HOGEN Hydrogen Generator Parts for NOAA Weather Facility

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Acquisition and Grants Office, Eastern Acquisition Division-Kansas City intends to negotiate and award a purchase order, on a sole source basis, under authority of RFO FAR 6.103-1, with Proton Energy Systems (Nel Hydrogen) in Wallingford, CT for various HOGEN parts (P/N KT-0400-0189-1, 08-2303-0010, 54-0502-0247-2, 08-2301-0015) to be delivered to the Sterling Field Support Center in Sterling, VA. The sole source determination is based on NOAA’s sole source justification. Nel Hydrogen is the only manufacturer of the HOGEN parts for a testing / troubleshooting aid. This purchase allows for the Upper Air Help desk to have a troubleshooting test stand in order to better answer the questions from the field. This test stand will allow the help desk to simulate issues being seen in the field in a controlled and safe environment. In turn, the help desk will be able to help the field troubleshoot the issues quicker and minimize downtime of sites.  The HOGEN test stand and troubleshooting aid incorporates Nel/Proton components and software specific to their proprietary generators that cannot be sourced elsewhere. The test stand will be used by Tier 2 SFSC UA Help Desk technical staff supporting critical operational weather observing equipment, giving them the ability to perform real-time functions during phone calls, decreasing system downtime. This pre-solicitation notice is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation package is available. However, firms that believe they can fully meet the government’s requirements may submit substantiating documentation or a request for additional information in writing to the (Contract Specialist) within 15 days after publication of this pre-solicitation notice. Such requests and documentation 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 conduct a competitive procurement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this pre-solicitation notice.