KO determination brand name circuit boards signed_Redacted.pdf

Contracting Officer (KO) Brand-Name Justification in accordance with FAR Part 13.106-1

1. Contracting Agency:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District Contracting Office, 4155 Clay Street, Vicksburg, MS 39183-3435.

2. Description of Action:

This document justifies and approves the purchase of the General Electric brand name item identified below in section 3, Description of Supplies.

3. Description of Supplies/Services:

The Mat Sinking Unit of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a requirement for delivery of seven (7) DC Power Supply Boards, ten (10) DC power Connect Boards and ten (10) LAN Control Boards, of General Electric brand name or equivalent. These boards are used for the operation of gantry cranes.

4. Justification for Brand-name Purchase:

The office requires gantry crane boards that will be compatible with the existing General Electric drives that power the cranes. Since the drives are made by General Electric, the only boards that will work on these drives are General Electric boards. There are no other known circuit boards that exist that will work with the existing General Electric drives. To allow for purchasing other boards that are not of the General Electric brand name, the Government would need to purchase new circuit board drives, which would take additional time and funds. The existing circuit board drives are old and not expected to continue functioning for more than several weeks. A delay caused by a new procurement, and the additional expense it would require, is not determined to be in the Government s best interest.

The Mat Sinking Unit requires replacement circuit boards for the gantry crane drives without delay. A delay in receiving the boards could cause a delay in the unit s work. For these reasons, a General Electric brand name purchase is required.