Sole Source notice for Ion Chromatograph Maintenance

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services is pursuing a sole source procurement for maintenance and support services for a Thermo Fisher Dionex Ion Chromatograph ICS-5000 located in the Oregon OSHA laboratory. The procurement seeks to extend the existing maintenance and support plan for two years, from June 15, 2023 to June 14, 2025, with a total contract value of $35,633.00. Thermo Fisher is identified as the sole source provider due to the proprietary nature of the equipment's software and firmware, with only Thermo Fisher-certified engineers capable of servicing the instrument. The procurement requires comprehensive maintenance including software and firmware updates, onsite maintenance, technical assistance, and operational training. The contract opportunity was posted on May 25, 2023, with a response deadline of June 1, 2023, and is specifically for continuing support of scientific laboratory equipment purchased in 2017.

The procurement is not explicitly designated for disadvantaged enterprises or small businesses, and appears to be a direct sole source procurement with Thermo Fisher as the exclusive vendor. The current cumulative spend for this equipment and maintenance is $178,547.39, indicating a significant investment in specialized scientific instrumentation. No competitive bidding process is anticipated due to the sole source justification, which is based on equipment compatibility and proprietary technological constraints. The procurement is limited to Thermo Fisher as the original equipment manufacturer and the only entity capable of providing compatible maintenance and support services. Market research has been conducted to validate the sole source determination, and the procurement follows Oregon state procurement rules specifically allowing sole source acquisitions under certain compatibility criteria.