68--Helium supplied to NWS Salt Lake City, UT

AMENDMENT 0002: Extend response deadline from 10:00 am MDT on July 24, 2026 to 4:00 pm MDT on July 24, 2026. Extend Inquiries deadline from 10:00 am MDT on July 23, 2026 to 4:00 pm MDT on July 23, 2026. AMENDMENT 0001: * Added Question and Answer section at the bottom of the posting. * Corrected CAR 1352.215-72 Inquiries from July 24, 2026 at 10 am MDT to July 23, 2026 at 10 am. * Corrected synopsis paragraph (vii) from "Quotes are due to the contracting office no later than 10:00 am MDT on Friday, July 23, 2026. . . " to "Quotes are due to the contracting office no later than 10:00 am MDT on Friday, July 24, 2026." * No other changes have been made; the response deadline remains unchanged. COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION Helium supplied to the National Weather Service office in Salt Lake City, UT This solicitation incorporates language and references from both the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) current in the Federal Register, and the Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul (RFO). When referencing language from the current published FAR, the text will be preceded with FAR. When referencing language from the Overhaul version, the text will be preceded with RFO instead. The following information is provided in accordance with RFO 12.202(b)(1): (i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products or commercial services prepared in accordance with part 12. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Offers are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued. Solicitation number 1333MH26Q0007 is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ) for compressed helium supplied incrementally to the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office located in Salt Lake City, UT. A fixed price with economic price adjustment purchase order is anticipated to result from this RFQ. Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) and assigned rating do not apply. This acquisition is set-aside for small business concerns. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses by reference. The full text of provisions and clauses may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov. The associated NAICS code is 325120. The small business size standard is 1,200 employees. This requirement has a class waiver issued by the SBA for the nonmanufacturer rule. Limitations on subcontracting does not apply to this requirement. (ii) The line item numbers, items, quantities, and units of measure, including options, are provided below based on 291 CF cylinder size as an example. If the awarded quote uses a different size cylinder, the quantities in the awarded line item will be different, calculated from the requirement of 47,260 CF, delivered across roughly equal increments throughout the period. Line Item: 0001 Quantity: 1 Unit of Measure: LOT Helium supplied incrementally to the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office located in Salt Lake City, UT, in accordance with the attached statement of need. ______ CF per cylinder HELIUM GAS: $_________ per cylinder Up to 163 total cylinders (Deliver 13 cylinders approximately every three weeks) Option to increase quantity by up to 64 cylinders DELIVERIES: $_________ delivery fee per delivery, if applicable $_________ hazmat fee per delivery, if applicable Up to 14 total deliveries Option to increase quantity by up to 6 deliveries CYLINDER RENTALS: $_________ per cylinder per day (or per month, as determined by vendor quote) 18 maximum total cylinders on site for a maximum 278 days (there is no option to increase number of days) The resulting purchase order will include the option to increase the quantity by not more than 50% of the initial quantity of the line item. The option price is no higher than for the initial requirement, however, the Government will accept an offer containing an option price higher than the base price only if the acceptance does not prejudice any other offeror. (iii) A complete description of the requirements is provided in the attached Statement of Need. (iv) Deliveries will occur approximately every three weeks, depending on the size of the cylinders, throughout the period of performance. The period of performance is July 27, 2026 through April 30, 2027, with no option periods. Delivery and acceptance for all deliveries will be at the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office at 2242 West North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84116. The FOB point is destination, at the Upper Air Inflation Building on site. (v) A list of solicitation provisions that apply to the acquisition is provided in the attached SF 1449. (vi) A list of contract clauses that apply to the acquisition is provided in the attached SF 1449. (vii) Quotes are due to the contracting office no later than 10:00 am MDT on Friday, July 23, 2026. All quotes must be emailed to the attention of Jen Brown, email address is jen.brown@noaa.gov. The email subject line must include the solicitation # 1333MH26Q0007. For information regarding this solicitation, contact Jen Brown directly, E-mail address: jen.brown@noaa.gov, Phone: 385-258-1061 The Government does not accept responsibility for non-receipt of quotes. It is the offeror s responsibility to request and receive a confirmation of the quote receipt from the appropriate Government point of contact. (viii) Additional information required by RFO 5.101(c): This is a best-value acquisition. Evaluation criteria are provided in the attached SF 1449. The anticipated award date is July 24, 2026. This acquisition is not subject to Free Trade Agreements. All responsible sources may submit a quotation, which shall be considered by the agency. QUESTION AND ANSWER This section records the questions received from interested parties, and answers provided in response to this solicitation. Q1. I do not see any mention of purity. What is the desired purity level of the Helium? A1. The helium must be a minimum of industrial grade 99.99% purity to be sufficient for the balloon to achieve the lift required to reach the upper atmosphere with instrumentation attached. The statement of need will be updated at time of award to include this information. Q2. Incumbent Contractor Information The solicitation does not identify whether there is a current incumbent contractor performing this helium supply requirement. To assess the competitive landscape and baseline performance expectations, could you please disclose: (i) whether an incumbent exists; (ii) if so, the current contract number; and (iii) the current or most-recently-awarded contract value and period of performance? If this information cannot be disclosed directly, please confirm whether it is available via FOIA or USAspending. A2.i. The incumbent is United States Welding. A2.ii. The most recent contract # was 1333MH25P0025. A2.iii. The Total Contract Value of the aforementioned contract was $53,644.86. The period of performance was July 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026. Q3. Cylinder Size and Pricing Flexibility The solicitation states that "if the awarded quote uses a different size cylinder, the quantities in the awarded line item will be different, calculated from the requirement of 47,260 CF delivered across roughly equal increments throughout the period." The base pricing table references "_______ CF per cylinder" as a fill-in field. For purposes of our quote, should we assume a specific cylinder size (e.g., 291 CF as mentioned in the narrative), or should we propose our standard cylinder size and adjust the total number of cylinders accordingly? Will pricing be evaluated on a per-unit basis (per CF) or on total contract value, or both? A3. Specify the cubic feet of helium contained in the cylinders you would actually be providing, whether it's 291 CF or something else. There is no requirement for you to provide a calculation for how many total cylinders that you would provide. As noted in the solicitation synopsis, Section (ii), the quantities are provided as an example, intended to demonstrate how the resulting line item will be written out; you are not required to provide your quote in the same format with calculated quantities. Pricing will be evaluated based on total contract value, including the helium, any fees, and cylinder rent, and also including the option to increase quantity by not more than 50%. Q4. Fuel Surcharge and Additional Fees The SF 1449 continuation sheet lists a line for "fuel surcharge per delivery" in addition to the hazmat fee noted elsewhere. Please clarify: (i) Is a fuel surcharge a mandatory cost element, or is it optional/conditional? (ii) Are there any other anticipated fees (e.g., inspection, documentation, administrative) that should be factored into the "Additional Fees" line, or should that line be left blank if no such fees apply? A4.i. The only mandatory price is the cost of helium per cubic foot. Any other fees are listed as a matter of convenience based on industry standards. If a fee doesn't apply to your quote, you can line through it…