Redacted Limiting-Competition-under-SAT_ACC.docx

Control No: W45N7V005900FG

Memorandum for Record – Limiting Competition at or below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold

1. Contracting Activity: Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal – Corpus Christi Army Depot, Contracting Office (CCAM-ALC), 9035 Ocean Dr. Bldg 10, Mail Stop 18.

2. Description of Action: Follow-on Requirement

Order #_______ against a single award IDC Contract Modification # _______ to existing PO/TO/DO/Call Order #________________

Pricing/Contract Type: Fixed Price Time & Materials/Labor Hours Cost Reimbursable Hybrid

Funds: Operations & Maintenance, Army (OMA) Other Funds: Army Working Capital Funds, FY: 2021

Name of Proposed Contractor(s) and Address:

Helitune, Inc.

1990 Gordon ST Elk Grove Village, EL 60007-1120

Brand Name Buy: Yes No

3. Description of Services or Supplies: Services contract to provide an annual systems calibration, test, inspection and call out repairs with parts/components replacement support for the Helitune WhirlTrak System located at Corpus Christi Army Depots (CCAD) Whirl Tower #1.

The Helitune Whirl Trak System is located at CCAD’s Whirl Tower #1 and is in direct support of Blade Balance operations for Directorate of Accessories & Rotor Blade Production. The tracking system is used as a quality control device to track helicopter rotor blades repaired or remanufactured at the Corpus Christi Army Depot for use by other agencies of the government.

CLIN 0001 Annual Calibration & Maintenance Support, 1 each $ CLIN 1001 Annual Calibration & Maintenance Support, 1 each $ Total: $

4. Authority:

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1): For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), only one source reasonably available, urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand name, or industrial mobilization.

5. Reasons for Authority Cited:

CCAD has the Depot Maintenance Work requirement to aerodynamically track all UH-60 and CH-47 repaired main rotor blades to a dynamic master blade. This is achieved using the Helitune WhirlTrak System that incorporates a special camera and magnetic pickup for blade position recognition and hardware/software that displays the camera code into a discernable track measurement. These measurements are used by the operator to make appropriate blade tab and weight adjustments. The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Helitune Inc., 190 Gordon Street, Elk Grove Village, IL. 60007, designed, manufactured, and installed the system in 2013. Helitune, Inc. is the only known source for the calibration and maintenance to this system and hold all proprietary rights to software, hardware design, and tech manuals and is the only source that can satisfy 100% of agency requirements to maintain this equipment.

The contractor is the Original Equipment Manufacturer and owns the proprietary data rights to the Helitune Whirl Tracking System at Whirl Tower 1. The repair/refurbishment of rotor blades and testing the blades prior to issuing to warfighter will be an ongoing annual workload at CCAD and thus will require maintenance annually to maintain equipment in operational status. If the contractor were to quit or go out of business, the alternative plan would be first for the government to purchase the data rights and in parallel pursue a replacement brand of tracking system via a procurement/installation contract and this would entail a gap before package with specifications written and funding approved to award.

6. Publicizing Contract Actions: For FAR Part 13 actions, the public display and synopsis requirements of FAR 5.101 and FAR 5.203 apply and will be followed.

7. Market Research:

Conducted by: James Spurgeon– Requirer and Terry Clark – Contract Specialist

Dates: 28 February 2020 – 16 June 2020 Personal Knowledge in procuring supplies/services of this type: Research of previous Market Research and contracts awarded in the past for same service: Contract W912NW-19-P-0070, POP: 12 Sep 2019 to 11 Sep 2020 and Contract W912NW-16-P-0146, POP: 24 Aug 2016 to 23 Aug 2019.

Contact with knowledgeable persons in Government and/or industry regarding the commercial nature of this requirement and/or standard industry practice in this area of supplies/services. Identify those contacted by name, title and date of contact: Nolan Martin, CCAD Mechanical Engineer, Monthly contact, Antonio Pinon, CCAD Electrical Engineer, Monthly contact, Bruno Monnier, General Manager Helitune, 13 to 24 Jan 2020, Steve Sennet, RPX Technologies Rep, 21 Jan 2020, and Ken Todd, ACES Systems Rep, 21 Jan 2020.

