DLA - Natural Graphite Flakes

Nevada

05/28/2025 10:41 AM EDT

06/05/2025 01:00 PM EDT

DEPT OF DEFENSE - DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY - DCSO

1. Description
   1. The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Strategic Materials Contracting Directorate is seeking information on how an interested contractor could supply natural graphite flake for a DLA Strategic Materials acquisition for addition of material into the National Defense Stockpile.

1. 1. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes; it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue and RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, DLA Strategic Materials is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that DLA Strategic Materials will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with response to this RFI will be the sole responsibility of the interested party.  Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the SAM.gov website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

1. Background

DLA Strategic Materials is the operational agent of the Stockpile Manager, Under Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (USD-AT&L) charged with implementation of the provisions of the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. Section 98 et seq., hereafter referred to as the “Act”). Section 2(b) of the Act requires the Stockpile Manager to “…provide for the acquisition and retention of stocks of certain strategic and critical materials…, to decrease and to preclude when possible a dangerous and costly dependence by the United States upon foreign or single sources of supplies for such materials in times of national emergency”.

1. 1. Proposed Buy:
      1. Natural Graphite Flake – Approx. 48,000 MT

1. 1. Proposed Delivery Period: September 2026 – December 2032

1. 1. Limitations: None

1. 1. Security Requirements: N/A

1. 1. Potential Storage Locations:

• Hawthorne Depot: 1 South Maine Ave, BLDG 110-66B, Hawthorne, NV 89415
• Hammond Depot: 3200 Sheffield Avenue, Hammond, IN 46327-1003
• Scotia Depot: Route 5, BLDG 12, Scotia, NY 12302

1. Requested Information

Material Information

•  Where is the source of the natural graphite flake located?
  • If there are multiple sources, please estimate what percentage of the material comes from which location.
• Please describe your supply chain of graphite from source of the material to final processing - specifically indicating any instances where the material is not located in CONUS.
• Does the time of year affect the availability and/or the production of graphite? If yes, how?

• What is your annual overall production/throughput/consumption?
• What is unit of measure that you use to price the required material?
• How do you typically price the material?
• What specifications of material do you produce?
• What is/are the common specifications used in industry?

What are these specifications used for?

• What is the pricing information for the produced specifications?
• Are there any known impurities that have adverse effects on performance?
  • What are the common impurities, and how do they occur?
• What are the accepted industry limits of those impurities in the material to be provided?
  • How are these impurities tested? Please specify which method for which element or compound.
  • What are the locations of the impurities?
  • What is the frequency which these impurities occur in a production batch?
  • How are the impurities tested for (what are the industry standard tests, and equipment used for those tests)?
• Do you have an internal laboratory testing the material? What testing is performed? How often is the material tested?
• Do you use an external laboratory?
  • If yes, which laboratory do you use? What testing is performed? How often is the material tested?
• Estimate how long it would take to complete production of the amounts listed in section 2.1?

Delivery Information

• What is your typical time from order to delivery for natural graphite flake?
• Have you used subcontractors to produce/provide this material?
• Where would the deliveries originate from? If there are multiple locations, please list all locations.
• What is your delivery capacity per year?
• Estimate how long it will take to complete deliveries of the amounts listed in section 2.1?
• Approximately what quantity of material would constitute a lot/batch?
• Do you provide spot deliveries? If so, typically how much could you provide and in what timeframe could you deliver?
• Does your company offer a discount for either long-term orders or large volume orders?
• What is the preferred method delivery?
• What is the preferred method packaging? Please describe any requirements (crates for handling, boxes, padding, wrapping, stacking, inerting, etc.)
• What is the  industry standards for packing?
• Are there any safety concerns with packing or transporting this material?
• Any restrictions or other information you deem pertinent to deliveries?

Storage Information

• What are the common storage conditions for natural graphite flake?
• How long is natural graphite flake typically stored for prior to use?
• Please provide information on the following: (The material will be stored at a government depot. It is not uncommon for NDS inventory to be stored for periods of time exceeding twenty-five years):
  • Shelf life
  • Environmental impact
  • Regulations
  • Material Rotation Requirements

Market Information

• In the next two to five years, are there any anticipated manufacturing process changes, mature technology development programs, or shifts in end-user requirements that are likely to result in a change in the material?
  • If so, what are they?
• In the next two to five years, are there any anticipated material substitutions that may drive a transition towards or away from the use of graphite flake that will affect the demand of the material?
  • If so, what are they?
• Are there frequent changes in the market price for this material?
  • If yes, how do you address those changes?
• What customer market sector(s) (i.e., military-aerospace, commercial-automotive) purchases your material?
• What additional amount of material could you produce per year and/or deliver without disrupting deliveries to your current customers, hiring additional personnel, or expanding output capacity?

General Information

• Do you have provisions for agreements longer than one year? If so, how long term is tolerable?
• Do you have an active Wide Area Workflow (WAWF) account for submitting electronic invoices?
• If you were requested to provide sales data identifying the percentage of material sold to the Government and the percentage of material sold to the general public, would you comply?
• Would you agree to a contract that contains Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) clause 52.216-2-Economic Price Adjustment—Standard Supplies?
• Is your company registered in the System for Award Management (SAM)? (https://www.sam.gov/).
• Does your company have a cage code?
• Please submit lessons learned from current or previous contract awards.

1. Responses
   1. All interested vendors shall submit responses in Microsoft Word or Office 2010 compatible format no later than 11 JUNE 2025, 13:00) EST.  Responses shall be submitted via email to Rachel.Leak@dla.mil and Charli.Soren@dla.mil.  If late information is received, it may or may not be considered depending on agency time constraints.  The limit for all responses is 30 pages single-sided in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format with a maximum of 12-point font on an 8.5 x 11 page with margins of 1”.
   2. Proprietary information, if any, MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information.  Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.
   3. Part 1 of the response shall provide administrative information and shall include the following as a minimum:

1. 1. 1. Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, and email of designated point of contact.
      2. Recommended contract strategy.
      3. Either, (1) copies of executed non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the contractors supporting DLA Strategic Materials in technical evaluations or (2) a statement that the responders will not allow the Government to release its proprietary data to the Government support contractors.  In the absence of either of the foregoing, the Government will assume that the responder does NOT agree to the release of its submission to Government support contractors.
      4. Business type (large business, small business, small disadvantaged business, 8(a)-certified small disadvantaged business, HUBZone small business, woman-owned small business, very small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business) based upon North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 335991, Carbon and Graphite Product Manufacturing. “Small business concern” means a concern, including its affiliates that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on Government contracts, and qualified as a small business under the criteria and size standards in 13 CFR part 121. A small business concern for the purposes of this procurement is generally defined as a business, including its affiliates, averaging no more than 900 employees.  Please refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR 19 for additional detailed information on Small Business Size Standards.  The FAR is available at https://www.acquisition.gov/
      5. The facility security clearance of the offeror.

1. 1. Part 2 of the response shall include answers to Section 3 of this RFI, “Requested Information.”

1. Industry Discussions

DLA Strategic Materials representatives may or may not choose to meet with potential offerors. Such discussions would only be intended to get further clarification of potential capability to meet the requirements, especially any development and certification risks.

1. Questions

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by email to the Contracting office, email addresses listed in section 4.1. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be answered by posting answers to SAM.gov website; accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after the closing date of the RFI will be answered.

1. Summary

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY to identify sources that can natural graphite flake. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government.  DLA Strategic Materials has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should NOT be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought.  All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.