J_A_G0126Q0212_2.pdf

SOLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION FOR AN ACQUISITION UNDER THE SIMPLIFIED

ACQUISITION THRESHOLD (SAT) FOR A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT OR SERVICE

(REVOLUTIONARY FAR OVERHAUL (RFO) DEVIATION)

REFERENCE: PR # 0044049949

Contracting Agency: Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Cooperative Research Units (CRU).

1. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 12.102(a), I hereby determine that the required products for GPS Collars are available from only one responsible source, and competition is precluded. No other vendors are known to provide products that meet the Government’s requirements without resulting in unacceptable duplication of cost or delay.

2. This acquisition is restricted to the following source:

Company: VECTRONIC Aerospace GmbH Address: Carl-Scheele-Str.12, 12489 Berlin, Germany Point of Contact: mail@vectronic-aerospace.com

3. Description of Supplies or Services:

12 VERTEX PLUS-IRIDIUM-2D GPS collars, including one year of Iridium satellite service subscriptions and data transmission fees. These collars will be used by the South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (SC CFWRU) at Clemson University to study black bear movement ecology.

Full specifications:

- Collar form suitable for black bears (Ursus americanus), fitting both juvenile and adult individuals within safe weight limits

- GPS recording capacity: up to 365,500 positions

- Round or oval collar shape options

- Remote data transmission via Iridium satellite with unlimited daily transmissions

- VHF beacon with programmable on/off schedule

- Mortality sensor and temperature sensor

- Basic 3-axis activity sensor

- Field-replaceable battery

- Virtual Fence capability: spatially-stratified GPS fix rate enabling higher-frequency location collection within user-defined buffer zones (e.g., road corridors) and lower-frequency collection elsewhere, to target road-crossing behavior and conserve battery life

- Programmable GPS fix schedule: number of fixes per 24-hour period, fix interval in minutes, and calendar days on which to collect fixes

- Minimum fix rate of 5 minutes or less

- Drop-off mechanism: programmable remote collar release, allowing retrieval without animal recapture

- Stainless steel label plate

- 2-year manufacturer warranty on collar electronic parts

- Data accessible via mobile app and software compatible with Windows 11

4. The estimated total potential value of this requirement is

5. Vectronic Aerospace is the only reasonably available source that can meet the Government’s requirement based on the following:

The VERTEX PLUS collar manufactured by VECTRONIC Aerospace is the only commercially available option that meets all minimum specifications for the type of data USGS needs to collect. The use of these GPS collars is required for black bear research data consistency, comparability, and continuity. Vertex Plus collars are the accepted standard for use by field ecologists to study black bears. USGS requires all data collected to be consistent and comparable in the broader research field of black bear movement ecology. Continuing use of these GPS collars is important so that the research data can be accepted by fellow ecologists as following best practice. Furthermore, using VECTRONIC collars will ensure data continuity so that data from our study can be combined and compared with other studies that use the same collars. Each collar manufacturer and type has slightly different errors and ranges of variation that should be minimized by using the same collars across studies to ensure highest research quality.

Based on the specifications stated above, the VERTEX PLUS collar from VECTRONIC is the only commercially available item meeting the USGS minimum needs for black bear research.

VECTRONIC is the sole manufacturer and seller of this collar.

6. Market research was conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 to identify potential sources capable of fulfilling this requirement.

Market research was conducted via online search, review of manufacturer specifications, and consultation with wildlife researchers and colleagues. Findings indicate that possible alternative vendors offer GPS collars with a minimum fix rate of 10 minutes, which would be more coarse data resolution than needed for this study. Other identified collar options with GPS recording do not have the required position recording capacity. This research confirms that no other vendor manufactures a GPS collar that meets all the Government’s minimum technical requirements, CERTIFICATIONS

I certify that statements checked and information provided above are complete and correct to the best of my knowledge. In accordance with FAR 12.102(a), the facts presented above support that only one source is available.

Name and Signature of Project Officer:

Approved by:

Name and Signature of Contracting Officer: