J_A_-_Rigaku_Redacted_1.pdf

United States Department of the Interior

INTERIOR BUSINESS CENTER

Washington, DC 20240

SINGLE SOURCE DETERMINATION USING

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES (SAP) UNDER THE

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD (SAT)

AUTHORITY: FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)

SOL 140D0423R0021

1. Contracting activity/agency. Department of the Interior, Interior Business Center, Acquisition Services Directorate, on behalf of The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate Advanced Technologies Intelligence (ATI-3) Innovation Team

2. Description of supplies or services required to meet agency needs. ATI-3 requires the procurement of specialty equipment to support the establishment of a materials characterization laboratory exploitation system within ATI-3. As a part of this initiative, analytical instrumentation necessary to support the initial operation of the materials characterization module is needed. This equipment will enable ATI-3 to perform rapid material exploitation of foreign material and performance characterization of foreign systems.

ATI-3 requires a nondestructive analytical technique that can determine the elemental composition of various materials. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) is the primary technique in the state of the art for such analyses. XRF technology is used in industry and academia as a nondestructive means to accurately determine these properties. ATI-3 needs a benchtop model rather than a floor model, so the instrument can be available for deployment.

The estimated value is and supplies need to be delivered 120 days from award.

3. Identification of the single source to be solicited.

Rigaku Americas Corporation ATTN: Eric Critzer 2238 Rivanna Station Loop Office ATI-3 ASA 239 Charlottesville, VA 2291

4. Reason for authority cited. The contracting officer has determined the circumstances of the contract deem only one source reasonably available.

Urgency – The nature of the requirement has been deemed urgent and following competitive procedures would result in unacceptable delays.

Exclusive Licensing Agreement Brand Name – The particular brand name is essential to the requirement and market research indicates similar products do not meet or cannot be modified to meet agency needs. If the justification is to cover only the portion of the buy which is brand name, then it should so state; the approval level requirements will then only apply to that portion.

Industrial Mobilization

X Other: Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

SOL 140D0423R0021

5. Rationale.

The equipment being procured are two Rigaku Supermini200 Wavelength Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometers. The purpose of this instrument is to provide insight into crystal structure and elemental composition. Rigaku is the only vendor capable of supplying an instrument that meets the Government’s mission requirements. Specifically, the Rigaku instrument meets ATI-3’s requirement for an XRF that is smaller than 36 x 25 x 25 inches and lighter than 250 lbs, is air-cooled (as opposed to water or liquid nitrogen-cooled), and that does not exceed power consumption of 110 Volts or 15 Amps. The equipment must have an automated sample changer with at least eight positions to maintain ATI-3’s current sample throughput capabilities. Products provided by the closest alternatives did not meet the Government needs. See below paragraph for additional information for this finding.

6. Market Research.

The sources reviewed were the Federal Supply Schedules (FSS), General Services Administration (GSA) Advantage and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V. The Government also performed internet searches. The Program Office conducted market surveys to obtain information from potential sources. Catalogs and literature published by service providers were also reviewed.

ATI-3 conducted a market research survey of the top companies that produce WDXRF instruments. This included reviewing online technical documents and brochures for relevant equipment and attending virtual instrument demonstrations. During its market research, DIA identified three (3) vendor candidates for further evaluation:

Rigaku Americas Corporation. The possesses comparable sensitivity to larger floor-model XRFs, is air-cooled, and could utilize helium to purge samples for more thorough material analysis. However, at 324 lbs. it is far too heavy to meet ATI-3’s lab portability requirement. Besides its weight, the size further inhibited its transportability. The model was eliminated because the instrument weighs 573 lbs. and has dimensions of 35 x 49 inches making it suitable only as a floor model as opposed to a benchtop model. For the Rigaku Supermini200, ATI-3 requested a virtual demonstration from Rigaku. At 220 lbs., the Rigaku Supermini200 WDXRF is the lightest instrument, and it also possessed the smallest footprint at 25 x 24 x 25 inches. It can be placed on a benchtop, it utilizes a standard power outlet, and it does not require water or liquid nitrogen for cooling. In addition, despite its smaller footprint, the Supermini200 has a sensitivity comparable to floor-model WDXRFs. Finally, the instrument can utilize a helium purge for liquid sample analysis. Thus, the Rigaku Supermini200 WDXRF is the only instrument which fully satisfies ATI-3’s requirements. Other sources, such as authorized resellers, were not consulted as Rigaku is the sole manufacturer and distributor of this item in the United States.