Single Source Justification_GCMS Calibration_Redacted.pdf

Single Source Justification (Simplified Acquisition)

20 Apr 2017 Page 1 of 3

Section A: General Contract Information

Contracting Activity: AFSC AFMC OL:H/PZIMB

Project/Program Name: Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) Calibration and Repair

Purchase Request/Identification Number:

Estimated Contract Cost (including Options):

Section B: Description of the Supplies/Services Required

The Contractor shall provide a service plan for a Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS). The Contractor shall provide all management, parts, material, tools, supplies, equipment and labor necessary for calibration and repair. One scheduled preventive maintenance visit shall be included. The GCMS is located in the 309th Missile Maintenance Group (309 MMXG), 582nd Missile Maintenance Squadron (582 MMXS), Propellant Laboratory located in Bldg 2021 at Hill Air Force Base (HAFB), UT. The GCMS supports workload for the Propellant Lab – Chemical Analysis. Testing entails running a digested sample on the instrument and quantifying the chromatogram – which gives a detailed breakdown of the chemicals found within rocket propellant. Currently this equipment supports the Minuteman workload, AMRAAM rocket motor testing, BBU-36 cartridge testing, and ARD-863 cartridge testing.

This service plan will provide periodic maintenance, yearly calibration and repair as needed. There are an average of 100+ samples/tests run per month, this is the only GCMS in the 309 MMXG. The critical performance requirements associated with this acquisition are the calibration and repair criteria. Both critical requirements are available through commercial market sector. Due to the technical experience required, technicians who work on this piece of test equipment must have the knowledge and expertise of this instrument and be certified by the OEM to accomplish calibration and repair. The OEM is Thermo Electron for this piece of equipment. Other vendors are certified to accomplish repair and calibration on their own brands of this testing equipment, but do not accomplish repair and calibration on each other's equipment.

Section C: Justification for Soliciting from a Single Source or Brand Name

During on-line search, Government contacts and contacts of known sources was conducted by the SME and/ or the customer to find potential vendors to perform this work; it was discovered that Thermo Electron North America LLC was the only companywith the knowledge, expertise and certification to provide calibration and repair of the Thermo Electron brand of GCMS equipment. During reach back to Thermo Electron North America LLC to determine other vendors could get the parts needed for repair or have been provided OEM Factory Training for calibration, their response was they do not provide training to any out side sources. All repairs and calibration must be accomplished by them, the OEM.

While the SME contacted several potential vendor, they all failed to respond. In the past when reaching out to vendors, their response was always, "no we do not work on that brand ". Each company stated that they would only do the repair and calibration on their own brand of equipment and did not have the capability to repair due to not being able to get the OEM replacement parts from the OEM because they are proprietary and the OEM would not provide training for calibration.

Section D: Efforts to Obtain Competition

Single Source Justification (Simplified Acquisition)

20 Apr 2017 Page 2 of 3

The Market Research reveled that each company is OEM to their equipment. No other vendor other than Thermo Electron, was capable with the knowledge, expertise and certification to provide calibration and repair of the GCMS equipment. Each company stated that they would only do the repair and calibration on their own brand of equipment. The SME contacted the sales representative at each of the companies but they failed to respond. The other vendors cannot order replacement parts from the OEM because they are proprietary. Historically the SME contacted each potential vendor but their response was always " no we do not work on that brand". Each company stated that they would only do the repair and calibration on their own brand of equipment. The reason is that they cannot obtain replacement parts for Thermo Electron equipment. The OEM is Thermo Electron for this piece of equipment. Other vendors are certified to accomplish repair and calibration on their own brands of this testing equipment, but do not accomplish repair and calibration on each other's equipment.

Previous contract effort was out on Sam.Gov as a Sources Sought and only only vendor responded (Thermo Electron North America LLC), when place out for solicitation it went out as a Sole Source firm fixed price contract to Thermo Electron North America LLC.

This testing equipment was purchased several years ago competitively. The other vendors who submitted solicitations were Perkin Elmer, Agilent Technologies and Thermo Fisher Scientific. The contract was awarded to Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Section E: Steps to Preclude Future Single Source or Brand Name Awards

SME looked for any repair agencies that worked on this brand of equipment and none could be found other than the OEM. All technicians are trained by Thermo Electron to work on Thermo Electron equipment. On-line research was conducted for a repair company for the GCMS. The first company listed on the Market Research Report is the OEM. They are capable of performing all repairs/service on their machines. Phone calls were made to multipy companies who repair and calibrate Precision Measurement Equipment, however they all failed to respond. The other vendors are certified to accomplish repair and calibration on their own brands of this type of testing equipment, but do not accomplish repair and calibration on each other's equipment.

Although the purchase of this type of test equipment can be done competitively, the Service Plans must be awarded to the OEM of that test equipment. The OEMs are not willing to sell the data rights to the Government. There is no way for the Government to preclude going single source for the service plans on this type of test equipment. If the test equipment was replaced, selecting another company's equipment, the new OEM of that equipment would be the one to provide the service plan for their equipment, leaving this a Sole Source yet again.

It is not anticipated that the Government can move away from making this a Sole Source Contract.