SPECIAL NOTICE
J -- Service agreement for encasements
- Notice Date
- 8/18/2014
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- National Archives and Records Administration, NAA, Acquisitions Division, 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 3340, College Park, Maryland, 20740-6001, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20740-6001
- Solicitation Number
- NAMA-14-Q-0081
- Archive Date
- 9/18/2014
- Point of Contact
- Cynthia D. Jones, Phone: 3018371860, Santo C Plater, Phone: 301-837-2059
- E-Mail Address
-
cynthia.jones@nara.gov, santo.plater@nara.gov
(cynthia.jones@nara.gov, santo.plater@nara.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- It is the intent of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to enter into a sole source, firm fixed price order with Charles Tilford, 9910 Brink Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20882-4200, for a service agreement for the Charters of Freedom and the Rubenstein Magna Carta encasements. The proposed contract action will be conducted in accordance with FAR Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items. The NAICS code is 541690. The period of performance is date of award through June 30, 2015. The anticipated award date is September 8, 2014. The proposed contract action is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals no later than 4:00 p.m. eastern time September 3, 2014. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all proposals received after the date of publication of this synopsis and prior to 4:00 p.m. eastern time September 3, 2014, will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract 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. The Government will not be responsible for any costs incurred in responding to this notice. Direct any questions regarding this announcement in writing to Ms. Cynthia Jones no later than 12:00 p.m. eastern time August 22, 2014. Points of Contact: Cynthia Jones, Contract Specialist, 301-837-1860, cynthia.jones@nara.gov Santo Plater, Contracting Officer, 301-837-2059, santo.plater@nara.gov Place of performance: National Archives and Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408 and 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740 See attachment 1 - Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition See attachment 2 - Performance Work Statement Attachment 1 I. IDENTIFICATION OF THE AGENCY AND THE CONTRACTING ACTIVITY, AND SPECIFIC IDENTIFICATION OF THE DOCUMENT AS A "JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION" See Page 1 II. NATURE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION BEING APPROVED NARA seeks to make a sole source purchase for the design, construction, and calibration of sensors to measure the oxygen concentration within the encasements housing the Charters of Freedom and the Rubenstein Magna Carta. In addition, NARA seeks an upgrade of existing gas flow equipment, an evaluation of the oxygen/water leak detection system (OWL) at higher oxygen concentrations, and a review of maintenance procedures and manuals for the encasements. Dr. Charles Tilford is the only person capable of carrying out this highly specialized, technical work with these unique systems. He was instrumental in the design, construction, sealing, and testing of the Charters encasements, which were sealed in 2003, and the Magna Carta encasement, sealed in 2012. This proposal builds on work he performed last fiscal year that attempted helium leak tests of the Charters encasement seals. Difficulties with those measurements led to this new oxygen measurement procedure, which is a significant advancement. Dr. Tilford's expertise and previous experience with the encasements make him uniquely qualified for this work. III. A DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPPLIES OR SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET THE AGENCY'S NEEDS (INCLUDING THE ESTIMATED VALUE) The Charters and the Magna Carta are housed in encasements in which oxygen has been removed and replaced with humidified argon gas. Periodic measurements are made to ensure that the encasement seals maintain the oxygen-free environment. NARA seeks a means for direct measurement of the oxygen concentration in the encasements. Currently, the interior oxygen levels for the Charters are determined indirectly by measuring the rate at which helium flows across the metal seals. The OWL system was intended to measure the oxygen content, but because of various technical difficulties it has not proved capable of monitoring low concentrations (less than 1%) that might provide an early warning of a leak. The Magna Carta encasement has an oxygen sensor for direct measurement, but it has not performed properly because of problems with the electronics in the commercial sensor package. To address these problems, Dr. Tilford has developed a new approach to measure the oxygen directly. The process will use an oxygen sensor in a custom, ultrahigh-vacuum housing that will connect to existing plumbing on the