Nondestructive Testing (NDT) Training

NIST-SS26-79

PLEASE NOTE THIS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY

Title: Nondestructive Testing (NDT) Training

BACKGROUND

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) in Gaithersburg, MD focuses on providing neutron measurement capabilities to the U.S. research community in biology, materials science, chemistry, and physics. It is the national center for research using thermal and cold neutrons, offering its instrumentation for the performance of world class scientific research by all qualified applicants. The focus of the NCNR relies upon the safe, cost-effective, and reliable operation of the aging National Bureau of Standards Reactor (NBSR) as well as its ability to operate under and adhere to the licensing agreements of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

In order to keep the reactor running safely and reliably, as well as to take full advantage of advances in neutron measurement science and methodology, it is important that staff have the ability to understand the current health of various reactor components, especially piping and valves. The NCNR is procuring separately a set of magnetic, ultrasonic, and eddy current NDT equipment (including the EPOCH 650 and the NORTEC 600), but training will be required for effective use of the equipment.

The Government requires a one (1) week instructor-led training course, that will be held onsite at the NCNR in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The course would include classroom lessons on the equipment, as well as hands-on experience with the equipment, including a walk-down of some reactor systems with the equipment in-use. The Government requires a syllabus that would cover two (2) days of eddy current testing, two (2) days of ultrasonic testing, and one (1) day of wet particle magnetic testing. It is not expected that this training would lead towards a certification. The intent is only basic overall training of equipment use.

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response.  Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed at the bottom of this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.

•           Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).

•           Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST’s minimum requirements and its past experience with providing relevant NDT training. Any relevant past performance.

•           Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your firm’s ability to fully participate in a procurement for such services and explain why.  Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses.

•           For the NAICS code

o          Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business.  See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.

o          If you believe the NAICS and/or Product Service Code code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS/PSC code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.

•           If your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for products or services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.

•           Describe your firm’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section.

•           Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement.

•           Please let us know if you would like to engage to get a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government’s requirement for the products or services described in the Background section.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE

Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 10, 2026.  Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline.

IMPORTANT NOTES

The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future. 

This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. 

This notice is not a request for a quotation. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations.

No award will be made as a result of this notice. 

NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.

NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request.