SS 461 - NOTICE OF PROPOSED SOLE SOURCE PURCHASE.pdf

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase

#SS 461

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 SE-9629 Electron Charge-to-Mass Ratio Experiments and SE-9659 e/m Replacement Tube

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 electron charge-to-mass ratio experiment cannot be done without this specialized equipment which produces a stable uniform magnetic field and a glass bulb enclosing helium that allows the motion of electrons (too small to see with our eyes) to be tracked. This lab apparatus uses a Helmholtz Coil to produce a uniform magnetic field and an electron gun to accelerate an electron to high velocities. The magnetic field causes the electron's trajectory to curve and the radius of curvature can be used to calculate the electron's charge-to-mass ratio, reproducing J.J. Thomson’s landmark experiment showing that cathode rays were electrons. This Pasco apparatus has two essential features that other "e/m Apparatus" don't have. The Pasco apparatus has deflection plates, so students can study the effect of an electric field on moving electrons and directly compare and contrast this with the effect from magnetic fields. Also unique to the Pasco experiment is current and voltage supplies that the user must connect, thus allowing the student user to see and fully understand not only the physics lesson but also how the experiment apparatus itself works.

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

Pasco is the sole manufacturer and distributor of the Pasco Electron Charge-to-Mass Ratio experiment.

No other manufacturer provides an experiment with the required features as the Pasco experiment.

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

The total cost of $21,944.59 for this lab experiment equipment is reasonable as the apparatus should last several decades.

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