A05_J-A solesource.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture Decision to Restrict Competition under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold

Identification Number:

Rev. 3/4/26

In accordance with the Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (RFO) FAR

12.102 (a), the following documents the decision to restrict competition for this acquisition.

(1) Mission Area and Contracting Activity.

USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit (FSCRU)

Requisition Number: 1172276

Requesting Activity Agency: ARS, FSCRU

Contracting Activity: Firm-fixed price

(2) Estimated Value

Period Fiscal Year Total

BASE FY26 $ 46,592

Shipping FY27 $5,700

Grand Total $52,292

(3) Brief Description of Supplies or Services

The acquisition involves procuring a small-scale laboratory air screen cleaner to be able to clean multiple seed crops. This seed cleaner needs to have two screens for cleaning variable seed shapes and sizes. The seed cleaner must have multiple level adjustments for screen oscillation speeds, air speed/volume, and hopper feeding speed. The seed cleaner needs to be able to have two outlets between screens, one for sieving out inert material and another for refining seed, light seed outlet, one clean seed outlet, and an aspirated chaff cyclone. The seed cleaner needs to have an aspirator to catch any light seed and chaff that is separated from the clean seed. The seed cleaner needs to have an extended hopper to allow for larger seed samples to be cleaned. The seed cleaner needs to be purchased to in order to accurately process samples for clean weights of a wide range of seed sizes commonly grown in grass seed production fields, prepare seeds for storage and planting, and alleviate scheduling with other programs and research projects.

(1) Suggested Source

West Coast Companies PO Box 18329 Salem, OR 97305 503-581-7131

UEI: KC9RE3TJQHN7

Identification Number:

Rev. 3/4/26

(4) Justification for Restricting Competition and the Basis for that Decision.

A. Explain the unique qualifications/characteristics of the proposed contractor or product and why no other contractor or product/service can meet the Government's need.

West Coast Companies is the only dealer of small-scale air screen cleaner the required specifications (Westrup LA-LS air screen cleaner) in the pacific northwest. All other vendors that were contacted from OR, CA, WA, and ID have ceased operations, no longer carry this unit, or do not sell into OR. The Westrup LA-LS air screen cleaner is the only small-scale laboratory air screen cleaner with an enclosed air column with aspirator and multifunction screen adjustments including oscillation speed to on the market. All other machines are too big to run small seed lots and would take too much time to clean between samples or are not self-contained leading to increased dust and loss of seed during operations. Moreover, the size of the Westrup LA-LS air screen cleaner is small enough in the designated shared dirty lab space and is compatible with existing clean machines to create a inline seed processing line. This is not possible with other cleaners.

B. Describe market research conducted and the results or the reason why no market research was conducted.

Market research was conducted to verify the availability of comparable air screen seed cleaners from other vendors. This included reviewing product specifications, consulting with other breeding companies that use similar equipment, and the responses and findings confirmed that no other air screen cleaners will meet our required compatibility and performance criteria. After identifying the specific seed cleaner for our needs, all known vendors in the US were contacted and determined that only approved vendors in the Pacific West Area were allowed to sale the units in Oregon. Those vendors were contacted and only West Coast Companies continued to carry the Westrup LA-LS unit. No other vendor responded to inquiries, still in business, or carried the Westrup product line.

Certifications & Approvals

(5) Technical / Requirements Personnel Certification I certify this requirement meets the Government’s minimum need and that the supporting data, which forms a basis for this justification, is complete and accurate.

Name Title

(6) Contracting Officer’s Certification I certify that the data supporting the recommended use of other than full and open competition accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. I hereby approve this justification.

Identification Number:

Rev. 3/4/26

Name Contracting Officer