Low Energy Portal X-ray Interference with Radiation Portal Monitors

The Office of Procurement Operations (OPO) on behalf of the Office of Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) hereby issues this notice of intent to award a sole source procurement.  DHS OPO intends to solicit and award a sole source contract for prototype ruggedization and field testing to Astrophysics, Inc 21841 Ferrero Pkwy, City of Industry, CA 91789.  This is a notice of intent to solicit and award a sole source contract under the authority of FAR 6.103-1 “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements”. The relevant NAICS code is 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology), with a size standard of 1,000 employees. The PSC code is 6665, Hazard-Detecting Instruments and Apparatus.

Summary of the requirement

Background

Astrophysics, under DHS task order 70RSAT24FR0000109, previously developed a non-recurring engineering solution that enables Low Energy Portal (LEP) and Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs) hardware to operate with reduced nuisance alarms and interference. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requires scanning systems for inbound passenger vehicles at border ports of entry (POEs). LEP systems provide this capability and are installed at multiple POEs across the southern border. Current LEP systems interfere with RPMs due to a continuous emission of x-rays and the size constraints of the majority of POEs. Interference delays the inspection process, requires additional resources, and can lead to missed screenings. In order to mitigate this x-ray interference issue, CBP identified pulsed radiation source to support RPM blanking, which temporarily disables radiation detection during certain events to prevent false alarms, as the best technical option. The prototype solution developed under 70RSAT24FR0000109 used Astrophysics’ existing LEP system, which integrated a linear accelerator (Linac) into the LEP system and allowed the system to emit a pulsed x-ray scan.

Scope

S&T and CBP require ruggedization of the LEP/RPM prototype, installation at the San Ysidro POE, and field-testing culminating in a Site Acceptance Test (SAT). The results of this effort will be utilized by S&T and CBP to apply to future LEP builds. The live testing of the synchronized solution to LEP/RPM cross use interference by using a modified Linac, aims to improve operational efficiency and support border security priorities.  Successful testing will demonstrate the system’s ability to integrate with minimal disruption to port operations, increasing the percentage of vehicles screened and supporting workforce optimization, and eliminating nuisance radiation alarms caused by the operation of LEPs.

Place of Performance: The primary place of performance will be at Government and contractor facilities in the metropolitan Washington, DC area.

Period of Performance: 6 months from date of award

DHS has determined that this follow-on work, requiring ruggedization, integration, and field testing of this specific prototype which is based on proprietary hardware and software, can only be obtained from Astrophysics, Inc. A determination by the Government not to compete based upon responses to this notice is solely at the discretion of the Government.

This is a notice of the intent to award a sole source contract. It is published for informational purposes only and not a request for competitive proposals. Therefore, no solicitation document exists for this requirement.  Any firm believing that they can fulfill the requirement may be considered by the agency. Interested parties may identify their interest and capabilities in response to this synopsis. All questions and/or comments regarding this notice shall be addressed in writing to the Contracting Officer Jennifer.Koons@hq.dhs.gov by June 23, 2026 by 10:00 AM Eastern.  Questions by phone will not be considered.