ICC_Sole_Source_Redacted_for_posting.pdf

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

I. Description of supplies or services required (including estimated value).

Itasca Community College (ICC) (Contractor) shall provide undergraduate students to work in our chemistry laboratory. Duties may include but are not limited to logging in soil, water and plant samples, prepping samples, and analyzing samples on simple instrumentation such as a pH meter. Students may also be asked to complete general labor duties that are a traditional effort in a research lab, such as wash labware and track chemical inventories.

Estimated Value is not expected to exceed in a five-year period.

The award contract will be for 5 years beginning October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2024.

The deliverable that will result from the contract is high quality laboratory for scientific use and a good undergraduate student experience.

2. Which of the Following Circumstances Permitting Other than Full and Open Competition Applies:

The authority permitting other than full and open competition in this acquisition is in FAR 6.302- 3(a)(2)(ii), under the Application in 6.302-3(b)(2)(iii). This authority allows for other than full and open competition with the requirement is needed to "establish or maintain an essential engineering, research, or development capability to be provided by an educational or other nonprofit institution ... "

ICC is the only college or university in Grand Rapids. They are co-located with the USDA Forest Service Forestry Sciences Building which houses the chemistry laboratory. They are our only source of undergraduate students within a 40 mile radius.

The two organizations work together in a formal capacity substantially increase the labor research capabilities to each organization, leveraging the dollars of each organization for the future of students, scientists and science.

3. A demonstration that the proposed contractor's ·unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited.

ICC has both programs in Forestry and Engineering that require basic chemistry courses. Students from these programs are uniquely qualified to work in our chemistry laboratory while attaining their 2 year associates degree.

4. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable.

The nature ofR&D service contracts do not lend themselves to competition, as referenced in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 35.007-Research and Development Solicitation, which reads in part:

The submission and subsequent evaluation of an inordinate number of R&D proposals from sources lacking appropriate qualifications is costly and time-consuming to both industry and the Government. Therefore, contracting officers should initially distribute solicitations only to sources

7/8/2019 technically qualified to perform research and development in the specific field of science or technology involved. Cognizant technical personnel should recommend potential sources that appear qualified, as a result of-

( 1) Present and past performance of similar work;

(2) Professional statue and reputation;

(3) Relative position in a particular field of endeavor;

(4) Ability to acquire and retain the professional and technical capability, including facilities, required to perform the work; and

(5) Other relevant factors.

As previously acknowledge, ICC has similar areas of concentration that complement the work of this USDA Forest Service unit. This is a specific area of science with logistical issues that would not allow for another vendors inclusion.

5. Is the Price Fair and Reasonable?

The advantage for the student is getting experience in their field and building their resume.

6. A description of market survey conducted and the results or a statement of reasons why market survey was not conducted.

No market survey was performed because of the contractor's unique qualifications as stated above.

7. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition.

FAR 35.002 - Research and Development General, acknowledges the unique purposes and difficulties in contracting for research actions. It reads:

The primary purpose of contracted R&D programs is to advance scientific and technical knowledge and apply that knowledge to the extent necessary to achieve agency and national goals. Unlike contracts for supplies and services, most R&D contract are directed toward objectives for which the work or methods cannot be precisely described in advance. It is difficult to judge the probabilities of success or required effort for technical approaches, some of which offer little or no early assurance of full success. The contracting process shall be used to encourage the best sources form the scientific and industrial community to become involved in the program and must provide an environment in which the work can be pursued with reasonable flexibility and minimum administrative burden.

To the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that this justification is accurate and complete.

0~7n.~ Contracting Officer Date