P06_JA_REQ 1116553 Palm Antenna FY24-FPAC-Justification-026_Redacted.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture Limited Source/Brand Name Justification

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) – Simplified Acquisitions Req. 116560

Control No: FY24-FPAC-Justification-026

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Production Conservation (FPAC) Business Center (BC) Acquisitions Division (AD) submits this Limited Source/Brand Name Justification for approval for procurement of one (1) each 2.0 GHz Palm Antenna, one (1) Single- channel GPR Data Acquisition system and one (1) Model 51600S 1.6 GHz Antenna directly from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Geophysical Survey Systems inc. (GSSI) of East Lansing Michigan.

2. Description of supply or service required to meet the agency’s needs.

one (1) each 2.0 GHz Palm Antenna, one (1) Single- channel GPR Data Acquisition system and one (1) Model 51600S 1.6 GHz Antenna directly from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)

3. The rational or circumstances for limiting competition.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Michigan State Office Soil Specialists are tasked with analysis and maintenance of soil health throughout the state.

Because soil health cannot be accurately measured by only crop yield, water quality, or any other single outcome, specialists must evaluate other indicators. Indicators are measurable properties of soil or plants that provide clues about how well the soil can function. Measurable indicators such as physical, chemical, and biological properties require the use of highly technical analysis equipment.

The GSSI products listed above are required to be compatible with our existing GSSI GPR system that include RADAN 7 software, 200 MHz antennae, 400 MHz antennae, and 900 MHz antennae. The existing system has been in operation since August 2019, the software and antennas are not compatible with competitors’ systems and NRCS staff have received specialized training to specifically operate the existing GSSI GPR system. .

Similar devices do exist; however, only product provided by GSSI are compatible with the existing system.

GSSI informed the USDA that GSSI does not use authorized resellers and that the all equipment is proprietary to GSSI

4. A description of the market research conducted and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Market research consisted of researching GSA Advantage and Ability One for potential contract holders, which revealed no positive results. Internet searches were also conducted, revealing the existence of other similar products. These items offered by these manufacturers are not compatible with the current GSSI Systems. Only GSSI authorized products meet the capabilities required by NRCS Michigan.

In addition to the market research described above, GSSI., confirmed via email dated July 11, 2022, that the manufacturing data is considered proprietary to GSSI., and that none of the data or specifications have been sold or released commercially to any other manufacturer. There are no authorized distributors for these products as all sale are processed by GSSI representatives nationwide.