83 -- Zylon Body Armor Panels

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) plans to award a sole source purchase order to Second Chance Body Armor, Inc., located in Central Lake, Michigan, for the procurement of 100 Zylon body armor panels. This contract is being issued under the authority of FAR 13.106 1(b) due to the unique position of Second Chance Body Armor as the sole manufacturer of the Zylon material required. The purpose of acquiring these panels is to validate an artificial aging protocol for the upcoming revision of the National Institute of Justice standard 0101.04. Prior studies by NIST led to a halt in body armor containing Zylon, but Second Chance Body Armor has agreed to produce a special batch of the necessary material. The award is anticipated to be made approximately fifteen days after the notice is issued. The market research conducted confirmed that no other source can meet this requirement, justifying the non-competitive acquisition. While this notice is not a solicitation for competitive bids, other parties who believe they can fulfill the requirement may provide evidence of capability by the response date indicated. The government retains sole discretion to decide whether to pursue a competitive procurement based on any information received. The contract falls under the NAICS code 315999 and is managed by the Department of Commerce’s NIST office in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Additional information and inquiries can be directed to the identified point of contact.