A03_-_Redacted_Simplified_Acquisition_Sole_Source_Justification_over_ 150K_(Cameras)_FINAL.pdf

Control No: JA-Adel-16-595 Supply/Service: SUPPLY

MAPAPP Version – November 2015 Last adjusted by Adelphi on 6/22/2016

JUSTIFICATION REVIEW DOCUMENT

FAR PART 13 SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR

OTHER THAN

FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Supply/Service: Two (2) Photron USA, Inc FASTCAM SA-Z 2100K-M-32GB high speed cameras (Part Number: SAZ-2100-32M), to include one (1) FASTCAM Plug-in Software (Part Number: 6251-NIDA) and one (1) FASTCAM Plug-in Software (Part Number: 5215-

PFA0)

Authority: 41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), implemented by FAR 13.501(a) -- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

Amount: [redacted]

Prepared by: [redacted] DSN: [redacted] Research Chemist Date: 8/2/2016 Email: [redacted]

Contracting Officer: [redacted] DSN: [redacted] Contracting Officer Date: 8/2/2016 Email: [redacted]

Technical: [redacted] DSN: [redacted] Research Physicist Date: 8/30/2016 Email: [redacted]

Requirements: [redacted] DSN: [redacted] Acting Branch Chief Date: 8/30/2016 Email: [redacted]

Reviews: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support other than full and open competition.

Program Manager:

X Program Manager

Legal Counsel:

MAPAPP Version – November 2015 Last adjusted by Adelphi on 6/22/2016

Legal Counsel

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Department of Army FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Sole Source Justification and Approval for

Other than Full and Open Competition

1. Contracting Activity:

United States (US) Army Contracting Command Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG) Adelphi Contracting Division (CCAP-SCA) 2800 Powder Mill Road Adelphi, MD 20783-1197

2. Description of Action: Weapons and Materials Research Directorate (WMRD)’s Energetic Technology Branch requests approval to solicit for a new firm fixed price contract for the purchase of two (2) FASTCAM high speed cameras, each with plug-in software. The suggested source manufacturer is Photron USA Inc, whose sole authorized distributor for the Northeastern USA region is Tech Imaging Services (small business), 428 Lincoln Ave, Saugus, MA 01906. The Government projects award for September 2016 and intends to use fiscal year 2016 Army Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) type funds.

_X_ An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement does not meet the threshold at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 207.103(d)(i)(B).

3. Description of Supplies/Services:

CLIN 0001: The Contractor shall deliver quantity two (2) FASTCAM SA-Z 2100K-M-32GB Monochrome 2100K with 32 GB memory and 159 nanosecond shutter, software, power supply, all cables, dual channel Gigabyte Ethernet interface, to include PFV Software, power supply with two meter extender cable, three (3) meter GigE cable, IO cable, C-mount plate, G-Type F-mount plate (Part Number: SAZ-2100-32M), to include one (1) FASTCAM Plug-in Software (Part Number: 6251-NIDA) and one (1) FASTCAM Plug-in Software (Part Number: 5215-PFA0).

Delivery date: 30-45 days after contract award

Total Value: [redacted]

4. Authority Cited:

41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), implemented by FAR 13.501(a) -- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

5. Reason for Authority Cited:

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The Energetic Technology Branch within the WMRD at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) requires the procurement of two (2) Photron brand High Speed Monochrome Digital Framing camera systems from Tech Imaging Services. The required Photron cameras are required to support the high brightness explosive imaging facility located at ARL in Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland. [redacted]

[redacted] The Government requires a two-camera imaging system that must be a drop-in replacement for the current Photron SA-1 camera system. This new replacement camera system has a faster illumination laser which is (ten (10) times faster than the current illuminator, (Oxford Lasers LS-20W-50). The new two (2) camera imaging system is also 3X faster at full resolution than the current Photron SA-1 system being replaced, and is up to 10X faster than the SA-1 system at reduced resolution.

Consequently, the proposed imaging system will enable a 10-fold increase in temporal resolution, enabling the study of new disruptive energetic materials (materials with up to 5X current energy density of trinitrotoluene (TNT)). The required two-camera Photron FASTCAM SA-Z camera system from Photron, Inc. is the only system on the market capable of being a drop-in replacement/upgrade from the current Government owned camera system, and will avoid significant modification of the current software and hardware components.

