Intent to Sole Source - Preventive Maintenance Plan for seven (7) QuantStudio 5s

The Government hereby submits a notice of intent to award a sole source firm fixed price contract to LIFE TECHNOLOGIES/ UEI SAM: EB8QTC6575E7 for preventive maintenance services on seven (7) QuantStudio 5s located at USDA APHIS PPQ S&T Plant Pathogen Confirmatory Diagnostics Laboratory. Contract Requirement is attached (Statement of Work). 

Single Source/Brand Name Justification - United States Department of Agriculture - FAR 13.106-1(b) (1) – Simplified Acquisitions

1.  Identification of the agency and the contracting office. 

Requesting Agency:

USDA APHIS PPQ S&T Plant Pathogen Confirmatory Diagnostics Laboratory

9901 Powder Mill Rd.

Laurel, MD 2070

 Contracting Activity:

USDA, APHIS, MRPBS, AAMD

Office of Contracting and Procurement

250 Marquette Ave Ste 410,

Minneapolis, MN 55401

2.  Description of supply or service required to meet the agency’s needs.

This procurement includes the purchase of AB Assurance 1PM Plan service for the on-site maintenance for seven (7) QuantStudio 5s. The services to be performed include parts, labor and travel for remedial repair, no charge for planned maintenance visits, guaranteed priority response time of 2 business days after receipt of a service call for instruments located in LT's Service Zones 1 and Zone 2, target response time of 3 business days for remedial repairs outside of Zones 1 and 2. LT will use reasonable efforts to respond within 3 business days from receipt of a service call, priority telephone and email access to instrument technical support, telephone and email access to application technical support, remote Monitoring and Dx Service, which provides for notification to customer of instrument failures or errors that are reported by AB's Remote Monitoring software, issuance of an ISO compliant certificate. This company performs an extensive check of the seven (7) machines. The cost for this this service includes the service and travel for the technician to the lab. It is not possible for the instruments to be shipped to the calibration lab due to the need to have the instrument available immediately before and after the calibration. Shipping of the instruments would cause excessive delay in generating results for high priority and consequence diagnostics samples. Also shipping of the instrument may cause extensive damage.

3.  The rationale or circumstances for limiting competition. 

Life Technologies is the manufacturer of the instrument and the only company in the market approved to perform the maintenance on their machines; therefore, Life Technologies is the sole source and vendor of these services. Please see their sole source letter in the attachments.

4.  A description of the market research conducted and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted. 

Life Technologies is the manufacturer of the instrument and the only company in the market approved to perform the maintenance on their machines; therefore, Life Technologies is the sole source and vendor of these services. Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5.  Estimated price, including all options, if applicable.

$180,000 for one base year and 4 option years

The determination not to compete this proposed contract action is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered for the purposes of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. The Government will not be responsible for any costs incurred by responding to this notice.

This is NOT a request for quotes or proposals.

Questions or comments to this Notice of Intent should be directed to Contracting Officer, Kim Yen Tu, at kimyen.n.tu@usda.gov via e-mail only (no phone calls/voice mail messages regarding questions will not be accepted and will not receive a response).