Brand Name Justification FAR 13.5 Firearmes Accessories VISN_Redacted.pdf

VHAPG Part 813.5 Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Certain Commercial Items Attachment 1: Request for Sole Source Justification Template >SAT-$7.5M under FAR13.5

Effective Date: 11/15/24 Page 1 of 3

REVISION: 01

Acquisition ID#:

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

BRAND NAME ONLY

JUSTIFICATION UNDER SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS IN

ACCORDANCE WITH FAR 13.5

Acquisition Plan Action ID: 36C263-25-AP-1734

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs, Network 23 Contracting Office, 1303 5th St.

Suite 300, Coralville, IA 52441.

Requiring Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Midwest Healthcare Network, VISN 23, 2805 Dodd Rd. Suite 250, Eagan MN 55121.

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Processed:

This procurement is for Police Firearms Accessories, in accordance with FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items and specifically FAR 13.501 Special Documentation Requirements, where acquisitions conducted under Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6, but still require a justification using the format of FAR 6.303-2.

This action will result in the award of a new firm-fixed-price contract.

3. Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs:

Estimated Cost:

Police Firearms Accessories (Optics, Sights, Lights, Holsters) for Sig Sauer 9mm handguns, required by VA Police LETC (Law Enforcement Training Center) in support of VA Police Modernization Program. The intended contract will be a 1-year long IDIQ, firm-fixed price, Brand Name Only, for supplies only. The IDIQ will be a non-funded action as delivery orders will be placed against it for equipment required by multiple locations with VA VISN 23(Veteran Integrated Service Network 23).

This contract will not include Options. The anticipated award date is July 22, 2025.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Restricted Competition:

FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items. The statutory authority for applying the Simplified Procedures for Commercial Items of FAR 13.5 is 41 U.S.C. § 1901 and is implemented by FAR 13.106-1(b)(2) for restricting competition on this procurement. Competition is restricted on this procurement for the reason below:

Items peculiar to one manufacturer. An item peculiar to one manufacturer can be a particular brand name, product, or a feature of a product, peculiar to one manufacturer.

A brand name item, whether available from one or more sources, is an item peculiar to one manufacturer.

5. Demonstration that the Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or Nature of the Acquisition Requires the Use of the Authority Cited Above (applicability of authority):

Effective Date: 11/15/24 Page 2 of 3

Acquisition ID#:

Items required under this acquisition require Brand-Name Only supplies based on VA Police Service must meet the requirements of the VA LETC (Law Enforcement Training Center). Use of Brand- Name Only products allow the Police Service to utilize the police weapons as intended and are essential to the Government’s requirement. Variations would require additional training and possible delays in Officers completing certifications and implementation of the Police Modernization program.

In addition to meeting the goals and benchmarks of the VA Police Modernization Program, the required equipment has been identified by the Police at local facilities to be the least disruptive to their firearms handling procedures. For safety reasons and for police effectiveness, it is the goal of the VA to procure equipment that is comfortable, familiar to the officers and requires as little change as possible to the way Police Officers wear, draw, holster, or handle their firearms.

The VA Police Modernization Program is a large Agency initiative. The VA Law Enforcement Training Center is sending staff to VISN 23 to assist VISN 23 Police in obtaining certifications and the training and refresher trainings are designed to use the equipment required.

6. Description of Efforts Made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as deemed practicable:

Market Research Conducted:

-SBA Dynamic Small Business Search -Preliminary Searches on GSA Advantage which indicated potential sources.

-Utilized GSA Market Research as a Service who indicated 26 SDVOSBs under Category 332999 on their Multiple Award Schedule could meet our requirement.

-Posted an RFQ, 100% Set-Aside for SDVOSBs, on GSA that was unsuccessful because too large a portion of the supplies were NOT on Schedule and were Open Market.

Many of the SDVOSBs located on GSA are also active in the Open Market and we have a reasonable expectation that we will receive the minimum offers necessary to conduct an Open Market RFQ Set- Aside 100% for SDVOSBs.

7. Determination by the CO that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and

Reasonable:

We believe that a Set-Aside competed among SDVOSBs will generate the competition necessary to achieve fair and reasonable pricing.

8. Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results, or a Statement of the Reasons

Market Research Was Not Conducted:

Addressed in Paragraph 6.

9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other than Full and Open Competition:

No additional facts.

Effective Date: 11/15/24 Page 3 of 3

Acquisition ID#:

10. Listing of Sources that Expressed, in Writing, an Interest in the Acquisition:

Multiple SDVOSB sources expressed interest in our posting on GSA, which as we described above, did not succeed because too high a percentage of the required supplies were not available on Schedule.

11. A Statement of the Actions, if any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome any Barriers to

Competition before Making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required:

We will continue to monitor the VA Law Enforcement Training Center guidance and the changing needs of the VA Police for changes in guidance or changes in the needs of the VA Police for future acquisitions.

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the requirement outlined in this justification is a Bona

Fide Need of the Department of Veterans Affairs and that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Steve Westhoff Date VISN 23 Acquisition Utilization Specialist

13. Approvals in accordance with the VHAPM Part 806.3 OFOC SOP: This part if filled out by

Contracting Staff as part of the Justification

a. Contracting Officer or Designee’s Certification (required): I certify that the foregoing justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Joseph Bennett Date Contract Officer Network Contracting Office 23

b. One Level Above the Contracting Officer (Required over SAT but not exceeding $750K): I certify the justification meets requirements for other than full and open competition.

Curt LaRose Date Branch Chief, Service Supply Team II

Network Contracting Office 23

STEVEN

WESTHOFF

Digitally signed by

STEVEN WESTHOFF

Date: 2025.07.11 10:32:10 -05'00' 7/11/25

7/11/25

JOSEPH

BENNETT

Digitally signed by

JOSEPH BENNETT

Date: 2025.07.11 10:35:26 -05'00'

CURT

LAROSE

Digitally signed by CURT

LAROSE

Date: 2025.07.11 10:45:49 -05'00' 7/11/25