Notice of Intent to Sole Source to Instron for Maintenance & Repair Services

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) intends to award a contract on a sole source basis to Illinois Tool Works Inc. d/b/a Instron, A Division of Illinois Tool Works upon the basis of the authority provided at FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i).

Instron was identified as the only source capable of offering custom-made products and services meeting the requisite specifications and interoperability requirements of CRREL’s existing Instron custom-made testing system. Any new equipment, accessories, or software must integrate into CRREL’s existing Instron ecosystem of the Advanced Material Characterization Facility Low Temperature Mechanical Testing System (AMCF LTMTS) and the custom and proprietary instruments comprising the AMCF LTMTS require maintenance, servicing, certifications, diagnostics, calibration, and repairs in a wholistic fashion. These attributes cannot be fulfilled from any other brand or source solution, as Instron does not have any certified maintenance distributors.

Requirements: A multiyear, firm-fixed-price (FFP), Master Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) shall be established IAW FAR 13.303 for the repetive procurement of, but not limited to, the following services and supplies:

1. Provide custom version of BlueHill® Universal Testing Software updates.


2. Preventative maintenance, diagnostics, repairs, calibration, and certification services are needed on custom and proprietary instruments on an annual basis to ensure accuracy.


3. Accessories that are intended to operate at temperatures between -20⁰C and 0⁰C may be needed to expand test configurations.

Please provide responses and capability statements to this notice NLT 12:00 PM CDT, 25 October 2024 to: Kim.D.Roberson@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.