TOOL CALIBRATION SERVICES

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is seeking proposals from qualified firms to provide tool calibration services. The services include cleaning, repairing, calibrating, and certifying VTA's precision measuring equipment (PME) to the original manufacturer's specification. The contractor will be expected to provide field service for calibrating the majority of VTA's PME, including torque wrenches, multi-meters, large specialty equipment, and other equipment at each VTA yard. The contract will have a term of three years with two optional one-year extensions. The proposal price is based on an hourly rate for the various levels of service to be provided. Some key requirements include: * Providing a list of PME with the associated owner along with a date on which the calibration would need to be renewed * Notifying the owner (VTA Yard representative) when a majority of PMEs are between 60 to 90 days of when calibrations are out of date * Affixing to each PME a Calibration Certification Label/Decal with the contractor's name or logo containing the calibration date and the next calibration due date * Identifying and labeling the limitations on PME that cannot be calibrated to their full capability and those determined to have other limitations for use * Providing monthly recall notices, reports, and invoices for work performed * Submitting the invoice within ten working days from the completion of work or as required by VTA * Safely storing and holding in confidence of service records, Calibration Certificates, and related reports for the period specified in the contractor's Quality Manual or three years, whichever is greater. The following are some of the key personnel and their responsibilities: * Contractor's Representative: The contractor will designate a single point of contact as the contractor's primary representative for the term of the contract. This person shall be thoroughly familiar with the specific requirements of this contract and be able to answer VTA's questions and resolve any problems. * Calibration Program Coordinator: The calibration program coordinator will review and approve appropriate PME repair requests, provide the list of PME to be picked up, and provide the date and scheduled time of pick up. * Maintenance Division Site Representatives: The maintenance division site representatives will be responsible for receiving and reviewing the list of PME to be calibrated, ensuring that the PME are handled, stored, and transported in a manner that will not adversely affect the calibration and the overall condition of the equipment, and signing for the PME on the calibration spreadsheet. Some of the benefits of this contract include: * The opportunity to work with a large transportation agency * The chance to provide specialized services to support VTA's maintenance operations * The potential for a long-term contract with optional extensions However, there are also some challenges and risks associated with this contract, such as: * The need to comply with VTA's quality standard requirements and calibration program requirements * The requirement to provide a list of PME with the associated owner along with a date on which the calibration would need to be renewed * The need to notify the owner (VTA Yard representative) when a majority of PMEs are between 60 to 90 days of when calibrations are out of date * The requirement to affix to each PME a Calibration Certification Label/Decal with the contractor's name or logo containing the calibration date and the next calibration due date * The need to identify and label the limitations on PME that cannot be calibrated to their full capability and those determined to have other limitations for use * The requirement to provide monthly recall notices, reports, and invoices for work performed * The need to submit the invoice within ten working days from the completion of work or as required by VTA * The requirement to safely store and hold in confidence of service records, Calibration Certificates, and related reports for the period specified in the contractor's Quality Manual or three years, whichever is greater. Overall, this contract provides an opportunity for a qualified firm to provide specialized services to support VTA's maintenance operations, but it also requires compliance with VTA's quality standard requirements and calibration program requirements.