Cherry Engineering Special Explosive Tools

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), part of the Department of Justice, has issued a Special Notice announcing its intent to negotiate a sole-source contract with Cherry Engineering, Inc. for specialized explosive tools. The procurement involves various Hydra-Jet and MWB Disrupters totaling 64 cases across different sizes, with an estimated total cost of $58,667.42. These tools are specifically designed for law enforcement and military improvised explosive device (IED) defeat operations and will be used for five iterations of the Raven's Challenge Exercise. The ATF is justifying this sole-source approach under FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) for soliciting from a single source, as Cherry Engineering is the sole manufacturer of these patented tools. The company's proprietor is the inventor and holds exclusive manufacturing rights to these specialized explosive devices.

The primary purpose of this Special Notice is to inform potential contractors of ATF's intent to proceed with a non-competitive procurement while providing an opportunity for other parties to express their capabilities. Interested contractors must submit their responses via email to Brian Wilkins and Courtney Wiggins at ATF by Monday, August 18, 2025, at 2:00 PM EST, with only emailed responses being considered. The government will use these responses solely to determine whether to conduct a competitive procurement instead of the planned sole-source contract. Any contractor wishing to participate must demonstrate their interest and capability to provide Cherry Engineering Special Explosive Tools that meet the same specifications. The final decision on whether to compete this contract remains at the discretion of the government, with delivery required by September 30, 2025.