AgieCharmilles CUT 300 Sp and Accessories

NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has a requirement for: AgiCharmilles CUT 300 Sp, P/N: CUT 300 Sp (Qty: 1 EA); Wire Chopper, P/N: 135.021.717 (Qty: 1 EA); Big Spool Unit for CUT 300 Sp/mS, P/N: 135.022.281 (Qty: 1 EA); and On-Site Training for 4 Days, including travel expenses, P/N: OST4.0 (1 JB). KSC intends to purchase these items directly from small business, Applied Machine Solutions, Inc., as they are the only authorized distributor of these items for Florida, which has been verified by the manufacturer, GF Machining Solutions. The AgiCharmilles wire cutter and accessories being sought under this purchase request will replace an obsolete wire cutting electrical discharge machine. This is a critical machine needed in most engineering products at KSC. KSC's Prototype Lab has several technicians trained to use AgieCharmilles machinery and AgieCharmilles machine controllers. Brand name is essential as it takes months for technicians to become proficient with a machine controller. Additionally, every controller uses a unique machine code language that requires translation from KSC's offline CAD/CAM software. It takes months to edit the machine's code, which makes it difficult to switch manufacturers. The machine code must be perfect or catastrophic results can result. As noted above, the AgiCharmilles CUT 300 Sp and accessories being procured are manufactured by GF Machining Solutions. GF Machining Solutions has authorized distributors that are responsible for the sale of GF Machining Solutions machines in their authorized locations. There is only one authorized distributor for Florida, and that is Applied Machine Solutions, Inc. Consequently, the procurement of the AgieCharmilles CUT 300 Sp and accessories will be procured from Applied Machine Solutions, Inc. The Government intends to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. Interested organizations that have been authorized by GF Machining Solutions to distribute the above listed items in Florida may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact no later than 5:00 p.m. eastern standard time on September 12, 2016. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon response to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html.