A Better Drill Inc Sole Source Certification

Florida Gulf Coast University is procuring a proprietary portable groundwater drilling system from A Better Drill Inc through a sole source justification under its internal Regulation 6.025, as no alternative suppliers or commercially available alternatives exist. The system, known as the Village Drill Hybrid, is patented and uniquely designed for hydrological research and academic instruction in remote areas of Southwest Florida, where traditional truck-mounted equipment is impractical. The procurement is non-competitive, with the supplier confirmed as the inventor and manufacturer, and no investigation into other sources was conducted. The solicitation was posted on May 29, 2026, with responses due within 48 business hours by June 2, 2026, and must be submitted electronically through the university’s procurement portal. While no contract value, pricing, FOB terms, or payment details are specified, the place of performance is clearly designated as Florida, with delivery expected to support field education and research activities. The acquisition follows institutional procedures rather than federal acquisition regulations, and no FAR clauses, CAGE codes, UEI, socioeconomic certifications, or formal contract administration details such as COR/COTR designations, invoicing methods, or appropriation data are included. Personnel involved in the process include Rachel Rotz as the requester, Felix Jose as departmental approver, Clusty Vanllun as procurement lead, and Kate Lukiewski as administrative support, though official contracting roles are not formally designated. Inspection and acceptance are implied to occur upon delivery in Florida, but specific quality standards or formal inspection criteria are not documented. The entire process hinges on the product’s proprietary nature and technical uniqueness as justification for bypassing competitive solicitation procedures.