B8 - Redacted Sole Source Justification.pdf

MEMORANDUM

Subj: SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION TO PRODUCTIVE ENGINEERING SYSTEMS, DBA AMERICAN STRIPPING COMPANY FOR THE OCEAN SIMULATION FACILITY

WET POT PAINT EFFORT

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Limited Source Justification.”

This is a sole source justification. Contracting activity is the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division (NSWC PCD), 110 Vernon Avenue, Panama City, FL 32407-7001.

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

This action will award a purchase order, on a sole source basis, to Productive Engineering Systems, Inc., dba American Stripping Company (ASCO), 5736 Sellger Dr., Norfolk, VA 23502 (CAGE: 0HL33) to strip and paint the OSF Wet Pot and interior railing.

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value).

This is a procurement for:

PART NOMENCLATURE QTY

1 Site preparation and breakdown after work completed to include: Required blasting and painting equipment, stages/scaffolding, platforms, compressors, dust collectors, masking/covering of all surfaces to be protected within the vicinity, PPE, and other protective coverings and duct work required

2 Sandblast, grind, and prepare surfaces to be painted IAW Sherwin Williams product data sheets. OQE/CoC shall be provided detailing surface preparation meets all Sherwin Williams requirements

Prime surfaces utilizing Zinc Plate Ultra II PCP primer IAW Sherwin Willams product data sheets. OQE/CoC shall be provided detailing the primer meets specifications and the application process meets all Sherwin Williams requirements for the coating.

Repair any pitting or corrosion issues encountered IAW Belzona 1111

Paint the surfaces utilizing Sherplate 600 IAW Sherwin Williams product data sheets.

OQE/CoC shall be provided detailing the paint meets specifications and the application process meets all Sherwin Williams requirements for the coating.

This acquisition will be conducted using simplified acquisition procedures with a total estimated value greater $25,000. The Government’s minimum needs have been verified by the certifying technical and requirements personnel. This memo does not authorize acquisition for other requirements. This acquisition will be conducted using simplified acquisition procedures with a total dollar value above micro-purchase levels, but not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold of $250,000.00.

4. Identification of the justification rationale and, if applicable, a demonstration of the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), 10 U.S.C. 2304(d)(1)(B). Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(i).

This procurement is a logical follow-on to a previous award (N6133123P0089) to determine the best coating solution for the Ocean Simulation Facility. The initial award was an unsolicited research proposal to determine the ideal coating for the OSF. The result was a unique and innovative concept, including the specific material, thickness, and application process, to mitigate the corrosive environment. Additionally, ASCO is the only company that has been authorized through NAVFAC and NAVSEA 00C for all hyperbaric chamber blasting, surface repair, and painting.

The Navy has exceedingly stringent requirements for paint systems and their application procedures for recompression chambers. Specifications documents include NAVSEA TS500- AU-SPN.Q10 (U.S. General Specifications for the Design, Construction, and Repair of Diving and Hyperbaric Equipment (GENSPECS)) and Naval Sea Systems Command Process Instruction 008 (Application Procedure of Painted Coatings on Portable or Afloat Recompression Chambers Systems). Re-entry control procedures for conducting the project are specified under SS521-AA- MAN- 010 (U.S. Navy Diving and Manned Hyperbaric Safety Certification Manual (MAN10)).

ASCO has a decade's long history and unparalleled successful record of applying paint systems and coatings to critical equipment and parts. To date, they have completed 37 recompression chambers of varying sizes for the U.S. government, safety related coatings for the nuclear power industry, and critical coatings for U.S. Navy Trident Class nuclear submarines. They have never damaged the critical surfaces associated with chambers or failed the post-procedure "atmosphere sampling" test which would be the result of incorrect coating thickness, improper drying and curing. Failure of atmosphere sampling would greatly extend the cost and time for the project since failures must be re-blasted to bare metal and re-coated.

NEDU, ASCO, and Sherwin Williams jointed developed a new coating system for NEDU’s Wet Pot chamber in the Ocean Simulation Facility (OSF) that addresses the severe corrosion issues that were not abated with the previous hyperbaric rated Carboguard 890H coating system. ASCO was contracted in FY23 through contract #N6133123P0089 to perform the coating tests and determine the most effective coating solution to reduce life cycle costs of NEDU dive systems.

This coating system was tested IAW SS800-AG-MAN-010/P-9290 System Certification Procedures and Criteria Manual for Deep Submergence Systems for off gas constituents, diver life safety, and approved through Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) 24-002 between NEDU and NAVSEA 00C3/4. ASCO will utilize only the zinc-based primer and two-component, edge-retentive, ultra-high-solids epoxy amine coating engineered and developed for immersion service within the OSF Wet Pot. ASCO is the only company that has been authorized through NAVFAC and NAVSEA for all hyperbaric chamber blasting, surface repair, and painting.

ASCO is certified through Belzona™ to apply the Belzona 1111 two part repair composite to the locations throughout the wet pot requiring it for in-situ flange repair. This two part composite has been approved through ABS, NSF-ANSI 61, and DET NORSKY VERITAS for chambers and submersible surface repair. Using an alternate vendor would prove costly to the Government and impact operational mission due to the authorization provided through NAVFAC and NAVSEA 00C and the limited window of availability that NEDU has for maintenance because of Fleet requirements and national tasking.

As such, the Government does not expect significant savings through competition and does expects significant and unacceptable delays that will negatively impact this requirement.

Therefore, it is in the Government’s best interest to award on a sole source basis to ASCO, Inc.

5. A determination by the ordering activity contracting officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 13.106-1(b).

The Contracting Officer has determined that the order represents the best value and results in the lowest overall cost alternative (considering price, special features, administrative costs, etc.) to meet the Government’s needs.

6. A description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

For the reasons specified in paragraph 4 above, ASCO is the only source that can meet the Government’s needs. This requirement will be synopsized in the government point of entry SAM.gov because it is estimated to be greater than $25,000.00.

7. Any other facts supporting the justification.

None

8. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made.

As stated in paragraph 4 and 6 above, ASCO is the only company that can provide the service and objective quality evidence as required.