NDP CCR Brand Name Justification.pdf

Version 2.0

SINGLE SOURCE DETERMINATION USING

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES (SAP)

FOR AN ACTION NOT EXCEEDING THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

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

NM-AN0070-23-01513

1. Agency and contracting activity. Department of Commerce, NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO), Eastern Acquisition Division and Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO, NOAA Diving Program (NDP).

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

The NDP requires the purchase of five (5) Subgravity/XCCR Closed Circuit Rebreathers (CCRs).

Several advances and standardizations have been made since NOAA last procured CCRS, which are an advanced form of life support equipment to allow divers to conduct work up to 100m in the ocean. The NOAA Diving Control and Safety Board sets baseline requirements for units that can be used by NOAA divers and the NOAA Diving Program is responsible for maintaining CCRs systems and facilitating their operation on NOAA missions across the agency from cold Great Lakes waters to remote ocean areas. As such, as system that is rugged, adaptable to multiple environments, configurable in a variety of form factors to suit mission needs, simple to maintain, and incorporates the latest technologies in gas management and monitoring is needed. The principal elements that make the XCCR the only appropriate system for NDP needs is that it has multiple form factors for configuration across the platform, incorporates a CO2 monitor, and has non-proprietary off the shelf electronics.

3. Identification of the single source or the brand name to be solicited.

Sub-Gravity XCCR

4. Supporting rationale. Only one source or brand name is reasonably available as detailed below:

□ Brand Name – This 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.

The XCCR from Sub-Gravity is the only system that can currently meet the needs of the NOAA Diving Program. While several systems are on the market that are effective units, NDP has specific requirements that are only met by this brand name. NDP determined a need to have a brand that has multiple different form factors available in the same platform.

Only Sub-Gravity currently offers versions in traditional back-mount configurations as well as side mounted configurations and a chest-mounted configuration. Each of these form factors has differing utility but cross-platform compatibility and design logic that can meet the diverse needs of NOAA Diving Program operations. NDP also determined the need to incorporate a means of carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring in the breathing loop. Very few models on the market offer CO2 sensors, and of those that do only Sub-Gravity has multiple form factors and non-proprietary electronics. NDP determined that non-proprietary off the

(Insert PR/RFQ number, as applicable) shelf electronics are needed to better manage and maintain these systems. Specialized electronics systems that require proprietary batteries or can only be serviced by the manufacturer present challenges for field maintenance, readiness and reliability. While several manufacturers offer non-proprietary electronics, only Sub-Gravity also meets all of these requirements. The XCCR is largely user serviceable and does not require annual service to the head system. This is a major operational advantage as many systems require to be ship in part or in whole to a qualified technician on an annual basis.

5. Market Research.

Market research was done by phone call, internet searches and evaluation of existing systems.

Additionally, NDP invited several manufacturers to our facility (at NDP’s expense) to showcase their systems. NOAA Diving Program CCR experts were brought in to evaluate these systems as well as external partners from other federal agencies (National Parks Submerged Resources Center) and the academic scientific diving community (University of Miami Diving Safety Office). They served as a panel to get hands on experience with the systems we had access to and discuss the comparative merits of several units on the market. The table below details the matrix upon which these systems were assessed. The evaluation panel unanimously agreed that XCCR was the most appropriate brand to meet the specific needs of the NDP at this time.

MEG Inspo VI PRISM2 XCCR Divesoft Diveability

Scrubber Duration and Options

3/5.5/8 3- 6hrs/ modular

2/3 non-adaptable 5.5 3hrs 5lb/4hrs

8lb/6hr 5.5 4hr - 4.4 3hr scrubbers

Cylinder Size Options variable/k variable/in-line variable/k variable/inl ine variable/vari able valves k standard variable/k on heavy

Depth Limitations 100m 100m 100m 100m 100m 100m Counter lung location and options chest/top of shoulder chest/back chest/back chest/back chest back chest back

Work of Breathing good good good best WOB on market according to mfg excellent excellent

DSV/BOV

options/ease of use/one handed dsv/bov/on e handed dsv/bov/one handed on new model dsv/bov/one finger small

BOV.

Reversabl e easy removal.

Ball valve easy ball valve

Failure modes/tolerance:

Redundancy, water intrustion, user lock-outs etc water trap, redundant battery, counter threading water expulsion difficult lock outs easy easy well designed for mid ranger scrubber

Electronics: Reliability, proprietary/OEM prop/and shearwater proprietary proprietary shearwater sheawater with proprietary connectors all prop daily use effort med med med med-high low high ergonomics a little bulky. CL clips/hard hose turn for O2 supply/busy a little busy.

Hose customizable by user streamlined/lightweigt h/ a little less sturdy nice hose routing off first stages/ adjustable stand height for center of gravity.

Comfortabl e and light.

Gas goes from MAV to t-pieces instead of CL. no handle.

complex setup but very streamlin ed failure points/critical failure points can spacers scrubber o-ring seat set-up correctly/cable water instrusion canister packing no handle.

modularity/flexibility med-high med-high Low - dive per mfg med-high user setviceable solenoid heavy is modular classic is closed

Warning modes (lights, sounds, vibrations) lights/hanse t text audio/lights vibration/audio/visual/ buddy lights vibrating handset/vi sual handsets solenoid warning, lights

Durability (build quality, field serviceable?) very sturdy sturdy delicate - plastic bunny sturdy sturdy sturdy readability good good ok good batteries? Duration

9v/AA and proprietary

- poor charge retention -good duration rechargeable/C R123 proprietary rechargeable -moderate charge retention

9V/saft/saf t

18650 battery rechargeabl e rechargea ble prop packs ots vs proprietary components.

newer models OTS proprietary proprietary OTS ots regs propiertart refs hud configuration smithers/N

ERD

4 lights r/g no NERD none hud or nerd

HUD or Nerd

ODA or

HUD

PO2 determination voting voting non-voting verfication venturi calibration predictive (PID) voting proprietar y logic holds pos/neg excellent poor excellent good good good calibration process/time and gas air point/O2 O2 O2/adapability o2 heavy, fill whole unit small adapter complicat ed hanset buttom style and ease piezo magnetic magnetic-low quality piezo piezo piezo

MAV

block or lung block or lung lung block block dsv checklist process paper/digita l in handset paper/handset paper/handset (automated) paper smartphone app interface

Serviceability slow good complicated good excellent very complica ted

Third Party Testing:

Was the unit tested by an unbiased independent co that has experience in testing life support equipment. Did this testing verify MFG assertations on performance CE/Navy CE CE CE CE CE

Maintainance and service requirements/turnarou nd/can we be techs?

user servieable head send in Poseidon service low mfg maintainen ce/ in house techs user serviceable kits. Send to shearwater or salt lake send in annually or get in-house techs

Cell/Sensor style/type/count/availa bility.

3 O2 chemical 3 O2 chemical 2O2 + solid state

3 O2 chemical

3O2 CHEM

1 CO2

OPTICAL

cell form factor agnostic

4 cells averaging co2 hE system' is there adapability of form factors within the same corporate ecosystem no no no no

Xccr, FX, FLEX side mount

6. Technical/Requirements Representative Certification

I certify that this requirement constitutes the Government’s minimum needs and the supporting data provided herein is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

_____________________________________ ___8/16/2023___________ Joseph C. Hoyt Date NOAA Diving Program Manager

7. Determination

I hereby determine that the circumstances of this action deem only one source is reasonably available. This determination is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Jana Kolb Date Contracting Officer

08/18/2023