Crowd Control - Avon C50 APRs for SR

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a Special Notice on February 20, 2026, announcing its intent to award a firm-fixed price sole source contract to Safeware, Inc. for the procurement of 350 Avon C50 air purifying respirators (APRs). The requirement is classified under NAICS code 334519 (Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing) and PSC 1367 (Tactical Sets, Kits, and Outfits). The contracting action is being pursued on a sole source basis pursuant to FAR 6.302-2 due to urgent and compelling operational needs. This Special Notice is not a request for proposal but rather a notification of the government's intention to proceed with a non-competitive procurement, though the government reserves the right to conduct a competitive procurement based on responses received.

The DEA's primary objective is to procure Avon C50 APRs for its Special Response Team (SRT) personnel engaged in Whole of Government enforcement operations with partner federal agencies including ICE, HSI, USSS, and DOJ, all of which currently standardize on Avon brand respirators. The deadline for interested parties to respond is February 24, 2026, though this Special Notice is informational rather than a competitive opportunity. Safeware, Inc., located in Lanham, Maryland, has been identified as the sole source due to interoperability requirements, existing blanket purchase agreements for compatible filters, and the ability to provide immediate delivery by March 21, 2026. While the government will consider information received to determine whether to conduct a competitive procurement, the determination to proceed with the sole source award remains solely at the government's discretion. There are no specific eligibility criteria or contractor participation instructions, as this announcement serves to provide transparency regarding the intended procurement action.