1.04 Sole Source Justification- March 30 2026_signed 1_Redacted.pdf

This is a Justification for Sole Source document for a federal contract opportunity under simplified procedures for purchases up to the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT).

The United States Naval Observatory (USNO) is procuring specialized Earth orientation parameters (EOP) analysis and software development services on a sole source basis from Dr. Dennis McCarthy (Contractor: Dennis McCarthy, CAGE Code: 6ZJR0). The procurement is justified under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 12.102(a) due to the unavailability of substitutes. The services involve developing and maintaining standards for Earth orientation parameters, including polar motion and rotation quantities that are part of the EOP set, with a focus on analyzing and producing EOP results. The contract is a continuation of existing services currently performed under contract N0018922PZ442. The period of performance includes a base year from 10 July 2026 to 09 July 2027, with three option years extending through 09 July 2030. The total estimated value of the requirement is redacted in the document.

The justification emphasizes that Dr. McCarthy is a world-renowned expert with over 25 years of experience in EOP analysis and has been instrumental in developing original software used at USNO for computing polar motion, UT1-UTC, and celestial pole offset calculations. His unique expertise in International Earth and Reference Systems Service (IERS) conventions, precession and nutation models, and polar motion prediction methodologies, combined with the critical need for service continuity, makes him the only reasonably available source for this requirement. The contracting officer and requiring activity have certified that the circumstances justify sole source procurement.