SATPC0041732 Tab 10 1 BNJ_Redacted.pdf
PDF 289 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Schneider Electric HW & Support Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- 80NSSC26937863Q
About this file
This document is a Recommendation and Determination to Solicit from One Source or Brand Name submitted by NASA's Shared Services Center. The recommendation justifies sole-source procurement of Schneider Electric programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for the SMiRF (Supersonic Microburst and Convective Intensification Experiment) PLC Upgrade, Phase II. The total estimated cost is $61,000.00 with an estimated period of performance or lead-time of six months from the date of purchase.
The justification emphasizes that all test facilities at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) currently rely on Schneider Electric PLCs, establishing both heritage and standardization across the center. Key rationales include ensuring commonality of expertise among personnel who may be transferred between facilities, maintaining a supply of compatible spare equipment and modules, and leveraging the availability of approved vendors in the Cleveland area for technical support within one business day. Additionally, the SMiRF facility has already completed Phase I of the upgrade using Schneider Electric hardware, making continued use of this brand essential for seamless integration and minimal startup delays. The document notes that switching to a different PLC manufacturer would introduce unacceptable operational risks, requiring complete redevelopment of facility code, extensive testing and validation, staff retraining, loss of spare parts availability, and additional costs to modify ancillary equipment. Competition is determined to be impractical based on these technical and operational considerations.
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Other files for this federal contract opportunity
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| SATPC0041732 Tab 10 3 RFQ Open Market-extended.pdf | ||
| SATPC0041732 Tab 10 3 RFQ Open Market.pdf | ||
| SATPC0041732 Tab 04 4 SOW_REVISED.pdf |
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Text version
Page 1 V3.0 Jan 2026
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER
RECOMMENDATION AND DETERMINATION TO SOLICIT FROM ONE SOURCE
OR BRAND NAME
Brand Name Justification:
☒I recommend that NASA, NASA Shared Services Center negotiate only with vendors who can provide the subject band name from Schneider Electric for SMiRF PLC Upgrade, Phase II (See SOW). The total estimated cost of this effort is $61000.00 and the estimated period of performance or lead-time for delivery is six months from date of purchase.
This recommendation is for the acquisition of supplies or services determined to be reasonably available from only one source/only one manufacture. Competition is impractical for the following reasons (please answer the questions below):
1. What are the reasons for soliciting only the suggested source/suggested brand name? Please provide the unique characteristics of the items or services along with the supporting rationale and the market research performed to substantiate your reason for the suggested source/brand name. All of the test facilities at NASA GRC rely on Schneider Electric’s brand of programmable logic controllers. In addition to being a heritage selection, the uniformity across the center ensures commonality in expertise, in the event personnel have to be transferred from one facility to another, there is little delay in bring that individual up to speed as opposed if they were familiar with a different manufacturers hardware, a ample supply of spare equipment in the event of failures, modules from one facility are universal to those of any other, and a plethora of reputable, approved vendors in the Cleveland area, this ensuring technical support is never more than a business day away. Schneider’s brand of PLC’s have decades of reliable performance in safety critical functions. Additionally, the SMiRF facility has already proceeded with phase I of the upgrade and used Schneider Electric’s PLC hardware. Continuing with this brand ensures seamless integration, minimum delay in startup time and minimal training on part of the controls engineering staff.
2. What is the impact to the government if another vendor/brand is used? Include any dollar, schedule, or compatibility impacts if possible. Trying to change brands of PLC would be massively disruptive delaying testing because of the need to completely redevelop facility code, then having to test and validate that code, and having to retrain engineers in using that hardware. Selecting a different vendor would introduce unacceptable risks into the facility’s operation. There would be the lack of spare parts, the lack of vendor support history, and the cost to change over ancillary facility equipment
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
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