SPECIAL NOTICE
J -- Upgrade PMCS & migrate to virtual infrastructure
- Notice Date
- 8/17/2012
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541511
— Custom Computer Programming Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA APHIS, 1920 DAYTON AVE, AMES, Iowa, 50010, United States
- ZIP Code
- 50010
- Solicitation Number
- AG-6197-S-12-SB21
- Point of Contact
- Stacie L. Black, Phone: 5153377243
- E-Mail Address
-
stacie.black@ars.usda.gov
(stacie.black@ars.usda.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This is a Notice of Intent. The Agriculture Research Service (ARS) of the United States Department of Agriculture intends to issue an award to Eaton Corporation, 210 Windy Point DR., Glendale Heights, IL 60139-3805. This is sole source procurement pursuant to the authority of FAR 6.302-1. Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. This is a requirement of the National Animal Disease Center (NADC), USDA at Ames, IA for the upgrade of the Power Management & Control System (PMCS) and migration to the existing virtual infrastructure. This upgrade is only available through Eaton Corporation. No telephone inquiries will be accepted. Interested parties shall submit written (mail or email) responses including prices and technical data sufficient to determine capability to meet the entire requirement and must be received in this office within 10 calendar days after publication of this notice. It should be noted that no contract will be awarded on the basis of offers received in response to this notice, but will be used to determine if a comparable source more advantageous to the Government is available. If affirmative written responses are not received, negotiations will be held with Eaton Corporation without further notice. This acquisition is being conducted under the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994, Simplified Acquisition Procedures. SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION: Upon the basis of the following justification, I, as a Contracting Officer, hereby approve the use of other than full and open competition for the proposed contractual action pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S. C.2304(c)(1), FAR Subpart 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii), Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. JUSTIFICATION: 1. Agency and Contracting Activity (FAR 6.303-2(b)(1)). a. USDA, AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE, NATIONAL ANIMAL DISEASE CENTER, Ames, IA location. 2. Nature/Description of Action(s) (FAR 6.303-2(b)(2)). a. This contracting action is to upgrade the current PMCS and migration to the existing virtual infrastructure. 3. Description of Supplies/Services (FAR 6.303-2(b)(3)). a. Upgrade the Power Management & Control System (PMCS) in the Central Utility Plant at the USDA National Centers for Animal Health in Ames, Iowa. Scope includes providing upgrade software licenses of commercial software, configuring the software to perform the custom PMCS functions that monitor, alarm, & control high-voltage electrical switchgear distributing electrical power from utility, NADC combustion turbine electrical generators, and diesel standby electrical generators. The upgrades include migration from a single server located in the Utility Plant to Virtual Machine configuration on the NCAH campus servers. All current functionality is to be maintained, including screen displays & operational controls. Work is to be scheduled to minimize outages of electrical services to critical buildings, including BSL-3 laboratories and BSL-3Ag animal facilities. The scope includes training for new features and procedures, and warranty of the work completed under the upgrade project. Estimated value in excess of $25,000.00. 4. Identification of Statutory Authority (FAR 6.303-2(b)(4)). a. 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), FAR Subpart 6.302-1. The supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. 5. Demonstration of Contractor's Unique Qualifications (FAR 6.303-2(b)(5)). a. Only one responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services will satisfy Agency Requirements (FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)) (1) FAR 6.302-1(a)(2) states, "When the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source, or for DOD, NASA, and the Coast Guard, from only one or a limited number of responsible sources, and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for." (2) The high-voltage (13.2KV) electrical distribution system installed at NCAH under the modernization efforts is custom due to the specialized buildings constructed on the site campus. The system includes 5 standby diesel generators, 2 combustion turbine generators that are controlled in parallel with the site electrical utility to distribute electrical power to 10 redundant electrical substations serving a BSL-3Ag animal facility, BSL-3 laboratory & animal facilities, BSL-2 animal & laboratory facilities, as well as administrative and support buildings. The PMCS monitors programmed functions and provides the Plant Operators with continuous display of the system status in the Utility Plant Control Room, provides alarms, and operates sequences to start, run, and manage the generators, substation switchgear, and building switchgear between 2 redundant electrical feeders to provide reliable electrical service to the campus substations and buildings. The campus electrical systems could not be reliably operated in manual mode without the PMCS controls and customized control sequences. The Eaton Corporation will provide the original construction programmer for this installation. The programmer has completed all the software installation, controls programming, graphic control interface screens, operator training, and interfacing between the control program and the standby generators, combustion turbines, the electrical utility, and the building substation. The programmer completed the work for the initial Utility Plant installation plus subsequent integration of the Wastewater Pretreatment Plant, BSL-3Ag Large Animal High Containment building, BSL-2 Large Animal Low Containment Building, Incinerator-Necropsy building, the BSL-3 & BSL-2 Laboratory & Administrative building, and the existing plant facilities. Recent additions have included substations for 