THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIALITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR SUBPART 12.6-STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED. THIS SOLICITATION IS BEING ISSUED USING SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES. This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 05-16. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334516 with a small business size standard of 500 employees. This acquisition is unrestricted and all interested quoters may submit a quote. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Nanomechanical Properties Group (NMPG), requires a micro indenter. The indenter shall be used for the development of measurement science, measurement standards, and measurement technology for mechanical properties of materials at the micro-scale (100 micrometers and smaller) and nano-scale (100 nanometers and smaller). The indenter must have fine increments of peak loads at small loads. This is a brand name or equal requirement. Brand name or equal description is intended to be descriptive, but not restrictive and is to indicate the quality and characteristic of products that will be considered satisfactory to meet the agency?s requirement. All interested quoters shall provide a quote for the following line item: LINE ITEM 0001: Quantity 1 each Buehler LTD, Model Miocromet 5124 Micro Hardness Tester or equal, meeting all of the following salient characteristics: 1. A minimum peak load less than 1 gf; 2. Fixed, peak-load increments of 1 gf between 1 gf and 5gf; 3. Automated microscope-indenter turret capable of holding three objectives and two probes; 4. Sample translation stage with digital readout of position with accuracy of 1 micrometer. 5. System must include a Vickers probe and Knoop probe. The Contractor shall state the warranty coverage provided for the equipment. Please submit all questions in writing to [email protected] Delivery terms shall be FOB Destination. Delivery shall be completed not later than 21 days after receipt of order. FOB DESTINATION MEANS: The contractor shall pack and mark the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the purchase order, be responsible for loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt and acceptance of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the purchase order; and pay all charges to the specified point of delivery. Award will be made to the Contractor whose quote offers the best value to the Government, technical, price, and other factors considered. The Government will evaluate quotations based on the following evaluation criteria: 1) Technical Capability factor: Meeting or Exceeding the Requirement, 2) Past Performance, 3) Past Experience, and 4) Price. Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Past Experience, when combined, are equal in importance to price. Evaluation of Technical Capability shall be based on the information provided in the quotation. Quoters shall include the manufacturer, make and model of the product, manufacturer sales literature or other product literature which CLEARLY DOCUMENTS that the offered product meets or exceeds the salient characteristics stated herein and meets the Government?s needs in the same manner as the brand name. Past Performance will be evaluated to determine the overall quality of the product and service provided. Evaluation of Past Performance will be based on the references provided IAW FAR 52.212-1(b)(10) and/or the offeror?s recent and relevant procurement history with NIST or its affiliates. Past Experience shall be evaluated to determine the extent of the Contractor?s experience in providing the same or similar systems. The Contractor shall describe their experience in manufacturing, assembling and providing systems and explain how their experience is relevant to providing the equipment listed herein. Information on past experience may also be obtained from references. The full text of a FAR provision or clause may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov. Click on Federal Acquisition Regulation. The following provisions apply to this acquisition: FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors ? Commercial; and 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications ? Commercial Items. In accordance with FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications ? Commercial Items, offerors must complete annual representations and certifications on-line at http://orca.bpn.gov. If paragraph (j) of the provision applies, a written submission is required. The following clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.204-7 Central Contractor Registration; 52.211-6 Brand Name or Equal; 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions?Commercial Items; 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders?Commercial Items including subparagraphs: (15) 52.222-3, Convict Labor; (16) 52.222-19 Child Labor ? Cooperation With Authorities And Remedies; (17) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; (18) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; (20) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; (25) 52.225-3, Buy American Act- Free Trade Agreement?Israeli Trade Act, with Alternate I; (27) 52.225-13 Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases (32) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration. Department of Commerce Agency-Level Protest Procedures Level above the Contracting Officer is also incorporated. It can be downloaded at www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/agency.htm. All quoters shall submit the following: 1) An original and one copy of a quotation which addresses the Line Item; 2) Two (2) originals of technical description and/or product literature. Quoters must ensure all specifications are clearly documented; 3) To document past experience, quoters shall provide documentation which demonstrates they have provided the same or similar equipment to at least three (3) customers; 4) A list of at least five (5) references to whom the same or similar equipment has been provided. The list of references shall include, at a minimum: The name of the reference contact person and the company or organization; the telephone number of the reference contact person; the contract or grant number; the amount of the contract and the address and the telephone number of the Contracting Officer if applicable; and the date of delivery or the date services were completed; and 5) A description of commercial warranty. All quotes should be sent to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Acquisition Management Division, Attn: Andrew Perry, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640. Offerors shall ensure the RFQ number is visible on the outermost packaging. Submission must be received by 3:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, May 23, 2007. E-MAIL QUOTES SHALL BE ACCEPTED. FAX QUOTES SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

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