***NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE (NMFS), ALASKA FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER (AFSC) INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH BITTERROOT SERVICES & TECHNOLOGY, LLC OUT OF FLORENCE, MT FOR A BRAND NAME LEICA MICRO-SYSTEM DM6 B MICROSCOPE.

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT BITTERROOT IS THE ONLY AUTHORIZED SMALL BUSINESS RESELLER OF LEICA MICRO-SYTEM PRODUCTS IN THE SEATTLE, WA GEOGRAPHICAL AREA.

BRAND NAME: “THE LEICA DM6 B PARTS AND LAS X SOFTWARE INTEGRATE WITH SEVERAL EXISTING LEICA MICROSCOPE AND CAMERA SYSTEMS OPERATED BY THE AGE & GROWTH PROGRAM AT AFSC. THIS COMPATIBILITY IS NECESSARY FOR THE USE OF ADVANCED IMAGING AND ANALYSIS SOFTWARE FOR MULTIPLE IMAGING SYSTEMS AND THE POSSIBILITY TO INTERCHANGE MICROSCOPE PARTS.”

LEICA DM6 B FULLY AUTOMATED UPRIGHT MICROSCOPE AND A COMPETING MICROSCOPE (NIKON) WERE DEMOED BY AFSC AGE & GROWTH PROGRAM, AND THE FEATURES WERE THOROUGHLY TESTED BY AGE READING EXPERTS IN THE PROGRAM. THE SPEED, EASE OF USE, AND IMAGE QUALITY OF THE LEICA DM6 B SURPASSED A SIMILAR NIKON SYSTEM AND FAR SURPASSED MANUAL COMPOUND MICROSCOPES AVAILABLE IN THE AGE & GROWTH PROGRAM. TWO ADDITIONAL MICROSCOPE VENDORS WERE CONTACTED FOR MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES: NIKON INSTRUMENTS, INC. AND EVIDENT SCIENTIFIC (FORMERLY OLYMPUS MICROSCOPES). INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED FROM EACH COMPANY INCLUDING VARIATION IN MODULAR COMPONENTS UPON INITIAL PURCHASE. THE NIKON SYSTEM WAS SIMILAR BUT NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE CURRENT EXISITNG MICROSCOPE AND CAMERA SYSTEMS USED BY THE AGE & GROWTH PROGRAM. THE LIMITING FACTOR FOR THE OLYMPUS Q-00093357 IS THAT THE SOFTWARE AND COMPONENTS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH OUR CURRENT EXISTING MICROSCOPE AND CAMERA SYSTEMS USED BY THE AGE & GROWTH PROGRAM.

THE LEICA DM6 B MICROSCOPE IS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN CONTINUIY OF RESEARCH IN THE AGE& GROWTH PROGRAM. LEICA MICRO-SYSTEMS CONFIRMED THAT BITTERROOT SERVICES & TECHNOLOGY LLC IS THEIR ONLY AUTHORIZED SMALL BUSINESS RESELLER IN THE SEATLLE, WA GEOGRAPHICAL AREA.

***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.