Pre-solicitation Notice with Intent to Sole Source – Sportsmobile Texas, Inc.

DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Business Center, on behalf of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), intends to award a sole-source, firm-fixed-price contract to Sportsmobile, Inc., located at 9805 Gray Blvd #B, Austin TX 78758-5411.

This procurement is conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 12.102(b) for the acquisition of commercial services. The USDA requires upfit services for a Government Furnished 2024 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 170" Extended Cargo Van.

Background and Requirement Description:

This acquisition is for the design, fabrication, and installation of a custom interior upfit for one Government-furnished 2024 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 170" Extended 2500 Cargo Van. The completed upfit will convert the vehicle into a specialized Mobile Engineering Field Laboratory and Quality Assurance Command Center for USDA-FPAC-NRCS-Texas watershed infrastructure projects.and servicing functions, and manage the active Farm Loan Programs (FLP) portfolio.

The required upfit includes insulation, a cab partition/bulkhead with walkthrough opening, heavy-duty commercial flooring, integrated workstation and cabinetry, specialized shelving and soil sample storage, auxiliary power and climate control systems, galley and water systems, durable interior finishes, and safety features. The upfit must preserve safe vehicle handling and weight distribution due to the Sprinter van’s extended rear overhang and 2500 GVWR.

The completed vehicle will enable USDA-NRCS engineers, watershed construction project managers, and inspectors to conduct field-based soil testing, maintain sample integrity, secure sensitive equipment, review project documentation, and perform real-time quality assurance activities at remote watershed construction sites.

Sole Source Justification:

The Government’s requirement is for a highly specialized custom upfit of a government furnished 2024 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 170" Extended 2500 Cargo Van into a mobile engineering field laboratory for USDA-FPAC-NRCS-Texas watershed infrastructure projects. This requirement is not a standard van interior build or general recreational vehicle conversion. The upfit must support field engineering, soil sample testing, secure transport of sensitive equipment, and real-time quality assurance functions at remote watershed construction sites.

Sportsmobile Texas, Inc. demonstrated the technical expertise, engineering capability, and relevant industry experience to perform the custom design, fabrication, and installation required for this project. Market research showed that Sportsmobile Texas, Inc. can meet the Government’s specific technical requirements, including platform-specific weight distribution, custom laboratory layout, secure storage for field testing equipment and soil samples, a heavy-duty walkthrough cab partition, auxiliary power systems, water systems, durable field-use materials, and safety-focused installation.

The requirement is unique because it combines vehicle upfitting, mobile laboratory functionality, secure transport of sensitive engineering equipment, rugged field use, and platform-specific design constraints for a government furnished 2024 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 170" Extended 2500 Cargo Van. Other vendors reviewed during market research did not demonstrate the same ability to meet the complete integrated requirement without compromising the Government’s need for safety, functionality, storage security, weight distribution, or field laboratory capability.

Instructions to Industry:

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

All responsible sources who believe they can provide the capability may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which may be considered by the agency. Interested vendors must demonstrate how they can provide the required services and demonstrate their capability to meet the complete integrated requirement without compromising the Government’s need for safety, functionality, storage security, weight distribution, or field laboratory capability.

Capability statements must be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist no later than September 23, 2026, at 12:00 PM EST.