Brand Name JA (PID No 53-0150)_Redacted.pdf

J&A No. 0233-25-063-00

Budgeted funds will include FY25 RDT&E funds. The total estimated dollar value of the proposed acquisition is . The cost is based upon the above quantities. The anticipated completion date is seven (7) weeks from the date of the award. The Government’s minimum needs have been verified by the certifying technical and requirements personnel. These items are Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) parts.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition.

41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), sole source (including brand-name) acquisition under the authority of

Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Products and Commercial Services.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority

National Instruments is the only responsible source, and no other supplies will satisfy agency requirements based on the following unique characteristics that are essential to the Government.

The specified equipment has characteristics and specifications that are unique and cannot be identified in any similar equipment offered by competitors. The purpose of this purchase is to acquire the analog-digital hardware quantities required to fully outfit FFG63 with modernized

Data Acquisition System hardware in support of PMS515’s required P&ST. Legacy analog-digital hardware is obsolete and faces the risk of failing without replacement. Hardware failure will prevent the TDAAS from operating, therefore resulting in a failure of mission requirements with respect to the P&ST. This equipment must be procured on a brand name basis from an authorized reseller of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), National Instruments.

The National Instruments analog-digital hardware, outlined above, are required to support

FFG63 as they maintain a culmination of characteristics and specifications that allow the

TDAAS Team to utilize existing infrastructure, utilize existing TDAAS software, as well as improve upon and increase performance and functionality. For instance, the National Instruments hardware utilizes LabVIEW software for programming and operations. Code TDAAS software is primarily designed utilizing a LabVIEW infrastructure. The modular design of these components ensures that failed parts are easily and quickly replaced, minimizing potential system downtime. Due to the modularity and the similar configuration of the TDAAS, components can be reconfigured to support shipboard requirements. This hardware provides functionality to support additional shipboard testing, including but not limited to FFG63 Full

Ship Shock Trials (FSST). FSST is a Code supported program and would reduce the overall ship production impacts due to the modularity of the National Instruments analog-digital hardware. The analog-digital hardware is used to populate National Instruments chassis that are already in Code ’s possession, which contain network ports that are compatible with existing

TDAAS network infrastructure including network switches, servers, Network Area Storage

(NAS) units. Lastly, National Instrument’s analog-digital hardware provide the back-end interface for various analog sensors (accelerometers, strain gauges, flowmeters, and torsion meters) that will be installed by Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD) to obtain the required signals for proper ship evaluation during the P&ST. Based on market research, the culmination of these specifications are unable to be identified in any other analog-digital hardware therefore driving the brand name purchase of these National Instruments components.

Deviation from the National Instruments brand components would negatively affect mission critical goals as the TDAAS team would not have an acceptable hardware replacement to populate existing National Instruments chasses. Without these components, legacy components would continue to degrade until replacement parts become unavailable, resulting in systems inoperability, halting TDAAS mission objectives, software testing, and delivery. System deterioration would result in total loss of analog sensor data acquisition, resulting in a failed

P&ST evolution. This would disrupt the Navy’s ability to monitor systems health, hygiene and status, and provide engineering decisions regarding ship performance. An uninformed ship performance evaluation would negatively impact War-Time Readiness, as the entire FFG63 ship class would not have technical guidelines regarding operating limitations. Thus, the National

Instruments brand-name components are essential to the Government’s requirements, thereby precluding consideration of a product manufactured by another company.

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

Market research was conducted through a survey and an analysis of alternate brands available for this requirement. As previously mentioned, this procurement is serving as a modernized technical duplicate of legacy TDAAS systems. Selection of another vendor would not be feasible because it would require development of an entire new data acquisition system from the front end hardware to the back end software which would impact the program’s schedule and significantly increase the procurement costs. These components need to be procured from

National Instruments through its certified resellers so that the existing TDAAS software and hardware can continue to meet the program’s ongoing data acquisition needs in accordance with

NAVSEA INST 09094.5B. Market research indicates other companies’ similar products, or products lacking the particular feature, do not meet, or cannot be modified to meet, the agency’s needs.

A Request for Information (RFI) was posted to SAM.gov on 06 November 2024. Additionally, a synopsis of this procurement was published on SAM.gov on 21 November 2024. Three vendors supplied their information in response to the RFI posted.

This Justification will also be posted along with the solicitation on the SAM.gov website in accordance with FAR 13.501(a)(iv). Any responses received will be evaluated.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Costs

The contracting officer has determined the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Competition

NSWCPD will continue to monitor the marketplace and identify potential sources of the supplies identified in this Justification. Any sources discovered that could potentially satisfy this specific procurement will be taken into account for any future requirements.