Service Plan for Acquity UPC2

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation seeks a Service Plan for Acquity UPC2. The government anticipates awarding a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract with one (1) one-year base period and four (4) one-year option periods, for a total duration not exceeding five (5) years. The government intends to make a single award.

• The core requirement is a Service Plan, detailed further in Attachment 3 – Statement of Work (SOW).

• The contract includes line items for a Base Year Service Plan and four Option Year (OY1-OY4) Service Plans, each for 12 months.

• Alternate parts will be authorized if they meet form, fit, and function requirements and conform to the approved configuration. All parts must be NEW and approved.

• Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP)

• Period of Performance: One (1) 12-month base period and four (4) 12-month option periods (totaling up to 5 years).

• Offers must include pricing for all items to be considered responsive.

• Evaluation will be based on Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA).

• Price will be evaluated for fairness and reasonableness (FAR 12.204).

• Technical Acceptability: Quoted products must meet or exceed salient characteristics of brand-name products. Offerors must provide descriptive literature (illustrations, drawings, web references) for "or equal" items. Failure to provide adequate documentation or meet requirements will result in technical unacceptability.

• Past Performance: May be evaluated using provided references, USDA contract history, CPARS, and other government sources. Ratings include Acceptable, Neutral, and Unacceptable.

• The evaluation process will proceed by lowest priced offer, evaluating for technical acceptability and past performance until the lowest price, technically acceptable offer with acceptable or neutral past performance is identified.

• Not explicitly stated, but various small business clauses (e.g., 52.219-6, 52.219-8, 52.219-9) are listed as potentially applicable, suggesting potential small business considerations.

• Technical data and supporting documentation are available via solicitation attachments, including Attachment 2- Wage Determination, Attachment 3- Past Performance, and Attachment 4 – Statement of Work.

• F.O.B. point for deliverables is requested as Destination, unless F.O.B. Origin is specified with shipping costs included.

• Applicable FAR and AGAR clauses and provisions are incorporated by reference and in full text, including those related to commercial products/services, labor standards, and protest procedures.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a "Register of Wage Determinations Under the Service Contract Act" for the State of New York, Area: New York County of Tompkins. It provides the minimum wage rates and fringe benefits required for various occupations when performing contracts subject to the Service Contract Act.

• Applicable Executive Orders: Details minimum wage requirements under Executive Order 14026 ($17.20/hour for contracts on or after Jan 30, 2022) and Executive Order 13658 ($12.90/hour for contracts awarded between Jan 1, 2015 and Jan 29, 2022, not renewed/extended after Jan 30, 2022).
• Occupational Listings: Provides a comprehensive list of job titles (e.g., Accounting Clerk, Administrative Assistant, Data Entry Operator, Electrician, Painter, Plumber, Welder) with corresponding minimum hourly wage rates and footnote indicators.
• Fringe Benefits: Indicates that fringe benefits are required and follow the occupational listing. Specific benefits like Health & Welfare ($5.36/hour) and Paid Sick Leave ($4.93/hour under EO 13706) are detailed.
• Vacation and Holidays: Outlines vacation accrual based on years of service and lists 12 paid holidays.
• Special Conditions: Includes information on hazardous pay differentials (8% and 4%), uniform allowances, and the process for requesting additional classifications and wage rates (Conformance Process).

This document is crucial for bidders to understand the minimum labor costs associated with performing the contract. It directly impacts proposal pricing by establishing the baseline wages and benefits that must be paid to service employees. Bidders must ensure their proposed wages meet or exceed these requirements to be compliant.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document outlines the requirements for submitting past performance information as part of a quote or proposal. It details the evaluation criteria and the specific information needed to assess an Offeror's demonstrated record of performance.

• Evaluation Focus: Assesses the Government's confidence in an Offeror's ability to meet user needs based on past performance.
• Submission Requirements: Offerors must provide two (2) to three (3) projects completed within the last three years, similar in size, scope, and complexity to the requirements of this RFQ.
• Required Project Information:
  • Project title
  • Description of project, scope, and responsibilities
  • Contract/Order/BPA number
  • Contract type and period of performance
  • Contract Award Amount
  • Government Agency/Organization
  • COR’s name, address, and phone number
  • Contracting Officer’s name, address, and phone number or email address
  • Status (e.g., complete, ongoing)
  • Brief narrative on relevance to the current effort
• Prime Contractor Requirement: At least two references must be from performance as the prime contractor; others may be from subcontractors.
• Contact Information: Must be current; failure to provide current information may impact evaluation.
• Government Consideration: The Government may consider information from other sources.
• Rating: Past performance will be used to determine the probability of success and will receive a Go or No-Go rating.

This document is critical for bidders as it directly dictates how they must present their past performance. Failure to provide the specified information accurately and completely, particularly regarding prime contractor experience and current contact details, could negatively impact the evaluation and the overall assessment of their quote.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

The USDA requires a service plan for a Waters Acquity UPC2 Supercritical Fluid Chromatography system, essential for nutritional analysis of plant and food samples to support efforts to increase vitamin content in the US food supply.

This SOW covers a service plan that includes:

• One preventative maintenance visit per year.

• Service and repair as needed for the Waters Acquity UPC2 system.

• Coverage for specific system components: binary solvent manager, convergence manager, sample manager, photodiode array, column manager, and Mass Lynx software.

• Specific parts and services for:

  • Solvent Management and Pumps (e.g., plunger replacement, check valve replacement)
  • Sample management systems (e.g., seal pack replacement, fluidpack assembly replacement)
  • UV/Vis Detectors (e.g., source lamp replacement, lens replacement)
  • Software and Firmware (install updates, check firmware compatibility)

• Service and repair visits from trained field engineers will be made within 72 hours of service ticket entry.

• Service coverage must include priority response.

• Place of Performance: 538 TOWER ROAD, ITHACA NY 14853

• The document implies an ongoing service need, but a specific contract period is not stated.

• Service must be performed by Waters-trained and authorized engineers.

• Use of genuine Waters parts, brand name or equal, is required.

• Service must include priority phone support.

• Software and firmware upgrades are included.