Request for approval of a sole source exemption from the competitive bid requirements and that the County Judge execute an agreement with Oxford Instruments America, Inc. in the amount of $130,339 for Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometer (SEMEDS) detectors for the Institute of Forensic Sciences for the period of August 25, 2026 - August 24, 2027 with four (4) one-year renewal options, Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: Exempt - Sole Source. | Community Exchange
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Request for approval of a sole source exemption from the competitive bid requirements and that the County Judge execute an agreement with Oxford Instruments America, Inc. in the amount of $130,339 for Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometer (SEMEDS) detectors for the Institute of Forensic Sciences for the period of August 25, 2026 - August 24, 2027 with four (4) one-year renewal options, Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: Exempt - Sole Source.
Harris County may approve a $130,339 sole source contract with Oxford Instruments America for forensic science lab equipment.
Harris County Commissioners Court is considering approving a sole source agreement with Oxford Instruments America, Inc. for $130,339. The contract would cover Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometer detectors for the Institute of Forensic Sciences, running from August 25, 2026 to August 24, 2027, with four one-year renewal options. The item was introduced on August 14, 2026.
Harris County's crime lab uses special microscope equipment to analyze evidence. This contract pays for detector parts on that equipment. County residents may care because it affects how forensic evidence is processed.