FAR 13 Single Source or Brand Name Justification Less Than SAT Refinitiv - Redacted.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture Limited Source/Brand Name Justification

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) – Simplified Acquisitions Control No. 1138310

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity.

Requesting Agency: Brian Adam, Crops Branch Chief Timothy Ruth, Contracting Officer Representative

Economic Research Service (ERS) Market and Trade Economics Division (MTED

355 E Street, SW 5-182 Washington, DC 20024-3221

Contracting Activity: Katelyn Nelson, Contracting Officer 5601 Sunnyside Ave Beltsville, MD 20705

2. Description of supply or service required to meet the agency’s needs.

The Economic Research Service (ERS) provides agricultural economic research and policy services that address issues at the forefront of domestic and global concerns. Within ERS, the Market and Trade Economics Division (MTED) monitors, evaluates, and conducts research on domestic and foreign economic and policy factors affecting agricultural markets and trade.

MTED intends on awarding a sole source, firm fixed price contract to Refinitiv Eikon to fulfill the specific acquisition requirements in the salient characteristics. Refinitiv Eikon supplies the futures price data, critical for MTED Outlook and research programs. This contract would include cash prices, which are an essential part of Outlook analysis, and it permits using an API, allowing multiple economists/analysts to utilize at the same time.

3. The rationale or circumstances for limiting competition.

MTED employees monitor, evaluate, and conduct research on domestic and foreign economic and policy factors affecting agricultural markets and trade. MTED is required to meet congressionally mandated deadlines for required data products, and often these reporting requirements have short timelines and require specific data. These products require real time data which includes commodities trading, equities trading, FX trading, corporate treasuries and applied analytics to those trading events.

Refinitiv Eikon data are used to prepare outlook analysis, the primary product of MTED accounting for 94% of web traffic. Refinitiv Eikon has extensive information on the economy, including commodities trading, corporate treasury, equities trading, fixed income trading and investment research, including research, port loading data, up-to-date export/import data and drill-down level of data for weather in specific countries, all of which have a significant input to outlook analysis. They offer multiple integrations, including but not limited to Excel for ease of use. The data, includes but is not limited to economics data, commodities trading, corporate treasury, equities trading, fixed income trading, investment research. Futures prices must include corn, wheat, soybeans, soybean oil and meal, cotton, sugar and various commodity exchange prices for coal and oil. Also included are cash prices for major commodities at various locations across the United States and weather data for major countries, including Brazil, Russia and Argentina. Weather data should include precipitation, temperature and soil moisture.

The data is provided in multiple formats via web or downloaded off web built on open technology platform. This allows significant flexibility in how data is consumed and used. Lastly, it is easy to cross-reference data which reduce workflow and ease the data burden when producing products.

Competitors do not have the capability of providing one portal that included downloadable reports, intuitive functions for granular data, applied analytics. Additionally alternative vendors may have had a few commodities and the associated data, however Refinitiv had the most commodities, particularly including coal and oil alongside the other agricultural commodities.

4. A description of the market research conducted and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Market research was conducted which did not yield any other products or services that can meet the Government’s specific requirements. It was determined that Refinitiv Eikon is the only supplier that can meet the unique requirements of the ERS MTED environment.

GSA Market Research As a Service (MRAS) was conducted for this requirement and an RFI was posted on 5/23/2024, closing on 6/5/2024. No vendors fully met Refinitiv Eikon’s capabilities, and no GSA vendors were found that could meet the specialized data requirements. The vendors that replied to the RFI (Mintec and Agflow ) were seeking to build a database, rather than have real-time data available.

Market and Trade Economics Division requires the data in real-time and must have immediate download capabilities. No GSA vendors offered these options.

The two responding vendors, Mintec and Agflow were reviewed, and the analysts examined the provided data, products and platforms, port loading data, up to date export/import data and drill down level of data for weather in specific countries is required. Though they offered some rudimentary aspects of this data, they were not as in depth, up to date nor as accessible as Refinitiv Eikon. While Mintec provided global food commodity price data, they did not have enough of the indirect data variables utilized by analysts, as mentioned above, specifically freight rates. Agflow also provided commodity prices but was lacking in weather data. Refinitiv Eikon is the only vendor who can satisfy the specific needs of the ERS MTED.

5. Estimated price, including all options, if applicable.

Base Year: $17,292.00 Option Year 1: $17,892.00 Option Year 2: $18,516.00 Option Year 3: $19,176.00

Option Year 4: $19,836.00

Total Value: $92,712.00

6. Recommended source.

Refinitiv US LLC 28 Liberty Street, 58th Floor C/O London Stock Exchange Group New York, NY 10005-1457

SAM UEI: G7QMJLMJ1BF3

POC: Omay Tsuei omay.tsuei@lseg.com (646)477-0761

Certifications

Supporting data that is the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel and which form the basis for this justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge.

Brian Adam Crops Branch Chief ERS Market and Trade Economics Division

The information contained in this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief and in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 13.106-1(b)(1), I hereby determine the circumstances described above deem only one source, or limited sources, reasonably available and competition is precluded for the reasons indicated in this document.

Katelyn Nelson Contracting Officer Contracting Operations Branch

The information contained in this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief and in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 13.106-1(b)(1), I hereby determine the circumstances described above deem only one source, or limited sources, reasonably available and competition is precluded for the reasons indicated in this document.

Christopher Tomlin Contracting Officer Team Lead Contracting Operations Branch