NOI - Spectrometer maintenance agreement

The US Geological Survey (USGS) Office of Acquisitions and Grants has issued a Notice of Intent to award a single-source Purchase Order to Oxford Instruments, Inc. for a 12-month maintenance service agreement covering two Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) detectors at the USGS Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage, Alaska. This special notice is being published to satisfy Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 5.2 requirements for single-source procurements. The USGS has determined that Oxford Instruments is the only qualified source capable of providing these maintenance services, as the company created and administers the detector database. The procurement will be conducted under FAR 13.106-1(b) as a simplified acquisition of commercial items, and the service falls under NAICS code 811210 (Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance) and PSC code J066 (Maint/Repair/Rebuild of Equipment).

The purpose of this notice is to solicit the maintenance agreement while allowing interested parties an opportunity to submit competing quotations demonstrating alternative capabilities. All responsible parties must submit quotations via email to aberry@usgs.gov by January 28, 2026 at 0500 PST, with responses submitted by hardcopy or web portal to be rejected. The maintenance agreement encompasses routine preventive maintenance, priority technical support during business hours, emergency field visits, detector repair and replacement including accidental damage coverage with loaner units, software updates, and guaranteed 24-hour communication response. There are no specific eligibility restrictions beyond the ability to provide equivalent maintenance services for the Oxford UltimMax 100 EDS detectors, though the government retains sole discretion to determine whether any alternative quotations merit competition. The Place of Performance is located at the USGS facility in Anchorage, and contractor access will require coordination with the technical liaison.