AWARD
59 -- NOTICE OF AWARD TO ALL BUSINESSES MACHINES, INC. W91ZLK-13-P-0419 FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF AN AGILENT LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPH SINGLE QUAD MASS SPECTROMETER (LCMS).
- Notice Date
- 6/24/2013
- Notice Type
- Award Notice
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- ACC-APG - Installation Division, Directorate of Contracting, 4118 Susquehanna Avenue, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-3013
- ZIP Code
- 21005-3013
- Solicitation Number
- W91ZLK-13-T-0095
- Archive Date
- 7/24/2013
- Point of Contact
- Samantha L. Shultz, 443-861-4736
- E-Mail Address
-
ACC-APG - Installation Division
(samantha.l.shultz2.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Award Number
- W91ZLK-13-P-0419
- Award Date
- 6/24/2013
- Awardee
- ALL BUSINESS MACHINES, INC. (104178756) <br> 2555 3RD ST STE 100 <br> SACRAMENTO, CA 95818-2332
- Award Amount
- $233,995.00
- Line Number
- CLIN 0001-0012
- Description
- This contract action was accomplished using other than competitive procedures because the procurement is awarded to a sole source under the Test Program for Certain Commercial Items (FAR 13.5). See posted J&A for further information. This contract was a direct award to All Businesses Machines, Inc. in accordance with FAR 19.1406 to directly award to a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB). This was for the required brand-name of Agilent for the procurement of a LCMS Machine. ABBREVIATED JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL DOCUMENT FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION FOR LIMITED SOURCE OF REQUIREMENTS NOT EXCEEDING $650,000 (IAW FAR 8.405-6) 1. Contracting Activity:Army Contracting Command (ACC) - Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Tenant Division, 4118 Susquehanna Ave, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-3013 2. Description of Action: USAPHC is requesting the purchase of one (1) Liquid Chromatograph Single Quadruple Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS) and supporting equipment. Requirement:0 New 1 Repeat Pricing:1 Firm-Fixed Price 0 Time & Materials0 Cost Funds:0 OMA 1 Other Funds: DHP Funding Name of Proposed Contractor:Agilent Technologies, Inc. Street Address:2850 Centerville Road City, State, Zip:Wilmington, DE 19808-1610 Phone:(302) 633-8664 3. Description of Supplies: This action shall be for one (1) year from the date of award. The Laboratory Sciences (LS) Portfolio of the US Army Public Health Command (USAPHC) requires the purchase of an Agilent 1260 UHPLC Liquid Chromatography Single Quadruple Mass Spectrometer (LCMS) System which includes single quad MS, binary pump, autosampler, fluorescence and diode array detectors plus operating software. The LCMS System will be used for high throughput analysis of drinking water, non-potable waters, soils/solids, biological, and air related matrices for a wide variety of military-unique chemical compounds. The LS currently utilizes three (3) existing Agilent LCMS Systems. Describe the services or supplies, including make & model number, to be acquired below. 4. Authority Cited: In accordance with FAR 8.405-6(b) & 8.405-6(1). 5. Reason for Authority Cited: FAR 8.405-6(b) quote mark An item peculiar to one manufacturer can be a particular brand, product, or a feature of a product, peculiar to one manufacturer. quote mark The laboratory requires that this instrument system be manufactured by Agilent Technologies for the following reasons. The current LC-MS equipment is manufactured by Agilent Technologies and the requested system offers similar modular components as existing LC-MS systems. Instrumentation manufactured by a different company could not be seamlessly integrated into the laboratory without additional expense and man hours. This would include the creation of completely new Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) parsers for a system other than what the lab currently utilizes. A new system would require significant time and resources of an already strained and limited Laboratory Automation staff. Secondly, the analytical staff is currently trained and experienced with the operation of Agilent Technologies LC-MS equipment. The experience with the equipment represents a considerable investment in time and expense to the laboratory which has been utilized in the lab for over sixteen (16) years. The use of a different technology would require additional expense in travel costs for training, reduction in the Turn-Around-Time (TAT) for support, as well as time to integrate a whole new system into the LIMS. Furthermore, USAPHC has a current laboratory instrument maintenance contract with Agilent Technologies allowing consistency and efficiency in the repair and maintenance of our equipment. It is imperative that the new machine and supporting parts be interchangeable and coordinate with the existing Government owned Agilent LCMS Systems. In conclusion, these types of machines are very intricate and require technical expertise to operate and maintain. If Agilent brand name is not awarded in a timely manner, the health and safety of soldiers, their families and civilians stationed domestically and in various deployed locations thoughout the world may be compromised. LS would not be able to analyze the increased sample workload using solely the existing instrumentation on hand. Procuring a different brand-name piece of equipment would cost the Government an estimated hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) spent in training, preparation, ingratiation, and cause unduly delays in chemical analysis directly affecting the Army's mission. The technical experts would have to spend several hundred hours learning the new system and trying to set up the specifications to concur with the current tests produced in the laboratory. 