3D Printer_RFO MFR_Limiting_Competition_under_SAT_Redacted.pdf

Memorandum for Record Limiting Competition at or below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold

1. Requiring Activity: 13th ACSC, Fort Hood, TX

2. Contracting Activity: 418th CSB CSS, Fort Hood, TX

3. Description of Action:

Nature of Requirement: New Follow-on Extend

Brand Name: Yes No

Contract Vehicle: Purchase Order Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) Order/BPA against FSS Contract #______________________ Order against multiple award IDIQ Contract Order against a single award IDC Contract Modification to existing PO/TO/DO/Call Order

Pricing/Contract Type: Fixed Price Cost Reimbursable

Funds: FY: ___2026 ___ Operations & Maintenance, Army (OMA) Other Funds: __________

Name of Proposed Contractor(s) and Address:

4. Description of Services or Supplies:

Make & Model: Stratasys Origin Two & Stratasys F370CR

Description: This requirement is for a turnkey additive manufacturing solution to establish an organic capability for producing replacement parts at Fort Hood, TX. The acquisition includes two specific industrial-grade 3D printers, or their equals, along with all necessary services for immediate and sustained operation.

1. Stratasys Origin Two (Polymer Printer): An industrial-grade 3D printer utilizing programmable photopolymerization (P3/DLP) technology. It must have a minimum build volume of 192 mm x 108 mm x 370 mm and be capable of producing high-accuracy end-use parts with complex geometries.

a. Explain why the intended Contractor is the only reasonable source who can provide the required supplies or services. Discuss the unique capabilities, expertise, etc. that support the lack of competition.

This requirement is being processed as a Brand Name restriction, with competition sought among all authorized Stratasys distributors and resellers rather than a single sole-source contractor. These authorized partners represent the only reasonable sources capable of fulfilling this requirement because they hold the exclusive rights to provide the proprietary software licenses (e.g., GrabCAD Print, Streamline Pro) and critical firmware updates required for secure operation and integration with Army digital engineering workflows. Furthermore, the requirement mandates OEM-certified on-site installation, calibration, and manufacturer-led training services that only authorized Stratasys partners are certified to perform to ensure equipment safety and operational readiness. Finally, procuring through authorized channels is the only method to guarantee a valid, manufacturer-honored commercial warranty and access to authentic OEM consumables and replacement parts, ensuring a fully supported, turnkey solution that mi

b. For a brand name restriction - brand name specifications shall not be used unless the particular brand name, product, or feature is essential to the that will meet the Government

The Stratasys brand-because no other manufacturer provides the unique combination of proprietary printing technologies, material compatibility, and software ecosystem required to establish an organic, military-grade manufacturing capability at Fort Hood. Specifically, the Stratasys Origin Two utilizes proprietary Programmable Photopolymerization (P3) technology, which controls light, temperature, and force during curing to produce parts with isotropic strength, high-accuracy surface finishes, and the exact geometric tolerances necessary for functional end-use replacements. Simultaneously, the Stratasys F370CR features specialized Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) print heads and hardened gantry components designed specifically to withstand the highly abrasive nature of carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (such as FDM Nylon-CF10) without rapid hardware degradation. Crucially, both printers operate natively on Stratasys' proprietary GrabCAD Print software ecosystem, which is already standardized across the Department of War's advanced manufacturing repositories. Procuring an alternate brand would prevent seamless integration with existing Army digital part vaults, requiring thousands of hours of manual file conversion and reverse-engineering, which would result in unacceptable mission delays and a significant duplication of costs.

c. Describe the detrimental effects/serious injury to the mission of the requiring activity or to the Government, financial or otherwise, that will result if this justification is not approved and the product or service cannot be provided by the intended sole source Contractor.

If this justification is not approved and the Stratasys equipment cannot be acquired, the requiring activity at Fort Hood will experience severe operational and financial detriments that will directly degrade tactical readiness. Without this specific organic capability to manufacture high-strength composite and high-precision polymer replacement parts on demand, the unit must remain entirely dependent on heavily backlogged, traditional supply chains for hard-to-find or obsolete components, resulting in extended vehicle and equipment downtime (Non-Mission Capable status).

Financially, procuring an alternative brand would force the Government to incur significant, wasteful duplicate costs to manually reverse-engineer, re-test, and re-verify existing digital part files to match a non-standard printer's specific tolerances.

Additionally, the unit would lose the critical interoperability provided by standardizing on the Army-approved GrabCAD ecosystem, rendering existing digital part vaults useless for this cell. Ultimately, denying this brand-name request directly prevents the rapid, localized repair of critical defense assets, stalling the transition to modernized, self-sustaining logistics and actively hindering the unit's ability to support immediate mission requirements.

d. For FAR Part 16 orders below the SAT, the contracting officer must document the basis for using an exception to the fair opportunity process. If the contracting officer uses the logical follow-on exception, the rationale must describe why the relationship between the initial order and the follow-on is logical (e.g., in terms of scope, period of performance, or value).

Not Applicable. This procurement is being executed as an open-market, commercial purchase order utilizing the streamlined commercial procedures of RFO FAR Subpart

12.2. Consequently, the task-order fair opportunity rules under FAR Part 16 do not apply to this action. Because the market research conclusions do not support a small business set-aside and the "Rule of Two" has not been met, this requirement will be posted as an unrestricted commercial solicitation directly to the Governmentwide Point of Entry (SAM.gov) in accordance with RFO FAR 12.202. The Contracting Officer will restrict competition to the Stratasys brand name among all authorized resellers utilizing the simplified commercial procedures authorized under RFO FAR 12.201-1, and this finalized brand-name justification will be published alongside the solicitation to satisfy publicizing mandates.

e. For actions citing Authorized or Required by Statute, identify the statute, the statute must reference 10 U.S.C 3201(e) and it must identify the specific non- Federal Government entity involved, and the language the statute specifically states that the award to that entity is required by that statute.

Not Applicable. This commercial procurement does not cite, nor is it authorized or required by, any specific statute. No statutory authority referencing 10 U.S.C.

3201(e) (or its updated RFO equivalent) exists that mandates an award to a specific, designated non-Federal Government entity for this requirement. The sole authority relied upon to limit competition to the Stratasys Brand Name is the commercial market-

9. Other Facts: This is a new, standalone commercial procurement of a turnkey advanced manufacturing capability, and therefore there is no prior contract or procurement history for these specific 3D printing systems at this location. Although this action does not represent a modification or logical follow-on to an active contract, establishing this organic capability aligns with broader Department of War and Department of the Army modernization priorities to decentralize manufacturing and reduce logistical lead times for critical repair parts. All market research data and technical specifications have been thoroughly vetted by the Advanced Manufacturing Officer and are free of restrictive non-essential parameters, ensuring that the brand-name limitation is based entirely on validated technical necessity. Because multiple authorized resellers have been identified as capable of competing under an unrestricted solicitation, this brand-name restriction represents the most efficient, cost-effective, and low-risk method for the Government to acquire a fully supported, mission-ready additive manufacturing capability at Fort Hood.