2 existing animal buildings and work is under contract for connection of a BSL-3 & BSL-2 laboratory building. BSL-2 & BSL-3 spaces in the buildings are registered with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for Select Agents which requires significant record-keeping and documentation for ventilation controls and electrical services. Every electrical interruption to these spaces requires reporting and follow-up reports to CDC; which interrupts laboratory/animal work and requires bio-safety, engineering, animal care, laboratory, and administrative staff time to investigate and develop the written reports to CDC and agency management. Additionally, improper programming may damage the substation/building electrical equipment. There is significant potential for faulty programming or technician errors to cause tens of thousands of dollars of damage - or far greater damage if critical diagnostic or research programs are shut-down or required to be terminated due to a PMCS programming error. If a different programmer/integrator is used, there would need to be considerable time required for location plant staff to train the programmer on the electrical system components, how the system is operated by the plant staff, and what strategies are used to switch and control the campus in a safe and reliable manner. This would likely add additional costs for the contractor, and would definitely pull current plant staff away from their normal duties and special projects to work with the programmer - increasing the costs to the government. Additionally, Eaton's programmer/integrator has demonstrated through previous performance testing that the software will function properly; including demonstrating that he can isolate new upgrades from the basic control program functions. In the absence of previous performance, it would be necessary for the upgrading contractor to complete a full performance test of the PMCS upon completion of the work to demonstrate the entire system operates correctly. This will require more contractor/programmer effort, more staff support time, a greater number of tests (completed during weekend or evening hours), and expose the location to more electrical interruptions to critical facilities, which will require additional CDC reports. 6. Federal Business Opportunities FedBizOpps.gov (FBO) Announcement/Potential Sources (FAR 6.303-2(b)(6). a. A Federal Business Opportunities Synopsis is published in an attempt to identify other possible vendors of the required scope of work. b. USDA/ARS does not anticipate other qualified sources; however, should any responses be received, they will be evaluated to determine if they can meet future needs of the Government. 7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost (FAR 6.303-2(b)(7). a. It is the Contracting Officer's determination that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable based on a comparison of previous work that has been found to be reasonable. 8. Description of Market Research (FAR 6.303-2(b)(8). a. USDA/ARS is consistently surveying the market, and from this experience knows that the before mentioned items are only available from the vendor identified. Additionally, Eaton Corporation is the manufacturer of the custom high-voltage electrical switchgear controls that were installed in the Central Utility Plant when it was upgraded to support the buildings constructed under the modernization effort. When additional buildings were completed, the electrical substations were integrated into the Utility Plant using Eaton Corporation services and the same software programmer. The NADC plant and electrical distribution system was a custom project and is unique. There is only one programmer that is familiar with the combination of Eaton controls, electrical & control hardware, control software, control sequences, and the interaction of the generators and utility hardware located at this site. 9. Any Other Supporting Facts (FAR 6.303-2(b)(9). a. The agency has invested significant funds into the PMCS during construction of the Central Utility Plant and the containment animal buildings and laboratories during the modernization effort. The initial Utility Plant work used Eaton to provide and install the PMCS (including the software and programming) that was specified in the construction documents. The construction management firms completing the work on subsequent buildings and site improvements were required to build on the existing Eaton system and used Eaton, and the same programmer/subcontractor for all the projects. While the operating manuals and supporting sequences of operation and control are well-documented; the control programming has been completed by one programmer, who has detailed knowledge of both the programs and hardware that it operates. The knowledge and experience he developed during construction of the plant improvements and expansion of the PMCS to the new buildings is unique to the site and application; and has provided reliability to the expansion projects and testing of the software programming. This has reduced the interruptions in electrical service to the critical campus buildings. 10. Listing of Interested Sources (FAR 6.303-2(b)(10). a. No other sources are available at this time. 11. Actions Taken to Remove Barriers to Competition (FAR 6.303-2(b)(11). a. Active vendor searches and surveys are completed and extensive market research is conducted in order to identify other potential sources that will meet the Government's needs. 12. Technical Requirements and Certifications; (FAR 6.303-1(a) and FAR 6.303-2(b) a. I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance which are included in this justification and which from a basis for this justification are complete and accurate. CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION: (FAR 6.303-1(a), 6.303-2(b)(12) I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Name: Stacie L. Black Title: Contracting Officer
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/dd9871002e9eac500356ae7170fd3d37)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 1920 Dayton Avenue, Ames, Iowa, 50010, United States
- Zip Code: 50010
- Record
- SN02845013-W 20120819/120818000143-dd9871002e9eac500356ae7170fd3d37 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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