[redacted]

The Photron Model SA-Z high speed cameras (Part Number: SAZ-2100-32M), to include the FASTCAM Plug-in Software (Part Number: 6251-NIDA) and FASTCAM Plug-in Software (Part Number: 5215-PFA0) is the only camera system that can fulfill the Government’s minimum requirements, as the camera system needs to be a drop-in replacement for two (2) Government owned Photron cameras (SA-1 model) that are required to run synchronously with a pulsed laser, using the Photron software. Through market research, it was determined that Tech Imaging Services is the only source capable of fulfilling the Government’s requirement, as they are Photron’s sole Northeastern USA authorized distributor for distribution to ARL/APG. As noted above, if not procured with Tech Imaging Services, the Government will incur additional testing and experiment costs that will negatively influence new explosive development, and increase the hazards to which researchers are exposed to during research testing.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition:

A Sources Sought Synopsis (SSS) was posted to the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website for five (5) days and included a list of the required camera and software part numbers. The only company that responded to the SSS posting was Tech Imaging Services (small business), who provided an unofficial market research quote that fulfilled the Government's requirement. Furthermore, on 12 August 2016, the Contract Specialist received a letter from Photron USA, Inc, stating that Photron primarily sell cameras and accessories through authorized distributors and Tech Imaging Services is their exclusive authorized distributor for the Northeastern region of the United States, to include distribution to the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Maryland. There are no other resellers in the eastern region, nor are there any subcontracting possibilities for this effort, as Tech Imaging is a small business and Photron’s sole distributor of the required camera.

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7. Actions to Increase Competition:

Based on information provided in paragraph five (5) above, full and open competition for this action was not feasible; however, any future purchase requests will include new market research for similar acoustic mixing technology. The new market research will include all the elements necessary at that time to increase the competition, in accordance with the current Federal Acquisitions Regulations (FAR), whether it is solicitations for bids or sole source justification. As required by FAR 5.201, any other bids or proposals received during this procurement will be forwarded to the approving official for consideration. Using similar market research techniques, as those listed in Section 8, the Government will continue its market research to identify any high speed cameras that become commercially available prior to future procurements. Additionally, the Government continually invites other sources to provide and/or demonstrate their competing products. If and when a new source is identified, the Government will technically evaluate the vendor’s product, and if the new source is capable of meeting the Government’s requirement, the Government will compete the high speed camera requirement.

8. Market Research:

Extensive market research was conducted from February to July 2016 by [redacted], a research chemist within WMRD’s Energetics Technology Branch at ARL, with 33 years’ experience in the field. In order to identify sources capable of meeting the Government’s minimum requirements, the following market research techniques were conducted:

• Contacted Subject Matter Experts (SMEs): [redacted]

• Vendors Contacted/Internet Searches: Tech Imaging Services, Inc., sales@techimaging.com; Specialised Imaging , Inc., www.specialised – imaging.com; Spectra Physics, www.spectra-physics.com; Coherent Inc., www.coherent.com; Hadland Imaging LLC, www.hadlandimaging.com; Epilog Laser Inc., www.epiloglaser.com ; Oxford Lasers Inc., www.oxfordlasers.com ;

Vision Research, Inc., www.phantomhighspeed.com

• Literature Searches conducted in the following Professional Journals:

Applied Optics; Applied Physics; Review of Scientific Instruments; Experiments in Fluids; Journal of Energetic Materials; Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics;

and Applied Spectroscopy.

• National and International Meetings: 2016 Gordon Conference on Energetic Materials, June 2016, Stowe, VT; 2016 JANNAF Conference on Propulsion, Newport News, VA, May 2016; 2016 International Pyrotechnics Seminar, Grand Junction CO, July 2016; American Physical Society (APS) National Meeting, Feb.

