B08_Redacted_Brand_Name_Justification.pdf

BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION

1. Contracting Agency and Activity. The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey plans to contract by means other than full and open competition. This document sets forth the justification and approval for award of an EVAPCO Induced Draft Cooling Tower on a limited source basis as required by FAR 13.106-1.

2. Nature of Action Being Approved. A new Firm-Fixed-Priced contract for the procurement of a brand name EVAPCO Induced Draft Cooling Tower.

3. Description of Supplies or Services. The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey (USGS), Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) has a requirement for an EVAPCO Induced Draft Cooling Tower. CERC is replacing their existing cooling tower which serves the HVAC cooling system in their A3 main building. The cooling tower is installed on a concrete pad adjacent to the building and provides cooling water to a

The supply and return piping run underground from the cooling tower to the chiller tower pump located in the basement of the building.

Electrical infrastructure is also underground and comes from a distribution panel located in the basement. The cooling tower has reached its anticipated life cycle; the tower has been in service for approximately 11 years.

4. Estimated Dollar Value.

5. Statutory Authority. The proposed action may be awarded on a sole source basis under the authority of Section 201 of the Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 USC 501) and FAR 13.106-1.

6. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5. EVAPCO, Inc. is the manufacturer of Advanced Technology (AT) cooling towers with induced draft, counterflow technology. The location of the EVAPCO evaporative cooling equipment is an important consideration when reviewing system design. By replacing the existing EVAPCO cooling tower with an exact replacement, there will be no additional system re-design required for the existing HVAC cooling system at CERC. Evaporative cooling equipment require large quantities of air, adequate spacing around the unit must be provided for it to perform properly. Underground utilities were installed in a configuration to accommodate an the existing EVAPCO model number ICT 4-69 cooling tower. Replacing the cooling tower with a different configuration/brand would require extensive infrastructure configuration changes, which would be a significant additional cost to the Government in the amount estimated at

As a direct replacement, the EVAPCO brand cooling tower is the only one that would not require addition plumbing and electrical infrastructure changes.

7. Other Information. N/A

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

Market research indicates that there are many resellers of the EVAPCO brand cooling tower. In order to have a direct replacement and avoid additional costs to configure a new cooling tower design, competition will be obtained via small business resellers.

9. Actions to Overcome Barriers to Competition. Future requirements will undergo market research and be competed to the maximum extent practical as they develop.

10. Recommendation and Certification from Program Office

Based on the above, I recommend this acquisition be conducted on a limited source basis. I certify that technical data which form a basis for this justification, that are the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel are complete and accurate.

11. Certifications and Approval from the Contracting Officer:

a. The Contracting Officer determines the price will be fair and reasonable as this requirement will be competed among authorized resellers.

b. This justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

13. Approvals