SPECIAL NOTICE
30 -- Carbon Flux Monitoring Equipment supporting the Office International Programs of the Forest Service
- Notice Date
- 8/13/2015
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 115310
— Support Activities for Forestry
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, WO-AQM, 1400 Independence AVE SW, MS-1138, Washington, District of Columbia, 20250-1138, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20250-1138
- Solicitation Number
- AG-3187-S-15-0098
- Archive Date
- 9/12/2015
- Point of Contact
- Cassandra Carey, Phone: 4043473975
- E-Mail Address
-
cncarey@fs.fed.us
(cncarey@fs.fed.us)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The USDA Forest Service intends to complete the following non competitive action: JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION The following document is prepared in accordance with FAR 6.301 and FAC 97-02, October 10, 1997, (6.303) only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements: 1) Identification of the agency and the contracting activity: USDA Forest Service, WO Acquisition Management Operations supporting the Office of International Programs 2) Nature and/or description of action being approved: This Justification Memo is for the purchase of carbon flux monitoring equipment to be provided by Li-Cor, Inc. The equipment provided by Li-Cor fits into the inter-agency agreement with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and U.S. State Department. Through the inter-agency agreement, the U.S. Forest Service International Programs provides support to the Governments of Colombia and Ecuador on forest carbon emissions monitoring. Following extensive market research, Li-Cor, Inc. is the only available and fully qualified, legally registered entity that can meet the complex and highly-technical needs outlined in the program of work of the U.S. Forest Service International Programs and our host country partners in Colombia and Ecuador. The U.S. Forest Service International Programs seeks to secure the carbon flux equipment provided by Li-Cor, Inc. to support the Governments of Colombia and Ecuador's efforts to design and implement intensive forest carbon monitoring sites in the Amazon. These sites will link local actors (scientists, government officials and NGOs) with international counterparts and provide a much needed platform for technical transfer of the technology in carbon flux measurements. 3) A description of supplies of services required to meet the agency's needs (including the estimated value): Analyzers, modules, probes, and other required instruments and systems provided by LiCor, Inc., to establish and equip intensive carbon monitoring sites in the Amazon of Colombia and Ecuador. Estimated cost is between $80,000.00 and 110,000.00 4) An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition: 41 USC 253(c)(1)Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements (e.g., unique supplies or services that are available from only one supplier). This requirement is for supplies specific to a brand-name description or other purchase description to specify a particular brand-name, product, or feature of a product, peculiar to one manufacturer consequently, it does not provide for full and open competition, regardless of the number of sources solicited 5) A demonstration that the proposed institution's unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited: The carbon flux measurement package provided by Li-Cor, Inc. is the standard in use for carbon flux measurements around the world. There are other companies that provide similar equipment, though Li-Cor, Inc. offers two, important and unique, features that are required for this particular application. First, the Li-Cor closed, short path infra-red gas analyzer is unique and for the application in the humid, rainy climates in the Amazon it is the only sensor that will provide near-continuous, high-quality data needed for carbon flux measurement. Second, Li-Cor's unique, Smart-Flux system add-on will allow for a lower threshold for scientists to begin to obtain high-quality data until such time as all capacity transfer can take place. Sourcing all the equipment through this provider will also ensure overall interoperability of all the components and will allow a timely installation in the difficult environment of the Amazon jungle in locations very far from any infrastructure. 6) A description of the efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many sources as is practical, including whether a CBD notice was or will be publicized as required in Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies: No other company offers the full suite of equipment that Li-Cor, Inc. provides. This purchase is a specific a particular brand-name, product, or feature of a product, particular to one manufacturer consequently, it does not provide for full and open competition, regardless of the number of sources solicited. Accordingly, notice will be posted to FBO. 7) A determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable: The solicited price will be reviewed against the independent government estimate to ensure reasonability. The cost of the equipment is anticipated to be fair as, up until recently, Li-Cor, Inc has participated in the GSA Advantage program. 8) A description of the market survey conducted (Sec. 7.101) and the results or a statement of the reasons a market survey was not conducted. This is a highly specialized field with the major manufacture are identified and evaluated. The U.S. Forest Service International Programs market research identified 2 other companies that could provide equipment for carbon flux measurement of a similar nature, Campbell Scientific and PP Systems. These companies do not, however, provide instruments that meet all the criteria needed for this particular application (short, closed path systems and automated flux data processing). 9) Other factors supporting the use of other than full and open competition: The Li-Cor, Inc. flux monitoring equipment is the de facto standard, as reliability, support and interchangeability of equipment and sensors is necessary when dealing with installing, maintaining, and operating monitoring equipment off tall towers, in remote locations among a network of monitoring stations and collaborators. The Li-Cor processing software for data processing, standardizing data collection, storage, and data reduction is of paramount importance. 10) Listings of any sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition: 11) Statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the services require: This action where, as commercial practice, equipment purchased is specific to the company. For this purchase there is no other companies that can provide the specialized equipment needed to support this mission.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USDA/FS/WO-AQM/AG-3187-S-15-0098/listing.html)
- Record
- SN03837440-W 20150815/150813235508-21c58c8a864731dace559b6f57b76a78 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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