Notice of Intent to Sole Source - Portable Radio Systems

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD SOLE SOURCE THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. This is a notice of intent to award a sole source contract under statutory authority 10 USC 2304(c)(1), set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. The Reference Number is F1M3B24205AC01. The 628th Contracting Squadron, 101 E. Hill Blvd., Joint Base Charleston, intends to award a sole source contract for Portable radio Systems at Joint Base Charleston, SC - Air Base. The 628th Contracting Squadron intends to make an award to L3Harris, 8955 Drennan RD Colorado Springs, Colorado 80925-1105, United States. In accordance with (IAW) FAR 5.207(c)(16)(ii), the proposed contract action is for a service for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302-1(b)(ii). This notice of intent to award is not a request for competitive proposals; however, responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal or quotation that shall be considered by the agency. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. The justification for the sole source requirements as follows: In accordance with FAR 6.303-2: (1) Agency and Activity: 628 Contracting Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, SC. (2) Nature of action for approval: Sole source acquisition. (3) This procurement is for portable radio systems from the Communications Squadron at Joint Base Charleston - Air Base. (4) Justification Rationale: IAW FAR 6.302-1(a)(2), one source is capable of fulfilling this requirement due to the proprietary nature of the system equipment and associated parts. (5) Demonstration of Unique Qualifications: The AN/PRC-163 Radio System possesses unique capabilities that no other radio on the market has. Such capabilities include Type 1 NSA Encryption, Line-of-Sight and Mobile Ad-hoc Networking (MANET) modes, the ability to swiftly modify the radio with options such as ISR video and SATCOM. No other radio on the market can accomplish these functions all at once while remaining compatible with current military radio systems. Due to the proprietary nature of this radio, no other company distributes these radios besides the manufacturer, L3Harris. (6) Description of Solicitation Efforts: IAW FAR 5.102(a)(2), this notice will be posted on the Government-wide Point of Entry (SAM.gov) and retained in the contract file to document the rationale for a sole source award. (7) The Contracting Officer has determined that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable. (8) Description of market research: The customer identified 9 different models from 5 different manufacturers of radios, all of which could not fulfill all of their needs. Mainly, no other radio, compatible with military systems, remained portable while also having NSA type 1 encryption. Further, L3Harris considers these radio's unique system to be proprietary and does not authorize for any distributors of the AN/PRC-163 radios. The government will continue to monitor the market for any solutions that can meet this specific need as well as keep a look should L3Harris authorize any distributors for these radio systems. (9) Other supporting facts: N/A (10) Interested Sources: N/A (11) Actions to prevent barriers that may lead to restricted consideration in the future: The Government will continue to surveille the market for any changes or new entries to the marketplace that may allow for the use of other vendors in future requirements. (12) This justification is accurate and complete to the best of the Contracting Officer's knowledge and belief. Address questions to Senior Airman Bayley McKinney at phone (843) 963-8764 or email, bayley.mckinney@us.af.mil For more opportunities, visit https://sam.gov/