Urgent Johnson Controls York YMC2 Chiller Variable Speed Driver Replacement

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a Special Notice for a sole-source contract to Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI) for replacing Variable Speed Drivers (VSD) on two York YMC2 centrifugal chillers at the Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina. The notice pertains to a specialized procurement within the Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors category, with a business size standard of $19.0 million. The contract opportunity was posted on May 20, 2025, with a response deadline of May 27, 2025. The procurement is specifically for critical infrastructure maintenance and replacement of proprietary equipment integral to the marine laboratory's operations.

Contractors interested in challenging the sole-source determination must submit a comprehensive written response by 4:00 P.M. local time on May 27, 2025, directly to Aaron Atkins (Contract Specialist) and Heather Coleman (Contracting Officer) via email. The response must include a detailed narrative statement of capability, technical information demonstrating the ability to meet the requirement, and a letter of authorization to perform maintenance on Johnson Controls systems. The sole-source justification is predicated on the proprietary nature of the VSDs, which utilize JCI-specific components and are integrated into the JCI building automation system, requiring seamless compatibility with existing installations. The Government retains full discretion to determine whether to open the requirement to competition based on the responses received. Potential contractors must carefully review the technical specifications and demonstrate equivalent capabilities if they wish to be considered as an alternative to the proposed sole-source vendor.