B08_SOL_Attachment_1___Sole_Source_Justification_(Redacted).pdf

United States Department of the Interior

INTERIOR BUSINESS CENTER

Washington, DC 20240

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS

AUTHORITY: FAR 13.501(a), 41 U.S.C. 1901

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1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Sole Source Justification.”

This document is a sole source justification for the Department of the Interior, Interior Business Center, Acquisition Services Directorate, Division V, Branch V on behalf of the Peace Corps.

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

The purpose of this justification is to procure a new Purchase Order for Discovery Education, Inc. services that provide global connections educational resource development and distribution for the Office of the Third Goal and Returned Volunteer Services.

The specific vendor considered for award is:

Discovery Education, Inc.

4350 Congress ST STE 700

Charlotte, North Carolina 28209-4953, United States

3. A description of supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value).

The Peace Corps requires the creation of standards-aligned, ethical, and engaging multimedia global education resources appropriate for students in grades five through eight. These resources will provide free and open access to for educators throughout the United States through a web-based solution platform that allows for easy classroom implementation. This will include multimedia resources such as videos, as well as supporting lesson plans and activities for learners, and educator support necessary to implement the resources.

The period of performance is for a one (1) year base period and four (4) one-year option periods with an estimated value of .

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creators – every aspect of creating and promoting content can be done in-house, and Discovery Education has a unique ability to reach educators all across the country in numbers simply not possible for Peace Corps alone.

6. A description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by FAR Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under FAR 5.202 applies.

During the initial market research, a sources sought notice was posted on SAM.gov from 8/3/2023 to 8/9/2023, requesting interested and capable parties to respond for this requirement. The Government received one (1) response (small business). At this time, the technical subject matter experts identified that the contractor did not have the necessary developed platform to deliver to over one million U.S based educators. Also, there was no indication that the vendor created content for K-12 audiences, has experience developing content aligned with national education standards, or has an existing platform that reaches K-12 educators. The Contracting Officer and Peace Corps reviewed the response, and determined they were not capable to support this requirement.

A Notice of Intent to Sole Source was posted on SAM.gov from 11/7/2023 to 11/17/2023. The Notice of Intent to Sole Source was posted as required by FAR Subpart 5.2 and no responses were received to the posting.

This Sole Source Justification will be made publicly available in accordance with 41 U.S.C.§3304(f)(1)(A) and (f)(2) and FAR 6.305(a) and (d).

7. A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the

Government will be fair and reasonable.

The Contracting Officer determines the anticipated estimated Purchase Order value of will be determined fair and reasonable using price analysis techniques described at FAR 13.106-3 (2)(iv), comparison to with similar items in a related industry and FAR 13.106-3(2)(vi), comparison to the Independent Government Estimate.

8. A description of the market research conducted (see Part 10) and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Market Research revealed only one qualified source for these educational services, Discovery Education, Inc. Discovery Education, Inc. is the exclusive provider of the proprietary platform and services required by the Government. No other company can provide these educational services to the Peace Corps. The Discovery Education, Inc. is the only service and platform that comply with Peace Corps complete list of requirements.

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9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition, such as:

As mentioned early, in order to ensure that content is accessible to a substantial portion of U.S. educators, the contractor must be able to demonstrate an existing user base including a minimum of one million U.S. based educators. This requirement stems from audience research, which indicated that having resources available via a familiar platform that has previously been approved for use in schools lowers barriers for educators adding content to their classroom. Additionally, having a significant existing user base verifies the capability of the vendor to scale program reach through their channels, which is central to achieving the agency’s strategic goals.

10. A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

No other capable sources have expressed an interest, in writing, in the proposed acquisition.

11. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required.

As outlined above, market research in conjunction with the Peace Corps has determined there are no other commercial applications available that’s capable of fulfilling the current requirement for the Global Connections Materials. Discovery Education, Inc is the only vendor capable of fulfilling the requirement. The Government will base their acquisition strategy on future requirements on this market research and will continue to conduct market research for future procurements for new sources that enter the commercial market place.