66--SPECIAL NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE --- Trautwein Soil Testing Equipment Co

The US Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) plans to award a sole source contract to Trautwein Soil Testing Equipment Co. for a DigiShear Automated Direct Simple Shear System. This system will include a 2.62-inch diameter ring stack, two load cells, one deformation sensor, and software required for direct simple shear testing. The government already owns equipment and software from this manufacturer, and the decision to source from Trautwein exclusively is driven by the need for compatibility with existing equipment and interchangeability of parts. The procurement will follow simplified acquisition procedures under FAR 13, and no competitive solicitation will be issued. While this is a sole source procurement under FAR 13.106-1(b), the government invites all responsible sources to submit capability statements, proposals, or quotations by 11:00 AM CST on June 1, 2011. Interested parties should respond to the designated contract specialist via email, referencing the solicitation number W81EWF111183969 in their communications. The underlying intent is to streamline the acquisition process for this specialized soil testing equipment critical to ERDC’s operations.