VEMCO Brand Name Justification.pdf

BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION

1. Contracting Agency and Activity The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey (USGS), plans to contract by means other than full and open competition. This document sets forth the justification and approval for an award to purchase acoustic telemetry receivers and transmitters. This document sets forth the justification and approval as required by FAR 13.106-1

2. Nature of Action being Approved New award for firm fixed price award to purchase acoustic telemetry receivers and transmitters for brand name VEMCO, Inc.

3. Description of Supplies of Services The Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) requires the purchase of transmitters, receivers, Hydrophones, Acoustic Tag Reader (ATR) which must be compatible with existing Government-owned systems for ongoing work related to projects involving the use of acoustic deterrents aimed at mitigating the spread of invasive silver and bighead carp. The new transmitters, receivers, and ATR will allow us to expand our telemetry arrays to monitor fish during a new study at Lock and Dam 19 on the Upper Mississippi River.

Base Award:

Item # Description Quantity Item 1 HTI Model 290-16 Acoustic Tag Receiver (ATR) 1 Item 2 HR3 receiver 10 Item 3 HTI LY tags 100

Option Items:

Item # Description Quantity Option 1 Vemco depth transmitters 50 Option 2 Vemco regular V16 transmitters 200 Option 3 HTI LY tags 200 Option 4 HTI Model 290-16 Acoustic Tag Receiver (ATR) 2 Option 5 HR3 receiver 10 Option 6 Model 590 Hydrophone (330°) 307kHz, for use with Model

290/291 ATRs and Model 300-series Data Loggers. 20

Option 7 500 ft cable 4

4. Statutory Authority

The proposed action may be awarded through a Brand Name Justification in accordance with

FAR 13.106-1.

5. Rationale Supporting Us of Citation in NO. 5.

VEMCO (Innovasea) telemetry receivers and transmitters use proprietary coding of the transmitter signal to communicate important data (e.g., individual fish identification, sensor information). Whereas, equipment manufactured by other vendors cannot detect or be detected by the existing VEMCO network, critical information contained in the transmitter signal (e.g., individual fish identification). No other vendor can supply telemetry equipment compatible with the existing VEMCO network or equipment already owned by the USGS which is valued at approximately $850,000.

In addition, if the Government were to purchase equipment other than VEMCO, the continuity of data would be lost since there is no way to track already existing fish that have been tagged due to proprietary coding.

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 architecture of the specified telemetry systems is proprietary, and no other manufacturer can provide compatible receivers or transmitters.

8. Actions to Overcome Barriers to Competition All brands and vendor instrumentation with the ability to provide consistently high-quality equipment for current and future studies will be considered. Future requirements for same/similar items will be competed to the maximum extent practical.

9. Recommendation and Certification from Program Office Based on the above, I recommend this acquisition be conducted on the basis of other than full and open competition. I certify the 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.