Advanced Combat Helmets - Generation I for the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory

This notice announces the intent by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) in support of the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL) to Negotiate on a sole source basis in accordance with (IAW) FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with Custom Armor Group, 2470 Piedmont Parkway, Suite 102, Greensboro, NC 27410, as the only responsible source that can provide Advanced Combat Helmets - Generation I. The USAARL requires 79 Advanced Combat Helmets - Generation I in the following quantities and sizes: two (2) small, two (2) medium, 73 large and two (2) extra-large. USAARL is conducting research efforts in which the Advanced Combat Helmets - Generation I are required. The research effort is a retrospective analysis of head injuries over the past 15 years and the damage patterns to the corresponding helmets. Once head injury and helmet patterns are identified, USAARL will be conducting impact tests to recreate the damage patterns and determine the exposure to cause the damage to the helmets. The exposure will then be correlated to the head injuries. As this is a retrospective analysis, the helmets most used were the Advanced Combat Helmets - Generation I, therefore Advanced Combat Helmets - Generation I are required for the impact testing to reconstruct the damage observed in the field. Additionally, the Generation I helmets are being used in additional research to develop the baseline criteria during this transitional period in regard to Advanced Combat Helmets. Due to the transitional period for Advanced Combat Helmets, many Contractors have stopped producing the Advanced Combat Helmets - Generation I as they are focusing on the Advanced Combat Helmets- Generation II. As a result, Custom Armor Group has been identified as the only contractor that can provide the Advanced Combat Helmets - Generation I that can allow for USAARL to conduct their research efforts. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for this requirement is 339113 and the PSC Code is 4240. This announcement fulfills the synopsis requirements under FAR 5.102(a)(3) and 5.203(a)(1). USAMRAA intends to release a solicitation no sooner than 15 days after publishing this synopsis. This Special Notice of Intent is not a request for competitive quotes. Information received in response to this notice will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether a competitive procurement is in the best interest of the Government. If no written responses are received by the date listed below, which reflects at least fifteen (15) days after the publication of this notice, the solicitation will be issued as a sole source requirement to Custom Armor Group. All questions and responses concerning this notice shall be emailed to Brandon Roebuck at brandon.m.roebuck.civ@mail.mil. Interested concerns must identify their capability in writing to the above e-mail address no later than 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), 04 September 2020.