JOFOC - High Flow Filters - Final_Redacted.pdf

system continues to operate optimally to preserve the longevity of the system itself, which is very expensive.

This is a commercial supplies requirement. Similar high flow filters have been acquired by NICHD previously through open competitive purchase orders, with the most recent purchase under award number 75N94023P00806, which was competed on the open market and awarded to PBE Inc., a large business, in the amount of $174,660.00, with a period of performance of 9/15/2023 to 9/14/2024 for the Graver brand of filter.

Description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value).

Project title. High Flow Filter Cartridges for NICHD Aquatics Facility

Project description. We need Graver High Flow Cartridges (filters), Part number HF 20-40S, Specifications: 6” diameter, 20 micron, 40” lengths, silicone gasket, polypropylene constructions, to be shipped at a frequency of two times per month. To cover one year, we estimate needing a total of 24 shipments with 64 filters per shipment, for a total of 1536 filters.

Requirement type.

Research & development (R&D) R & D support services Support services (non-R&D)

X Supplies/equipment Information technology (IT) Construction Architect-engineer (A & E) services Design-build Other (specify): ____________________

Type of action.

New requirement

Follow-on

Other (specify):

Proposed contract/order type.

X Firm-fixed-price Other fixed-price (specify, e.g., fixed-price award-fee, fixed-price incentive-fee): __________ Cost-plus-fixed-fee Other cost reimbursement (specify, e.g., cost-plus-award-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee): ___________ Time and materials Indefinite delivery (specify whether indefinite quantity, definite quantity, or requirements): ___________ Other (specify): ___________ Completion Form Term form

Acquisition identification number. Requisition number 6886951. Proposed Solicitation number 75N94024Q00091.

c. Total estimated dollar value and performance/delivery period.

The delivery period is

4. Identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

X This acquisition is conducted under the authority of 41

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of section 4202 of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996.

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Services Acquisition Reform Act of 2003 (41 U.S.C. 428a).

5. Demonstration that the proposed contractor(s) unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited.

a. Name and address of the proposed contractor(s).

PBE Incorporated 611 Moorefield Park Drive, Richmond, VA, 23235 POC: Rob Lamoree

b. Nature of the acquisition and proposed unique qualifications of the contractor(s).

PBE, Inc. is an authorized Graver Technologies distributor in the Mid-Atlantic region. They have an extensive local supply chain network and business relationship with the manufacturer of the needed filters, which allows them to effectively acquire, fine-tune the filters to meet facility specifications and requirements, and deliver the filters in the required time frame to ensure the facility has no lapse in coverage. It is important that filters be delivered on-time in order to keep up with the filter change out schedule and prevent loss of research animals or damage to the facility/equipment.

PBE, Inc. is able to provide temperature-controlled vermin proof storage space until delivery, which helps maintain timed deliveries to the facility and mitigate risks associated with supply chain issues and delivery delays. Storing the filters in temperature controlled/vermin proof space is important to ensure that no microbiological pathogen contamination is carried into the facility. Due to the size of the filters and the limited storage space available at Building 6 SZF, the Government facility can only store up to 60 filters at a time. Failure to maintain timed deliveries to the facility could have an impact on the filter change out schedule and potentially damage equipment or jeopardize the health of the fish.

PBE, Inc. is able to offer services to make fine tuning adjustments to the filters as needed to improve manufacturing requirements to make sure filters produced meet the facilities standing requirements to ensure consistency in quality, which is important to ensure effectiveness is maintained because the needs of the facility can fluctuate due to changes in water pressure or to the water quality due to issues with the Government building/structure.

The Graver filters supplied by PBE, Inc. have a high level of filtration and a moderate depletion rate, and they can best meet all of the needs of the polishing filter housing system and facility requirements.

6. Description of the efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable. Indicate whether a FedBizOpps notice was or will be publicized as required by FAR Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under FAR 5.202 applies. In accordance with FAR Subpart 5.2, the agency will make notice of this proposed contract action available via SAM.gov. Under the authority of FAR 12.603 and FAR 13.500(a), the agency plans to use a combined synopsis/solicitation procedure. In accordance with FAR 13.501, the agency will make publicly available this brand name justification with the solicitation.

7. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost/price to the Government will be fair and reasonable. Certified cost and pricing data is not required per FAR 15.403-1(b)(3) as this is a commercial item acquisition. In accordance with FAR 13.106-3, the Contracting Officer will document the basis for award and the determination that the proposed price is fair and reasonable prior to award. Contactors will be required to submit a quote, which will be compared with any other quotes and compared with an independent government cost estimate (IGCE).

