66 -- ESSENTIAL SUPPORT PLAN

The United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS), Science and Technology, National Science Laboratory intends to negotiate a sole-source award with the Thermo Electron Corporation at 5225 Verona Road, Madison, WI 53711 for preventive maintenance visits and emergency on-site visits to support two (2) Thermo Electron Instrumentation TSQ MS/MS high performance triple stage equipment. The NAICS code for this requirement is 811219 with a size standard of $6.5 million. This is not a competitive request for proposals. In order to maintain the warranties of this equipment, all work must be done by Certified Thermo Electron technicians using Thermo Electron parts on the instruments. A determination by AMS to not compete this proposed contract action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. This procurement will be conducted under FAR Part 12, Commercial Procedures. Numbered Note 22 applies.