B-174482, DEC 21, 1972

B-174482, DEC 21, 1972

PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES - ESTABLISHMENT OF QPL - COST TO GOVERNMENT CONCERNING THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE ARMY MISSILE COMMAND, REDSTONE ARSENAL, ALA., EXAMINE THE DESIRABILITY OF PLACING BELLOWS ASSEMBLIES ON A QUALIFIED PRODUCTS LIST INSTEAD OF MAKING PURCHASES OF THE ITEMS FROM AEROQUIP CORPORATION ON A SOLE-SOURCE BASIS. B-174482, AUGUST 3, 1972. SINCE ESTABLISHING A QUALIFIED PRODUCTS LIST FOR THIS ITEM WOULD BE EXCESSIVELY COSTLY TO THE GOVERNMENT, THE COMP. GEN. THEREFORE SEES NO VALID BASIS FOR OBJECTION TO FUTURE PURCHASES OF THE ITEMS FROM AEROQUIP ON A SOLE-SOURCE BASIS.

TO MR. SECRETARY:

WE REFER TO A LETTER, DATED OCTOBER 19, 1972, FROM THE ACTING DEPUTY FOR MATERIEL ACQUISITION IN RESPONSE TO THE RECOMMENDATION CONTAINED IN OUR LETTER (B-174482, AUGUST 3, 1972) TO YOUR DEPARTMENT THAT THE ARMY MISSILE COMMAND, REDSTONE ARSENAL, ALABAMA, EXAMINE THE DESIRABILITY OF PLACING BELLOWS ASSEMBLIES ON A QUALIFIED PRODUCTS LIST INSTEAD OF MAKING PURCHASES OF THE ITEMS FROM AEROQUIP CORPORATION ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS.

THE ACTING DEPUTY'S LETTER CONCLUDES THAT ESTABLISHING A QUALIFIED PRODUCTS LIST FOR THIS ITEM WOULD BE EXCESSIVELY COSTLY TO THE GOVERNMENT AND, THEREFORE, SHOULD NOT BE PURSUED. BASED ON THE INFORMATION SET OUT IN THE OCTOBER 19 LETTER, WE MUST AGREE WITH THIS CONCLUSION, AND WE THEREFORE SEE NO VALID BASIS FOR OBJECTION TO FUTURE PURCHASES OF THE ITEMS FROM AEROQUIP ON A SOLE-SOURCE BASIS.