The Regional Contracting Center, Camp Leatherneck, Helmand Province Afghanistan intends to procure on an "other than full and open competition" basis the following: a system of ballistic groin protection that consists of a double silk weave, antimicrobial, ballistic protective undergarment and a ballistic protective over-garment. The items procured for this requirement must protect the groin, genitals, perinea, and femoral arteries from both blast and fragmentation from Improvised Explosive Devices as well as secondary projectiles such as sand, rock, and debris. These items must also provide a level of antimicrobial protection that reduces the risk of primary and secondary infection. This is a commercial purchase; no government testing will be conducted to validate requirements compliance, other than quality assurance testing. This requirement is sole sourced to Cooneen, Watts, and Stone, Ltd. (23 Cooneen Road, Fivemiletown, Co. Tyrone, BT75 0NE, Ireland) because it is likely that awarding to any other source would result in substantial duplication of costs not expected to be recovered through competition and an unacceptable delay in meeting agency needs. Though 10 U.S.C. 2533a restricts purchasing certain items from sources outside the United States, 10 U.S.C. 2533(d)(1) properly exempts the items indicated in the requirement. Cooneen, Watts, and Stone, Ltd. is the only known source that can provide equipment meeting this requirement. The requirement is based off of similar equipment, which has been tested in Afghanistan, which is made of silk, and is anti-microbial. Any firm believing it is able to provide an alternative must be able to conclusively show that the proposed alternative has been tested and is able to perform under the real-world rigors of combat in Afghanistan and the stress of being worn for extended periods of time in extreme heat and in significant unsanitary conditions. Any firm believing it can provide these items may submit a written response to be received at this Contracting Office no later than 10 days after publication of this notice. The response must clearly indicate the firm's ability to provide products meeting this requirement, with the same capabilities and materials, without compromising quality and reliability. Responding firms must ensure their products fully meet government requirements. The firm must also clearly indicate its capability to deliver these products by October 2011. Respond to Anthony Zupancic, by mail to RCC Leatherneck FPO AE 09372 or by email to
[email protected] (preferred).