66--TESTER,MATERIAL HAR

The contract involves the procurement of two units of a material hardness tester (NSN 1R-6635-010536482-SX) in accordance with reference number M51. The delivery terms specify FOB origin, with the equipment to be issued to Instron Corporation located in Norwood, Massachusetts. This notice represents the government's intent to negotiate exclusively with a single source rather than soliciting competitive quotes, although interested parties may express their capability or submit quotes for consideration prior to the award date. The government’s decision to proceed without competition is discretionary and based on responses to this notice, used primarily to determine whether a competitive procurement is warranted. This solicitation, identified as N0038313PP287 and posted by the Department of Defense’s Navsup Weapon Systems Support office in Philadelphia, is classified as a presolicitation and does not include any set-aside status or specified NAICS code. The government has noted a lack of sufficient, accurate, or legible data to procure these parts from any source other than the current vendor, underscoring the sole source nature of this proposed contract. The notice emphasizes that information received will assist in the government’s evaluation process, but the contract is intended to be awarded without a competitive bidding process.