LSJ_-_Redacted_1.pdf

United States Department of the Interior

INTERIOR BUSINESS CENTER

Washington, DC 20240

LIMITED-SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

OVER THE MICRO-PURCHASE THRESHOLD AND

UNDER THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

AUTHORITY: FAR 8.405-6 and 40 U.S.C 501

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program.

1. Contracting activity/agency. Department of the Interior, Interior Business Center, Acquisition Services Directorate, Division I, Branch III, on behalf of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Directorate of Science & Technology (S&T), Advanced Technology 3 (ATI-3).

2. Description of supplies or services required to meet agency needs.

ATI-3 requires one Agilent 5900 Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) with accessories to perform high throughput elemental composition analysis of trace elements on a variety of samples in order to conduct ATI- 3’s chemical and material exploitation mission with a small footprint and low cost per sample. The Agilent 5900 ICP-OES incorporates a dual view system capable of measuring optical emissions in both the radial and axial directions by one measurement.

Furthermore, it possesses a small footprint, making it easy to fit into existing ATI-3 laboratory spaces, and it reduces sample analysis cost by reducing both the quality and quantity of argon gas required. This instrument must meet the following requirements:

• Dual View system enabling both radial and axial plasma observations

• Maximum dimensions of 30” x 30” x 40” (L x W x H)

• Minimum wavelength range from 175 – 775 nm

• Autosampler

• Sample analysis time less than 2 min per sample

• Argon consumption less than 25 L per sample

• Onsite installation and initial training

• Minimum 1-year service maintenance agreement

ATI-3 also requires two Agilent G1947B Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization (APCI) sources that are compatible with Agilent liquid chromatograph tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) 6400 series instruments to maintain the full capability of its 6400 series LC-MS instruments. Because only Agilent APCI sources are compatible with Agilent mass spectrometers, it is necessary for ATI-3 to use Agilent’s APCI sources.

Acquiring more APCI sources will ensure ATI-3 continues to seamlessly fulfill its chemical and material exploitation mission.

contract, ; under the SINs referenced earlier. However, several of the accessory items have a delivery time frame of 364 days after delivery. All accessories are required to get the 5900 ICP-OES instrument up and running to be fully operational and must be shipped with the instrument for installation and training purposes.

Therefore, would not be able to meet the delivery requirement of within 90 days receipt of the order. Two vendors, and only offer some accessories under their schedule contracts; however, neither offered the Agilent 5900 ICP-OES or APCI Sources instruments, the main items, under their respective schedules. After searching both vendor’s websites for open market items, neither vendor offered some of the items in the order. Thus, these two vendors are not viable options for purchase under a GSA FSS or on the open market. This leaves two vendors that could provide some of the items under their schedule contracts with the addition of open market items under SINs 334516 and 532490L. Thus, Agilent Technologies, Inc., the manufacturer, is determined to be the only source able to meet the requirement via GSA FSS in the most effective and cost efficient manner within the required timeframes.

6. Market Research.

As discussed in Section 5 above, ATI-3 conducted market research by commissioning a market survey for ICP-OES instruments through the contractor of its operations contract.

The contractor investigated the Agilent 5900, the , and the

, and presented a report of its technical findings for evaluation by the Government.

The Government also submitted the report to a second set of subject matter experts at who gave their advice and feedback on the instruments. After reviewing the report and technical details for itself, the Government came to the conclusion only the Agilent 5900 met its requirements. ATI-3 discussed their options for APCI sources with Agilent service engineers to confirm that only Agilent APCI sources are compatible with Agilent mass spectrometers and used internet searches to verify the unavailability of alternative options.

The Contracting Officer’s market research resulted in two potential sources under GSA FSS that could meet the requirement under their respective schedule contracts with the open market items for filling the requirement. Agilent Technologies, Inc. (GSA FSS Contract Number: GS-07F-0564X) would be able to provide over 95% of the value of the order under their schedule contract, thus, less than 5% of the items on the order would be open market items. Additionally, both of the main items (Agilent 5900 ICP-OES and APCI Sources) are on Agilent’s schedule contract.

would be able to provide approximately 68% of the value of the requirement under their schedule contract and approximately 32% of the value of the order, including the APCI sources (one of the main items), would be items the vendor offers on the open market which is a significantly higher price for the open market items.

prices are also higher than Agilent’s prices under their FFS and in the open market.

Additionally, a search of the Agilent Technologies, Inc. website identified two authorized distributors, however, neither offered the items being purchased by ATI-3. A Google search for Agilent products resellers resulted in , , and offering Agilent products. Each vendors’ website was reviewed and none of them offered the Agilent 5900 ICP-OES (Part

Number: G8020A), one of the main items for purchase.

A search of FPDS-NG for Agilent 5900 ICP-OES resulted in one contract action. This action was a purchase order awarded on September 13, 2022 to Agilent Technologies, Inc. The action used Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) but was not competed under SAP resulting in only one offer. Two contract actions for APCI Sources were found on FPDS-NG. One action was a GSA FSS delivery order awarded on August 6, 2009 to Agilent Technologies, Inc. Only one offer was received as it was solicited as a sole source due to the instrument being a unique part that only Agilent Technologies could supply. The other action was awarded on July 30, 2018 to . This action was competed under Simplified Acquisition Procedures and received two offers. Although does have a schedule contract under SIN 334516, they do not offer any of the items for this requirement on their schedule. Additionally, it could not be determined if sells Agilent products in the open market.

Therefore, as a result of market research and the rationale discussed above, Agilent Technologies, Inc. is the only source capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized. Additionally, Agilent, the manufacturer, is determined to be the only source available to meet all requirements via GSA FSS, with the addition of open market items, in the most effective and cost-efficient manner within required delivery timeframes and represents the best value to the Government.

Under the authority of FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B), the undersigned hereby determines the circumstances of this action deem only one source is reasonably available as supported herein.

Contracting Officer

Concur

Program Office