SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE NEED FOR TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THE MATERIALS GENOME INITIATIVE
- Notice Date
- 1/8/2015
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Room B130, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899-1410, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20899-1410
- Solicitation Number
- NB402000-15-12015
- Archive Date
- 9/30/2015
- Point of Contact
- Randy E. Schroyer, Phone: (301) 975-6314, Andrea A Parekh, Phone: (301)975-6984
- E-Mail Address
-
randy.schroyer@nist.gov, andrea.parekh@nist.gov
(randy.schroyer@nist.gov, andrea.parekh@nist.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE THIS IS NOT A FORMAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) AND DOES NOT COMMIT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY (NIST) TO AWARD A CONTRACT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE to determine the availability of all responsible sources, especially small businesses and small businesses in the socio-economic categories (e.g., 8(a), service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, veteran-owned small business, and women-owned small business) under NAICS code 541712, that have the capability, experience, and expert knowledge in the area of conducting a prospective (strategic planning) study. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks information on commercial vendors that are capable of conducting a prospective (strategic planning) study, which is very board in terms of required disciplines and experience, to include but not limited to technology assessment, high-tech industry behavioral and structural analyses, microeconomic modeling of complex technology development and commercialization patterns, high-tech industry survey and data collection techniques and quantitative and qualitative analyses of technology infrastructure gaps that are retarding advancement of new manufacturing technologies. The result of this study shall include (1) detailed assessment of the existence and nature of gaps associated with the efficient domestic development of highly complex emerging technologies (2) qualitative assessment of these gaps in terms of industry investment criteria and research mechanisms used (3) the quantitative rankings of these gaps and (4) assessments of the implied government policy responses with respect to targets of specific phases in the R&D cycle, technology transfer efforts and subsequent scale-up (capital formation). After results of this market research tool are obtained and analyzed and specifications are developed for NIST's requirements, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a contract action for this work. If at least two qualified small businesses are identified during this market research stage, then any competitive procurement that results would be conducted as a small business set-aside. The successful Contractor must possess substantial analytical competencies and research experience in the following categories: 1. Technology assessment, including the ability to disaggregate the relevant technologies into private and public elements 2. Industry structure and behavior analysis, including the ability to understand and characterize the relationships between corporate strategy and investment patterns in public-good technology elements (infratechnologies, standards) and the ability to obtain original data from designated industries through scoping interviews 3. Analytical methodology development, including the ability to (a) characterize technology, structural and financing gaps in private-sector investment, (b) define appropriate metrics that reveal investment/underinvestment patterns, (c) demonstrate that the metrics/variables are appropriate for survey design and eventual quantitative analysis, and (d) select appropriate time series for "gap" estimation 4. Survey techniques/data collection strategies that maximize accurate responses from industry 5. Selection and execution of one or more modes of data collection 6. Report writing Economic Focus. The Contractor shall assess the nature and patterns of technology evolution in the subject area and estimate the annual potential cost savings for the technology area from improved technical infrastructure, specifically (1) new technology platforms and (2) infratechnologies and associated standards. Technology and Industry Focus. The Contractor's emphasis shall be on those technology platforms and infratechnologies that are assessed to have large potential economic impact. Technology platforms include both generic product and process technologies that will serve as the basis for future product and process innovations. Infratechnologies to be analyzed include techniques, methods, models, and databases used by industry to define, conduct, and assess R&D for both product and process development, and to facilitate technology diffusion and marketplace transactions by assuring compliance with product/process specifications. The Contractor shall include all industries that are projected to be innovators and direct users of advanced manufacturing technologies. Baseline Data: The Contractor's major focus shall be industry impact data including investment (R&D and "fixed private investment" as defined by BEA-especially hardware and software), subsequent productivity trends, and ultimate market growth potential. For the purposes of this study, the industries to be studied must be those that are either suppliers or users of the relevant technologies. Productivity/Cost/Innovation/Market Penetration Impacts: The Contractor shall rank the resulting gap analyses associated with advanced manufacturing platform technologies and infratechnologies/standards in terms of potential reductions in labor, equipment, and material costs, as well as the realization of the overall market potential of the subject technologies. This shall be accomplished in the following tasks: PHASE I: Task A: Technology and Industry Analysis. The Contractor shall describe, assess technical and economic trends, and project future developments for MGI. Using this broad and cross-cutting technology platform as a point of departure, the Contractor shall describe, characterize, and assess the relevant Industry technology elements and supporting infratechnology investment trends; provide initial ranking and assessment of the strategic importance of each category individually and as an entire infrastructure, and analyze underinvestment patterns for each of the three case studies. The Contractor shall then place the analysis in the