NASA/GRC has a requirement to procure services to assemble two additional FOOF injector utilizing existing, unfinished, spare hardware in the possession of the current contractor from an earlier phase of the project. This assemble shall include, if possible the injector assembly, chamber/nozzle, igniter and propellant valves. Each assembly shall include an acceptance data package when delivered to NASA.
NASA/GRC intends to purchase the items from Aerojet of Sacramento, California as a continuation under NASA Contract NNC06CB64C. This recommendation is made pursuant to FAR 13.106, for the acquisition of supplies or services determined to be reasonably available from only one source. Competition is impractical for the following 4 reasons:
A. The product is a unique, very complex rocket engine component and involves proprietary processes, thus it would be impractical for another company to finish or build them.
B. Aerojet has already built and delivered several of the same components to NASA as part of the base contract, which is an ongoing advanced development program. For continuity of the development program, and for the test data from the new injectors to be relevant to the test data gathered to date on previous builds, the 2 additional injectors must be technically equivalent to those previously delivered by Aerojet, and tested in the same manner at Aerojet's facility.
C. Because Aerojet has already partially manufactured key components, it would be unreasonable, and a poor business practice for NASA to direct Aerojet to release the components to another manufacturer.
D. To award the additional work to any other source would result in substantial duplication of non-recurring engineering costs already paid to Aerojet by the government, and would jeopardize the relevance of the new injector's test data to the existing database. In addition, awarding to a new vendor would add unknown schedule and technical risks as a new vendor attempted to work through a learning curve.
The intent of this approach is to be as cost effective as possible, and as timely as possible, by completing fabrication using primarily existing spare parts, and personnel who are already experienced with the fabrication and test processes.
The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Note 26.
Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than 4:30 p.m. local time on _November 7, 2008. Such capabilities/qualifications 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 compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government.
Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.
All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency.
An Ombudsman has been appointed. See NASA Specific Note "B".
Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.
