Introduction: Pursuant to FAR Subpart 13.106-1(b)(1), the U.S. Army RDECOM Contracting Center, Natick Contracting Division, on behalf of the Naval Health Rearch Center (NHRC), intends to award a firm fixed price purchase order on a sole source basis to: Chase Supply, INC., Newport News, VA 23607. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE. 1. Nature and description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency's needs: The Navy wishes to procure 10 garments so that field testing with Navy Dive personal can evaluate their effectiveness in an operational capacity. These sole source items, combined with product kitting, assembly, and light manufacturing capabilities of marine industry products are unique to Chase Supply. 2. A demonstration that the proposed contractor is the only source available to provide these services or goods (i.e. unique qualifications, proprietary rights, etc.): Chase Supply is the exclusive distributor of several sole source items such as a unique ignition resistant, fault-tolerant oxygen filters manufactured by Chase Filters and Components. The brass filters are non flammable in oxygen at pressures equal to or greater than the maximum allowable working pressure. The filters remove the fuel portion of the fire triangle, which greatly reduces the risk of a fire occurring and the consequences of an unanticipated reaction. When the brass filter was independently tested using a modified test method for filters based upon the ASTM G175 Phase 2, the filter was able to contain the ignition event without breaching the filter element or body. Similarly-designed competitive stainless steel filters were not able to contain the ignition event. The United States Navy is a sole source purchaser of the filter. Chase Supply is also the exclusive distributor of Prototype Thermal Garments for underwater protection from cold used by Naval Special Warfare operators. These unique and experimental garments are not produced by any other vendors. 3. A description of the market research that was conducted and the results, or a statement of the reason a market research was not conducted: A market survey was conducted to determine if there are other companies, similar to Chase Supply, which could provide the Government with comparable products and services. The market survey consisted of internet searches of web-sites such as google.com, yahoo. com and bing. com, using a variety of search requests (e.g. marine oxygen filter, ignition resistant filter, fault tolerant filter, dry deck shelter oxygen manifold, marine product kitting, etc.) to identify companies similar to Chase Supply. The market survey failed to ideutify any companies in the United States equal in the capability of Chase Supply. 4. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition: None 5. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required: None 6. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement to the U.S. Army RDECOM Contracting Center, Natick Contracting Division via e-mail to:
[email protected] no later than 9:00 AM (EST) September 25, 2010. Contracting Office Address: RDECOM Contracting Center - Natick CCRD-NA-SU, Natick Contracting Division Kansas Street, Building 1 Natick, MA 01760-5011 Point of Contact: Steven Streeter, Contract Specialist (508) 314-7793
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