Recent market research review for similar or identical supplies/services. Identify research and date performed: Submitted on-line inquiry to RPX Technologies customer support on 21 Jan 2020 regarding their capability to perform annual calibration and maintenance on our current Helitune Tracking System. RPX Technologies provide Dyna Tracking Systems for the same purpose and provide calibrations to their own systems. Phone: 1-405-896-0026, Support@rpxtech.com E-mail response on 21 Jan 2020 from Steve Sennett of RPX Technologies stating they "cannot at this time calibrate our Helitune unit." Also, submitted to ACES Systems via on-line customer support request on 21 Jan 2020 regarding their ability to perform annual calibration and maintenance support to our Helitune Tracking System, ACES Systems, (865) 671-2003 support@acessystems.com ACES systems manufactures and sells balancing and tracking systems for helicopter rotor blades. They also provide maintenance and calibration services to their own equipment. RESPONSE: Received e-mail notification from Mr. Ken Todd from ACES Systems stating that our Helitune tracking system is custom made by Helitune for our purpose. "If we wanted a new approach they would be happy to come out, evaluate the system and recommend a replacement" Helitune Inc. custom made specifically for CCAD rotor blade tracking requirements and installed the Helitune WhirlTrak System on Whirl Tower #1 in 2013. Helitune Inc. is the only known source for calibration and maintenance of the Helitune WhirlTrak System. Helitune Inc. is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and hold proprietary rights to software, hardware design, and tech manuals and is the only known source that can fully satisfy the agency requirements to maintain this equipment.

On 15 June the Contract Specialist performed market research utilizing the search engine Google and found the companies Helitune and Red-Viking that perform service on the following link: https://www.google.com/search?biw=1920&bih=934&ei=fYrnXraIFo6NwbkPhKis6Ac&q=Whirl+Trak+System+at+Whirl+Tower+&oq=Whirl+Trak+System+at+Whirl+Tower+&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzoECAAQRzoFCAAQkQI6CAgAELEDEJECOgQIABBDOgUIABCxAzoGCAAQBxAeOg4IABDqAhC0AhCaARDlAlCIwQFY3NgBYIDhAWgBcAF4AIAB6QKIAfgEkgEFMi0xLjGYAQCgAQGgAQKqAQdnd3Mtd2l6sAEG&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwj2ur3HiITqAhWORjABHQQUC30Q4dUDCAs&uact=5#spf=1592232605074

8. Other Facts:

W912NW-19-P-0070: Awarded to Helitune, Inc; Cage: 3KKA6; a Small Business on 12 Sept 2019; NAICS: 811310; Size Standard: 7,500,000; Firm Fixed Price (FFP); Total Contract Value: $30,052.97; Period of Performance: 12 Sept 2019 - 11 Sept 2020 W912NW-16-P-0146: Awarded to Helitune, Inc.; Cage Code: (3KKA6); a Small Business on 24 August 2016; NAICS: 811310; Size Standard: $7.5M; Firm Fixed Price (FFP); Total Contract Value: $119,851.49; Period of Performance: Base Year - 24 August 2016 - 23 August 2017; Option Year One - 24 August 2017 - 23 August 2018; Option Year Two - 24 August 2018 - 23 August 2019.

W912NW-14-P-0151: Awarded to Helitune, Inc.; Cage: 3KKA6; a Small Business on 2 May 2014; NAICS: 336413; Size Standard: 1000; Firm Fixed Price (FFP); Total Contract Value: $192,140.00; Delivery Date: 8 SEP 2014 W912NW-13-P-0055: Awarded to Helitune, Inc.; Cage: 3KKA6; a Small Business on 30 Nov 2012; NAICS: 336413; Size Standard: 1000; Firm Fixed Price (FFP); Total Contract Value: $148,275.00; Delivery Date: 29 JAN 2013.

9. Technical/Requirements Certification. ***See Sole Source Justification Memorandum, dated 11 March 2020 for technical/requirements certification.

10. Contracting Officer Certification/Approval:

I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable based upon price analysis.

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and that completing this purchase as a sole source is in the best interest of the Government. Additionally, I approve this justification to limit competition subject to the availability of funds and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Typed Name: Christopher W. Chapple Title: Contracting Officer

Signature:

Version – February 2017 image5.png image2.png image6.png image7.emf