purchase of 9 Portable Optical Particle Spectrometer Brand: Handix; Model: POPS-1100 (Core system without enclosure)

NRMJ30002200108SRG ***NOAA's Acquisition & Grants Office, Western Acquisition Division-Boulder, Chemical Science Laboratory (CSL), intends to negotiation, on a sole source basis, under authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with Handix Scientific, Inc., to purchase of 9 Portable Optical Particle Spectrometer Brand: Handix; Model: POPS-1100 (Core system without enclosure) for the Boulder, CO office. ***The sole source determination is based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requirement that Handix Scientific, Inc. is the only vendor that currently produces the Portable Optical Particle Spectrometer (POPS). CSL originally designed and constructed this sensor ourselves due to the lack of any available commercial instrument that meets our needs. Handix Scientific has replicated our original design and is now producing it commercially at a quality that meets CSL's requirements. The POPS sensor is unique among research grade optical particle counters (OPC) in its combination of small size, weight and power consumption while achieving a low particle size detection limit below 150 nm (0.15 ?m). There are a number of low-cost OPCs available [e.g. AlphaSense OPC-N2, Plantower PMSx003, Shinyei PPD42NS], but they are designed for industrial or air quality applications and none have a claimed detection limit below 0.3 ?m and a number of assessments in the peer-reviewed literature indicate their performance is of limited quality below 0.5 ?m or even 1 ?m particle diameter. With these minimum detectable sizes, most of the aerosol number in background conditions is not measured and they would be of no value for measurements in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Instrument to be picked up or delivered no later than March 1, 2022 or sooner. ***THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT, BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE