SOLICITATION NOTICE
10 -- Evex Analytical Systems
- Notice Date
- 10/16/2012
- Notice Type
- Justification and Approval (J&A)
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- ACC-APG - Installation Division, Directorate of Contracting, 4118 Susquehanna Avenue, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-3013
- ZIP Code
- 21005-3013
- Solicitation Number
- W91ZLK-12-R-0044
- Archive Date
- 11/25/2012
- Point of Contact
- Amy Bozzard, Phone: 4102780712
- E-Mail Address
-
amy.m.bozzard.civ@mail.mil
(amy.m.bozzard.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Award Number
- W91ZLK-12-C-0048
- Award Date
- 9/27/2012
- Description
- Justification Review Document For Other Than Full And Open Competition 1. Contracting Activity: U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Installation Division, ATTN: CCAP-SCI, 4118 Susquehanna Ave, Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland (MD) 21010-5401. 2. Description of Action: Requirement: 1 New 0 Repeat Pricing: 1 Firm-Fixed Price 0 Time & Materials 0 Cost Funds: 1 OMA 0 Other Funds: Name of Proposed Contractor: Evex Analytical Instruments, Inc. Street Address: 857 State Road City, State, Zip: Princeton, NJ, 08450 Phone: 690-252-9192 3. Description of Requirement: This Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition seeks the approval to award sole source to Evex Analytical Instruments, Inc. for the Evex MiniSEM electron microscope with integrated elemental analysis capabilities in support of the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC), Decontamination Sciences Branch. This requirement will be awarded as a new Firm-Fixed Price Contract under FAR Part 12. The estimated value for the contract is $421,200 and will be obligated with FY12 Operations and Maintenance Army (OMA) funds. The Decontamination Sciences Branch evaluates the performance of decontaminants for reducing the risk from contaminated materials, including paints, polymers, and impermeable substrates. The Decontamination Sciences mission requires advanced analytical capabilities for evaluating the interactions between the contaminants of interest and military-relevant materials. The instrument will provide rapid and efficient chemical warfare agent transport analysis and characterization. Specific Instrument Part Numbers: P/N SX 3000FH Evex MiniSEM SX3000FH Fume Hood Application P/N SX 3000HV HV Beam Deceleration 30 -1 KV P/N SX 3000CRM Exclusive Evex CRM Contract SEI Detector for Hydrated Analysis in High Vacuum Mode P/N SX 30002CA 2 Channel Detector Amplification P/N SX 3000MA Manual & Automatic User Interface Evex MiniSEM SX3000 FH P/N SX 3000SC Support Computer for both: SEM, EDS, & CRM P/N SX 3000nano Evex EDS NanoAnalysis Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis System P/N SX 3000MN MiniSEM/NanoAnalysis Operation Course (Held Onsite APG) P/N SX 3000IS Installation Labor Evex MiniSEM/NanoAnalysis P/N SX 3000IM Installation Material Evex MiniSEM P/N SX 3000FW Factory Warranty - Labor Evex MiniSEM & NanoAnalysis P/N SX 3000IK Installation Kit & Tool Service Kit P/N SX TBD Evex Mini-SEM Raman Spectroscopy System P/N SX TBD Evex Low Mag Macro Mode Kit 232 5x with built-in image acquisition 4. Authority Cited: 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) or 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1), as authorized in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. 5. Reason for Authority Cited: In order for the Decontamination Services Branch to fulfill mission-critical tasks, the group will be using this instrument to characterize both the elemental and molecular species distribution on the surface of the sample. This is why the branch needs a scanning electron microscope (high resolution) with an electron dispersive spectrometer (EDS) for the high-resolution elemental characterization of the substrate. The group also needs the complementary Raman spectrometer to confirm that the elements they are looking at correlate to the chemical warfare agents they are studying. Also, many of the materials the group will be evaluating include plastics and paints that do not conduct electricity. The Evex MiniSEM microscope incorporates a proprietary technology for imaging non-conductive substrates, which is a mission critical task for the branch to be successful. To accommodate the chemistries the group will be evaluating, the instrument needs to be situated in a chemical fume hood, which limits the space requirements, and makes maintenance more challenging. These requirements necessitate a bench top version of the microscope, which is small and lightweight so it can fit in the fume hood. The Evex microscope is the only commercially available microscope in a bench top version which utilizes chemical characterization options needed for testing and evaluation. 