9280-27-R-RFIN-00011

The University of Southern Mississippi is issuing a Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase for a Waters/TA Instruments Discovery Hybrid Rheometer HR 30 under USM SSP 27_010, with objections due by 8:00 a.m. Central Time on September 18, 2026. This is a sole-source procurement — the central eligibility filter — justified by compatibility with existing TA Instruments infrastructure already owned by the Mississippi Polymer Institute.

USM justifies the sole-source designation based on the rheometer's compatibility with the Discovery DMA 850 equipped with an Air Cooling Accessory (ACS-3) already in operation at the laboratory. Waters Material Sciences confirmed in an August 11, 2026 letter that it is the exclusive provider of the ACS-3, eliminating the need for alternative temperature-control systems and reducing installation, training, and support fragmentation across multiple manufacturers. The business justification, prepared by Dr. Samuel Lahasky, Chief Scientist at MPI, emphasizes that sole sourcing minimizes total cost of ownership and supports the institute's polymer research, including masterbatch formulation, sustainable polymer development, and process engineering.

The quoted price from Waters/TA Instruments for the complete Discovery Hybrid Rheometer HR 30 system is $130,271, which includes the rheometer ($71,400), Peltier heater, environmental test chamber, software, installation, training, and attachments. USM evaluated this total cost against an alternative Anton Parr MCR302 quote of $105,800, which excluded heating elements, attachments, software access, and installation — rendering it materially incomplete for the laboratory's requirements.

Any entity may submit written objections to Jacob Cochran, Director of Procurement & Contracts, at bids@usm.edu with the subject line "Sole Source Objection USM SSP 27_010." If USM determines alternative sources exist, the procurement will be converted to competitive bidding. If USM affirms sole-source status, the matter escalates to the Public Procurement Review Board, with USM bearing the burden of proof that only one source can supply the required commodity. The notice was published September 3 and September 10, 2026.