47QFDA22F0022_Tab 04_EXECUTED LSJ - C4ISR BRIDGE.pdf

General Services Administration | FAS, NCR, AAS Page 1 Version 11/10/2020

General Services Administration Federal Acquisition Service

National Capital Region

LIMITED SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

ANG FCF/C4ISR AVIATION AND AEROSPACE FLIGHT AND ENGINEERING

SUPPORT (AAFES) BRIDGE CONTRACT

SOLICITATION 47QFDA22Q0016

PURSUANT TO INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT NUMBER 47QFDA22S0002

The General Services Administration (GSA) makes this Limited Sources Justification (LSJ) for orders pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.405-6.

i.) Identification of Agency and Contracting Activity:

Agency:

General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) National Capital Region (NCR) | Region 11 Acting in support of: Air Force National Guard (ANG) Contracting Activity:

GSA Contracting Office (WQHA) 1800 F Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20405 ii.) Nature and/or Description of Action Being Approved:

This LSJ authorizes and approves the issuance of a firm fixed price bridge task order to Gauss Management Research and Engineering, Inc. (GMRE) to provide for continued engineering support services for the Air Force National Guard (ANG). The period of performance includes a five (5) month base period, a four (4) month option period one, and a three (3) month option period two, and a six (6) month option period under FAR 52.217-8, for a total potential performance period of eighteen (18) months if all options are exercised. This bridge would eliminate costly disruption and continue providing services until a separate competitively solicited follow-on contract is put in place.

The services will be procured under FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C) procedures for limited sources on the basis of economy and efficiency for logical follow on. The nature of this action is to secure authority to allow for continued contractor support by awarding a short-term bridge task order against the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Category Professional Services – Technical & Engineering Services (Non-IT), Special Item Number 541330ENG – Engineering Services to continue services currently being provided under GSA Order #GSQ0416DB0065 with Gauss Management Research and Engineering, Inc. (GMRE). A long-term follow-on task order for these services is anticipated to be awarded by October 1, 2022.

Contractor Information:

Gauss Management Research and Engineering, Inc. (UEI: GWK3RNGGFCE6)

DocuSign Envelope ID: 8F7E930D-A00E-41AB-8069-A811C3B1229A

General Services Administration | FAS, NCR, AAS Page 2

5875 S. Adams Avenue Parkway, Suite 2A, South Ogden, UT 84405-7143 iii.) A Complete Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet Agency’s Need:

The U.S. Air National Guard (ANG) has an immediate and continuing need for professional engineering services to support their mission-critical research and development efforts. The contractor provides highly specialized technical support with Contractor Flight Crew personnel who are qualified instructor aircrew to determine airworthiness and maintenance status of ANG aircraft. They also perform aircraft recoveries, pick up or deliveries to and from CONUS locations to home bases, and under special circumstances from multiple locations worldwide.

The National Guard does not have the capability of assigning military or Government civilians with the necessary skills to provide these services and must fulfill this need from industry. The proposed bridge would ensure continuation of essential services currently provided by GMRE.

Efforts to award a competitive follow-on are underway with an anticipated award date of October 1, 2022.

iv.) The Authority and Supporting Rationale:

The authority for this Limited Sources Justification is FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C), “In the interest of economy and efficiency, the new work is a logical follow-on to an original Federal Supply Schedule order provided that the original order was placed in accordance with the applicable Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures. The original order or BPA must not have been previously issued under sole-source or limited-sources procedures.”

The Government expended significant costs in competing this requirement in FY16. The current task order GSQ0416DB0065 was competitively solicited to small businesses and awarded under GSA Schedule 871, Professional Engineering Services (PES), 00 Consolidated Schedule. In response to the request for quote (RFQ), three (3) small business vendors submitted timely quotes on March 12, 2016. Because of the evaluation and best value determination, an award was made to GMRE on June 2, 2016, with a period of performance (PoP) start date of September 1, 2016.

