The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air and Radiation, National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL), in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is performing a market research to determine potential sources in preparation for a future procurement. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS FOR WRITTEN INFORMATION ONLY. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. The OAR/NVFEL office currently has an Agilent 7890 Gas Chromatograph configured with a split/splitless inlet for injection of liquid samples into a capillary column followed by analysis using a micro electron capture detector. EPA requires modification of this instrument for the purposes of quantifying nitrous oxide in vehicle exhaust gas. The detection limit for N2O is required to be at least 25 ppb. Exhaust gas is very similar to ambient air with the exception of carbon dioxide which is typically found in concentrations of 2-3% and a dew point of 50?F. The contractor will be responsible for designing and implementing a gas sampling valve schematic to successfully separate nitrous oxide from a bagged vehicle exhaust sample. There are two six-port gas sampling valves existing on the instrument and these may be used in the new design. The contractor is responsible for providing and installing any additionally required gas sampling valves, metering valves, external valve ovens, and auxiliary electronic pressure control units to the instrument. The instrument can be shipped to the contractor?s location for modification including hardware installation and method development. Analytical method must be provided for use with OpenLab Chemstation, however the EPA will provide our own computer workstation and OpenLab Chemstation version and license. The contractor must then provide onsite installation and training on the modified instrument using the new method. The contractor must provide documentation of both the developed instrumental method as well as the hardware configuration of the modified instrument. A report of method development including custom manual with valve plumbing diagrams, precision statistics, calibration curves, example chromatograms, reports, and hardcopy of method parameters must be included with the instrument. The contractor must have demonstrated experience in modifying/upgrading gas chromatographs. It is anticipated that this contract will be a firm-fixed-price type. The purpose of this synopsis is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their business size. Your response should include your Company?s name, address and business size. Any interested firms must submit a capability statement which demonstrates the firm?s ability to perform the key requirements descried above. Indications of interest by small business concerns without required information regarding capability and eligibility will not be considered in a small business set-aside determination. Specifically indicate if you are a, HUBZONE, HUBZONE 8(a), 8(a), Small Disadvantage (identify disadvantaged group) or Large Business in relation to this NAICS Code 811219 with a standard size of $19.0 million. Responses to this sources sought synopsis will be used by the Government to make appropriate determin ations about potential sources only. After review of the responses to this notice, a solicitation may be published in the Federal Business Opportunities (FEDBIZOPS) at a later time. Standard company brochures will not be considered a sufficient response to this Sources Sought Synopsis. The EPA reserves the right to set this action aside for small businesses. Responses to the above should be submitted to: U.S. EPA, Attn: Annette Niedermier, 2565 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-2425, fax number 734-214-4217, email:
[email protected]. TELEPHONE REQUESTS WILL NOT BE HONORED. All responses must be received by June 12, 2013. Should this result in the EPA issuing a Solicitation, responses to this sources sought announcement will not be considered an adequate response to the solicitation or a request to be added to a prospective bidders/offerors list or to received a copy of any resulting solicitation. All interested offerors will have to respond to any future solicitation announcement regarding this requirement in addition to responding to this sources sought announcement. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.