined under the associated NAICS code for this effort, 333314, as those domestic sources having 500 employees or less. Please include your company?s size classification in any response to this notice. Companies that manufacture neutron guides are requested to email a detailed report describing their abilities to todd.hill@nist.gov no later than the response date for this sources sought notice. The report should include achievable specifications relevant to neutron transmission, corporate capabilities and capacities related to neutron guide design and production, names and capabilities/capacities of subcontractors, list and description of previous neutron guide manufacture (include references), and any other information relevant to neutron guide production ability. Also, the following information is requested to be provided as part of the response to this sources sought notice: 1. Name of the company that manufactures the neutron guides for which specifications are provided. 2. Name of company(ies) that are authorized to sell the neutron guides, their addresses, and a point of contact for the company (name, phone number, fax number and email address). 3. Indication of number of days, after receipt of order that is typical for delivery of such systems. 4. Indication of whether each instrument for which specifications are sent to todd.hill@nist.gov are currently on one or more GSA Federal Supply Schedule contracts and, if so, the GSA FSS contract number(s). 5. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider in developing its minimum specifications and finalizing its market research.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Gaithersburg, MD
- Zip Code: 20899
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 20899
- Record
- SN01158004-W 20061001/060929220232 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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