Intent to Sole Source OTT HYDROMET CORP for Pluvio2 400 precipitation gauge with mounting equipment

The University of Montana-Climate Office has issued an Intent to Sole Source procurement from OTT HYDROMET CORP for precipitation gauge equipment and related accessories. The solicitation requests 36 units of OTT PLUVIO 2 400 precipitation gauges (750MM, SDI-12 RS-485 IMPULSE configuration), 36 units of Mesonet Pluvio L Rim-Heat add-on components, and 325 units of OTT PLUVIO 2 installation cables. The opportunity opened on February 25, 2026, at 2:00 PM MST, with a challenge deadline of March 11, 2026, at 2:00 PM MDT for vendors who believe they can provide equivalent products. Interested parties must submit a written challenge with the heading "REQUEST TO CHALLENGE" to Jody Parrow at jody.parrow@umontana.edu; failure to submit a properly formatted challenge will render the request invalid. Payment terms are established at net 30 days with no discount available for early payment. The primary contact for inquiries is Jody Parrow, reachable at jody.parrow@mso.umt.edu or +1 406-243-4064, and the procurement is being managed through the Jaggaer platform.

This is a sole source procurement that has not been opened to competitive proposals, with OTT HYDROMET CORP designated as the incumbent vendor. No specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises have been identified in the solicitation documents. The commodities are classified under code 4006 (Recording Devices - Weather Devices) and 5010 (Transportation Goods & Services - Electrical Machinery & Instruments). While no explicit award value or budget range is disclosed in the available documentation, the procurement involves specialized meteorological equipment that requires integration with the University of Montana's Climate Office systems and existing monitoring infrastructure. The sole source justification suggests that OTT HYDROMET CORP's PLUVIO 2 400 series equipment possesses unique technical specifications necessary for the university's precipitation monitoring network.