Notice of Intent to Sole Source: Velo3D Sapphire Additive Manufacturing System 1-Year Lease

NASA/MSFC has a requirement for a one-year lease of a Velo3D Sapphire Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) System.

The Velo3D Sapphire system is currently being used, or evaluated for potential use, by engine suppliers to manufacture flight components for both the Human Landing System (HLS) and SLS vehicles. NASA will play a critical role in reviewing and approving supplier data in support of safety of flight rationale for these vehicles.

NASA/MSFC intends to issue a sole source contract to lease the itemfrom Velo3D, Inc. using 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1), as only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. MSFC must have hands-on experience with the Velo3D Sapphire machine to fulfill its responsibility to provide certification guidance and contribute to NASA’s understanding of the supplier rationale supporting flight safety. An AM machine other than the Velo3D Saphhire system cannot contribute to the risk reduction purpose of this lease, regardless of the capabilities of other AM machine vendors. The NASA Engineering Safety Center (NESC) is the project manager for this action. The NESC has identified AM on propulsion hardware as a particularly high area of risk requiring independent evaluation. During the lease term, NASA MSFC’s Advanced Manufacturing Branch (EM-42) will be conducting extensive testing and study of the Velo3D Sapphire machine to inform review and approval of system certification and safety rationale for spaceflight components manufactured on this particular AM system.

The Government intends to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12.

Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort electronically via email to sadie.m.moulton@nasa.gov not later than 10:00 AM Central Time on March 14, 2023. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this acquisition on a competitive basis.  A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.

NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at : https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/Procurement-Ombuds-Comp-Advocate-Listing.pdf