encasements. This sensor/housing combination is the same as that already used with the Magna Carta encasement. To resolve the electronics issues mentioned above, a custom electronics control box will be designed and built and used in conjunction with a commercial picoammeter. The system will be calibrated between 0.01% and 1% oxygen levels, and measurements on the encasements will indicate whether the seals are intact. While the OWL system is not accurate enough to measure low oxygen concentrations, it may be able to measure levels between 1% and 21% (ambient). This capability would be useful if an encasement develops a slow leak and the oxygen concentration rises above 1%, the maximum the new custom sensor can measure. In this scenario, NARA could still monitor the oxygen with the OWL system and use the data in deciding what action to take. As noted above, however, there have been various technical problems with the OWL system, including issues with optical alignment that vary among the encasement frames. This project will use a spare encasement to determine the sensitivity and accuracy of the OWL at higher oxygen concentrations and to evaluate the feasibility of using it to monitor the sealed encasements in the event of a significant leak. It is anticipated that the OWL will be capable of these measurements, but this performance cannot be guaranteed because of possible misalignment of optics in individual encasements. Since the Charters were sealed in 2003 Dr. Tilford has worked on other encasement projects, including the Magna Carta. He was in charge of the critical step of filling the encasements with humidified inert gas. Over the course of this work he has tested new equipment and refined various procedures to make them safer and more efficient. NARA seeks to take advantage of this progress by having the gas flush system rebuilt. This equipment controls the humidification and flow of gas in the encasements and sensors. The new layout will include a fine particle filter, a metallic argon purifier, and a higher-range rotameter. In addition, Dr. Tilford will review and rewrite the existing procedure manuals and documentation for the encasements to bring them up to date and incorporate lessons learned over the past decade. The estimated cost for the project is $. Of this amount, $ is for work on the Charters. While the sensor and housing for the Magna Carta are on hand, a control box is needed for this unit, and it must also be calibrated. The cost of this work is $, which will be paid from the Magna Carta Gift Fund. IV. AN IDENTIFICATION OF THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1) -"Only One Responsible Source" as implemented by FAR 6.302-1. V. A DEMONSTRATION THAT THE PROPOSED CONTRACTOR'S UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS OR THE NATURE OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES USE OF THE AUTHORITY CITED This acquisition meets the authority of FAR 6.302-1 which states that this authority may be used "when the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source, or,...from only one or a limited number of responsible sources, and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for." See above II. VI. A DESCRIPTION OF EFFORTS MADE TO ENSURE THAT OFFERS ARE SOLICITED FROM AS MANY POTENTIAL SOURCES AS IS PRACTICABLE, INCLUDING WHETHER A NOTICE WAS OR WILL BE PUBLICIZED AS REQUIRED BY SUBPART 5.2 AND, IF NOT, WHICH EXCEPTION UNDER 5.202 APPLIES. NARA conducted market research on similar document housings as part of the Magna Carta encasement project, completed in 2012. While other vendors might be able to carry out a similar approach to encasements, Dr. Tilford is the only person with the detailed knowledge and experience specific to the unique system used with the Charters and Magna Carta encasements, including the instrumentation, leak testing protocols, calibration, and risk factors. He diagnosed the electronics problems with the commercial control box for the Magna Carta oxygen sensor, which is being used in an environment and application for which it was not designed. He developed a solution not only for the Magna Carta but also for the Charters by drawing upon his expertise with those encasements. VII. A DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE ANTICIPATED COST TO THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE FAIR AND REASONABLE A significant fraction of the cost for the custom electronic control box is the initial design and prototyping, which will be done by a subcontractor following specifications provided by Dr. Tilford. By purchasing 3 systems, NARA's unit cost is reduced substantially. In addition the Library of Congress and NIST are also purchasing systems at roughly the same time. Since the initial development expenses are being spread among three customers, this timing means that NARA's unit cost is cut by half. As a point of comparison, two GS-13 level scientists from NARA will assist Dr. Tilford. The first five tasks in Dr. Tilford's proposal (developing the new custom sensor and