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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Cold Regions Research Laboratory (CRREL) intends to award a contract on a sole source basis to Columbus Instruments, LLC upon the basis of the authority provided at FAR 13.106-1(b).

ERDC-CRREL’s Biogeochemical Sciences Branch (BSB) in Hanover, NH seeks to expand capabilities of its existing Columbus Instruments Micro-Oxymax Respirometer by procuring an additional Micro-Oxymax Base System, CO2 Sensor, and four (4) Micro-Oxymax 10-channel Expansion Interfaces which will increase the total number of chambers able to run at once to forty (40) units.

Requirements: ERDC-CRREL intends to add the additional system to manage a large workflow in the lab that cannot be accommodated with only one instrument thus the same make/model equipment must be procured to ensure continued data integrity and seamless compatibility. To ensure the interface boxes enable CRREL’s existing unit to reach forty (40) additional sample chambers for testing, the Contractor shall provide the following:

• One (1) Micro-Oxymax Base System to include single channel base system, 120VAC, uninterrupted power supply, sample pump, and drier. (p/n 0135-8000)


• One (1) CO2 Sensor - Trace gas analyzer for 0-1% CO2 (p/n 0135-8400)


• Four (4) Micro-Oxymax 10-Channel Expansion Interface (p/n 0135-8101)


• On-site installation at CRREL’s facilities in Hanover, NH by certified and authorized technicians.


• On-site training for eight (8) personnel at CRREL’s facilities in Hanover, NH.


• Vendor shall provide information explaining their equipment warranty and support policies.

Columbus Instruments, LLC has been identified as the only source capable of fulfilling the Government’s requirement. To ensure continued data integrity, the new system and expansion interfaces must be seamless in compatibility and interchangeability with CRREL’s existing Columbus Instrument equipment and software. Columbus Instruments is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and has confirmed there are no U.S. authorized distributors nor services providers. Columbus Instruments owns the proprietary rights to the Micro-Oxymax Respirometer and only Columbus Instrument engineers are authorized to perform repairs or services to their equipment. Procuring the requested equipment and incidental services from any other manufacturer would negate the benefit of the existing chambers and would result in the additional and redundant cost of procuring new expansion packs. Due to the proprietary nature of the requested equipment, the necessity for required on-site installation and training from certified technicians, and the necessity for complete interoperability and interchangeability, Columbus Instruments is 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 CST, 23 October 2023 to Lisa.A.Bernard@usace.army.mil and ERDC-CRREL-QUOTES@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 at time of response.

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