SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE: Watt Balance Support Services
- Notice Date
- 6/20/2012
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541330
— Engineering Services
- 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, Maryland, 20899-1640
- ZIP Code
- 20899-1640
- Solicitation Number
- NB684050-12-01650
- Archive Date
- 7/20/2012
- Point of Contact
- Paula Wilkison, Phone: 301-975-8448, Patrick K Staines, Phone: (301)975-6335
- E-Mail Address
-
paula.wilkison@nist.gov, patrick.staines@nist.gov
(paula.wilkison@nist.gov, patrick.staines@nist.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), intends to negotiate a firm fixed price purchase order, on a sole source basis, with Veloce Corporation, of Ijamsville, Maryland, for watt balance support services under other than full and open competition by the authority of FAR subpart 13.106(1)(b). The U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) watt balance experiment is used to measure the Planck constant as part of a worldwide research effort aimed at revising the International System of Units, so that ultimately the kilogram can be realized using a watt balance. The immediate goal is for NIST to establish a value and uncertainty for this fundamental constant and to reconcile the result with other international teams. To achieve this goal NIST needs highly specialized support work (see the PWS) to be completed quickly, safely, and correctly so that NIST's one-of-a-kind, moving coil watt balance instrument known as NIST-3 can continue to operate, and so that the development of NIST-3 as a realization of the kilogram can be completed by June, 2013. NIST-3 is one of two, highly-custom, operational watt balances in the world. Among these two, NIST-3 is unique in that it uses a custom designed, two story tall, cryogenically cooled, superconducting magnet that requires daily maintenance during balance operation. The balance mechanics and optics of this instrument are also unique, having been designed and refined for over two decades by NIST scientists for the express purpose of making the most accurate determination of the Planck constant in the world. The balance mechanics and optics require continual maintenance checks of their alignment and performance. These "routine" adjustments require detailed knowledge of the instrument, its custom alignment fixtures, and its custom precision optical and electrical measurement systems. The electrical measurements performed using the NIST-3 instrument are built around a highly customized, cryogenically cooled, programmable Josephson voltage standard that must be meticulously maintained in order to achieve the necessary precision. The variety of systems and level of precision associated with using such highly customized equipment is a challenge that cannot be safely (without damage to personnel or equipment) attempted without considerable training and knowledge of the specific custom equipment. Veloce Corporation is the only contractor with the required expertise and is uniquely qualified to provide the required watt balance support services. Delivery shall be FOB Destination, Gaithersburg, MD, and be completed in accordance with the Contractor's commercial schedule. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541330, and the size standard is 500 employees. No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement. The Government will consider responses received by 12:00 p.m. (EST) on July 5, 2012. Inquiries will only be accepted via email to paula.wilkison@nist.gov. No telephone requests will be honored. A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement in the future.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NIST/AcAsD/NB684050-12-01650/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899, United States
- Zip Code: 20899
- Zip Code: 20899
- Record
- SN02781219-W 20120622/120620235932-280ca792c3eb0ffc1afc1a145d97fca5 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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