electronics control) are beyond the capabilities of RXC staff. In principle, however, they could rebuild the gas flush system, evaluate the OWL, and review the procedure manuals. The anticipated cost of these latter three tasks is roughly equivalent to 75 hours of the RXC staff time. If RXC personnel performed the work on their own they would likely require significantly more than 75 hours. The work would take much longer without Dr. Tilford's assistance, and the end result would lack the insight and expertise that he provides. In particular, RXC staff have little experience with the OWL and the various technical problems involved in calibrating the system. There is also a risk of damage to sensors, encasements, and the documents themselves from improper gas flows and oxygen or humidity levels. Any contractor other than Dr. Tilford would require time to go through a steep learning curve in order to become familiar with the equipment and procedures and to minimize the potential for damage to the Charters. VIII. A DESCRIPTION OF THE MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED (SEE PART 10) AND THE RESULTS OR A STATEMENT OF THE REASON MARKET RESEARCH WAS NOT CONDUCTED See paragraph VI. above. IX. ANY OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. SEE FAR 6.303-2(a)(9) None X. A LISTING OF THE SOURCES, IF ANY, THAT EXPRESSED, IN WRITING, AN INTEREST IN THE ACQUISITION N/A XI. A STATEMENT OF THE ACTIONS, IF ANY, THE AGENCY MAY TAKE TO REMOVE OR OVERCOME ANY BARRIERS TO COMPETITION BEFORE ANY SUBSEQUENT ACQUISITION FOR THE SUPPLIES OR SERVICES REQUIRED At the completion of this project NARA will have a new system to monitor oxygen at low levels (less than 1%) and, assuming the OWL system functions as expected, at higher levels. NARA personnel will be gain experience using the equipment during this project, and Dr. Tilford will also review existing maintenance and procedure manuals. As a result, NARA staff will be capable of performing these tasks independently in the future. Subsequent acquisitions might include instrumental repairs or other services that potentially are available from a wider range of sources as opposed to the unique capabilities that only Dr. Tilford can provide. XII. CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION THAT THE JUSTIFICATION IS ACCURATE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICER'S KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF See Page 1. Attachment 2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT FOR Custom oxygen sensors and upgrade of encasements for the Charters of Freedom and the Rubenstein Magna Carta 1.0 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES The Charters of Freedom are the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. They are written on a total of seven parchment pages (the Constitution has four pages plus the Transmittal Page). Each page is in a separate encasement designed and constructed for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The documents were sealed inside the encasements in 2003. Oxygen was removed from the cases to reduce long-term damage to the documents, and they were filled with a mixture of argon and helium. The oxygen-free environment is maintained by a metal C-seal. There is also a second, outer seal of indium wire which is used to check for leakage. The volume between the inner and outer seals is monitored for the movement of helium across the C-seal. The encasement for the Rubenstein Magna Carta is similar but uses two polymer o-rings to form the seal. NIST also designed and constructed this encasement, which was completed in 2012. The Document Conservation Division (RXC) periodically monitors the encasements to evaluate whether the seals are adequately maintaining an oxygen-free environment. Currently, the interior oxygen levels for the Charters are determined indirectly by measuring the rate at which helium flows across the metal seals. The OWL system was intended to measure the oxygen content, but because of various technical difficulties it has not proved capable of monitoring low concentrations (less than 1%) that might provide an early warning of a leak. The Magna Carta encasement has an oxygen sensor for direct measurement, but it has not performed properly because of problems with the electronics in the commercial sensor package. NARA seeks a sensor to measure the oxygen concentration in the encasements at levels below 1% to evaluate the integrity of the seals. In case a slow leak is detected, NARA seeks an evaluation of the OWL system's capability of monitoring oxygen levels between 1% and 21% (ambient). In addition, NARA seeks an upgrade of the gas flush system and a review of encasement maintenance and instruction manuals to take bring them up to date with advances in encasement design over the past decade. 