K--Titanium Grappling Hook

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, acting on behalf of Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic, plans to award a firm-fixed price, sole source contract to United Titanium, located in Wooster, Ohio. This contract is for the procurement of Titanium Grappling Hooks, a product developed in collaboration with the U.S. Navy in 1990. The hooks have been specifically tested and approved for use by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NavSea) and are required to be compatible with three other components produced by different vendors. Due to the unique nature of the equipment and the established Navy standards, this procurement is being made sole source in accordance with federal acquisition regulations, and is not open to competitive bidding. The procurement notice was published for informational purposes only, with a seven-day posting period driven by an urgent and compelling need to support anti-terrorism efforts. All responses or information relevant to this contract opportunity were to be submitted by 4:30 p.m. EST on March 28, 2005, with an anticipated contract award the following day. Communication and questions concerning the solicitation were to be directed exclusively via email to the designated point of contact, with no telephonic inquiries accepted. This action underscores the priority placed on timely acquisition of specialized equipment to meet critical national security requirements.