NASA Headquarters (HQ), Office of Inspector General (OIG), is planning to procure 50 replacements updated Motorola-manufactured, Model II VHF hand held portable radios. The HQ OIG needs secure portable radios to communicate with Agency forces during emergencies and other events affecting the HQ facility and or its occupants. Motorola currently maintained NASA HQs Motorola-manufactured hand-held device that have appropriate serialization for individual identification, service maintenance reliability, and agency accountability. The programming of additional radios will need to match the existing hardware and software so that they do not cause interference with other Federal Government agencies located in the immediate area. Motorola has maintained the current radios utilized within NASA HQs facility and each radio requires software and technical upgrades to be installed prior to operational compliance.
This procurement will help ensure individual/group operational safety by ensuring effective radio communication for alerting/safeguarding OIG Field Office Special Agents (SAs) working in remote/hazardous locations “as build” software/ hardware configurations.
It is in the best interest of the government to continue with the current contactor because of system key programming security and duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition.
Therefore, NASA/HQ intends to issue a Sole Source Procurement to purchase the Motorola Digital Hand-held Portable Radio devices from Motorola U.S. Federal Government Markets Divisions.
The authority is FAR 6.302-1 (a) (2) "only one responsible source" When the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source, or, for DoD, NASA, and the Coast Guard, from only one or a limited number of responsible sources, and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need no be provided for.
The Government intends to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing, by FAX or E-Mail, to the identified point of contact not later than 12:30 p.m. local time on December 26, 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. FAX or E-Mail any inquiries to the identified point of contact.
All responsible sources may submit their qualifications 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.
