SS 452 - NOTICE OF PROPOSED SOLE SOURCE PURCHASE.pdf

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase

#SS 452

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

Commodity or commodities to be purchased (manufacturer, model, description):

Aquaneering Zebrafish Tank System

The need to be fulfilled by this item(s) and why it is the only one that can meet the specific needs of the department:

The School of Pharmacy is conducts research using Zebrafish and the current tank system has parts that are failing and cannot be serviced. The Aquaneering tank system (three single-sided and one double-sided 6 shelf racks and a breeding unit) is solely compatible with the existing Aquaneering Zebrafish units that have been in the facility since 2018. These will replace old units that are failing and cannot be serviced. The systems being purchased have a modular design which maximizes the housing available in a small (115.5) square foot room. The modular design allows the researchers the ability to interchange tank sizes on rack shelves. The tank system will provide a more uniform culture and condition for the fish which will allow researchers to buffer infrastructure inconsistencies (water and heating) in our 50 year old building. Having consistent housing is key for research as it eliminates as many research variables as possible. Researchers have been trained on Aquaneering tanks and compatibility with the existing equipment/supplies will help eliminate operational errors which would have a negative impact on the fish and thus the research. The Aquaneering system has full automation including remote monitoring (Aquatouch 2.0), automated feeding, and a “no-maintenance” filtration system that ensures high water quality and undetectable levels of ammonia and nitrites. Aquaneering provides 24/7 technical support and expert service which is critical for the building infrastructure issues faced by researchers.

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

Aquaneering LLC is the sole manufacturer and distributor of it tank systems in North America.

Aquaneering Zebrafish Tank Systems have several unique features which other vendors cannot provide.

The ability to interchange tank sizes on rack shelves is not a feature available from any other manufacturer of aquatic housing. The “no-maintenance filters” are a proprietary design not found elsewhere. And the 24/7 technical support and service is not offered by any other vendor

Why the amount to be expended for the commodity is reasonable:

The total cost of $132,062 is comparable with similar tank systems that do not offer the features and compatibility required by the School of Pharmacy.

Efforts that the agency went through to obtain the best possible price for the commodity:

To secure the best possible price, the department engaged in negotiations with Aquaneering, LLC and obtained a quote that is less than the purchase price of the original Zebrafish tank system.

Submission Instructions and Format of Response from Objecting Parties:

Interested parties who have reason to believe that the item(s) above should not be certified as a sole source should provide information in the following format for UM to use in determining whether or not to proceed with awarding the Sole Source purchase.

1.1 Interested Party Information

1.1.1 Contact Name, Phone Number, Address and email address

1.1.2 Company Website URL, if applicable

1.2 Objection to Sole Source Certification

1.2.1 Interested parties must present specific objections to the Sole Source certification using the criteria listed above.

1.2.2 A statement regarding the Interested Party's capabilities as related to this Sole

Source Certification Request.

1.2.3 Comments will be accepted at any time prior to Friday, October 17, 2025 at 10:00 am (Central Time). Comments should be addressed to:

Jeff Wells, Procurement Manager The University of Mississippi Procurement Services 164 Jeanette Phillips Drive PO Box 1848 University, Mississippi 38677

1.2.4 Responses may be delivered by hand, via regular mail, overnight delivery, or e-mail at solesource@olemiss.edu with cc: to purchase@olemiss.edu and must reference the sole source number.

1.2.5 UM WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DELAYS IN THE DELIVERY OF RESPONSES. It is solely the responsibility of the Interested Parties that responses reach UM on time. Interested parties may contact Jeff Wells to verify the receipt of their responses. Responses received after the deadline will be rejected.

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

If UM determines after review that there is only one (1) source for the required commodity, then UM will appeal to the Public Procurement Review Board for approval to purchase.

mailto:solesource@olemiss.edu mailto:%20purchase@olemiss.edu