06_Sole_Source_Justification_clean_copy__Redacted_1.pdf

NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY

ADMINISTRATION

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

Bridge Contract Operational/Administrative Business Support Services

GSA Schedule GS-10F-0164V Call Order No. 89233121FNA400339

I. AGENCY IDENTITY AND CONTRACTING

The United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration’s (DOE/NNSA) Office of Partnership and Acquisition Services (PAS) reports to the Administrator and is responsible for providing professional acquisition and project management to the program offices. The contracting activity is the DOE/NNSA, PAS, Office of Acquisition Services, Contracting Operations Division, Program Support Acquisition Branch (NA-PAS-315).

II. NATURE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION BEING APPROVED

This is a justification for a 12-month bridge extension for non-personal services, specifically to sustain operational/administrative business support services for Office of Partnership and Acquisitions Services (NA-PAS-1), Office of the Chief of Staff (NA-PAS-1.1), Office of Special Staff (NA-PAS-1.2), Office of Acquisition Policy (NA-PAS-10), Office of Partnership Services (NA-PAS-20), and Office of Acquisition Services (NA-PAS-30). The existing Contractor is Harkcon, Inc. (Harkcon) and the Call Order was issued utilizing DOE/NNSA Enterprise Wide Technical, Engineering and Programmatic (TEPS) II Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). The Call Order expires August 2, 2026. This bridge extension will be executed as a modification to the existing Call Order. The anticipated period of performance for this bridge extension is August 3, 2026, through July 31, 2027 with an estimated value of $1,005,257.

III. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES AND/OR SERVICES

The required services during this bridge extension are identical in scope and nature to those currently being provided. The contractor provides essential administrative and management analysis support tasks for various NA-PAS offices. These tasks generally involve correspondence management, document review, meeting coordination, travel arrangements, data management, and support for project reviews. A key aspect of these services is the contractor's deep engagement with the Corporate Performance Evaluation Process (CPEP), which is crucial for monitoring and improving performance across NNSA and DOE programs. Furthermore, the contractor's personnel are required to possess and demonstrate proficiency in specialized software applications such as Concur for travel management, eDOCS for comprehensive correspondence and document management, and RevCom for effective policy development and review. The Contractor shall continue to provide Project Manager and Analyst (Level 1, 3 and 4) personnel. All personnel providing these services are required to possess proficiency in applications and other specialized software relevant to their roles.

IV. AUTHORITY

The authority for this bridge extension is established under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) 8.401(b), which identifies the use of Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) for commercial procurement actions. Specifically, Subpart 538.71 of the RFO, as referenced in section 8.401(b), provides explicit guidance for placing orders against FSS. Within this framework, Subpart 538.7104-3 addresses the criteria for sole source justifications when issuing orders under these schedules. In accordance with (IAW) Subpart 538.7104-3(iii), a sole source justification is permitted when an order is issued on a sole source basis in the interest of economy and efficiency, specifically because it represents a logical follow-on to a FSS order that was previously awarded through a competitive process. In this case, the use of a bridge extension contract is justified and necessary to ensure continuity of essential acquisition administrative support services. This measure is being taken to prevent any interruption in these critical services while a fully competitive contract action is being finalized.

V. APPLICATION OF AUTHORITY

This bridge contract is essential to maintain critical administrative and management analysis support for the NA-PAS, ensuring continuity of vital services. These services are a direct and logical extension of the work previously performed under a competitively issued FSS order. The previous FSS order established a proven and efficient means of securing the necessary expertise for professional acquisition administration and project management objectives. Awarding this 12-month bridge contract as a logical follow-on to the competitively issued FSS order represents the most economical and efficient approach. This 12-month bridge contract is in the interest of economy and efficiency because it is a temporary measure to directly prevent service disruptions and maintain essential operations, leveraging established efficiencies and expertise (which logically follows from the originally awarded task order), until a new competitively awarded contract can be implemented.

The contractor's established proficiency with NNSA and DOE programs and processes, gained through their performance on the prior competitively awarded contract, is directly relevant to the ongoing need for support. This includes crucial functions such as supporting the CPEP through iPortal management, meeting organization, implementation guidance drafting, and activity tracking.

Furthermore, their continuous coordination with NA-IM and Energy IT Services (EITS) for technology troubleshooting, and their expertise in software applications like Concur for travel management, eDOCS for correspondence and record keeping, and RevCom for policy development, are all critical components that were integral to the scope of the prior FSS order.

VI. EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL SOURCES

As this is a bridge extension taken as a sole source action under Subpart 538.7104-3 to maintain continuity of essential services, the efforts to solicit offers from multiple sources are limited for this specific interim period. The primary objective is to bridge the gap between the current contract and the subsequent long-term, fully competitive solution.

VII. DETERMINATION OF REASONABLENESS OF COST OR PRICE

A fair and reasonable price determination is not required for FSS products, services, or solutions at the order level or BPA level as FSS contract pricing has been determined fair and reasonable. The Contracting Officer (CO) has determined after considering the level of effort and the mix of skills available for the tasks needed, that the proposed action represents a reasonable total price and will be the best value for the Government consistent with 538.7102-2(d)(2).

VIII. MARKET RESEARCH

Market research conducted for the original TEPS II Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) established competitive pricing for acquisition administrative support services. For the current bridge extension, the focus of market research has shifted to confirming the ongoing need for these services and evaluating the incumbent contractor's capability to deliver them seamlessly throughout the interim period. The incumbent's familiarity with NNSA's specialized systems and processes positions them to provide uninterrupted support, which is essential to maintain operational continuity and efficiency.

Given that this bridge contract represents a logical follow-on to a FSS order previously awarded through a competitive process, the incumbent's ability to perform is crucial in avoiding service disruption. Ongoing market research for a competitive contract will be documented as the requirements and acquisition strategy are further developed.

Competition Advocate:

I have reviewed this Subpart 538.7104-3 sole source justification and find it to be accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Since this justification does not exceed $20M, this review serves as approval.

Signature