Liquid Chromatorgraph Mass Spectrometers J A_Redacted 04202022.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER

INDIAN HEAD DIVISION

3767 STRAUSS AVENUE

SUITE 201

INDIAN HEAD, MD 20640-5150

NCH 53.6-2 (4 Jan 2021 Update)

J & A: Number: FY22-

FEB17-69.1

Code: 026R P.R. Number: TBD

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

JUSTIFICATION

1. Contracting Activity

The Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD), Contracts Division 026.

2. Description of the Action Being Approved

Award of a Brand Name Mandatory contract to one of the following authorized distributors for the purchase, delivery, installation, and in-house training of one (1) Agilent Technologies Liquid Chromatograph Single Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (LCMS-SQ) and one (1) Agilent Technologies Liquid Chromatograph Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (LCMS-QQQ) in support of NSWC IHD R Department.

Agilent Technologies 2850 Centerville Rd Wilmington, DE 19808 Cage Code: 0YSC6

Government Scientific Source, Inc. (GSS) 12351 Summer Valley Drive Reston, VA 20191 Cage Code: 0S908

3. Description of Supplies/Services

The NSWC IHD R Department requires two (2) Agilent Technologies Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) LCMS systems, one LCMS-SQ and one LCMS-QQQ, in support of current and future projects and programs. These activities include, but are not limited to, trace detection of thermally labile energetics and other hazardous contaminants in waste streams

J&A Number:

NCH 53.6-2

and field samples; detection and defeat of biological, chemical, and pharmaceutical agents; incident investigations and day-to-day support for manufacturing; and Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) activities that occur at NSWC IHD.

The LCMS-SQ system must meet or exceed the following specifications:

Quaternary Pump ▫ Max Pressure 600 bar ▫ Integrated 4-channel degassing unit ▫ Column ▫ Connecting capillaries ▫ Solvent cabinet and bottles ▫ CAN cable

Diode Array Detector ▫ Provides 120Hz data acquisition rate RFID tags for flow cell and lamp ▫ Long-life deuterium and tungsten lamp

Multicolumn Thermostat 2pos/6port Quick change valve head, 800 bar Vial Sampler for use up to 600 bar

▫ 100 uL metering device ▫ 100 uL sample loop plus integrated needle flush port Inline Pressure Relief Valve Kit LC/MSD XT for OpenLAB CDS ChemStation Edition

▫ AP-ESI Ion Source ▫ OpenLAB CDS ChemStation Edition software ▫ MS connection

Multimode ESI/APCI Source Franek UPS

▫ Certified laboratory power protection system for

LCMS-SQ

The LCMS-QQQ system must meet or exceed the following specifications:

Triple Quadrupole LC/MS System ▫ Workstation PC and software with 2 data licenses ▫ Installation and familiarization training ▫ 1 year software upgrade/phone assistance

LC/MS APCI Source ▫ APCI spray chamber ▫ Corona discharge needle ▫ Nebulizer ▫ APCI vaporizer ▫ Test calibration kit

Binary pump, maximum pressure 600 bar ▫ Binary pump with integrated 2-channel degassing unit ▫ Column ▫ Connecting capillaries ▫ Solvent cabinet and bottles ▫ CAN cable

Vial Sampler for use up to 600 bar ▫ 100 uL metering device ▫ 100 uL sample loop plus integrated needle flush port Multicolumn Thermostat 2pos/6port Quick change valve head, 800 bar Method and Application Consulting ▫ On-site consulting for a maximum of 4 participants

PEAK Nitrogen Generator System ▫ Installation

Franek UPS ▫ Rated and configured for LC/MS-QQQ with rough pump

Diode Array Detector ▫ Provides 120Hz data acquisition rate RFID tags for flow cell and lamp ▫ Long-life deuterium and tungsten lamp

QQQ Operation training Inline Pressure Relief Valve Kit APCI-L Low Concentration Tuning Mix 100 mL

The Government’s minimum needs have been verified by the certifying technical and requirements personnel.

