SSJ_Final - Redacted.pdf

This is a Determination & Findings (D&F) document justifying a sole source acquisition from Agilent Technologies, Inc. by the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM/OEA) under the Air Force Research Laboratory/Rocket Motor Zip-loc Bravo (AFRL/RMZB) contracting activity.

The acquisition pertains to two Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) units required by USAFSAM/OEA to provide the Industrial Hygiene Laboratory (IHL) with capability to analyze concentrations in Air Force industrial hygiene samples as mandated by DAFMAN 48-146. Market research conducted per RFO Part 10 identified that Agilent Technologies, Inc. is the only source reasonably capable of meeting established criteria due to a mandatory requirement for proprietary MassHunter software to ensure data continuity and compatibility with existing validated laboratory methods. While Agilent Technologies, Inc. can provide the majority of required items through its General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule contract, no other GSA vendor can meet the government's critical software and data integration requirements. The document notes that no reasonable expectation exists for two responsible small businesses to provide competitive quotations in terms of market price, quality, and delivery, thereby justifying proceeding as a sole source acquisition under RFO 12.102(a) for Commercial Products and Commercial Services. The Contracting Officer, Chris M. Stokes from AFRL/RMZB, approved this determination on July 31, 2026.