DnF Below SAT - Part 12 - Trimax Upgrade - Redacted.pdf

This is a Determination & Findings (D&F) document for a sole source contract award issued by the Air Force Technical Center (AFTC/PZZG). The contracting activity seeks to award engineering and system integration services to Trimax Systems, LLC to modernize the 772nd Test Squadron's (772TS/EWOX) Electrical, Gas, and Water (EGW) control infrastructure at Building 1030, Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB).

The justification for the sole source award under RFO 13.101(b) (Noncommercial Products and Services) is that Trimax Systems, LLC is the only responsible source capable of performing the required work. The existing EGW control system was originally engineered and programmed by Trimax and relies entirely on their proprietary Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and Human-Machine Interface (HMI) source code. Although the Government received interest from five vendors during the sources sought phase, all were deemed technically unacceptable as they lack access to Trimax's proprietary PLC/HMI source code necessary to perform upgrades without total system replacement. Using an alternate vendor would require complete reverse-engineering of the utility control network, resulting in estimated duplicate costs up to $500,000 that cannot be recovered through competition, and would cause unacceptable mission delays of 6-8 months for facility utility shutdowns. The determination notes that Trimax retains proprietary rights to customized software, programming, configurations, and intellectual property, and that modifications by other parties could compromise system functionality, operability, cybersecurity, safety, and reliability. The document was signed by Contracting Officer Karla Vazquez on August 13, 2026.