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USM SSP 24_024 Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase of MTE Instruments Replacement Sensors.

http://www.ms.gov/dfa/contract_bid_search/Bid

RFx: 3150005593

Comments/objections will be received as required per Section 31‐7‐13 (C) of the Mississippi Code until

8:00 a.m. (Central Time) on April 12, 2024.

Any person or entity that objects and proposes that the commodity listed is not sole source and can be provided by another person or entity shall submit a written notice to:

Jacob Cochran

Interim Director of Procurement & Contracts 118 College Dr. Box 5003 Hattiesburg, MS 39406 bids@usm.edu

Phone: 601‐266‐4131

Subject Line must read "Sole Source Objection USM SSP 24_024"

The notice shall contain a detailed explanation of why the commodity is not a sole source procurement.

Appropriate documentation shall also be submitted if applicable.

If after a review of the submitted notice and documents, USM determines that the commodity in the proposed sole source request can be provided by another person or entity, then USM will withdraw the sole source request publication from the procurement portal website and submit the procurement of the commodity to an advertised competitive bid or selection process.

If USM determines after review that there is only one (1) source for the required commodity, then USM will appeal to the Public Procurement Review Board. USM will have the burden of proving that the commodity is only provided by one (1) source.

Run Dates: 3/26, 4/2

The University of Southern Mississippi

Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase

SSP 24_024

The University of Southern Mississippi anticipates purchasing the item(s) listed below as a sole source purchase. Anyone objecting to this purchase shall follow the procedures outlined below.

1. Description of the commodity that USM is seeking to procure:

Vaisala WMT700 – a wind sensor used to measure wind data with preprogrammed configuration and settings suitable for the VAK controller box on the USM-R1 and USM-R4 buoy.

Vaisala WXT536 – a weather station used to measure weather data with preprogrammed configuration and settings suitable for the VAK controller box on the USM-R1 and USM-R4 buoy.

Carmanah M650H – a solar powered marine lantern that is installed on the buoy to alert the buoys position to mariners with the light sequence set as per the coast guard requirements for Mississippi, Gulf of Mexico waters.

2. Explanation of why the commodity is the only one that meets the needs of the agency:

The WMT700 and WXT536 sensors provide wind and weather information that is streamed to the USM server at regular intervals via satellite communication. This is important in weather predictions. These items are what the national data buoy center uses on their data buoys and are market standard, so we want to use them on the USM buoys as well.

3. Explanation of why the source is the only source is the only person or entity that can provide the required commodity:

Name of the company is MTE Instruments. The listed sensors above need to be programmed such a way that they are compatible with the software running on the VAK controller box on USM-R1 and USM-R4 buoys. USM-R1 and USM-R4 buoys are manufactured by the MTE Instruments and the VAK software is also created by them.

VAK software solely runs on the buoys that MTE instruments manufactures.

4. Explanation of why the amount to be expended for the commodity is reasonable:

Estimated cost of the items is as follows:

WMT700 – $3800 approximately with the programmed settings WXT536- $4500 approximately with the programmed settings Carmanah M650H- $1000 approximately with the programmed settings

The University of Southern Mississippi

Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase

SSP 24_024

5. Efforts that the agency went through to obtain the best possible price for the commodity:

Since MTE Instruments is the sole manufacturer of the buoys running the VAK software, we made efforts to see if we could program the sensors ourselves but realized we need MTE Instruments expertise and support to program them. Also, since MTE Instruments makes the VAK software no other vendor in the market sells the sensors preprogrammed with the VAK compatible settings.

Advertisement Schedule Date

1st scheduled 3/18/24

2nd scheduled 3/25/14

Any person or entity that objects and proposes that the commodity listed is not sole source and can be provided by another person or entity shall submit a written notice by April 5, 2024, 8:00 AM CST, to:

Jacob Cochran

Interim Director of Procurement & Contracts

Jacob.Cochran@usm.edu

Subject Line must read "Sole Source Objection 24_024"

The notice shall contain a detailed explanation of why the commodity is not a sole source procurement. Appropriate documentation shall also be submitted if applicable.

If after a review of the submitted notice and documents, USM determines that the commodity in the proposed sole source request can be provided by another person or entity, then USM will withdraw the sole source request publication from the procurement portal website and submit the procurement of the commodity to an advertised competitive bid or selection process.

If USM determines after review that there is only one (1) source for the required commodity, then

USM will appeal to the Public Procurement Review Board. USM will have the burden of proving that the commodity is only provided by one (1) source.