Brand_Name.pdf

BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION

1. Contracting Agency and Activity.

The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey Denver Acquisitions Branch, Denver, CO, plans to contract on a sole source basis. This document sets forth the justification and approval as required by FAR 13.106-1.

2. Nature of Action Being Approved.

Firm fixed price purchase order for the purchase of a SonTek RiverSurveyor M9.

3. Description of Supplies or Services.

The USGS mission is to support decision makers and resource managers in the preservation of life, health, and safety of the American people. Visualizing the spatial distribution of habitats is fundamental when it comes to understanding and monitoring an ecosystem. Current, or water velocity, is a key component of river systems. Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) are a useful hydroacoustic tool that will quickly and efficiently measure water current velocities within a river system. Currently, UMESC owns one SonTek RiverSurveyor S5 ADCP but an upgrade of this ADCP and its equipment to the SonTek RiverSurveyor M9 is required to sufficiently meet research objectives for multiple river projects.

4. Statutory Authority.

The proposed action may be awarded through a Brand Name Justification in accordance with

FAR 13.106-1.

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5.

The proposed equipment is requested using a Brand Name Justification specifically to ensure compatibility with current government owned equipment and software that is valued around $40,000. Specifically, the SonTek RiverSurveyor M9 will be able to survey deeper waters and will also be compatible with UMESC’s current SonTek RiverSurveyor S5. Also, the SonTek M9 equipment has multiple specifications that are necessary for UMESC river research.

a) SonTek RiverSurveyor M9 has a rugged, compact, and stable Hydroboard II-Mini that is only 89-cm in length. SonTek HydroBoard II allows for a range of streams to be gauged;

anywhere from low velocity irrigation canals to high-velocity mountain streams. This platform is designed for controlled speed and tracking helpful for quality ADCP discharge measurement.

b) SonTek RiverSurveyor M9 is compatible with the software RiverSurveyor LIVE that is currently used at UMESC.

Compatibility with current government owned equipment is required to maintain the integrity of ongoing and upcoming field research. The SonTek RiverSurveyor M9 will allow for deeper survey depths because UMESC already has most of the equipment and software required for the upgrade.

Other equipment would not be compatible with the software due to it being proprietary, plus to protect the consistency of data over time, the best guarantee is by continuing to collect data using the same equipment. If a different manufacture was used, the data would be measured differently, which could cause inconsistences in studies.

7. Other Information. N/A

8. The Efforts to Identify Additional Sources Including the Market Research Conducted.

Additional market research was conducted. A comparable system was incompatible with current equipment. Also, through market research UMESC staff could not identify an ADCP that had a specially designed platform for surveying. Market research indicates competition will be available among SonTek resellers.

9. Future Plans to Permit Competition.

The requested equipment is an upgrade to currently owned equipment at UMESC and must be compatible with current equipment and software available. This is expected to be a one-time purchase. If, in the future, an additional purchase of an ADCP is identified, proper market research will be conducted.

10. Recommendation Program Office

Based on the above, I recommend this acquisition be conducted on a sole source basis and certify the above statements are true and accurate.