JA_for_sole_source_procurement_Frankfurt_Ethernet_Connectivity.pdf

American Consulate General Regional Procurement Support Office [RPSO]

Giessenerstrasse 30 D-60435 Frankfurt am Main

Germany

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL (J&A)

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. The Office of Acquisition Management, sub-office RPSO Frankfurt, is conducting this acquisition of a contract for Internet and Ethernet data connections for US Mission Germany. The estimated cost is $1.7 Million for the base year and four option years.

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

The Regional Procurement Support Office, Frankfurt, in its support of the US Mission Germany, recommends the use of other than full and open competition, for the acquisition of Internet and Ethernet connection services, for a period of five years. The resulting contract would include one base year and four option years. The US Mission will continue the consolidation of all Internet connections that currently exist with T Systems Germany, for the Embassy in Berlin and the Consulates in Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Dtisseldorf and Leipzig. In addition, this contract covers data services received to support the Frankfurt hub for Embassy and Consulate connections within Europe.

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the Department's needs.

The US Mission Germany requires a continuation of the Internet and Ethernet services with the current vendor, T-Systems. It was determined that issuance of a five (5) year contract would be in the best interest of the US Government and that the comprehensive list of different connection types required by the US Mission could only be supplied by T-Systems. The following requirements were compiled by the US Mission Germany for the new internet and Ethernet service contract:

1. All circuits shall be completely transparent to the data rates listed herein, with no bits added to or deleted from the bit stream provided to the interface of the Department of State equipment. The Contractor must own the circuitry from the Point of Presence to the entry point at all facilities. There shall be no sub contracting of the last mile. All services must have a committed information rate (CIR) dedicated (not shared) Internet Bandwidth, 24/7, "always-on" with unlimited usage.

2. The connections shall be for the exclusive use of the Embassy and Consulates, 24-hours per day, 7 days per week, and 52 weeks per year.

3. The Contractor shall coordinate the service and shall be responsible for the technical requirements of the circuit, including services necessary to establish, operate, and restore the circuit.

19GE5018R0046 Internet Connections for US Mission Germany Page 1 of6