The Government experienced delays in acquiring these services owing to lack of funding and delays brought on by the out of cycle funding request process. A task order to a new vendor for this interim period will require additional cost, which is not expected to be recovered through competition, due to the need to invest significant resources to: (1) process a competitive award,

(2) onboard the new vendor, and (3) transition the institutional knowledge and expertise required to support existing levels of service, which would not be recovered through competition. The Government expects the realization of these risks, delays, and drawbacks would ultimately entail both additional expense and suboptimal performance. Therefore, in order to realize the economic and efficiency benefits, a limited sources bridge order would be in the Government's best interest.

v.) Determination by the Ordering Activity Contracting Officer that the Order Represents the Best Value Consistent with FAR 8.404(d) GSA has determined that the prices of the contemplated services are fair and reasonable as a result of previous competition and represent the lowest overall cost alternative. If ANG were to go through a competitive process to award to another source, the delay may result in

General Services Administration | FAS, NCR, AAS Page 3 significant and costly disruption of ANG activities, substantial duplication of costs to the Government not expected to be recovered through competition, and unacceptable delays in transition of this requirement. The Government has determined that no additional cost savings would be achieved by full and open competition of this requirement for the additional engineering services, taking into consideration the cost associated with mission-critical support delays as a result of competing, as well as the costs associated with onboarding, training, and transitioning services to a new Contractor. The proposed labor rates will be verified to confirm they do not exceed the Schedule rates. The level of effort and mix of labor proposed will be evaluated to determine the total price is reasonable for the effort as assessed against historical contract performance. The Government will seek additional discounts off the established fixed rates under the Schedule. The Government is confident a bridge task order to the incumbent will represent the overall best value based on timing, cost-savings, and expertise.

vi.) Description of the Market Research Conducted Among Schedule Holders and the Results of the Research:

The current task order GSQ0416DB0065 was competitively solicited in 2016. At the time, market research was performed to determine that the requirement should be set-aside for small businesses. Further, it was determined that the GSA Schedule 871, Professional Engineering Services (PES), 00 Consolidated Schedule contained the largest pool of qualified small business vendors. In response to the request for quote (RFQ), three (3) small business vendors submitted timely quotes that were acceptable. Upon the conclusion of the evaluations and best value determination, an award was made to GMRE. The Government asserts that the market research and subsequent acquisition for these services is in accordance with FAR 8.405- 6(a)(1)(i)(C) for limited sources on the basis of economy and efficiency for logical follow on.

vii.) Any Other Facts Supporting the Justification The Government experienced delays in acquiring these services owing to lack of funding and delays brought on by the out of cycle funding request process. Further, the frequent use of continuing resolutions limits the ability of agency resourcing teams to authorize new requirements and efforts. A logical follow on in accordance with 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C) affords the ability for the Government to receive continued services on these mission critical efforts within the constraints of the current funding landscape.

viii.) Statement of the Actions the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome any Barriers that Led to the Restricted Consideration Before Any Subsequent Acquisition for the Supplies or Services is Made:

Utilizing a new contractor to provide mission critical services with a high potential for service issues will come with large and foreseeable risks to mission readiness. These concerns can be addressed with a re-compete effort in which a larger pool of contractors may be solicited via full and open competition. The procured bridge services, including transition support, conclude the effort for this type of service under the acquisition. In future acquisitions where transition support is necessary, the support will be included as a required task that is to be solicited/proposed, evaluated, negotiated (if appropriate), and analyzed with an established period during the performance of the contract.

General Services Administration | FAS, NCR, AAS Page 4 ix.) Contracting Activity Certification:

I hereby certify that this Justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge.

Concur:

Dora Johnson Date GSA Contracting Officer

Reviewed:

Dennis Harrison Date Deputy Director, Contracting Operations Division x.) Competition Advocate Approval:

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the limited source justification on behalf of the General Service Administration.

Approved by:

Al Munoz Date Competition Advocate General Services Administration Federal Acquisition Service National Capital Region

3/29/2022

Certificate Of Completion Envelope Id: 8F7E930DA00E41AB8069A811C3B1229A Status: Completed

Subject: Please DocuSign: 47QFDA22K0009_Tab 04_EXECUTED LSJ - C4ISR BRIDGE.pdf

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Dennis Harrison, Deputy Director, FAS/NCR/COD dennis.harrison@gsa.gov

Procurement Analyst

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Al Munoz, Competition Advocate alberto.munoz@gsa.gov

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