This is NOT a Solicitation. To repeat: This Notice is NOT a Solicitation. This is INSTEAD a Special Notice serving as a BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION in support of the U. S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) contemplated issuance, HEREAFTER, of a COMPETITIVE small-business-set-aside solicitation for DOT’s needed purchase of only LENEL-brand items including: “Lenel OnGuard Software Upgrade and Support Plan (SUSP)”; and “Lenel OnGuard Emergency 24x7 Support Plan”; and “Lenel OnGuard Direct System User Support Plan”; and “Lenel Certified Contractor 24x7 Call Service Center Support”—all for use by DOT’s Office of Security during a BASE Year starting on October 1, 2020, and for Security’s possible CONTINUED use for up to four (4) OPTION-Years thereafter. It is currently anticipated that DOT’s forthcoming competitive SMALL-business-set-aside Solicitation, for the Lenel-brand items mentioned above, will LIKEWISE be published in the Beta.Sam.gov website, and it is further anticipated that all SMALL-business Lenel-CERTIFIED service-providers of such items will HEREAFTER be eligible to submit proposals to DOT under that upcoming competitive SMALL-business-set-aside Solicitation. Nature/Description of Action(s) The contract resulting from DOT’s NOT-YET-ISSUED competitive solicitation will be a Firm-Fixed price (and partly Labor-Hour) contract that will purchase Service and Support for the DOT Lenel OnGuard Physical Access Control System. The estimated cost is $180,000 as counted across a Base Year and four Option Years. The estimated delivery is 30 calendar-days After Receipt of Order (ARO). A line-item summary of what DOT needs is as follows: Manufacturer Item Long Description Qty Lenel Lenel OnGuard Software Upgrade and Support Plan (SUSP) During Normal Business Hours 1 per year Lenel Lenel OnGuard Emergency 24x7 Support Plan 1 per year Lenel Lenel OnGuard Direct System User Support Plan 1 per year Lenel-certified contractor Contractor 24x7 Call Service Center Support 40 hours per year Description of Supplies/Services Service and Support for the DOT Lenel OnGuard Physical Access Control System. The Lenel OnGuard Physical Access Control System is integrated access control and alarm monitoring system that delivers maximum protection, versatility, simple operation and cost efficiency. OnGuard incorporates the most advanced technologies available, including object-oriented software, client/server database architecture and Microsoft’s Windows 64bit operating systems. The Lenel OnGuard Physical Access Control System can utilize the existing DOT SEFC access control hardware and existing interfaces to integrate with external systems without any modification to the system. Authority and Supporting Rationale Lenel (through its authorized service-companies) is a recognized Security Industry leader whom U.S. DOT has worked with during the last thirteen (13) [WL(1] years. Because of the nature of Lenel’s propriety system, it is the only source capable of providing the required supplies or services at the high level of quality indispensable to the fulfillment of the mission of DOT’s Office of Security. Because such needed supplies and services are unique or highly specialized and propriety, Lenel is the only product available that is fully compatible with DOT’s existing Lenel security system. In short, Lenel equipment talks to Lenel equipment while other manufacturer’s equipment may not. The Department has made a significant capital investment in the Lenel OnGuard Physical Access Control System. This is a Lenel proprietary system that is serviced and supported by the manufacturer (Lenel) through its certified dealer network. Any service and support performed by a non-Lenel certified party will void any software or system warranty provided by Lenel. The Lenel system is currently installed and integrated with other DOT systems and meets the special needs and requirements of the Department.There are no other brands, except Lenel, which BOTH: (a) can be depended upon to function at the high level of quality indispensable to the fulfillment of the mission of DOT’s Office of Security; AND ALSO (b) will continue to be COMPATIBLE with DOT’s existing security system. And so DOT’s upcoming competitive small-business set-aside Solicitation will seek proposals from small-business Lenel-CERTIFIED service-providers, for supporting and upgrading and modernizing Lenel-proprietary equipment and software essential to DOT’s security. Determination that Order Represents the Best Value The Contracting Officer (CO) and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will jointly examine all competitive small-business proposals HEREAFTER submitted to DOT, under the Department’s UPCOMING Solicitation (or Request for Quotations), by small-business Lenel-certified service-providers. And the COR and CO plan to select the lowest-totally-priced-technically-acceptable (LPTA) proposal hereafter submitted by a small-business Lenel-CERTIFIED company. Accordingly, this procurement’s upcoming Solicitation will be competitive in every respect, except for the needed Lenel brand-name. Description of Market Research The CO and COR will jointly examine the pricing hereafter proposed by the small-business Lenel-certified offerors, and will jointly determine that the pricing proposed by the LPTA offeror is fair and reasonable, before the needed contract is awarded. Based on the COR’s manufacturer and internet research, there are no other brands, except Lenel, which BOTH: (a) can be depended upon to function at the high level of quality indispensable to the fulfillment of the mission of DOT’s Office of Security; AND ALSO (b) will continue to be COMPATIBLE with DOT’s existing security system. Because the Office of Security has invested in Lenel products in the past with a high rate of service and functionality, a Lenel purchase, under this new procurement’s UPCOMING Solicitation, would also be the most economical one at this time. Any Other Supporting Facts DOT’s Office of Security maintains the spare parts required for the service of the Lenel access control hardware. If DOT were to use another manufacturer’s system, DOT would also need to replace existing security hardware, software, interfaces and spare parts for the system, thus increasing the Department’s costs and spare parts budget unnecessarily. Any NON-Lenel-certified company that believes—notwithstanding the overwhelming factual evidence to the contrary recited above—that it is fully-capable of fulfilling DOT’s needs at the very high level of quality and dependability indispensable to DOT, may, not later than 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time May 30, 2020, e-mail, to
[email protected] and to
[email protected] and to
[email protected] and to
[email protected], a Statement of Qualifications attempting to prove the submitter’s capability for performing the project described herein. [WL(1] Which is it?