NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE: Notice of intent to award a sole source contract to: Larson Davis, Inc., Walden Avenue Depew, New York, New York 14043. Larson Davis, Inc will supply additional customized sound level meters and associated parts for ongoing field data collection to support Air Tour Management Plans though out the Olympic National Park, Port Angeles, WA (See Sole Source Justification below). Under authority of FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii), the value of the contract is expected to be under $17,000. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, the Government shall consider all responses received prior to the close date of this announcement. Written responses to this notice shall contain sufficient documentation to establish bonafide capability to fulfill the requirement. A solicitation is not available. Please email contract specialist, Emma Lynch with responses or questions regarding this requirement at
[email protected] The National Park Service (NPS), Olympic National Park requirement: OVERVIEW The Natural Sounds Program requires additional sound level meters and associated parts for ongoing field data collection to support Air Tour Management Plans. Larson Davis meters have been used by the NSP to collect tens of thousands of hours of data. NPS Natural Sounds Program staff, CESU staff, and staff at various National Park units have been trained to use this equipment. The Natural Sounds Program has developed several pieces of software dedicated to this product. Larson Davis is the only producer of sound level meters that meets Natural Sounds Program needs for data logging capacity, low power consumption, and ease of use. The cost of retraining staff, modifying associated equipment and power systems, and rewriting the supporting software would significantly delay upcoming field work, and add enormous costs to the monitoring effort. AUTHORITY 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulations Subpart 6.302-1, Only one responsible source and no other supplies of services will satisfy agency requirements; and Subpart 13.106-1(b)(1) provides for soliciting from a single source if the procurement does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold and the contracting officer determines that only one source is reasonably available.. JUSTIFICATION 1. Agency Identification: Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Air Resources Division, Natural Sounds Program 2. Nature or Description of Action Being Approved: Purchase of three (3) Larson Davis 831 Sound Level Meters and required cables. 3. Description of Supplies or Services Required: The project requires ANSI Type 1 sound level meters than can: a. collect calibrated, one second 1/3 octave band data,b. log this information in a machine readable and easily transferable format,c. integrate with current NPS remote data collection software. 4. Demonstration that proposed contractor's unique qualifications or nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited: Larson Davis meters have been extensively used by the NPS Natural Sounds Program as well as several park units. In addition, extensive software packages have been written that are specific to the data produced by Larson Davis sound level meters. 5. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practical, including whether a CBD notice was or will be publicized as required by subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies: FAR subpart 5.202(a)(13)(i) "amount not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold." 6. Contracting Officer's Determination That Cost is Fair and Reasonable: The cost for three units is under $22,000, and will be purchased directly from the manufacturer. NPS is getting a discount on this equipment that distributors cannot offer. 7. Description of market survey conducted: A survey was conducted of all of the equipment available at the 2009 Internoise conference in Ottawa. No other manufacturer can meet our needs. Cirrus CR-831B sound level meter cannot provide Leq analysis at one second intervals (The NPS and FAA standard), as well as having poor external data logging features. The Quest Technologies SProDLX Type 1 is not capable of measurements as sensitive as the Larson Davis model, and it requires three times as much power to operate. The Brel & Kjr 2250 and 2270 sound level meters have comparable features but unacceptably high power consumption. Low power consumption is a critical feature for long term deployments at remote sites. Larson Davis provides the needed features of data logging capacity, low power consumption, and ease of use. 8. Other facts supporting use of other than full and open competition: Cost of retraining employees and revising NPS support software. Contract Specilist: /S/ Ed McKee