6. Additional Information: If this instrument is not purchased, the ability to analyze samples will be compromised and the program mission will not be met. These samples will be used to evaluate the threat imposed by several compounds of interest and emerging threats on domestic and military scenario materials. If these samples cannot be analyzed, the ability to thwart terrorism and identity effective decontamination methods may be significantly impacted. If Evex does not receive the award, no other vendor will be able to provide the required instrument to allow for seamless integration into the lab. The Evex MiniSEM SX3000 is the only system that is compatible with our facilities and engineering controls; the system was specifically designed to accommodate our existing space requirements. Evex is the only worldwide manufacturer that builds both scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) system with a single integrated computer control which enables a unique ability to conduct chemical analysis of bulk and nanomaterials. Evex is the only SEM Company providing SEMs with environmental-SEM capabilities called Charge Reduction Module (CRM); this unique capability offers in experiments and imaging of non conductive sample that are of utmost importance to existing Government research in advanced materials. Evex is the only company that could meet the Government specifications of focus range, minimum dwell time, and adjustable landing energy of the electron beam. 7. Actions to Increase Competition: Systems that may have been similar to the Evex MiniSEM have been evaluated in market research but do not encompass all the specifications and characteristics needed. The testing the branch must conduct is very specific which means the microscope needs to fit within those needs. Until another microscope becomes available which will be able to perform all the requirements for testing, Evex holds the proprietary technology. The EVEX MiniSEM is a "state of the art" electron microscope with integrated elemental analysis capabilities. The Evex system has been evaluated against other competitors (e.g. JEOL NeoScope) and was found to be the only instrument available fitting to branch needs. Evex is the only manufacturer and distributor of instrumentation capable of meeting the high resolution demands of the technical program. Furthermore, Evex is the only manufacturer that manufactures and incorporates 1. Electron dispersive spectrometer for elemental characterization of the substrate; 2. Raman spectrometer for confirmation of molecular species on the substrate; 3. Charge reduction module for imaging/analysis of non-conductive samples; 4. Small foot-print SEM to accommodate engineering controls requirements; 5. Adjustable electron beam energy for customization of image analysis procedures. Evex is the only manufacture that provides these capabilities and support for the instrument. 8. Market Research: Market research has been conducted within the last 8 months by the technical POC requiring the instrument. Web searches and consultation with multiple vendors indicate that only this system meets the requirements. Other equipment packages, e.g. JEOL NeoScope, provide bench-top SEM capabilities, but only the Evex MiniSEM integrates each analysis of the chemical interactions between the material and the contaminants of interest. Furthermore, Evex is the only manufacturer that manufacturers and incorporates 1. Small footprint instrument to accommodate engineering control requirements; 2. Integrated electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and Ramen spectroscopy for elemental/molecular characterization of the substrate; 3. Peltier-cooled EDS system to increase instrument safety; 4. Charge reduction module to accommodate imaging/analysis of non-conductive samples at high-vacuum conditions; 5. Integrated optical microscope for low magnification imaging; 6. Adjustable beam energy for material-specific imaging methods. Market research has also been conducted by the contract specialist within the last month and no other small businesses were found to manufacturer any instrument of equal specifications. A search on GSA also yielded no results. No other manufacture produces a SEM & EDS NanoAnalysis X-Rays System with the aforementioned essential features. Accordingly, the Evex MiniSEM Model: EX3000(FH) is essential to the Government's requirements, thereby precluding consideration of a product manufactured by another company. Finally, Evex is a 100% small disadvantaged business and has been providing services and manufacturing NanoAnalysis instrumentation since 1993. 9. Procurement History: Previous Contract or Purchase Order Number: or 1 N/A Previously competed? 1 N/A 0 No 0 Yes Previous authority for other than Full & Open Competition: 10. Technical / Requirements Certification: I certify that the support data under my cognizance which is included in this abbreviated-J&A is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Submitted By: Matthew Willis Position Title: Research Chemical Engineer Email address: matthew.p.willis.civ@mail.mil Date: August 15, 2012 11. Fair and Reasonable Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable in accordance FAR 15.404-1(b)(2), relatively similar prices for products in the same category and the contractors published priced list. Scanning microscopes can cost the Government hundreds of thousands of dollars and to be purchasing a microscope capable of providing the testing and technology to complete mission requirements at a reasonable price is in the best interest of the Government. A historical price search done to view purchases of scanning microscopes from Evex Analytical resulted in an Award Notice published in 2010 for a microscope at the price of $224,000.00. The microscope purchase did not include the necessary accessories ECBC is requiring for testing which could explain the lower price, however, it should be noted how much a microscope, on it's own, could potentially cost.
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