NOTICE 267-039.pdf

Mississippi State University Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase

267-039

Mississippi State University anticipates purchasing the item(s) listed below as a sole source purchase. Anyone objecting to this purchase shall follow the procedures outlined below.

1. Commodity or commodities to be purchased (make, model, description):

The MSU ACI plans to purchase a CEAD B.V. AM Flexbot. It is a turnkey hybrid robotic large-format 3D printing system based on six-axis industrial robot equipped with an E40 pellet extrusion system with a maximum output of up to 130 lbs/h and CNC milling feature with automatic tool change, controlled through a Siemens Sinumerik CNC control software, hardware, and interface.

2. Explanation of the need to be fulfilled by this item(s), how is it unique from all other options, and why it is the only one that can meet the specific needs of the department:

The MSU ACI requires additional capacity to produce custom tooling (molds and fixtures) and end-use parts across low- to high-temperature manufacturing processes in support of its programs for the DoD. Traditional tooling methods carry lead times that extend ACI's development and manufacturing cycles and no longer keep pace with the rate of design iteration these programs demand. ACI's need is to remove those lead times while maintaining the quality assurance and part-level traceability that are integral to the applications it delivers.

Several technologies provided by CEAD are patented and cannot be provided by any other source. CEAD holds a patent on its non-mechanical bonding printbed, which secures the part during printing without mechanical fixturing and is directly relevant to reliable, repeatable production of ACI's molds. CEAD also holds patented technology for wider, horizontal printing on a robotic platform, enabling the production of longer molds through linear track extension.

3. Name of company/individual selling the item and why that source is the only possible source that can provide the required item(s):

CEAD Group, Inc. is the exclusive authorized source for the sale, installation, training, and support of the CEAD AM Flexbot in the United States. CEAD Group, Inc. is the US entity of the manufacturer, CEAD B.V. (Delft, Netherlands), and the system is not available through any distributor, reseller, or other channel. The manufacturer has confirmed this in a signed OEM sole source certification, attached to this notice as [Exhibit “02_CEAD Sole Supplier Letter_202605”]. The patented technologies that manufacture the Flexbot uniquely capable of meeting ACI's requirement, as described in Section 2, are proprietary to CEAD and are not manufactured, licensed, or sold by any other source.

4. Estimated cost of item(s) and an explanation why the amount to be expended is considered reasonable:

The estimated price for the Flexbot in the configuration as currently proposed is $1,253,364, per quote CQ22- 3789.

The quoted price represents the manufacturer's direct commercial pricing for a complete turnkey system. The base system pricing is consistent with similar systems acquired by other U.S government customers and commercial customers. The amount covers the full scope of the system, including transport, installation, calibration, commissioning, training, and ongoing service and maintenance support, as a fixed turnkey price.

5. Explanation of the efforts taken by the department to determine this is the only source and the efforts used to obtain the best possible price:

ACI conducted a literature review through web search and discussed with ERDC who recently purchased this specific equipment.

Pricing for the system followed numerous discussions between ACI and CEAD to down select key performance parameters required for the application, while allowing for future growth.

Any person or entity that objects and proposes that the commodity listed is not sole source and can be provided by another person or entity shall submit a written notice to:

Jennifer Mayfield, CPPO Interim Deputy Director of Procurement & Contracts jmayfield@procurement.msstate.edu Subject Line must read “Sole Source Objection” mailto:jmayfield@procurement.msstate.edu

The notice shall contain a detailed explanation of why the commodity is not a sole-source procurement. Appropriate documentation shall also be submitted if applicable.

If, after a review of the submitted notice and documents, MSU determines that the commodity in the proposed sole source request can be provided by another person or entity, then MSU will withdraw the sole source request publication from the procurement portal website and submit the procurement of the commodity to an advertised competitive bid or selection process.

If MSU determines after review that there is only one (1) source for the required commodity, then MSU will appeal to the Public Procurement Review Board. MSU will have the burden of proving that the commodity is only provided by one (1) source.