The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) intends to negotiate a sole source contract with Elemental Scientific, Inc. for the annual preventative maintenance and emergency repairs of the ESI PrepFAST IC Automated Speciation System used at the National Seafood Inspection Laboratory (NSIL) in Pascagoula, MS. This specialized equipment is crucial for the laboratory's role in detecting and confirming metals contamination in seafood, aligning with FDA standards for food safety. The estimated contract value is $88,725 over three years, and interested parties may submit a Capability Statement by 5:00 PM EST on December 26, 2024, to the Contracting Officer, Suzanne Johnston, at Suzanne.Johnston@noaa.gov.

Single+Source+25-055+FE+Signed+CO+(1).pdf

The document serves as a Single Source Determination under Simplified Acquisition Procedures for the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It outlines a request for services related to the maintenance and repair of a PrepFAST IC instrument essential for analyzing heavy metal toxins in seafood, owned by the National Seafood Inspection Laboratory (NSIL). The estimated contract value is $88,725 for three years. Elemental Scientific, Inc. is identified as the sole source responsible for maintenance due to exclusive licensing agreements, proprietary technology, and factory-authorized service capabilities. The urgency of this request is emphasized because the incumbent contract is set to expire, and delays could hinder critical laboratory operations. Previous market research established that only Elemental Scientific, Inc. engineers are certified to provide required services, ensuring compliance with ISO 17025 standards. The document also includes necessary certifications and signatures from relevant officials, confirming the determination that only one service provider is available to meet the laboratory's needs. Overall, this summary encapsulates the document's primary purpose of justifying sole-source procurement for specialized maintenance services vital to government seafood inspection initiatives.

The US Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), FISHERIES OMB FIELD DELEGATES, Simplified Acquisition Branch intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Elemental Scientific, Inc. using the procedures in FAR Part 13. The National Seafood Inspection Laboratory (NSIL) in Pascagoula, MS requires annual preventative maintenance and possible emergency repairs on their existing ESI PrepFAST IC Automated Speciation System with In-Line Autodilution and Autocalibration for use in tandem with an ICP-MS for the elemental analysis of a variety of contaminants in seafood available in US commerce. The primary use of the instrument is in NOAA's Product Quality and Safety priority program area for the laboratory-based detection and confirmation of metals contamination in seafood products, as per the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) most common food elemental contaminants-of-concern, contained in the FDA's Elemental Analysis Manual (EAM) for food and related products. The basis for this single source is that the vendor is the exclusive provider for monitoring the built-in system intelligence to provide remote diagnostics and detailed operation reports. The vendor is also the sole source for proprietary factory-recommended software updates/upgrades, engineering upgrades, and maintenance procedures.  The vendor is also the sole source for proprietary factory-made instrument parts and supplies, and is the only vendor service that has authorized representatives that are certified through current and ongoing factory training and hold factory authorization to perform service on this Elemental Scientific, Inc. specific piece of equipment. Services performed by providers who are not factory authorized, will invalidate the warranty.

The statutory authority for other than full and open competition is FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), Only one responsible source.

The North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) for this acquisition is 811210 - Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance  with a business size standard of $34 Mil.

This is not a solicitation for competitive quotes, nor will one be posted on SAM.GOV

Although a determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. However, if any interested party believes that it is capable of meeting the requirements, and in an effort to comply with the requirements outlined in FAR 5.102, a firm may request an electronic copy of the Statement of Need from the Contracting Officer, Suzanne Johnston (Suzanne.Johnston@noaa.gov).

All electronic correspondence shall have the subject line read: Announcement Number: FD-2025-055 - Project Title: PrepFast Annual PM & Emergency Repairs

All responsible sources may submit a Capability Statement in accordance with this notice, which shall be considered by the agency if received on or before 5:00 PM EST on December 26, 2024. The Capability Statement must contain material in sufficient detail to allow NOAA to determine if the party can meet all of the requirements.

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