Opportunity: Sole Source Renewal for JEOL Preventative Maintena

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures, the Department of Energy (DOE), National Energy Technical Laboratory (NETL) intends to negotiate and award a contract, on a sole source basis, to JEOL USA for preventative maintenance service on two (2) JEOL Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM). The Morgantown, WV site of the NETL has a requirement to maintain a JEOL 840A SEM as JEOL designed the hardware and manufactured the machine. This specific machine utilizes older, and sometimes obsolete technology, that only JEOL maintains an inventory of spare parts and components for. JEOL designed specific aspects of the microscope that is still considered proprietary. A significant portion of the JEOL FESEM-7600 SEM’s hardware and software were designed by JEOL and the technology is proprietary to only JEOL. JEOL also maintains an inventory of spare part and components for this specific machine that no other vendor can access. This is considered a sole source to JEOL because, to the best of NETL's knowledge and based on the information provided herein, JOEL USA is the only company with the access to the proprietary hardware and software, and maintains an inventory of spare parts and components for the SEM's. No known potential alternate sources exist which could satisfy NETL's requirement. This notice of intent is not a request for quote/proposal. Any interested party that believes it is capable of meeting the NETL requirement described herein may identify themselves and must provide evidence of their capability to fulfill the requirement being requested by 2:00 PM ET on May 31, 2017. Responses must be submitted in writing to Erin.Kirchoff@netl.doe.gov no later than the time and date noted above. Telephone responses and requests will not be received. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement based on 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.