SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

Department of Energy, Hanford Field Office

Support Services Required: Budget formulaƟon, financial planning, strategic planning, policy analysis, and Congressional liaison funcƟons

Requiring OrganizaƟon(s): HFO Office of the Chief of Staff and Assistant Manager for Business and Financial OperaƟons

ContracƟng Officer: Megan Harrison

1. Nature and/or DescripƟon of the AcƟon Being Approved: This Sole Source JusƟficaƟon approves the award of a non-compeƟƟve, Ɵme and materials contract for specialized support services to the HFO Office of the Chief of Staff and the Assistant Manager for Business and Financial OperaƟons. The services encompass budget formulaƟon, financial planning, strategic planning, policy analysis, and criƟcal Congressional liaison funcƟons.

Intended Awardee: Mercia Advisors, LLC

Period of Performance: The award is for a one-year base period.

2. DescripƟon of the Supplies or Services Required to Meet the Agency's Needs: This requirement is for comprehensive, expert-level support services to the HFO Office of the Chief of Staff and the Assistant Manager for Business and Financial OperaƟons. These services include strategic areas such as budget formulaƟon, financial planning, strategic planning, policy analysis, and criƟcal Congressional liaison funcƟons. The selected contractor will also be responsible for preparing HFO staff for engagement with Congressional commiƩees and will deliver various financial analyses, budget exhibits, briefing materials, and congressional response documents, with ad hoc analyƟcal support as needed.

3. Authority for Other Than Full and Open CompeƟƟon (FAR 6.302-1): This acquisiƟon is being conducted under the authority of FAR 6.302-1, “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will saƟsfy agency requirements.” This authority is applicable when the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source, or for unique services that require a specific contractor due to their specialized nature.

4. DemonstraƟon that the Proposed Contractor's Unique QualificaƟons or Nature of the AcquisiƟon Requires Use of the Cited Authority:

Key Argument 1: Established RelaƟonships and Congressional ExperƟse: The PWS explicitly requires established relaƟonships and extensive experience interfacing with and supporƟng congressional staff on the appropriaƟons commiƩees. These relaƟonships are not merely transacƟonal; they are built upon years of trust, and direct rapport with key congressional members and staff, which Mercia Advisors, LLC possesses through its proven track record in high-stakes federal environments. The appropriaƟons commiƩees are highly specialized, and effecƟve engagement demands a nuanced understanding of their processes, prioriƟes, and unwriƩen rules, which can only be gained through sustained, direct experience. A contractor without these pre-exisƟng, mature relaƟonships and this specific depth of insight would require an extensive and unacceptable period to culƟvate them. This would jeopardize HFO's ability to secure vital funding and effecƟvely shape legislaƟve outcomes related to its mission requirements.

Key Argument 2: Interagency and Intergovernmental CoordinaƟon: The PWS also highlights the necessity for interagency and intergovernmental coordinaƟon. This involves navigaƟng complex stakeholder environments beyond just Congress, including other federal agencies, state governments, and various external enƟƟes criƟcal to HFO's mission. The intended contractor possesses pre-exisƟng, strong working relaƟonships across these diverse groups, facilitaƟng seamless collaboraƟon and avoiding delays inherent in establishing new contacts and credibility.

Key Argument 3: ExperƟse in Preparing HFO Staff for High-Stakes Engagements: The requirement to prepare HFO staff and other DOE staff to effecƟvely engage with members of the House and Senate Armed Services commiƩees' is paramount. This goes beyond simple briefing material preparaƟon; it involves strategic coaching, anƟcipaƟng congressional concerns, and tailoring messaging for high-stakes discussions and legislaƟve development. This experƟse is derived from a long-standing, inƟmate knowledge of both HFO's strategic objecƟves and the poliƟcal intricacies of these criƟcal commiƩees.

Key Argument 4: Deep InsƟtuƟonal Knowledge of HFO's Mission and Funding: The PWS mandates that the contractor understand and be familiar with HFO’s mission, projects, and their relaƟonship with HFO’s funding control points. The protracted and complex nature of HFO's mission necessitates a contractor with exisƟng, deep insƟtuƟonal knowledge of HFO's specific programs, historical challenges, funding mechanisms, and long-term strategic vision. Mercia Advisors, LLC, possesses this criƟcal insƟtuƟonal knowledge through the direct, extensive experience of its key personnel who served as federal employee within DOE with direct knowledge of HFO operaƟons. This background provides a first-hand, comprehensive understanding of HFO's specific programs, historical context, funding control points, and strategic prioriƟes that is unique and immediately applicable. A new contractor without this unparalleled level of internal historical experƟse would face a considerable and unacceptable learning curve, resulƟng in unacceptable delays, potenƟal missteps in financial planning, and an inability to provide Ɵmely, accurate, and strategically aligned support from the incepƟon of the contract.

Key Argument 5: Comprehensive Stakeholder & Policy Landscape Understanding: The requirement for experience and knowledge of academia, special interest, and the government’s administraƟon prioriƟes and challenges further underscores the comprehensive and unique insight required. The intended contractor has demonstrated this holisƟc understanding, which is essenƟal for developing robust strategic plans and conducƟng thorough policy analysis that considers all relevant influencing factors.

