Software Upgrade & Maintenance Support Services for Paragon-X Instrument

FedBizOpps Announcement Type: Special Notice
Classification Code: J
Subject: Software Upgrade & Maintenance Support Services for Paragon-X Instrument

Introduction
This is a notice of intent, not a request for a quotation. A solicitation document will not be issued and quotations will not be requested.

Purpose
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate a firm-fixed priced contract on a sole source basis with EC America, Inc. (an ImmixGroup subsidiary) located at 8444 Westpark Drive, Suite 200, McLean, VA 22102. The contract will be for software upgrades and preventative maintenance services for an existing Paragon-X instrument for a base period of one year followed by three (3) subsequent one-year option periods.

Authority
This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of FAR Subpart 13.106(b)(1) allowing the Contracting Officer (CO) to solicit from one source. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 811219 - Other Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance with a size standard of $20.5 Million.

Description
The contractor shall provide the following for the NIST Paragon-X Instrument (Serial No. 00027119):

• One-Time Software Upgrades:

The contractor shall provide the following one-time software upgrades:

o Paragon-X Option 270 ITU-T G.8275.1 PTP Telecom Profile Testing for phase and time synchronization on networks with full-timing support.
o Paragon-X Option 272 ITU-T G.8265.1/8275.2 PTP Telecom Profile Testing for time and phase synchronization on networks with partial timing support and for frequency synchronization.
o Paragon-X Option 950 PFV Commercially available tool for PTP field verification to test standards conformity.
o Paragon-X Option 710 Network emulation capabilities with 4 profiles enable more realistic testing of timing network with other traffic flow impairments.
o Paragon-X Option 711 Network emulation capabilities with extended jitter range.

• Annual Instrument Maintenance Services:

Annual instrument maintenance services shall include the following:

o The contractor shall provide instrument repair services at a designated repair facility or replacement of hardware in cases of equipment failure. Services must be provided by a manufacturer-authorized technician and replacement hardware must be manufacturer-authorized.

o The contractor shall provide telephone support regarding the instrument, access to instrument software and firmware updates, and access to the latest instrument documentation and training materials.

Sole Source Determination
The sole source determination is based on the following:

The NIST Engineering Laboratory (EL) Smart Grid Program owns and operates a Paragon X instrument. This machine is used to support research efforts in test and measurement of precision network clock synchronization using the Precision Time Protocol (PTP). To ensure continuity of science, the machine must be maintained at full performance without downtime. Therefore, routine maintenance support services are required. Also, to complete Smart Grid program research protocols, additional software upgrades to the instrument are necessary.

The Paragon-X instrument is proprietary to its original equipment manufacturer, Calnex. Calnex operates in the Americas through its partner Spirent, and Spirent sells maintenance and software upgrades only through one distributor, EC America, Inc. (a subsidiary of Immix Group). The required software upgrades and maintenance support services may only be purchased directly from EC America/Immix Group. Please see the attached sole source email communications from Spirent. No contractor other than EX America/Immix Group has the capability to upgrade or service the proprietary Paragon X equipment and use of any other contractor for the required services would jeopardize equipment function and reliability. It would also risk creation of unacceptable disruptions in research activities. Accordingly, only EC America / Immix Group is capable of supporting this requirement and a sole source acquisition is necessary.

Information for Interested Parties
Interested parties that believe they could satisfy the requirements listed above for NIST may clearly and unambiguously identify their capability to do so in writing by or before the response date for this notice. This notice of intent is not a solicitation.

Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Ms. Lauren Phelps, Contract Specialist, at Lauren.Phelps@nist.gov. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted via email to Lauren.Phelps@nist.gov so that they are received no later than June 10, 2019 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time.

Each response should include the following Business Information:

a. Contractor Name, Address,
b. Point of Contact Name, Phone Number, and Email address
c. Contractor DUNS
d. Contractor Business Classification (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, hubZone, veteran owned, etc.) as validated in System for Award Management (SAM). All offerors must register in the SAM located at http://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1
e. Capability Statement

.