Intent to Sole Source 3D Printer Maintenance

The United States Marine Corps Regional Contracting Office in Twentynine Palms, California has published a Special Notice announcing its intent to award a sole source contract to Stratasys for 3D printer maintenance services. This procurement action is being taken under the authority of FAR 6.302-1, which permits sole source acquisitions when only one responsible source is reasonably available. The contract specifically covers maintenance services for a Stratasys Fortus 450MC 3D printer, including a base year of Emerald Care OEM maintenance support with four additional option years. The notice was posted on July 31, 2025, with a response deadline of August 6, 2025. The procurement falls under NAICS code 811210 for Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance and PSC code J049 for maintenance and repair shop equipment.

The sole source justification is based on Stratasys's exclusive licensing agreements and proprietary technology, as the company is the only authorized provider of maintenance services for their equipment and does not permit third-party service providers to perform post-warranty support. The maintenance services include preventive maintenance, on-site support within three business days, OEM-certified spare parts, software updates, and operator-level training, along with a one-time recertification fee since the printer is out of warranty. Stratasys owns over 1,700 granted and pending patents globally and utilizes four key additive manufacturing technologies: FDM, PolyJet, SAF, and P3 Programmable PhotoPolymerization. The Emerald Care service plan is a proprietary offering that requires access to the manufacturer's internal diagnostic tools, certified parts, and firmware updates that are exclusively available through Stratasys. Contractors interested in responding to this notice must do so by the August 6, 2025 deadline, though the sole source nature of the procurement limits participation to Stratasys as the intended contractor.