National Institute of Standards & Technology, Acquisition & Assistance Div., Bldg. 301, Rm B117, Gaithersburg, MD 20899

66 -- NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE MAGIC ANGLE SPINNING PROBE SOL 53SBNB760149 DUE 070997 POC Contract Specialist, Keith Kennedy, 301.975.6325, Contracting Officer, Sandra L. Febach, 301.975.6326. WEB: NIST Contracts Homepage, http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm. E-MAIL: NIST Contracts Office, Contract@nist.gov. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for a commercial item prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 46. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; NIST requests quotes but will not issue a written request for quotes. Quoters should submit three original copies to the above address no later than 3:00 p.m. on the date above specified. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to acquire one large volume solid state Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance magic angle spinning probe with cross polarization (CP) and Magic Angle Spinning (MAS) capability. The probe shall: 1) accommodate a large volume sample rotor with at least a 0.8 mL sample volume capability, 2) function in a 2.35 Tesla superconducting magnet with a 125 mm bore, which Nalorac Cryogensic Corp. manufactures, 3) have an overall height not greater than 600 mm, 4) have two adjustable stabilizing rings to center the probe in the magnet if the probe is not 124.5 mm wide, 5) have a mounting ring affixed to the bottom of the probe with 6.35 mm holes centered on a 76.2 mm radius every 60 degrees (6 equally spaced holes on a circle), for inserting and mounting the probe into the magnet, 6) have a distance from the top of the mounting ring, described in item 5, to the radio frequency coils of 378.5 mm, 7) have a spin rate monitor and be able to spin the fully loaded samples at a minimum of 4 kHz using air as the driving gas at pressures < 90 psi, 8) have no more than a 1% background signal when the background is determined from the ratio of the integrated signal intensity from an empty rotor (with largest caps) to that from an adamantane sample using single pulse (SP) excitation, 9) demonstrate an improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), in SP spectra, of a least a factor of two when compared to the S/N ratio for NIST's current (0.2 mL sample volume) probe in the above magnet. S/N is measured in the FID of adamantane; for 16 accumulations, 6 Khz setting on a 4-pole Butterworth filter, 100 s dwell, 10 s recycle delay, 66 kHz proton RF field strength, 4 kHz MAS, 300 K sample temperature, signal will be the peak to peak signal amplitude for 16 scans, noise will be 0.7x (peak to peak noise amplitude for 16 accumulations taken in the absence of a carbon pulse but with the proton decoupler on at 66 kHz). NIST current (SP) S/N = 10/1, 10) demonstrate an improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), in CP spectra, of at least a factor of two when compared to the S/N ratio for our current (0.2 mL sample volume) probe in the above magnet, S/N will, as outlined in 9) above, be measured in FID of adamantine, 16 scans, 1.0 ms CP time (using amplitude stable CW pulses with no phase or frequency modulation), 300 K sample temperature, 4 kHz MAS, 66 kHz proton RF field strength, 6 kHz setting on a 4-pole Butterworth filter, 6s recycle delay. NIST's current (C)) S/N = 16/1, 11) have no more than a plus or minus 15% RF homogeneity variation over the active sample volume for the maximum sample volume, 12) give a 13C SP linewidth on MAS adamantine <0.2 ppm without room temperature shims, be able to withstand decoupling pulses at 70 kHz for 110 ms, 14) come with at least 4 rotor and cap sets and sample packaging/loading tools, 15) come with a fiber optic spin rate monitor, 16) have variable temperature capability from -100 degrees C to 150 degrees C and be equipped with a temperature controller, transfer lines and Dewar. One each. Delivery FOB destination, Gaithersburg, MD, 45 calendar days after contract award. NIST will consider a quote from all responsible concerns. This solicitation is issued as a request for quotes (RFQ). The following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial, 52.212-2, Evaluation -- Commercial Items, NIST will use the following factors to evaluate quotes, in descending order of importance: A. Understanding of Technical Requirements -- Whether the quote demonstrates an understanding of the technical and management requirements, comprehension of the required performance, and the method by which the quoter intends to perform the technical and management requirements specified. Whether the quote demonstrates the ability to organize, staff, and manage the project to timely complete the project; B. Past Performance -- Whether the quoter demonstrates capability and directly related experience in performing requirements similar in size, scope and complexity to this requirement. The demonstration shall include at least three, but no more than seven specific past efforts, with points of contact, and address recent, within two years, experience and accomplishments directly related to the specifications; C. Whether the quote demonstrates, through offered features and design concepts, a competing technology or a qualitative advance in technology. All evaluation factors, when combined, are significantly more important than price. However, as quotes become more equal in their technical merit, the evaluated price becomes more important. The government intends to make an award to one quoter whose quote offers the greatest value to the government, in terms of the evaluation factors above specified and price. Offerors shall include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with their quote. Interested parties can retrieve this clause on the Internet at www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm. The government contemplates award of a firm, fixed price contract as a result of this solicitation. The contract clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items and these additional FAR clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.214-34, Submission of Offers in the English Language; 52.214-35, Submission of Offers in U.S. Currrency; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Special Disabled and Vietnam Era Veterans; 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Handicapped Veterans; 52.22-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; 52.225-3, Buy American Act-Supplies; 52.225-21, Alternate I, Buy American Act-North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act-Balance of Payments Program; 52.233-2, Service of Protests; and the DOC Agency Level Protest Procedures found on the Internet at www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm. Interested parties may access full text for any above listed clause on the Internet at http://www.gsa.gov/far/. (0150)

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