Bituminous Coal Bottling for NIST Standard Reference Material

This is a sources sought notice.  The purpose of this notice is to conduct market research and identify potential sources of commercial products/services that satisfy the Government’s anticipated needs. NIST is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large and small businesses. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 325998– All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing, with a Small Business Size Standard of 650 employees. This notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation (RFQ), Invitation for Bids (IFB), or any commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will not pay for any information submitted in response to this notice. Submission of information is voluntary and will not result in any obligation on the part of the Government. NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS EXIST AT THIS TIME Requests for solicitation documents will not receive a response. Respondents shall clearly mark any proprietary or restricted information. In the absence of such markings, NIST will assume unlimited rights to all technical data submitted. BACKGROUND The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Office of Reference Materials, in conjunction with the Inorganic Chemical Metrology Group (ICGM), is responsible for the production, development, and characterization of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) to enhance chemical measurement comparability within the U.S. and provide a basis for comparability with other nations. This purchase is in direct support of the mission by providing the specialized material processing and packaging necessary to produce coal SRMs that meet strict homogeneity and stability requirements. It ensures that energy industry stakeholders have access to reliable standards for clinical, fuel, and environmental analyses. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has twelve (12) 5-gallon buckets of bituminous coal [approximately 120 kg (240 lb.)] that require blending and spin-riffling into bottles for a renewal coal Standard Reference Material (SRM).  The renewal coal material comes from old stock remaining from production of SRM 2692c. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT The goal of this project is to package the coal material so that it is ready for delivery to the NIST customer. The intention is to issue the coal material as a NIST SRM, and preparation of a bottled material with negligible heterogeneity (within the inherent limitations of heterogeneity in the processed coal matrix) is an important consideration.  The specific objectives of this project require the entire lot of coal material to be blended homogeneously into equal sublots.  Sublots shall be spin-riffled into a minimum of 2000 bottles and not-to-exceed 2500 bottles.  The remaining portions that are not bottled shall be placed in bags with liners and shall be returned to NIST.  Line Item 0001: Blending and Bottling of SRM 2692d Bituminous Coal Description: Processing of approximately 120 kg of coal into individual bottles. Quantity: Minimum 2000 bottles; Not-to-exceed 2500 bottles. Due Date: Within 17 weeks of the award. OPTIONAL Line Item 0002: Blending and Bottling of Coal/Coke SRM Description: Processing of approximately 180 kg of coal or coke material. Quantity: Up to 3000 bottles. Due Date: Within 17 weeks of the Contractor receiving the material. Specific Requirements: Requirements are identical to Line Item 0001, adjusted for a total mass of > 180 kg and a bottle count of up to 3000. OPTIONAL Line Item 0003: Blending and Bottling of Coal/Coke SRM Description: Processing of approximately 90 kg of coal or coke material. Quantity: Up to 1500 bottles. Due Date: Within 17 weeks of the Contractor receiving the material. Specific Requirements: Requirements are identical to Line Item 0001, adjusted for a total mass of > 90 kg and a bottle count of up to 1500. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS Interested parties shall submit a written capability statement addressing the following: 1. Company name, address, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, CAGE code, and point-of-contact information 2. Business size and socio-economic status (if applicable) for the NAICS code provided 3. Description of company capabilities relevant to the products/services described above 4. Description of prior experience providing/performing similar products/services described above 5. Identification of applicable contract vehicles (e.g., GSA FSS, GWACs), including contract numbers 6. Any other information the Government should consider for market research purposes 7. State whether the proposed product is manufactured in the United States and if not, state the name of the country where the product is manufactured. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and consid