Conclusion: Based on these unique and interconnected requirements, parƟcularly the indispensable need for established, trusted relaƟonships with key congressional commiƩees, the unparalleled internal historical experƟse of Mercia Advisors, LLC's key personnel regarding HFO's complex mission and funding streams, and proven experƟse in high-level interagency coordinaƟon, it is determined that only Mercia Advisors, LLC, currently possesses the demonstrated, specialized capabiliƟes to effecƟvely perform the required services without causing substanƟal duplicaƟon of costs or unacceptable delays in meeƟng HFO's criƟcal mission objecƟves.

5. DescripƟon of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from Other Sources: Due to the specialized nature of these services and the criƟcal need for exisƟng relaƟonships and insƟtuƟonal knowledge, a formal effort to solicit offers from mulƟple sources is not feasible without incurring unacceptable delays and significant mission risk. However, a NoƟce of Intent to Award a Sole Source Contract (NoƟce ID 2026- DOE-AMP-0018) was published on SAM.gov on March 16, 2026, with responses due on March 26, 2026. This NoƟce of Intent provided an opportunity for any other interested source to demonstrate its ability to meet the requirements of the PWS. IniƟal market research for similar high-level strategic and congressional support services idenƟfied no other firms possessing the specific combinaƟon of established congressional relaƟonships, interagency coordinaƟon experience, and in-depth HFO insƟtuƟonal knowledge required to effecƟvely execute this PWS. Only one vendor submiƩed a capability statement in response to NoƟce ID 2026-DOE-AMP-0018 and upon review, the submission did not provide the required informaƟon as outlined in the NoƟce of Intent. Specifically, it did not sufficiently demonstrate their ability to meet the specified requirements for budgetary formulaƟon, business strategy, and congressional liaison services with DOE-specific experƟse, nor did it explicitly explain how they could perform the work as outlined. The lack of qualified responses further demonstrates that there is only one responsible source who can perform the scope in accordance with FAR 6.302-1.

6. DeterminaƟon by the ContracƟng Officer that the AnƟcipated Cost Will Be Fair and Reasonable: The ContracƟng Officer anƟcipates that the cost proposed by Mercia Advisors, LLC, for these services will be determined fair and reasonable. This determinaƟon will be made prior to contract award and will be based on a comprehensive cost or price analysis in accordance with FAR Part 15.4. This analysis will include, but not be limited to, review of comparison to Government esƟmates, assessment of proposed labor categories and rates against market benchmarks, and/or other relevant data as appropriate.

Labor rate market research was conducted using the GSA CalculaƟon tool: Pricing: Hourly Labor Ceiling Rates. Labor categories corresponding to this acƟon were queried for comparable data across GSA schedule contracts. Although this award will not be awarded from a GSA schedule, it serves as a tool for an independent cost esƟmate. Three different labor categories were queried. The first labor category, Senior Consultant, resulted in an average GSA price of $186/hour in a range between $150/hour and $227/hour. The second labor category, Subject MaƩer Expert, resulted in an average GSA price of $200/hour in a range between $156/hour and $254/hour. The third labor category, Senior Advisor, resulted in an average GSA price of $248/hour in a range between $188/hour and $296/hour.

7. DescripƟon of the Market Research Conducted: Market research was conducted by searching for similar awards in SAM.gov and performing general internet searches to idenƟfy potenƟal sources capable of performing this scope. This research indicated that while several firms can provide general budget or policy analysis, none possess the unique combinaƟon of established, high-level relaƟonships with specific appropriaƟons and armed services commiƩees, combined with the demonstrated, direct experience and comprehensive understanding of DOE and HFO's unique mission complexiƟes and historical financial landscape, that is essenƟal for this requirement. The highly specialized nature of the Congressional liaison funcƟons, parƟcularly the reliance on pre-exisƟng trust and rapport for criƟcal appropriaƟons work, combined with the need for immediate, effecƟve support, significantly narrows the pool of potenƟal contractors. Based on this thorough market research, Mercia Advisors, LLC, has been idenƟfied as the only firm demonstraƟng the required unique combinaƟon of specialized relaƟonships, direct experience, and deep insƟtuƟonal understanding necessary to meet these criƟcal requirements.

To further validate these findings and ensure no other qualified sources exist, a NoƟce of Intent to Award a Sole Source contract (NoƟce ID 2026-DOE-AMP-0018) was published on SAM.gov on March 16, 2026, with responses due on March 26, 2026, inviƟng any other companies capable of performing the services outlined in the PWS to submit their capabiliƟes. Only one vendor submiƩed a capability statement in response to the NoƟce of Intent to Award a Sole Source contract was received and upon review, the submission did not provide the required informaƟon as outlined in the NoƟce of Intent. Specifically, it did not sufficiently demonstrate their ability to meet the specified requirements for budgetary formulaƟon, business strategy, and congressional liaison services with DOE-specific experƟse, nor did it explicitly explain how they could perform the work as outlined. The vendor stated “Our directly relevant capabiliƟes include: Professional development and cerƟficaƟon training (PMP, Security+)” which is does not saƟsfy the requirements of the PWS.

8. Statement of the Government's Minimum Needs: The Government's minimum needs are explicitly outlined in the aƩached PWS. Any reducƟon in the scope or quality of these services, parƟcularly regarding the criƟcal Congressional liaison and insƟtuƟonal experience requirements, would severely compromise HFO's ability to achieve its strategic objecƟves and manage its criƟcal funding porƞolios.

9. Approvals:

Technical Monitor:

Pam Zimmerman, HFO Chief of Staff (Requiring AcƟvity)

ContracƟng Officer:

Megan Harrison ContracƟng Officer