Notice End Date: October 27, 2022

Vendor Name: Foss NIRS DS3 + accessories as per quote 95769 V2

Contract Amount: $78,963.93

Agency Procurement Manager: SC Young

Agency Procurement Manager Email: scy@clemson.edu

Agency Procurement Manager Telephone#: 864-656-2830

The Agency hereby provides notice that it intends to enter into a sole source contract per S.C. Code Ann. §11-35-1560 with Vendor for the following supplies, services, information technology, or construction:

Clemson University requires the purchase of a Foss NIRS D3, an instrument that is only available direct from the manufacturer. Clemson is conducting research on the use of visible and near-infrared reflectance to predict plant traits such as starch, protein, and carotenoid content. Because the range of the predictive signal varies the for traits of interest, Clemson requires a spectrometer that measures reflectance across the full visible and near-infrared range (400-2500nm). While other companies offer spectrometers that cover only part of this range, the Foss D3 utilizes silicon (Si) and lead sulfide detectors to measure reflectance on a spectral wavelength range of 400-2500 nm. Clemson is working in close collaboration with other research groups to measure plant breeding material (seed, vegetative tissue) quality. Two or more of these groups already have Foss visible and near-infrared spectrometers. The transfer of prediction models between organizations will allow for robust and consistent predictions across groups, fostering collaborative projects between institutions. The Foss DS3 is factory standardized in wavelength, bandpass, and response for precise calibration transfer. This means that it has improved calibration transferability and the same calibration can be used on multiple instruments out of the box. No other supplier can meet the unique design and compatibility needs outlined above. For these reasons, this is a sole source procurement.

Agency's justification for a sole source procurement may be viewed or immediately obtained at: Agency Procurement Manager (Listed Above)

PROTESTS:
Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this sole source contract, shall notify the appropriate chief Procurement officer in writing of its intent to protest within five (5) business days of the date this notice is posted. Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who is aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this sole source contract and has timely notified the appropriate chief procurement officer of its intent to protest, may protest to the appropriate chief procurement officer in the manner set forth below within fifteen days of the date this notice is posted; except that a matter that could have been raised as a protest of the solicitation may not be raised as a protest of the award or intended award of a contract.
A protest must be in writing, filed with the appropriate chief procurement officer, and set forth the grounds of the protest and the relief requested with enough particularity to give notice of the issues to be decided. The protest must be received by the appropriate chief procurement officer within the time provided above. Days are calculated as provided in S.C. Code Ann. § 11-35-310(13).

Any Notice Of Intent To Protest And Protest Must Be Addressed To: Materials Management Officer