2.0 BASIC REQUIREMENTS 2.1 DESIGN A HOUSING FOR THE OXYGEN SENSOR • The housing will hold a Fujikura FCX-MQ-F-AC 1% full range zirconia oxygen sensor. • The housing will use all-metal ultra high vacuum components to attach to existing encasement plumbing to maintain helium leak rates below 1E-8 std cc/s. • The sensor will be installed in the housing. • The sensor and housing must cause minimal perturbation of the encasement interior environment through heat gain. Liquids must not be used in the system. • Two housings will be delivered for the Charters. The Magna Carta sensor and housing are on hand. 2.2 DESIGN AN ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOX FOR OXYGEN MEASUREMENT • The electronics will control the Fujikura FCX-MQ-F-AC sensor and connect to a Kiethley-6485 picoammeter to read the sensor current. • The control box will monitor sensor operating voltages. • The electronic control box will be self contained, including power supplies and cords. • Two electronic control boxes will be delivered for the Charters and one for the Magna Carta. 2.3 CALIBRATE THE OXYGEN SENSORS • All three sensors will be calibrated between 0.01% and 1% oxygen with total uncertainty no more than +/- 2% of reading. • Provide a written report of the calibration procedures and results. 2.4 REBUILD THE GAS FLUSH SYSTEM • Reassemble the gas flushing system on a larger base plate for more flexible layout. • Add a particle filter to the discharge port. • Add a metallic argon purifier with bypass line to establish zero-oxygen condition more quickly. • Add a high-range rotameter for oxygen concentration up to 21%. 2.5 QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF OWL SYSTEM • Use the rebuilt gas flush system to evaluate the ability of the OWL system to measure encasement oxygen concentrations between 1% and 21%. • Provide written report describing the procedure and results. 2.6 REVIEW AND REWRITE CHARTERS MAINTENACE AND PROCEDURE MANUALS • Working with RXC staff, review manuals that describe maintenance and measurement procedures. Clarify confusing sections and correct technical mistakes. • Revise instructions to incorporate new and changed procedures associated with the oxygen sensors, the gas flush system, and other modifications. • Incorporate lessons learned and best practices formulated since the encasements were originally sealed in 2002 including recommended frequency of monitoring. 3.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Testing, calibration, and measurements using the spare Charters encasement will take place at the National Archives, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740. Measurements of the Charters encasements and the Magna Carta will take place in a secured area at the National Archives, 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408. 4.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The period of performance will be date of award through June 30, 2015. 5.0 HOURS OF OPERATION Work must be undertaken during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, unless mutually agreed upon by NARA Point of Contact (POC) and the Contractor. Measurements of the Charters encasements must be performed when the documents are off display. This work will be done at mutually agree times between 5:30 pm and midnight. The Transmittal Page is not on display, and measurements of that encasement may be conducted during regular business hours. 6.0 TASKS AND DELIVERABLES • Two housings for the Charters oxygen sensors (the Magna Carta housing is on hand). • Three electronics control boxes for the oxygen sensors. • Calibration of three oxygen sensors between 0.01% and 1% oxygen with written report. • Evaluation of the OWL system between 1% and 21% oxygen with written report. • Rebuilt gas flush system. • Reviewed and revised maintenance and procedure manuals. Performance Specifications/Additional Requirements: MISCELLANEOUS REQUIREMENTS 6.1 All work must be completed on a schedule mutually agreed upon by the vendor and the Government before June 30, 2015. 6.2 Transportation or travel expenses, if incurred, will be included in the proposed price. 6.3 Vendor must accept direct deposit for payment. Vendor must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). 7.0 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY The contractor will use NARA furnished property to perform the tasks listed in 6.0 above: • OWL and COFMONS systems, including laptop, instrumentation, cables, and recording media • Helium leak detector, including calibrated standard leak and tubing • Cylinders of helium, oxygen, and argon gas with pressure regulators • Miscellaneous supplies, including gaskets, hand tools, leak port valves, etc. • Three Fujikura FCX-MQ-F-AC sensors • Kiethley-6485 picoammeter • Gas flush system including particle filter, argon purifier, and high-range rotameter.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/NARA/NAA/AC/NAMA-14-Q-0081/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: National Archives and Records Admin, College Park, Maryland, 20740, United States
- Zip Code: 20740
- Zip Code: 20740
- Record
- SN03469310-W 20140820/140818235749-de8a411fdec3c668b0cd56fe9e0dcfca (fbodaily.com)
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