PRTD Aging Oven - Sole Source Justification
Open Special Notice Posted
- Solicitation number
- 2027-LGD-0065
- Agency
-
Library of Congress
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 33331 Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing
- PSC
- 6640 Laboratory Equipment And Supplies
- Place of performance
- Washington, District of Columbia 20540, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Library of Congress announced a sole-source contract award intent to ESPEC North America, Inc., for a temperature and humidity controlled chamber, with a response period closing October 28, 2026. This is a firm fixed price procurement below the simplified acquisition threshold (valued between $25,000 and $350,000) that does not pursue full and open competition under FAR 6.302-1, establishing that only one responsible source exists capable of meeting the Library's requirements.
The Library's Preservation Research and Testing Division requires the ESPEC BTX-475 model to support quality assurance testing of papers, boards, and other archival materials against multiple ISO standards, as well as ongoing research on materials degradation related to the Library's collections. Market research confirmed that while multiple vendors produce comparable chambers, only ESPEC's model meets the specified temperature range (-70°C to 150°C with 0.5°C fluctuation), humidity range (10% to 95% RH with 5% fluctuation or better), interior capacity (4 cubic feet minimum), and profile storage capabilities required for the Library's integrated workflows. The contract includes all parts, equipment, user training, shipping to Washington, DC, and one year of manufacturer warranty support. The performance period runs January 15, 2027, through January 14, 2028. Contracting Officer Brian Curl approved the justification on October 13, 2026. This public notice serves as the sole announcement; no separate award notice or J&A posting will follow. The redacted Justification and Approval and Draft Statement of Work are attached.
Notice text
This is a public notice prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 5.2 – Synopsis of Proposed Contract Actions.
The Library of Congress, Contracts and Grants Directorate, intends to award a sole-source firm fixed price contract to: ESPEC North America, Inc., 4141 Central Parkway, Hudsonville, MI 49426.
The period of performance of the intended contract shall run as follows: 01/15/2027 - 01/14/2028. It is valued at an amount below the simplified acquisition threshold (defined as $350,000 and below), and above $25,000 (the public notice threshold). The work shall consist of the following: To acquire a temperature and humidity controlled chamber for use in the Library’s quality assurance program for the testing of papers, boards, etc. to multiple ISO standards in addition to ongoing research on materials degradation in relation to the Library’s collections. The contract should include all parts and equipment to meet specified parameters, user training, shipping, and 1 year of warranty support.
This announcement constitutes the only public notice, proposals are not being requested from other parties and a written solicitation will not be issued. This public notice accomplishes the following:
- Provides notice of the Library’s intent to sole source this requirement to the business listed herein;
- Synopsizes the requirements in accordance with the FAR; and
- Publically posts the approved Justification and Approval (J&A) in advance of the contract award rather than after award. As a result, a second posting of the J&A is not required after the award has been made.
As a result of this public posting, this shall be the only notice issued. A separate award notice and a separate J&A posting shall not be performed, as all public information is being accomplished via this public notice.
The following attachments are included in this notice:
Attachment 1: Draft Statement of Work
Attachment 2: Sole Source Justification (Redacted for Public Release)
No further notices shall be pursued at this time regarding this contracting action.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Draft Statement of Work.pdf | ||
| Sole Source Justification - Redacted.pdf |
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