NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD SOLE SOURCE

The United States Air Force (the Government) intends to issue a Firm-Fixed-Price Purchase order to a single source, Thermo-Calc Software, Inc. under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) (only one source reasonably available) on or about 1 Oct 2020.  The base period of performance (PoP) shall be from 1 Oct 2020 – 31 Sept 2021.

FSC: 7030

NAICS: 511210

Size Standard: $41.5M

Software name: Thermo-Calc Software

Supplier name: Thermo-Calc Software, Inc.

Product description:

The proposed effort covered by this individual Justification and Approval is for a subscription to continue to use the Thermo-Calc Software that was purchased last year – this is for Maintenance and support for this software.  It also allows the USG to access Thermo-calc's proprietary database. 

There are multiple software packages (i.e. Computherm, Thermo-calc) that implement the CALPHAD method; however, the databases used to perform the CALPHAD calculations are proprietary, thereby causing the predictions and simulations of each package to produce valuably different insights for experiments conducted by AFRL. AFRL already owns licenses for Computherm's package, but Thermo-calc's suite offers distinctly different capabilities for ongoing metallic materials and processing research, including: (i) the unique ability to conduct thermodynamic calculations on metallic oxides and (ii) more extensive kinetic prediction capabilities than other options. No other supplier is able to exactly mimic the capabilities of Thermo-calc's proprietary database and Thermo-calc is the sole provider of their software. The various software packages/databases are unable to be used interchangeably, but both offer complementary insight for the purposes of AFRL research.  It is important to note that the kinetics calculations require both the thermodynamic and kinetics material databases to operate. 

Product characteristics an equal item must meet to be considered:

SUNLL Maintenance and Support Thermo-Calc - 10/1/20-9/30/21

SUNLL Maintenance and Support Diffusion Module (DICTRA) - 10/1/20-9/30/21

SUNLL Maintenance and Support Precipitation Module (TC-PRISMA) - 10/1/20-9/30/21

SUNLL TCHEA4: TCS High entropy alloys database, v4.1 – Perpetual

SUNLL MOBHEA2: TCS High Entropy Alloys mobility database v2.0 –Perpetual

SUNLL TCFE10: TCS Steels/Fe-alloys database, v10.1 –Perpetual

SUNLL MOBFE5: TCS Fe-alloys mobility database, v5.0 - Perpetual

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations.  However, all responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the Government.  The Government will consider responses received within 6 days of issuance of this notice. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct a full and open competitive procurement or a small business set aside competitive procurement. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this announcement.

If the Government decides to compete this requirement, a synopsis shall be issued utilizing the combined synopsis/solicitation procedure identified in FAR 12.603.  If this effort becomes a Small Business Set-Aside, FAR 52.219-14, Limitation on Subcontracting, will apply. Therefore, small businesses that want to be considered for a small business set-aside should demonstrate how they intend to comply. 

A determination not to compete this requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. 

Contractors should be aware of the following information:

1. Contractors must include the following information:
   • Points of contact, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers.
   • Identification as a large U.S. business, a small U.S. business, or a foreign business. Please note that size indicated should be based on the NAICS code for this effort listed above.
   • Identification of any other socioeconomic status including: Women-Owned Small Business, Economically Disadvantaged Small Business, 8(a), Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Veteran Owned Small Business or HUBZone.
   • Company CAGE Code or DUNS Number. 
2. In your response, you must address how your product meets the product characteristics specified above.
3. Submitted information shall be UNCLASSIFIED.
4. Responses are limited to 10 pages in a Microsoft Word compatible format.

Responses should be emailed to Stephen J. Wenclewicz at [email protected] and Jennifer Arnett at [email protected] no later than 24 Sept 2020, 2:00 PM EST.  Any questions should be directed to Stephen J. Wenclewicz through email.