2025.09.24 Maritime FAR 16 J&A Redacted.pdf

CUI

SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104

CUI 1

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Fiscal Year 26 (FY26) Maritime Portal Subscription

HTC71125QE163

Control Number: 25-168

1. CONTRACTING ACTIVITY.

United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), IT Programs and Support Services Division, 508 Scott Drive, Building 1900W Scott AFB IL 62225-5357

2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTION BEING APPROVED & DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR

SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET THE AGENCY’S NEEDS.

The USTRANSCOM, Command, Control, Communications, and Cyber Systems Directorate, has a requirement for FY26) Maritime Portal (Gold) Subscription – 35 Concurrent Users. The anticipated action is the award of a Firm-Fixed Price task order issued against the Library of Congress Federal Library and Information Network contract LCFDL23D0052.

The anticipated award will have a period of performance from 23 October 2025 through 22 October 2026, with a total estimated value of

3. AUTHORITY & SUPPORTING RATIONAL.

FAR 16.505(a)(4)(i) – Item Peculiar to One Manufacturer. The cited authority is applicable to this requirement as the Maritime Portal subscription is a brand-name item essential to the Government’s needs.

4. JUSTIFICATION/BRAND NAME.

In accordance with FAR 16.505(a)(4)(i), restricting consideration to an item peculiar to one manufacturer is justified when a particular brand-name product or feature is essential to the Government’s requirements, and market research indicates that other companies’ similar products, or products lacking the particular feature(s), do not meet or cannot be modified to meet the agency’s needs.

This requirement is a Brand Name Only acquisition. S&P Global (dba IHS Global, Inc.), the service provider, and its authorized resellers are the sole sources capable of delivering the capabilities required for global operational sealift mission planning using their AISLive and SeaWeb Portal. The Maritime Portal subscription includes AISLive which provides up to date ship locations and SeaWeb services which provides up to date port and ship information, along with Ports, Distance Tables, and commercial shipping information, which are industry standards for providing real-time port data, shipping information, ship positioning, and detailed commercial vessel data. The integration of industry-leading reference data and business rules for global ocean shipping capabilities available on the portal site is essential for timely sealift mission planning.

Controlled by: USTRANSCOM Controlled by: Directorate of Acquisition CUI Category/ies: SSEL Limited Dissemination Control: FED ONLY

POC:

CUI 2

SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104

Specific capabilities provided by the Maritime Portal subscription include:

Detailed pier data: Identifies support for roll-on/roll-off operations, crane availability, and hazardous cargo handling.

Commercial vessel characteristics: Provides real-time ship location data, deck information, and International Maritime Organization ship identification numbers for compliance with maritime regulations.

Map planning tools: Offers day-by-day planning with integrated sea navigation rules, piracy and danger area identification for risk mitigation, and "what-if" scenario development.

The methodologies utilized to generate data, information, and analytics, as well as, the feed, navigation, retrieval, and analysis tools offered in conjunction with this information set, are proprietary to S&P Global. These proprietary tools and methodologies are integral to the Maritime Portal subscription and are not available from any other vendor. No other vendor combines all of these required capabilities into a single solution that also provides the latest updates to the data feed. The subscription consolidates critical information into one package, enabling real-time course-of-action development and visualization for senior leaders. This ensures USTRANSCOM maintains decision advantage and preserves decision space for effective mission execution. No other subscription service provides all of these capabilities under one solution, making S&P Global the sole source capable of meeting the Government’s requirements.

TIAN V. WYLIE, Capt, USAF Contracting Officer