Zeiss Sole Source Justification_Redacted.pdf

J&A Number: N00167-

26-SIMACQ-CD-61-0103

Code: 02 P.R. Number: TBD

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity.

The Naval Sea Systems Command Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD), Contracting & Acquisitions Department (Code 02).

2. Description of the Action Being Approved.

NSWCCD intends to enter into a firm fixed price (FPP) contract (one year base with three one-year options) with Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC (Zeiss) for the procurement of a SIGMA 360 Variable Pressure Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). This procurement includes associated start-up services including installation, training, and three option years of annual preventative maintenance. The total estimated purchase order value is .

The justification document is in accordance with RFO FAR 6.104.

3. Description of Supplies/Services.

The NSWCCD Physical Metallurgy and Fire Performance Branch, Code 612, requires the purchase of a high resolution FESEM to support research and development of Navy materials and to provide engineering services support to in-service issues, including failure analyses, evaluation of metallurgical deficiencies, and the qualification and certification of metallic materials and resultant components. The FESEM will be used to characterize the microstructure of metallic materials under investigation by Division 61 engineers. Code 612 also requires Zeiss

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER

CARDEROCK DIVISION

9500 MACARTHUR BOULEVARD

WEST BETHESDA MD 20817-5700

installation, training, and preventative maintenance support to ensure optimal and consistent operation of the FESEM.

This contract will be awarded in FY26 and have three option years for preventative maintenance services with a period of performance through FY29.

The table below provides estimated funding amounts for purchase of the FESEM and professional services by dollar value, fiscal year, and appropriation.

The Government’s minimum needs have been verified by the certifying technical and requirements personnel.

The Product Service Code (PSC) for this procurement will be 6640 (Laboratory Equipment and Supplies), N066 (Installation of Equipment: Instruments and Laboratory Equipment), and J066 (Maintenance/Repair/Rebuild of Equipment- Instruments and Laboratory Equipment).

Estimated Dollar Value

FY26 FY27 FY28 FY29

RDT&E

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition.

10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) “The property or services needed by the agency are available from only one responsible source or only from a limited number of responsible sources and no other type of property or services will satisfy the needs of the agency.” The permitting regulatory authority is RFO FAR 6.103-1(b).

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority.

The NSWCCD Code 612 requires the replacement of its aging Hitachi Hi-Tech SU6600 FESEM to enhance analytical capabilities, including advanced imaging, chemical evaluation, and nanoscale analysis capabilities. The new Zeis SIGMA 360 Variable Pressure FESEM system will enable detailed microstructural characterization, failure analysis, and rapid evaluation of new and/or deficient materials. This system is essential to meet Navy priorities to accelerate timelines for development, qualification and certification, and integration into service of new materials and manufacturing methods (e.g., additive manufacturing). A critical requirement for achieving this is the ability to perform seamless correlative microscopy, which links data from different imaging platforms to build a comprehensive understanding of a material's structure and properties. The Zeiss SIGMA 360 Variable Pressure FESEM is the only FESEM compatible with the Navy’s current optical microscopy equipment and software infrastructure that enables the delivery of seamless correlative microscopy.

The NSWCCD Code 612 is currently equipped with a Zeiss Axio Observer inverted light microscope for optical metallography of metallic materials, which operates on the Zeiss ZEN Core software platform. This existing government-owned equipment represents a significant investment in both hardware, software and operator expertise. The Zeiss SIGMA Variable Pressure 360 FESEM system is the only solution that can directly integrate with this established infrastructure for the delivery of seamless correlative microscopy through acquisition, correlation, and analysis of imaging data within a single user interface. The Zeiss ZEN Core correlative microscopy suite provides support for integration of certain analytical data, such as chemical composition (e.g., EDS), providing a single solution for multi-modal analysis, and seamlessly aligns coordinates between Zeiss optical microscopes, FESEMs, and analytical detectors, allowing for direct comparison between analyses at different scales. This capability is crucial when performing detailed metallurgical evaluations of new alloys, deficient materials, and in-service components. While other FESEM OEMs provide their own solutions to correlative microscopy, none provide a single integrated ecosystem for light optical, scanning electron, and analytical evaluations and their FESEMs are incapable of integrating with the existing Zeiss Axio Observer light microscope and ZEN Core software platform used in the NSWCCD Code 612 metallography laboratory.

The Code 612 technical authorities conducted market research on vendors that provide commercially available FESEMs. Five manufacturers were identified that supply FESEMs to industry, academia, and federal agencies: Zeiss Microscopy LLC, Hitachi High-Tech, JEOL Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (FEI), and TESCAN. Zeiss does not have authorized resellers and/or distributors for their FESEM systems. While there are other FESEMs on the market that can meet the basic technical specifications for basic imaging, the Zeiss SIGMA 360 Variable Pressure FESEM is the only FESEM compatible with the Navy’s current optical microscopy equipment and software infrastructure that enables the delivery of seamless correlative microscopy.

Therefore, Carl Zeiss Microscopy LLC is the only source capable of providing a Variable Pressure FESEM that meets the government's minimum requirements without significant duplication of cost that is not expected to be recovered through competition, and without unacceptable delays in fulfilling the Navy’s requirements.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practicable.

Section 5 shows the reasoning behind the sole source justification for the products in this procurement. Market research was performed to identify technically acceptable FESEM systems. Zeiss Microscopy LLC is the only company that provides equipment that can be integrated with optical microscopy equipment and software infrastructure currently in use by NSWCCD Code 612, providing a seamless correlative microscopy capability. Zeiss Microscopy LLC does not have authorized distributors and resellers for their FESEM systems and has stated they typically sell direct to the end user.

Pursuant to RFO FAR 6.301(c), the Government will make the Justification publicly available at the Government Point of Entry (GPE)on SAM.gov for a minimum of 30 days. The Government will ensure that the contract file documents any vendor responses to the justification.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost.

In accordance with the price analysis techniques found in RFO FAR 12.204(a) the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) shall ensure that all supplies and services provided under the anticipated contract are procured at a fair and reasonable price. The Government will require the contractor to submit a formal price proposal and sufficient information to support the accuracy and reliability of the estimate. The PCO shall determine that the proposed order represents the best value (as

CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION AND APPOVAL (RFO FAR 6.104-

1(a)(12) and RFO FAR 6.104-2)

I certify that this Justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Upon the basis of the above justification, I hereby approve, as the solicitation of the proposed procurement(s) described herein using other than full and open competition, pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1).