USNS TIPPECANOE GAS FREE - SAFE FOR ENTRY CERTIFICATION

This Request for Quotation (RFQ) by NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Yokosuka (detachment Singapore) (NAVSUP FLCY) seeks proposals for Gas Free Certification services for the USNS TIPPECANOE (T-AO 199). The project, with a performance period from December 20 to December 30, 2025, in Singapore PSA Wharves, requires a contractor to provide all labor and materials for gas free certification as detailed in attachment J-1. Offerors must submit proposals by December 11, 2025, 2:00 PM Singapore Standard Time. The contract is a Firm Fixed Price arrangement. Key requirements include comprehensive management, planning, quality control, adherence to occupational health standards (29 CFR 1915), and specific invoicing procedures through Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF). The contractor is also responsible for complying with hazardous material regulations, ensuring item unique identification and valuation, and adhering to various FAR and DFARS clauses, including those related to small business concerns and foreign procurements.

This service order, SN 26-014, details the requirement for "Gas Free – Safe for Entry Certification" for the USNS TIPPECANOE (T-AO 199) from December 20 to December 30, 2025. The primary purpose is to ensure the safety of personnel and contractors entering the vessel's cargo tanks for cleaning and to prepare the ship for shipyard entry. The contractor must provide certified Marine Chemists for initial "Safe for Entry Certificates" for 26 tanks (DFM, JP-5, and ballast tanks) and a Marine Port Authority Chemist for a final "Gas Free Certificate for Shipyard Entry." The scope includes approximately eleven days of chemist visits, with four on weekends, and the provision of ten laborers for eight days to assist with tank cleaning. The contractor is also responsible for maintaining daily gas free certificates and providing trained "Competent Persons" to achieve this, with the understanding that additional costs for a Marine Chemist will be borne by the contractor if regulatory agencies require their certification. Access to the vessel will vary based on its mooring location, either SNI Wharves or PSA Commercial Pier, with specific access request procedures for each.

The "Price Proposal Breakdown Sheet(s) - Attachment J-2" is a standardized form for submitting detailed labor and material cost proposals for government contracts. It lists various labor categories such as Blacksmith, Boilermaker, Electrician, Engineer Services, Painters, Pipefitters, Welders, and Subcontractor manhours, alongside fields for their corresponding costs. The sheet also includes sections for Material Price, Other (specified in Remarks), and Total Price for each work item. A dedicated

Form W-14, issued by the IRS, is essential for foreign entities contracting with the U.S. government on or after January 2, 2011. Its main purpose is to establish a foreign contracting party's status and to claim exemptions from the 2% tax imposed by Section 5000C on specified federal procurement payments. These payments are for goods manufactured or services provided in countries not party to an international procurement agreement with the U.S. The form must be submitted to the acquiring agency early in the contract process, and a revised form is required within 30 days of any change in circumstances. Exemptions can be claimed based on international agreements (like tax treaties) or if goods/services are produced/performed in the U.S. The document also defines key terms such as "acquiring agency," "foreign contracting party," "international procurement agreement," and "specified federal procurement payment," and provides detailed instructions for completing each section of the form.

Form W-14, issued by the Department of the Treasury (Internal Revenue Service), is a Certificate of Foreign Contracting Party Receiving Federal Procurement Payments. Its purpose is to allow foreign entities receiving federal procurement payments to claim exemption from tax under section 5000C, either through an international agreement (such as a qualified income tax treaty) or because goods/services are produced/performed in the United States. Foreign contracting parties must provide identification details, including name, country of incorporation, address, and U.S. taxpayer identification number (if any). The form also requires information about the acquiring agency and the contract/reference number. Parties can claim a full exemption or identify specific exempt and nonexempt amounts based on international agreements or the origin of goods/services. Detailed explanations are required for any claimed exemptions, including the specific agreement and provision relied upon, relevant countries of production/performance, and methods for allocating exempt and nonexempt amounts. The form concludes with a certification under penalties of perjury, affirming the accuracy of the information and the foreign person's agreement to pay any unwithheld tax, penalties, and interest.