Notice of Intent to Sole Source - Riverside HVAC Controls Replacement

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service Research Service Pacific Northwest Research Station has published a Notice of Intent to Sole Source for HVAC Controls Replacement at the Pacific Southwest Research Station Riverside Administrative Site in Riverside, California. The agency intends to award a firm fixed price contract exclusively to Schneider Electric Buildings Americas, Inc. based in Carrollton, Texas under FAR Subpart 13.106-1(b)(1). This procurement is classified under NAICS code 238220 for Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors with a size standard of $22,000,000. The notice was posted on September 16, 2025, and the anticipated award date is September 24, 2025. The contracting officer for this action is Ricky McLellan, who can be reached at ricky.mclellan@usda.gov.

The sole source justification is based on the critical need to replace the existing non-operational HVAC controls system that manages the facility's HVAC infrastructure. The agency determined that soliciting other contractors would cause unacceptable disruption to operations and create potential health and safety risks due to system incompatibility issues. The existing HVAC system utilizes proprietary hardware and software that is only compatible with Schneider Electric's equipment, and using alternative solutions would require complete replacement of the entire HVAC system. Interested parties have until September 23, 2025, to respond, though oral communications are not acceptable for this notice. The government's decision not to compete this requirement was supported by market research, and no formal solicitation will be issued due to the sole source nature of the procurement.