FAR_Parts_ 6_And_12_J_And_A_MANDATORY_v5 - Foundry Sand KO SIGNED__Redacted.pdf

Contractor: Badger Mining Supply/Service: FW80 Foundry Sand

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CUI//SP-SSEL

As described at RFO FAR 6.103-1(c)(2)(i), supplies and services may be deemed as available from only one source when awarding a follow-on contract for the continued development or production of a major system or highly specialized equipment, and, for DoD, NASA, and the Coast Guard, for the continued provision of highly specialized services, would result in substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: ACC-RIA shall publish the notices required by RFO FAR 5.101. Because this is a sole source action, effective competition is not applicable.

However, RIA-JMTC conducted market research and sought competitive sources for FW80 foundry sand by contacting multiple vendors to determine whether they could provide a comparable material. Although several vendors offered sands with similar characteristics, testing and operational use showed that those alternatives caused clogging and cleaning issues within the foundry sand-hopper system, resulting in production delays. To date, Badger Mining’s FW80 sand is the only material demonstrated to provide the required flow and cleaning performance without disrupting foundry operations.

7. Actions to Increase Competition:

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CUI//SP-SSEL

Prior to the subsequent acquisition of these items, the Government will conduct additional market research, and issue a new source sought notice to determine if any new vendors will become available in the marketplace that could meet the Government’s needs and allow for competition.

8. Market Research: Following a systematic market evaluation and empirical testing process conducted between October 2025 and January 2026, the alternative sand supplies evaluated were determined unacceptable for production. Due to poor output quality, excessive mechanical strain, and high additive requirements caused by alternative materials, it has been definitively determined that our machines and processes are best supported by Badger Mining’s BadgerCast FW80 sand.

In mid-October 2025, technical requests for quotes (RFQs) and material certifications were issued to six primary sand suppliers to evaluate compatibility with our target technical specifications. Responses were evaluated as follows - responded on but was rejected because its material did not meet the minimum Grain Fineness Number (GFN) requirement. responded on 27 October 2025 and was accepted for testing after meeting the GFN requirement; however, its sieve distribution was wider than specified, though still more favorable than .

responded on 3 November 2025 and met the GFN requirement but was retained as a reserve source because its sieve distribution was wider and less favorable than , , and were excluded from further consideration because they did not provide the required material certifications.

Est Dollar Value:

CUI//SP-SSEL

Approval

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of supply of FW80 Foundry Sand on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) as implemented in RFO FAR 6.103-2(c)(2)(i) The estimated value of this action is for the period of the BPA . The approval is subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Signature: