The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR) and the Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML) in Charleston, SC seek information on small business vendors who are capable of providing specialty and bulk gases of appropriate quality and volume for a twelve-month base period and four twelve-month option periods as identified below:

Item: Helium
Description: Ultra High Purity (5) Helium (99.999%)
Estimated Quantity per Year/Volume of Gas: 20 / 266 cf cylinders
Due Date: As requested*
Deliver To: CCEHBR or HML as directed

Item: Electron Capture Mix
Description: Electron Capture Mix P5 (95% argon; 5% methane)
Estimated Quantity per Year/Volume of Gas: 10 / 310 cf cylinders
Due Date: As requested*
Deliver To: CCEHBR or HML as directed

Item: Nitrogen
Description: Ultra High Purity (5) Nitrogen (99.999%)
Estimated Quantity per Year/Volume of Gas: 4 / 279cf cylinders
Due Date: As requested*
Deliver To: CCEHBR or HML as directed

Item: Argon
Description: Ultra High Purity Argon (99.999%)
Estimated Quantity per Year/Volume of Gas: 6 / 302 cf cylinders
Due Date: As requested*
Delivery To: CCEHBR or HML as directed

Item: Liquid Argon
Description: Liquid Argon (99.996%)
Estimated Quantity per Year/Volume of Gas: 13 / 4864 cf dewars
Due Date: As requested*
Deliver To: HML

Item: Compressed Air
Description: Air, Compressed (Breathing Quality, 99.5%)
Estimated Quantity per Year/Volume of Gas: 3 / 310 cf cylinder
Due Date: As requested*
Deliver To: CCEHBR or HML as directed

Item: Liquid Helium
Description: Liquid Helium (Non-magnetic)
Estimated Quantity per Year/Volume of Gas: 4 / 30 liter dewar
Due Date: As requested*
Deliver To: CCEHBR or HML as directed

*Items to be delivered within 7 days of receiving a formal request.

In addition to the above items, this requirement also includes the rental of a 900 gallon tank capable of holding and delivering nitrogen of at least 99.998% to the CCEHBR with a scheduled delivery of every 2 weeks to ensure adequate pressure remains in the nitrogen tank.

The applicable NAICS is 211112 with a small business size standard of 500 employees. Interested small business vendors may identify their interest and provide evidence of their capability to respond to this requirement to Sandie Wallace at sandie.wallace@noaa.gov no later than 12:00 PM EST on Friday, May 16, 2008. This notice is not a request for competitive proposals. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed procurement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.