Notice of Intent to Award to Sole Source - Preventative Maintenance agreement for environmental chambers

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) intends to award a sole source, firm fixed price contract to ARAMETER GENERATION AND CONTROL, INCORPORATED.

This contract action is for supplies and/or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of  FAR 12.102(a) (FAR Overhaul) and 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1). The North American Industry Classification System code for this procurement is 334513 - Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals; however, all responses received within fifteen (15) days of the issuance of this notice will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.  Any quotation/response should be emailed to the  contract specialist Ruben Reyes at qmz3@cdc.gov by 06:00AM, January 28, 2026.

JUSTIFICATION

This is a brand-name procurement for maintenance and service of three custom-built environmental chambers located in the Tobacco Laboratories. These chambers were designed, manufactured, and installed by Parameter Generation & Control, Incorporated (PGC) and are used to condition tobacco products for testing. The chambers must maintain precise temperature and humidity controls in order to generate valid test data and to preserve ISO 17025 laboratory accreditation.

PGC is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the custom-built environmental chambers. The chambers are proprietary in design and operation and require specialized technical knowledge of their mechanical, electrical, and control systems. PGC possesses unique technical expertise and proprietary system knowledge necessary to diagnose, maintain, calibrate, and repair the equipment. PGC also maintains exclusive access to the original manufacturer parts, system specifications, and the most current software and firmware required to support these chambers.

PGC’s service engineers are factory-trained specifically on these custom-built chambers and are authorized by the manufacturer to perform maintenance, repairs, and updates. These engineers have access to original manufacturer components and the most current analytical and control system updates needed to maintain performance, data integrity, and regulatory compliance. PGC does not provide service for equipment that it did not manufacture or maintain, and third-party service providers do not have access to proprietary parts, software, firmware, or internal system architecture.

Market research was previously conducted by contacting other potential vendors to determine whether they possessed the certifications, training, or technical capability to service or reproduce the custom environmental chambers. The vendors contacted were not able to provide certified, factory-trained service engineers or access to original manufacturer parts, nor could they support the proprietary systems that operate the chambers. As a result, no other source was identified that could meet the technical and operational requirements.

The Tobacco Laboratories have relied on the PGC custom-built chambers since 2013 as part of an ongoing study. Replacing the chambers or transitioning to a different service provider would require redesigning, rebuilding, and requalifying the entire system, which would be extremely costly and would disrupt ongoing laboratory operations. Any interruption in maintenance, calibration, or software support would jeopardize data validity and ISO 17025 accreditation, directly impacting the laboratory’s mission.

Based on the proprietary nature of the equipment, the exclusive access to OEM parts and software, the requirement for factory-trained and authorized engineers, and the operational risks associated with replacing or modifying the chambers, Parameter Generation & Control, Incorporated is the only source capable of providing the required maintenance and support services.