P06 12FPC423P0033 Brand Name Justification-Redacted.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture Limited Source/Brand Name Justification FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) – Simplified Acquisitions

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1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity.

USDA-NRCS-Connecticut State Office and the Eastern Section of the FPAC-BC, Acquisition Division.

2. Description of supply or service required to meet the agency’s needs.

A new motor is needed for a boat used to support obtaining the coastal soil survey mapping data from the Coastal Zone Soil Survey in the Long Island Sound. The use of side scan sonar imaging system mandates the use of an engine designed to minimize vibrations at all levels of output and one that is as efficient as possible in order to meet the fuel standards of the current administration. The Suzuki DF115BTL4 is specifically engineered to minimize vibrations through the use of an offset driveshaft, a more complicated engineering design of which Suzuki is one of the only manufacturers.

3. The rationale or circumstances for limiting competition.

The purchase and installation of the requested outboard motor is essential to support the Coastal Zone Soil Survey and to maximize the effectiveness of the side sonar mapping technology.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the side scan sonar equipment in the Coastal Zone Survey, the customer is requesting we limit the replacement outboard motor to only the Suzuki DF115BTL4.

4. A description of the market research conducted and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Multiple searches were made in the SBA Dynamic Small Business Search as the majority of the NAICS codes searched did not produce any vendors. The two NAICS codes that did produce a few vendors were not helpful as none of the businesses identified were pertinent to the NAICS codes that were searched. Additional online databases searched were GSA Advantage, the Acquisition Gateway and the Connecticut APEX Accelerator. Unfortunately, none of these efforts yielded a qualified contractor so additional open market research was conducted yielding nine small businesses in Connecticut with only two of them registered in SAM.gov and only one selling the requested Suzuki outboard engine. The exclusion of those businesses not registered in SAM.gov and those not selling Suzuki outboard motors narrowed the field to only one registeresd small business, Boat Works of South Windsor.

Additionally, we asked the customer if we could expand out search area outside of the state of Connecticut but were told they would not approve the search expansion due to likely addition of transportation costs that would need to be added to the initial IGCE.