6. Additional Information: (i)What harm will come to the Government if desired supplies/services are not provided on time? If these items are not approved, the lab will be required to rely on the current equipment which has been in use for sixteen (16) years. This current equipment has a life expectancy of twelve (12) years. If the lab is unable to complete sample analysis due to inoperable equipment, there would be a need to subcontract the analysis to various contract labs. This would add time to the TAT the USAPHC is currently able to provide to our clients. It would also add additional costs to the analysis with the 1- need to ship the samples to the contract lab, 2- additional man hours to pack the samples for shipment 3- added risk of sample breakage during this extra shipping step 4- additional man hours in reviewing the analytical data upon return to the USAPHC prior to reporting to our client and 5- eliminating the USAPHC's ability to provide a rapid analytical response to emergency situations such as the world trade center or pentagon situations. The troops in the field are relying on the laboratory to determine if their drinking water sources and surrounding areas are free of any harmful contaminants and if their camp location is also free of harmful contaminants. By the lab's inability to perform the necessary tests in a timely manner without undue delays, the soldiers are possibly exposed to health hazards. The laboratory's failure to provide occupational exposure data in a timely manner to hazardous materials could result in civilian and military workers lost time and legal liability to the Army for not providing a safe work environment. Soldiers rely on USAPHC laboratories to determine if soil and water sources in which they are exposed, are free from harmful contaminates. By the lab's inability to perform these necessary tests in-house in a timely manner, the war fighters are unaware if a possibly exposure has occurred creating short and or long term health related issues in the future. In summary, the analytical mission of the laboratory requires that the requested LC-MS System be manufactured by Agilent Technologies. (ii) What harm will come to the Government if desired contractor doesn't receive the award? There would be additional costs in purchasing supporting equipment from a different type of vendor. LS owns numerous supporting Agilent equipment, which can easily be utilized as necessary. There would also be the high cost of training personnel in the operation and maintenance of any non-Agilent LC-MS system. See section 6.i above for further information on this area. 7. Actions to Increase Competition: (State what actions will be taken to increase competition before subsequent acquisition of the supplies or services is required.) Market research is a constant action being conducted within the agency. LS continuously researching to find other companies that can provide a machine which is more efficient and obtains a more effective way of conducting chemical analysis. If a higher technically advanced machine is introduced into the market which can provide clear chemical analysis results in a quicker and easier method, than the agency would have to consider if it is in the best interest of the Government to re-purchase all new machines and supporting equipment. This would ultimately depend on how much the new machine(s) could impact the Army's overall mission is a positive manner and if the positive outcome to the Army outweighed the costs. Until a more efficient and effective model is introduced into the market, this action will be competed as brand-name only of Agilent Technologies. Agilent Technologies (large business) is the sole manufacture of this type of machine however they have several distributors of their products. 8. Market Research: (Describe the extent of the market research conducted to identify all qualified sources and the results thereof. quote mark Market Research quote mark is defined as those attempts made to ascertain whether other qualified sources exist. Research of the market place may consist of written, telephonic, or world wide web inquiries.) The agency has been conducting market research of these types of machines for approximately ten (10) years. Some market research is conducted through the World Wide Web (WWW) as where other market reseach has consisted of hands-on experience with Agilent Technologies chromatrography equipment and other vendors of chromatography equipment. 9. Procurement History: Previous Contract or Purchase Order Number: Yes, W91ZLK-12-F-0071 Previously competed?0 N/A0 No1 Yes Previous authority for other than Full & Open Competition: FAR 8.405-6(b) 10. Technical / Requirements Certification: I certify that the support data under my cognizance which is included in this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Submitted By: Kevin L. Cofield Position Title: Section Chief, Specialty Chemistry Email address: kevin.cofield@us.army.mil Phone: 410-436-8352 Date: 30 November 2012 11. Fair and Reasonable Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. This determination is based on a comparison of other similar products in current market conditions. 12. Review (Required when action is valued at $100K or more) Legal Counsel Typed Name: Dylan Bush DSN: 848-5237 Signature: Date: 15 March 2013 13. Contracting Officer's Approval: Based on the foregoing, I approve the procurement of quote mark the LCMS System quote mark ordered under the description above on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 10 USC 2304(c) FAR 8.405-6(b) & (1) subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services and property herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition. DATE: Samantha L. Shultz Contracting Officer
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