8. Description of the market research conducted (see FAR Part 10) and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

Market research was completed by the agency through multiple methods. On 4/18/2024, the Contract Specialist conducted online internet searches, reviewed product literature, searched the following federal databases: Merlin Contracts Management System, SAM.gov, HHS OSDBU Small Business Directory, and Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS), and reviewed recent market research and the contract files of previous award 75N94023P00806.

Additionally, the RAMB has conducted market research based on previous purchases of various filters and individually testing them to determine their level of filtration effectiveness and rate of depletion. The filters tested were Pall filters, Parker filters, Aquatic Enterprise sock filters, and Graver filters.

• The Aquatic Enterprise sock filters had a low level of filtration and high depletion rate. In addition, these had to be used in conjunction with another polishing filter to achieve system requirements. The sock filters alone failed to pass effectively filter the water. To properly filter the water the sock filters had to be used along with secondary filter to achieve proper filtration.

• The Parker filters had a low level of filtration and a moderate depletion rate of depletion.

• The Pall filters had a high level of filtration and low depletion rate; however, the manufacture has discontinued the production of these filters.

• The Graver filters had a high level of filtration and a moderate depletion rate.

The level of filtration is the level of filtration is related to the smallest particle micron size that the filter is able to remove from the incoming water source.

The depletion rate is the rate in which the filters get clogged and need to be changed/replaced with new ones. Filtration effectiveness and rate of depletion are important to the facility because the better the filtration, the longer the filters will last before needing to be changed, which is more cost-efficient. These high flow filters are the first line of defense for filtering the city water of debris to ensure they don’t reach the fish tanks and contaminate the animals. “Good” levels for these factors refer to the filter being able to filter out the smallest particle micron size from the water and having a low depletion rate, while “bad” levels for these would be a filter with a high depletion rate and inability to effectively filter out the smallest particles from the water source. The polishing filter housing system is the equipment that the city water runs through to be filtered before it is dispensed into the fish tanks. The polishing filters work in conjunction with the equipment by getting deposited into the chambers in the unit so the water can be filtered. Based on the results of these tests, the Graver filters best met all of the needs of the polishing filter housing system and facility requirements.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition.

The testing procedure for the high flow filters is a very complex process due to the high-quality standard of filtration needed. The procedure consists first of a visual inspection to rule out no penetration to the filters seams and pleats and to confirm no gaps in the seal. Next is to confirm system compatibility. The filters are placed in the chambers of the polishing filter system and inspected to ensure the filter fit correctly in the chamber. This is important because an ill-fitting filter would result in improper filtration resulting in compromised health to the animals as well as potential damage to the unit itself. The next phase of the testing process is testing the water post filtration. The filters being tested go through a filtration cycle and the water post filtration is then collected and tested to confirm filtration was completed down to a minimum of 20-micron level. One product test requires approximately 12-20 filters for testing and from the start of the testing process to the end the time frame tasks approximately 3-5 weeks. The limitation is filters must meet food grade quality standards and filter sizes must be compatible with the chamber specifications of the polishing filter unit. The cost depends on length of testing. Time is measured based on how long it takes the filters to clog during a filtration cycle. Labor is measured based on physical labor and computer related tasks associated with changing the filters. Estimated time from start to finish to change out all 4 chambers is approximately an hour. Failure to filter the water to a 20-micron level would compromise the water quality resulting in the compromised health of the animals.

As detailed above, the testing process is complicated and demands a considerable amount of time and resources, while also running the risk of poor filtration, which could lead to loss of research animals and data. If the system and equipment are damaged by poor filtration it could potentially shut the facility down and halt research. In addition to the loss of the animals, which are invaluable. Therefore, it is not feasible or efficient for our facility to duplicate efforts by performing multiple tests on numerous different filters/products for the same requirement each and every year, when the process has risks and we have already identified the best product.

As stated previously, these high flow filters are an essential component used by the facility to prevent genetic contamination. Failure to change the filters on-time could result in compromised water quality and water pressure, which could lead to loss of research animals and data, which could have significant impacts on the agency, therefore it is critical to the success of this requirement that the filters are always delivered in the required time frame to ensure the facility never has a lapse in coverage. To our knowledge, PBE, Inc., is the only source capable of providing the needed Graver brand filters and addressing all of the concerns identified, which enables them to meet all of our requirements. A loss of research animals/fish due to an event of lapse in coverage or poor-quality filtration would have detrimental effects on Government research and resources because decades of research would be lost by 3 ICs, 18 Principal Investigators and 21 Animal Study Proposals, and there is simply no way to put a cost on replacement of these fish as they have been bred in-house for several years and as a result the same exact fish cannot be purchased. While the facility keeps a reserve in the event of a delay, the available storage space is very limited.

10. Listing of sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition. At this time, no other sources have expressed interest in the proposed acquisition, however as stated in section 6, a combined synopsis/solicitation will be posted and all sources who respond shall be considered.