UDOT Notice of Sole Source-

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has published a Notice of Intent to Award a Contract Without Engaging in a Standard Procurement Process for a GeoPrevent avalanche and people detection radar unit, with the public comment period closing June 8, 2026. This is a sole-source procurement with no competitive solicitation.

UDOT seeks to purchase an existing GeoPrevent radar unit, including integrated camera and associated hardware, that has been installed and tested in the Mount Superior area of Little Cottonwood Canyon since January 2024. The sole-source justification rests on the determination that no other system provides both people and avalanche detection in near real time; the specific unit at this location has undergone location-specific adjustments to eliminate false positive error sources and deliver trustworthy avalanche alerts. UDOT has conducted market research as an active member of the Transportation Avalanche Research Pool (TARP) and confirmed no competing vendors or cooperative contracts offer comparable systems.

The estimated purchase order value is $40,320 with no freight costs. The vendor is GeoPrevent AG, Zurich, Switzerland, with contact Theo St. Pierre Ostrander. Although the procurement falls below the $50,000 threshold requiring publication under Section 63G-6a-112, UDOT has elected to publish this notice to invite challenges or documentation of competing sources.

Interested parties may challenge the sole-source determination by submitting detailed documentation to jefferybarnes@utah.gov prior to June 8, 2026, including the challenger's name, explanation of why the procurement is not valid sole source, and proof that the challenger's firm can provide a comparable or superior item, equivalent proprietary item, or demonstrate lower transitional costs. UDOT Procurement must sign the purchase order before delivery to the agency and vendor. No lease obligation form is required. The conducting procurement unit contact is Steven Clark, Avalanche Program Manager.