***NOAA's Acquisition & Grants Office, Western Acquisition Division-Boulder, Chemical Sciences Laboratory (CSL), intends to negotiation, on a sole source basis, under authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with CH Technologies (USA), Inc., to purchase a drop-in replacement of the PALAS Promo 2900 LED aerosol spectrometer for the Boulder, CO office.

***The sole source determination is based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requirement that CH Technologies (USA), Inc. is the sole approved distributor of Palas products in the U.S. NOAA purchased a Palas Promo 2900 LED optical particle counter in 2020 and has been testing it and modifying it for operation on these stratospheric research aircraft. Initial test flights are planned in late 2021 and science flights begin in 2022. Testing and calibration has confirmed that this new instrument will successfully operate at stratospheric conditions. We require an identical spare instrument. In the event of a component failure, it is essential to have a drop-in replacement calibrated and ready for the next flight, since such research opportunities are infrequent and this instrument provides data that are essential to understanding the stratospheric aerosol layer and the interpretation of measurements from several other instruments on the payload. Instrument to be delivered 14-16 weeks from date of award.

***THIS NOTICE OF INTENT 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 IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH 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.