Notice of Intent to Sole Source: Ultra-Light Electromagnetic Array Handheld (ULEMA-H) Component Fabrication, Ruggedization, and Integration Prototype

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Cold Regions Research Laboratory (CRREL) has a requirement for development and refinement of their Ultra-Light Electromagnetic Array Handheld (ULEMA-H) sensor package and intends to award a contract on a sole source basis Colorado State University upon the basis of the authority provided at FAR Part 6.302-3(a)(2)(ii).

ERDC-CRREL requires a Contractor to provide proprietary technical expertise required to ruggedize, document, and validate the Ultralight Electromagnetic Array Handheld (ULEMA-H) system in support of ERDC-CRREL’s ongoing electromagnetic induction research. The Contractor shall ruggedize the ULEMA-H sensor, conduct operator testing and provide iterative upgrades, deliver complete fabrication and operational documentation, and perform a technical review of a CRREL-built unit to validate build accuracy and resolve any deficiencies.

Requirement: The ERDC-CRREL is conducting ongoing research on advanced electromagnetic induction (EMI) technologies to detect and characterize subsurface targets. As part of this effort, CRREL requires technical and professional services to support the continued development of the proprietary ULEMA-H system.

The Contractor shall:

• End-User (Operational Personnel) Feedback and Evaluation. Conduct pre-build (prior to build) and post-build (after enhancements are implemented) user engagement activities with operational personnel to obtain feedback on the handheld version of the ULEMA system.
  
  • Deliverable ID: A001(a). Pre-Build: End-User Feedback Report on Handheld ULEMA
  • Deliverable ID: A001(b). Post-Build: End-User Feedback Report on Handheld ULEMA

• ULEMAStudio Post-Processing Software.  Perform work to deliver fully functional ULEMAStudio software, configured for the handheld ULEMA sensor, with all necessary parameters, capable of locating, mapping, and classifying compact metallic subsurface targets in real or near-real time, along with complete user documentation.
  
  • Deliverable ID: A002. ULEMAStudio Post-Processing Software

• EMI System Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Perform work to develop and deliver Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the ULEMA-H electromagnetic induction (EMI) system.
  
  • Deliverable ID: A003. EMI System Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

• ULEMA Full Handheld Prototype Fabrication. Fabricate a complete handheld prototype of the ULEMA-H system, including the sensor head, electronics box, and handle assembly. The Contractor shall also prepare and provide a CAD model, full parts list, and assembly documentation to the Government.
  
  • The contractor shall deliver the prototype and documentation.

• QA/QC Review of CRREL’s ULEMA-H Sensor Package. Execute a quality assurance (QA) and quality check (QC) technical inspection of a ULEMA-H sensor built by CRREL using the documentation delivered by Dartmouth College.  Conduct hands on inspection and any needed operational testing of the sensor to identify any deficiencies to ensure technical consistency and alignment.
  
  • Deliverable ID: A005(a). QA/QC Review Report on CRREL’s ULEMA-H

Dartmouth College has been identified as the only source capable of providing the proprietary technical expertise required to ruggedize, document, and validate the Ultralight Electromagnetic Array handheld (ULEMA-H) system in support of ERDC-CRREL’s ongoing electromagnetic induction research. Dartmouth, through Thayer School of Engineering faculty member Dr. Fridon Shubitidze, is the inventor and intellectual property holder of the ULEMA technology, and Dartmouth has formally filed patent application PCT/US25/17175 on 25 February 2025, which cites ERDC’s prior contract W913E518C0013 under which the technology was originally developed. As the patent applicant and owner of the proprietary design, Dartmouth is the only entity with legal rights and full technical access to the ULEMA architecture, underlying algorithms, and hardware specifications. No other organization possesses the system-level knowledge or authorization necessary to modify, ruggedize, or technically validate the ULEMA-H sensor package. Engaging any contractor other than Dartmouth would result in substantial duplication of cost and unacceptable delays, as an outside entity would be unable to access proprietary design files, undocumented engineering decisions, calibration specifications, or modeling frameworks without first attempting to reverse-engineer the patented system. This process would require extensive time, introduce technical risk, and disrupt the DOD-funded effort to ruggedize the sensor for extreme environments and to conduct near-term operator field testing. Due to the unique proprietary nature of the requested specialized services required for CRREL to continue to meet their on-going research needs, Dartmouth College is deemed the only provider reasonably capable of fulfilling the Government's requirements.

This Notice of Intent is not a request for competitive quotations.  However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement. Any interested party that believes they can fulfill this requirement should submit a capability statement to be reviewed. All submissions will be considered, however there is no guarantee that submissions in response to this notice will in any way alter the Government's acquisition strategy.

Responses to this notice shall be submitted NLT 12:00 PM CDT, 20 January 2026 to: Kim.D.Roberson@usace.army.mil.

Telephone responses will not be accepted.

Responses to this notice will not be considered as a response to any solicitation, a request to be added to a prospective offerors list, or to receive a copy of any solicitation. A determination by the Government not to compete the contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

Note: In order to be eligible for award of a Government contract, vendors must be actively registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), have no active exclusions, and complete the FAR and DFARS representations and certifications.