20RGM72_Redacted_non-comp.pdf

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

JUSTIFICATION

1. Contracting Activity

The Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC-CR), Global Department Contracts Branch, Code 0221.

2. Description of the Action Being Approved

Award of a five year firm fixed price Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract on a sole source basis for the use of Cyclotron Facility Research Services in support of radiation component testing for the to Texas A&M University, 400 Bizzel St, College Station, TX 77843 (CAGE: 1RTZ4).

3. Description of Supplies/Services

The Contractor shall provide Cyclotron Beam facility and testing services for research and testing of radiation effects on various micro-electronic components. The

Cyclotron Beam facility shall provide a range of ions species and energies as required by NSWC-CR projects with

. The facility shall provide user interface software to monitor and record beam condition which is required for the research testing. The Cyclotron

Beam facility shall provide complete user dosimetry.

The Department of Defense’s (DoD) minimum needs have been verified by the certifying technical and requirements personnel.

This IDIQ is estimated to be a maximum of $6.2M over a five-year period and funded with appropriations from Weapons

Procurement, Navy (WPN) and Research, Development, Test, and

Evaluation (RDT&E).

IN REPLY REFER TO:

J&A Number: CR-20063

Code: GXM

P.R. Number: N0016420QGM72

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

CRANE DIVISION

NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER

300 HIGHWAY 361

CRANE INDIANA 47522-5001

Estimated Dollar Value

Funds

Type FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 Totals

Total $6,167,472

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open

Competition

10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) and in accordance with FAR 6.302-

1(a)(2), only one responsible source and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy the needs of the agency.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority

All DoD space and missile systems must survive radiation effects in space as well as high threat, man-made environments to remain effective. The survivability of components must continuously evolve as new threats are posed and new sensors and systems are designed to counter the environmental threats.

Cyclotron Beam facilities are a fundamental tool used to characterize the response of electronics in hostile environments to ensure the survivability and functionality of the components. Cyclotrons provide an analogous simulation of cosmic radiation. The Cyclotrons induce single event upsets in active memory chips. Many commercial manufacturers and aeronautics companies, like Intel, Texas

Instruments, and Boeing, use Cyclotron Beam facilities to test and mitigate errors due to single event upsets.

for the inform these technical requirements defining the range of linear energy transfer (LET) and flux requirements.

have same overall goal as , that is, to simulate the cosmic radiation that the devices under test will be exposed to in their operating environment (space and/or above atmosphere), so the durability of devices can be determined and single event upsets that cause errors can be mitigated. Specifically among the technical requirements is the Cyclotron Beam facility must be capable of heavy ion beams which can provide the ion species, depth of penetration, energy and LET, along with the dosimetry data of the penetration needed to predict functionality, survivability, and possible design hardening methodologies required for this effort. Currently, NSWC-CR has a contract with Texas A&M University for the Cyclotron Beam facility requirements via contract number N00164-15-D-GM44. The contract ceiling is expected to be met in April 2020 and a follow-on contract is required to meet the DoD’s ongoing testing requirements.

Through market research and the Request for Information

(RFI), via FedBizOps, it has been determined that Texas A&M

University is the only technically viable source for the required Cyclotron Beam facility. Texas A&M has the only

Cyclotron Beam facility with heavy ion beams capable of meeting DoD testing requirements. No other private facility or DoD facility could be found with the required capability and beam characteristics needed for the series of research testing required by the DoD.

In addition, Texas A&M is the only Cyclotron Beam facility with the specialized dosimetry hardware and software required to monitor and record beam characteristics with respect to ion specie, ion energy, average ion flux, accumulated ion fluence, beam uniformity, beam degraders, and beam degrader angle. Without this specialized dosimetry hardware and software, it would be impossible to duplicate the beam characteristics of a Heavy Ion Dose test for radiation effects. Again, market research results in no other facility with the required specialized dosimetry hardware and software.

The Texas A&M Cyclotron Beam facility has the unique capabilities to meet DoD testing requirements. No other facility can provide the specific heavy ion beam conditions

(ion species, energy, LET, and flux) and specialized dosimetry hardware/software. An existing facility could not match the capabilities of Texas A&M without a substantial capital investment from private or government funding. Texas

A&M has made this investment to improving their Cyclotron

Beam facility over many years and now possesses unmatched capabilities.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many

Offerors as Practicable

An RFI was issued on 01 November 2019 on the Federal

Business Opportunities (FEDBIZOPPS) website with a response date of 16 November 2019. The Government received no responses to the RFI.

Market research was conducted for facilities that provide research Single Event Effects/Radiation testing of microelectronics. Market research identified potential sources of Michigan State University, University of

California, Texas A&M University, Brookhaven National

Laboratory, and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. NSWC-CR engineers found that only Texas A&M met all DoD testing requirements. The other sources identified could not meet the heavy ion beam conditions (ion species, energy, LET and flux) and the specialized dosimetry hardware and software.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Costs

The Contracting Officer has determined that the anticipated costs to the Government for the services covered by this J&A will be fair and reasonable prior to awarding the contract.

The Contracting Officer will use price analysis to determine a fair and reasonable price. Similar quantities of this requirement have been purchased from this offeror in the past.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Competition

For the reasons set forth in Paragraph 5, NSWC Crane

Division has no plans at this time to compete future contracts for the types of services covered by this document. If another potential source emerges, NSWC Crane

Division will assess whether competition for future requirements is feasible.

SIFFIN.MATTHEW.KELLY