NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), National Water and Climate Center (NWCC), Portland, Oregon intends to negotiate a sole source fixed price purchase with Campbell Scientific, 815 West 1800 North Logan, Utah 84321. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition for a simplified acquisition is FAR 13.106-1(b)(1): For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g. urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand name, or industrial mobilization). The National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) collects data from multiple Meteorburst master stations in order to obtain remote station data from SNOTEL and SCAN systems and is in need modified Climate Sensors and Data Acquisition to include; CRlOOO Dataloggers and Multiplexers required to interface with the MCC radio, CRlOOO programming required to provide consistent data acquisition throughout the SCAN/SNOTEL data network, Rotronic Hygroclip Temperature/RH Probes modified to accommodate specific programming for consistent measurements throughout the SNOTEL/SCAN network, LI-COR Pyromometer customized for consistent calibration factor throughout the network, HDR GOES Transmitter required to interface with the MCC radio. The amount of this award is $33,841.50. These sensors and data loggers are used in essential engineering research and development projects with field applications throughout the USDA-NRCS. These projects range from helping to monitor and predict the snowmelt runoff and required reservoir storage to crop water uses. USDA-NRCS has invested many hours refining the interfacing between the MCC545B radio and the CRlOOO data logger as well as the programming of the logger to accommodate the customized sensors. All remote stations operate against a proprietary operating system. To compete this award would create substantial duplication of costs in which the Government is not expected to recover. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed order is at the sole discretion of the Government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. This is a notice and a solicitation will not be issued. NRCS will not respond to requests for solicitation copies and will not pay for information received in response to this announcement. This notice is not a request for proposals. No solicitation document is available. The associated North America Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 334513 and the Business Size Standard is 500. The point of contact for this requirement is Amber Carson, Contract Specialist, email amber.carson@ftw.usda.gov. Questions or concerns should be submitted to the contracting officer NLT 5:00 PM, Central, September 10, 2013.