INTENT TO AWARD TO A SINGLE SOURCE - OPENTRONS ROBOT

***THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION�S (NOAA) ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, (AGENCY), INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE AND AWARD A PURCHASE ORDER, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 6.103-1, WITH OPENTRONS FOR AN OPENTRONS FLEX LIQUID HANDLER ROBOT AND 3 YEARS OF SERVICE TO AUTOMATE EDNA METABARCODING WORKFLOWS TO BE DELIVERED/PERFORMED AT THE NATIONAL SYSTEMATICS LABORATORY, SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM SUPPORT CENTER, 4210 SILVER HILL ROAD, SUITLAND, MARYLAND 20746. ***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON NOAA�S REQUIREMENT THAT OPENTRONS IS THE ONLY VENDOR THAT MANUFACTURES AND DISTRIBUTES THIS OPENTRONS FLEX LIQUID HANDLER ROBOT. OPENTRONS IS THE ONLY VENDOR THAT SATISFIES THE LAB�S CRITICAL TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS, SPECIFICALLY THE NEED FOR AN OPEN-SOURCE PYTHON API FRAMEWORK FOR SHARING CUSTOM GENOMICS PROTOCOLS, END-USER MODULARITY THAT ALLOWS FOR TOOLLESS EQUIPMENT SWAPPABILITY, AND AN INTUITIVE INTERFACE DESIGNED FOR BIOLOGISTS RATHER THAN ROBOTICS ENGINEERS. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: DATE OF AWARD TO 3 YEARS FROM DATE OF AWARD. ***THIS PRESOLICITATION 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 IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT 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 NOTICE.