context of competitive trends (R&D, capital formation, sales) in the domestic and global economies, emphasizing product, process and infratechnology investment and resulting market share patterns. The Contractor shall use conventional research techniques and scoping interviews as data sources. The Contractor shall provide a Technology and Industry report to NIST to become part of the final report that includes 1. Description, characterization and assessment of the technological and economic trends relating to smart manufacturing as an evolving ubiquitous technology platform 2. Descriptions of the nature of the relevant technologies and supporting technology infrastructure (technology platforms and infratechnologies /associated standards) pertinent to the Materials Genome Initiative 3. Characterization and analysis of the economic roles and leverage of technology infrastructure s for the case study 4. Documentation of major investment trends by technology area, covering all tiers in the relevant supply chains 5. Initial characterization and ranking of infratechnologies and gaps relative to need, including equipment, methods, interfaces, data, and IT infrastructure specific product categories most likely to be affected by these infratechnologies 6. The completed background case studies that illuminate the above analysis factors 7. Analysis of the causes of private sector underinvestment in the areas identified as technical gaps. Task B: Economic Analysis Framework. The Contractor shall develop an Economic Analysis Framework for the desired economic analysis based on background research, the Technology and Industry report, scoping interviews and other sources of expertise to develop hypothesized underinvestment scenarios and associated metrics to drive data collection. The Contractor shall produce an Economic Analysis Framework report and include it as part of the final report that includes: 1. Framework for analysis of the economic consequences of inadequate infratechnologies that is a. produced from literature reviews, initial informal industry interviews, and consultations with NIST and industry experts b. built on a taxonomy of product and service impact categories, their characteristics, and interactions with infratechnologies c. focused on hypothesized barriers/costs for each impact category from inadequate infratechnologies 2. Impact/cost measures and impacted industry segments, selected based on hypothesized significance of impact and feasibility of obtaining impact data directly from industry 3. Impact/cost measures must be constructed to allow (a) aggregation to sector-wide estimates of underinvestment in relevant technology platform and infratechnology categories, and (b) independent evaluation by NIST. 4. Final selection of industries in the relevant supply chains projected to be associated with the emerging technologies in the case study REPORT REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor shall produce a report that presents the case study embodying technology and industry trends and gap assessments and the economic analysis framework. PHASE II: This is an OPTIONAL LINE ITEM. It may not be exercised at time of award. The Government will reserve the right to exercise at a later date. Upon the fully executed modification to exercise this option, Task C. The Contractor shall conduct industry data surveys 1. Design broad surveys of agreed upon industry segments in each tier of the target supply chain 2. Obtain OMB clearances by providing COR with appropriate OMB forms and supporting statements 3. Conduct surveys Task D. The Contractor shall write a final report (draft to be approved by NIST) that 1. Describes the U.S. sectors/industries studied 2. Describes the relevant technology platforms and infratechnologies in terms of their roles, economic importance, and market characteristics and current inadequacies 3. Presents both quantitative and qualitative findings from the surveys and other information sources, emphasizing costs of inadequate technical infrastructure 4. Assesses interactions relevant investment trends with corporate strategies, interactions with long-term technological and market trends, impacts of and needs for standardization, and the overall potential NIST contributions to infratechnology development and standardization NIST is seeking responses from all responsible sources, especially those in all small business socioeconomic categories. Small businesses are defined under the associated NAICS for this effort, 541712 as: size standard in no. of employees: 500. Responsible sources that currently possess such capabilities and have prior experience conducting a prospective (strategic planning) study using this expertise are encouraged to respond to this notice by providing the following information: 1. Brief narrative providing evidence of the ability to conduct a prospective (strategic planning) study 2. Capabilities Statement discussing core competencies 3. Current socioeconomic status of your company including applicable North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes 4. Indication of whether your services are currently on one or more GSA Federal Supply Schedule contracts and, if so, the GSA FSS contract number(s) 5. Indication of whether your company current has an active registration, including on-line representations and certifications at the System for Award Management (www.sam.gov) website. Contractors must have a valid, current registration to be eligible for award. No telephone requests will be honored. All information provided will become property of NIST and will not be returned. The synopsis is for informational and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. This is not a solicitation for proposals and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement and any follow-up information requests. Respondents will not be notified of the results of their capability statement assessment, but may be contacted for additional information. All capability statements and information requested above must be submitted via e-mail to randy.schroyer@nist.gov. Responses must be submitted not later than the response date for this Sources Sought Notice. Responses shall be limited to 5 typed pages, including attachments.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NIST/AcAsD/NB402000-15-12015/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: TBD, United States
- Record
- SN03612210-W 20150110/150108235503-c64a5b4657792ec352a6a63459e3d141 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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