SOLE SOURCE - ESD BENCH REPLACEMENT PARTS

Combined Synopsis and Solicitation

This is a combined synopsis and solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR part 12. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

Request for Quote (RFQ) number is N6660426Q00466.

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport (NUWCDIVNPT) intends to award a purchase order to Workplace Modular Systems LLC on a Sole Source basis for Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Benches detailed in the table below.

Workplace Modular Systems LLC is the only qualified source capable of providing these components to meet all the functional and performance parameters required within the Government’s infrastructure. These components are used to prevent electrostatic discharge from disrupting the electronics during testing.

The notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. 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. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the agency. Information received will normally be considered for the purposes of determining whether to conduct a competitive requirement in the future.  

This procurement is 100% Small Business Set-Aside. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 337127. The Small Business Size Standard is 500 Employees. 

The contractor shall provide a firm-fixed priced (FFP) quote for the ESD Benches as follows in the attachment:

Required delivery is 30 after date of contract (ADC) or sooner.

Delivery shall be FOB Destination, Newport, RI.

Incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through the most current Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC). 

The following clauses and provisions apply to this solicitation:

- FAR 52.209-11, Representation by Corporations Regarding Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction under any Federal Law (FEB 2016)

-           FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors--Commercial Products and Commercial Services

-           FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation – Commercial Items;-    

-           FAR 52.212-3 ALT 1 – Offeror Representations and Certifications – Commercial Items Alternate 1

-           FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items;

-The following DFARS clauses apply to this solicitation:

252.204-7008, Compliance with Safeguarding Covered Defense Information Controls

252.204- 7009, Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Third-Party Contractor Reported Cyber Incident  Information

252.204-7012, Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting  252.204-7015, Notice of Authorized Disclosure of Information for Litigation Support

252.204-7018, Prohibition on the Acquisition of Covered Defense Telecommunications Equipment or Services apply to this solicitation. 

252.204-7021, Contractor Compliance with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Level Requirements.

252.204-7025, Notice of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Level Requirements.

Full text of incorporated FAR/DFARS clauses and provisions are may be accessed electronically at https://acquisition.gov/far/ and https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/dfarspgi/current/index.html.

The use in this solicitation of any Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR Chapter 1) clause with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of “(Deviation)” after the date of the clause.

Additional Terms and Conditions:

In accordance with DFARS Clause 252.211-7003, the contractor shall provide a unique item identifier (IUD) for all delivered items for which the Government’s unit acquisition cost is $5,000 or more. 

Payment will be via Wide Area Workflow (WAWF) within the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE).

This solicitation requires an active registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to award, pursuant to applicable regulations and guidelines. Registration information can be found at www.sam.gov. 

For information on this acquisition contact Jennifer Vatousiou at jennifer.m.vatousiou.civ@us.navy.mil.

SOLE SOURCE SPECIFICATION:

NATSC uses specialized electrostatic discharge (ESD) benches to repair and test the modules. These modules are required to be placed on ESD benches to prevent electrostatic discharge from disrupting the internal electronic components during maintenance, as well as to protect integrated components that do not need to be removed. Due to the length of these modules, benches must be specific lengths to prevent the equipment from hanging off the edges and sustaining unnecessary damage.

It is critical to ensure that these benches continue to be fully functional. NATSC relocated its operations with benches that were purchased from Workplace Modular Systems Inc. Since establishing operations at the current station, all subsequent bench acquisitions have been sourced from Workplace Modular Systems Inc. This vendor provides custom-built benches with ESD resistors already integrated, offering the capability to mate with existing units and be reconfigured as the facility workflow requires. The existing benches have gone through testing proving they can withstand the harsh chemicals used on them daily. These benches have also been proven to remain within ESD specifications even when modified with additional holes to support the jigs, tools, and fixtures required during repair and testing.

Due to the age of the ESD benches and their constant use, it has been determined that refurbishing the existing benches would be the most cost-effective way to maintain them, rather than purchasing new benches. As Workplace Modular Systems Inc. manufactured all the benches currently located at the facility, they are the only company that can provide the necessary parts for refurbishment.

The alternative to refurbishing all the ESD benches is to purchase entirely new ESD benches from either Workplace Modular Systems Inc. or from an alternate vendor. Purchasing all new benches from the original manufacturer would require a lead time of several months to acquire the hundreds of benches slated for replacement, and this path does not include the additional logistical effort of removing, disposing of, and installing the hardware.

Additionally, introducing a brand-new model of bench would require first article testing and facilities inspections to ensure that all electrical connections are within code, which may necessitate structural and electrical modifications to the facility to accommodate the new ESD specifications. On top of those requirements, new jigs, tools, and fixtures designed specifically to support and keep the new benches operational would need to be acquired and stored. The additional overhead of testing, inspecting, modifying the facility, and procuring new fixtures would introduce significant extra costs and result in the workstations being unusable for a substantial period of business days. This option also does not account for the baseline effort required to remove, dispose of, and install the benches.

Based on the above, it is not reasonable to conclude the potential savings from competition can offset the significant duplicative cost and schedule and mission impact associated with purchasing a different brand product. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the Government to solicit and award this requirement on a sole source only basis.