Estimated Dollar Value1

Type Funds FY22 Total

CIP

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition

10 U.S.C. 2304(c) (1) Only one responsible source as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302- 1(c): Application for brand name description.

1 IAW NMCARS 5206.304(a) If the dollar value of the contract is negotiated at a level that exceeds the dollar threshold of the original justification approval authority, a new justification approval shall be obtained from the appropriate approval authority prior to award.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority

Agilent Technologies is the only manufacturer of LCMS-SQ and LCMS-QQQ that meets all the requirements essential for the NSWC IHD mission of seamlessly supporting various programs and projects. The Chemical and Materials Analysis Branch (R14) currently owns 10 Agilent Technologies liquid chromatographs (LCs), but none coupled to a mass spectrometer (MS). R14 requires the new instruments to be compatible with existing inventory and capable of interfacing with the other LCs remaining in use in the laboratory. This will allow the Government to maintain data and analysis compatibility and interoperability. In addition, only Agilent Technologies’ systems will allow NSWC IHD to continue using the same established analytical testing methods without making costly and time consuming changes. These testing methods are step-by-step guides for instrument set-up and conditions for different types of analyses and samples that were written and validated on Agilent Technologies instruments. These methods ensure reliable and reproducible results that provide quality assurance and quality controls to the work R14 performs.

Acquiring different systems that are not compatible with instruments currently in use would require maintaining and sustaining multiple data analysis systems to process historical data files; re-training of analysts; and in most cases, performing lengthy and costly validation of methods of analysis.

Attempting to use a different brand of spectrometer would require extensive “conversion,” optimization, and validation of all the testing procedures already in place to render the processes workable with the other brand of instrument.

Currently, we have developed and implemented testing methods specific to use of Agilent Technologies instruments, permitting analysis of many different procedures. A conservative estimate of the costs to convert a single testing procedure for use in a non-Agilent system is $35K per procedure; the conversion costs for all procedures would be prohibitive.

6. Description of Efforts Made To Solicit Offers from as Many

Offerors as Practicable

A Sources Sought notice was posted (Announcement # N00174-22- SN-0009) on December 3, 2021 to beta.SAM.gov website to satisfy the requirement of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 206.302-1(d). The posting yielded four

(4) results from Agilent Technologies, Government Scientific Source, SCIEX, and Thermo Electron North America, LLC.

The responses were technically evaluated by the R14 TPOC to verify that the vendors met the requirements of the primary components of both LCMS-SQ and LCMS-QQQ systems and could fulfill the Government’s needs. Below is a summary of the findings.

Of the 4 respondents, 2 were determined to meet the brand name mandatory requirement, Agilent Technologies, the manufacturer, and Government Scientific Source (GSS), an approved Federal reseller of Agilent’s equipment. The remaining 2 companies, SCIEX and Thermo Electron, were determined to not be technically capable as the equipment they offered did not meet the government’s requirements and was not compatible with the current systems being utilized.

In addition, Agilent also has other approved resellers of the equipment and the solicitation will be posted on Beta.Sam to maximize competition for this requirement.

As mandated by FAR 12.603 for commercial items, this requirement will be posted to Beta.SAM using the combination synopsis/solicitation.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Costs

The Contracting Officer will determine that the anticipated cost to the Government for the supplies covered by the J&A will be fair and reasonable using the applicable price analysis techniques allowed by FAR 15.404-1.

At least two (2) companies offering Agilent Technologies LCMS-QQQ and LCMS-SQ systems are able to provide NSWC IHD with fixed price, published pricing on all the components of the required systems. This information should be sufficient to support the fair and reasonable cost determination of this procurement.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Competition

For the reasons set forth in Paragraph 5, (Code 02) has no plans at this time to compete future contracts for the types of supplies/services covered by this document. If another potential source emerges, Code 02 will assess whether competition for future requirements is feasible.

CERTIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL