Vemco Brand Name Justification.doc

BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION

1. Contracting Agency and Activity. The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey plans to contract by means other than full and open competition. This document sets forth the justification and approval for award of brand name Vemco acoustic telemetry equipment on a limited source basis as required by FAR 13.106-1.

2. Nature of Action Being Approved. Firm Fixed Price award for procurement of Vemco telemetry equipment.

3. Description of Supplies or Services. U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center requires additional acoustic receivers for an ongoing telemetry study on black carp in the Mississippi River, and tags and receivers for a study on the response of silver carp and bighead carp to sound and electrical stimulus to facilitate harvest techniques. The Mississippi River, although altered for navigation is a diverse environment with a hydrograph that approximates historical conditions, thus the ability to locate fish and monitor movement between tracking events and across river conditions is required. Range of black carp from initial monitoring is greater than anticipated, thus requiring additional receivers and telemetry equipment to monitor a larger range. A second telemetry system and additional tags are required to coordinate harvest research of silver carp and bighead carp with biologists in Kentucky and Barkley lakes. The state of Kentucky maintains an array of acoustic receivers and currently has tagged silver carp and bighead carp present within the reservoirs. This array and existing technology will be used to coordinate harvest and behavioral research with the state.

4. Statutory Authority. The proposed action may be awarded on a sole source basis under the authority of Section 201 of the Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 USC 501) and FAR 13.106-1.

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5. Vemco meets the Government’s minimum needs for telemetry equipment. Data collection technology will differ between companies’ data collection devices. To project the consistency of data over time, the best guarantee is by continuing to collect data using the same equipment. If a different manufacture was used, the data would be measured differently, which could cause inconsistencies in studies. No other vendor can supply acoustic tags compatible with the existing Vemco equipment already owned by the U.S. Government, which is valued at approximately $800,000.

6. Other Information. N/A

7. The Efforts to Identify Additional Sources Including the Market Research Conducted.

Market research via the Internet indicates competition will be available among Vemco resellers. The telemetry transmitter coding of the specified system is proprietary, and no other manufacturer can provide compatible receivers or transmitters.

8. Actions to Overcome Barriers to Competition. The products we require are proprietary and must work in concert with existing equipment. No other vendor can provide these items.

9. Recommendation and Certification from Program Office Based on the above, I recommend this acquisition be conducted on a limited source basis. I certify that technical data which form a basis for this justification, that are the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel are complete and accurate.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) considers employee signatures to be Personal Information, and therefore all employee signatures have been redacted. By posting this document, the Contracting Officer attests all appropriate signatures have been obtained.

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