2016, Baltimore, MD.; and APS Meeting on Shock Compression of Energetic Materials, June 2015, Tampa, FL

• Review of other previous procurements: W911QX-15-P-0496 (awarded to Tech Imaging Services), W911QX-15-P-0467 (awarded to Tech Imaging Services), and W911QX-15-P-0106 (awarded to Tech Imaging Services)

As mentioned above, a Sources Sought Synopsis (SSS) was posted to the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website for five (5) days and included a list of the required camera and software part numbers. The only company that responded to the SSS posting was Tech Imaging Services (small business), who provided an unofficial market research quote that fulfilled the Government's requirement. Furthermore, on 12 August mailto:sales@techimaging.com http://www.spectra-physics.com/ http://www.coherent.com/ http://www.epiloglaser.com/ http://www.oxfordlasers.com/ http://www.phantomhighspeed.com/

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2016, the Contract Specialist received a letter from Photron USA, Inc, stating that Photron primarily sell cameras and accessories through authorized distributors and Tech Imaging Services is their sole authorized distributor for the Northeastern region of the USA, to include distribution to the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Maryland.

Through the aforementioned market research efforts, it was determined that there are no alternative providers to Tech Imaging Services, that can distribute the required Photron camera system that is a drop-in replacement to the current Government owned Photron brand camera system and is properly suited for achieving compatibility and research continuity. Since market research revealed no other sources that can meet the Government’s minimum requirements, this action will be solicited as a brand name sole source to Tech Imaging Services.

9. Interested Sources:

See Paragraph 6 for the synopsis information. To date, no other sources have written to express interest in the acquisition and there is only one (1) authorized reseller that can provide the required Photron high speed cameras, as referenced in Sections 6 and 8 above. As required by FAR 5.201, any other bids or proposals received shall be forwarded to the approving technical official for consideration, and if found to be a potential source, the sole source will be abandoned and the solicitation will be opened to competition.

10. Other Facts:

a. Procurement History.

Contract: W911QX-15-P-0496 Contractor: Tech Imaging Services Award Date: 22 September 2015 Competitive Status: 100% small business set-aside Authority: NONE

Contract: W911QX-15-P-0467 Contractor: Tech Imaging Services Award Date: 17 September 2015 Competitive Status: 100% small business set-aside Authority: NONE

Contract: W911QX-15-P-0106 Contractor: Tech Imaging Services Award Date: 10 February 2015 Competitive Status: Brand Name Sole Source Authority: FAR 13.501(a) -- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

The previous acquisitions cited above, W911QX-15-P-0496 and W911QX-15-P-0467, were available for a 100% small business set-aside strategy due to their specific requirements, whereas market research for this procurement, determined there are no alternate providers to Tech Imaging Services that can provide the required FASTCAM

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SA-Z 2100K-M-32GB high speed cameras, to include plug-in software. As noted previously, the manufacturer confirmed on 12 August 2016, that Tech Imaging Services is their sole Northeastern US authorized distributor for the required FASTCAM SA-Z 2100K-M-32GB high speed cameras (Part Number: SAZ-2100-32M), to include one (1) FASTCAM Plug-in Software (Part Number: 6251-NIDA) and one (1) FASTCAM Plug-in Software (Part Number: 5215-PFA0). Tech Imaging is the only source capable of providing the Government’s minimum requirement.

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11. Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signer’s Title: Research Physicist

Technical Certifier (Tech)

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signer’s Title: Acting Branch Chief

Requirements Certifier

13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. I hereby determine that the anticipated cost to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable based upon previous pricing history and publically available price lists.

This determination will be made using the following:

__ Cost analysis _X_ Price analysis __ Should-cost

__ IGCE

__ Audit: N/A __ Other: N/A

As a part of this basis, certified cost or pricing data:

__ will be required.

_X_ will not be required and the following exception applies (FAR 15.403):

__ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on adequate price competition.

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__ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on prices set by law or regulation.

_X_ A commercial item is being acquired.

__ A waiver has been granted by the head of the contracting activity (HCA) in accordance with DFARS PGI 215.403-1.

__ The contract action is a modification to a contract or subcontract for commercial item(s).

__ The estimated cost of the contract action is less than the threshold for certified cost or pricing data.

Contracting Officer (KO)

14. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

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Approval Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of two (2) Photron USA, Inc FASTCAM SA-Z 2100K-M-32GB high speed cameras (Part Number:

SAZ-2100-32M), to include one (1) FASTCAM Plug-in Software (Part Number: 6251- NIDA) and one (1) FASTCAM Plug-in Software (Part Number: 5215-PFA0) on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

(End of Justification)