SS 459 - NOTICE OF PROPOSED SOLE SOURCE PURCHASE.pdf

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase

#SS 459

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):

Pasco Experiments EX-9930B Coulomb's Law Experiment

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 UM Physics Department requires an apparatus for a new Physics lab that uses a torsion balance to measure very small forces that cannot be accurately measured by a scale or other simple measurement device. Specifically, the apparatus needs to have the sensitivity to measure Coulomb's constant, a fundamental constant of physics and one of the main purposes of this lab experiment. The experiment apparatus should measure both Coulomb's constant and the functional form of the electric forces dependence on the magnitude of the electric charges and the separation between two charges, namely that it is inversely proportional to separation distance squared and directly proportional to the charge.

Coulomb's Law is fundamental to physics and also the only experiment appropriate to do during the first couple weeks of the semester when students have yet to learn more than electric force and electric field.

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

Pasco’s Coulomb’s Law Experiment is only manufactured and distributed by Pasco.

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

The price is appropriate for delicate scientific equipment (the torsion balance is very sensitive). The new lab is necessary to replace the Oscilloscope Lab and the Coulomb's Law apparatus is less expensive than purchasing new oscilloscopes and is more appropriate pedagogically, as well.

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

We negotiated a 3% discount.

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 Wednesday, October 29, 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