LSJ -8 Extension_APLES Task Orders_Redacted.pdf

Limited Sources Justification (FAR Part 8)

Application Product Lines Enterprise Support Services (APLES) Pursuant to the Multiple Award Schedule Program (as authorized by 40 U.S.C. § 501), this justification is prepared in accordance with the requirements of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.405-6(c) for the use of sources limited to fewer than those required in FAR 8.405-1, FAR 8.405-2, and FAR 8.405-3. The circumstance justifying restriction is FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B) through the following facts and rationale:

(1) Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a "Limited-Sources Justification."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Coast Guard (USCG), Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Cyber and Intelligence Service Center (C5ISC), Contracting and Procurement Division, Kearneysville, WV(CPD).

(2) Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

(a) Nature of this action: USCG intends to modify the following three sole source firm-fixed price task orders to add clause FAR 52.217-8: Operations Information Systems Product Line (OISPL), Mission Support Systems Product Line (MSSPL); Engineering Services Division (ESD) due to the follow-on COMPASS BPA and OISPL Call receiving two (2) protest pre-filing notices to the US Court of Federal Claims (COFC) and receiving two protests to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO). Period of performance extensions for the current task orders are required to maintain the current level of support during the protest period while stop work orders are in place on the COMPASS BPAs and OISPL Call. The period of performance extension will be achieved by adding FAR clause 52.217-8 to the task orders each with a total period of performance of five (5) months, consisting of one (1) three (3) month option period and one (1) two (2) month option period, covering the period of October 16, 2025 through March 15, 2026.

(b) Name and address of the contractor:

Synergy Business Innovation and Solutions Inc.

1902 Campus Commons Drive Suite 430 Reston, VA 20191-1507

(c) Contract type: Firm Fixed Price Labor CLINs and Time and Material CLINs supporting Other Direct Charges (ODCs).

(d) Estimated total value (including options):

with agile-focused software engineering and operations and maintenance (O&M) services for 35+ USCG systems & applications that support the eleven (11) USCG’s strategic missions:

ports, waterways, and coastal security; drug interdiction; aids to navigation; search and rescue;

living marine resources; marine safety; defense readiness; migrant interdiction; marine environmental protection; ice operations; and other law enforcement activities. These services include O&M of existing C5I systems, design, development, and implementation of new projects, as well as upgrades or technical refreshes on both modernized and legacy systems.

Further the extension will include continued interface work on existing systems with newer cloud-based systems and mitigating security and/or Cybersecurity issues and audit findings.

Some systems are currently being modernized utilizing a Development Security Operations (DevSecOps), and Continuous Delivery/Continuous Integration (CI/CD) pipeline approach and may be cloud based. Most USCG C5I legacy systems are maintained using DevSecOps methods but are on premise-based servers that require traditional Dev/Stage/Prod and release schedules.

(4) Identification of the justification and the rationale.

This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program in accordance with FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B): Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized.

The C5ISC plays a critical role in the sustainment and ongoing modernization of over 35 USCG mission essential systems to operations such as Law Enforcement, Prevention and Response, Transportation System Management, Security and Defense Operations, as defined by the 11 statutory missions of the Coast Guard under the Homeland Security Act of 2002. Additionally, C5ISC supports business systems crucial for personnel and financial management, including vendor payment and payroll for military and civilian personnel.

The Product Lines are the face of the C5ISC and responsible for Information Technology (IT) Project Management. This includes the System Owner, who is the single point of accountability to CG-68 and Coast Guard end users that provides service development, delivery, support and technical expertise for program priorities and requirements. OISPL, MSSPL and 2CPL make up three (3) of the six (6) PLs within the C5ISC, and each is focused on capabilities and services for specific mission needs in the support of all C5I systems, applications and services.

OISPL supports enterprise C5I systems that enable and deliver actionable information in a usable format. The OISPL task order supports enterprise and locally hosted applications providing tactical information, collaboration, and analysis technology. This task order will also support thirty-eight (38) total systems, to include the following major systems:

• Maritime Information for Safety & Law Enforcement (MISLE)

• Vessel Documentation System (VDS)

• U.S. Aids to Navigation (ATON) Information Management System (USAIMS)

• Command Center Display System

• CG Maritime Information Exchange (CGMIX)

• Biometrics at Sea System (BASS)

The MSSPL task order supports sustained and adaptable readiness that enable Coast Guard missions to operate efficiently. Of the 100+ systems supported by this task order; major systems include:

• Direct Access – Human Resources and Decision Support (HRDS)

• Coast Guard Business Intelligence (CGBI) – HRDS

• Medical and Dental Radiological IT (MDRIT) – HRDS

• Core Accounting Suite (CAS) – Finance and Logistics Systems (FLS)

• Depot Management System (DPOMS) – FLS

• Financial System Management Solution (FSMS) - FLS

The ESD task order provides support for ESD, 2CPL, and ISD (ESD-2CPL-ISD). ESD is the workforce for all C5ISC projects that provides engineering, logistics, finance, infrastructure, and business operations support to systems the PLs are responsible for. This division also provides technical and business support services to enable Product Line execution and success. ISD provides architectural roadmaps & governance, enterprise networking & mobile connectivity, Hardware/Software Configuration Control. ESD and ISD are two (2) of the five (5) Shared Services Divisions within the C5ISC, and provides the support required to meet the needs of the Product Lines.

The ESD task order will provide technical and business support to the PLs as well as support for over 70 CG systems. Major systems include:

• Sea Watch

• Sea Commander

• Coast Guard One View (CG1V)

• Vessel Traffic Service (VTS)/Ports and Waterways Safety System (PAWSS)

• Scalable Integrated Navigation Systems (SINS)

• Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR)

• Combat Systems Integration

• Electronic Chart System (ECS)/Electronic Chart Display and Information System

(ECDIS)

Continued support for these services demands a high level of specialization to ensure uninterrupted operation of these systems and applications. Many of the systems and applications sustained and maintained under these task orders are mission critical to ensuring the USCG can continue to successfully meet its required mission areas. If there is a gap in service, and a critical system is non-mission capable, it will have a significant negative impact on the ability of active duty members on cutters and other vessels to continue to safely navigate waterways, rescue mariners from commercial or pleasure craft overboard incidents, ensure buoys and navigation beacons are working properly, and that our international partners can continue to access lifesaving information for at-sea rescues.

Additionally, lack of support for Coast Guard mission critical systems can and will result in those systems not being operational resulting in degraded performance in terms of law enforcement, safety, search and rescue, port security and environmental protection.

Synergy is the current contractor for these services under the sole source task orders The periods of performance of each one will end on 15 October 2025. Synergy possesses unique historical knowledge and expertise essential for providing continuous and uninterrupted application support across the USCG. Synergy’s specialized capabilities include extensive experience with existing systems, proficiency in Agile development in collaboration with the C5ISC, and critical expertise in CI/CD Pipeline technologies necessary for supporting DevSecOps practices.

Additionally, Synergy has supported the CG’s PLs and SSDs and has helped the CG transition from a waterfall approach to software development to an agile methodology to both software development and project management. The period of performance extensions of the current sole source task orders with the current contractor will ensure the continuity of mission critical software engineering and application support services for the USCG. Only the current contractor can continue to provide these critical services without negative mission impacts. Synergy holds all required certifications and clearances and is familiar with the technical complexities of the C5ISC. Synergy provides USCG with complex services in the Department of Defense (DoD) IT environment with stringent specific subject matter expertise in the full range of software engineering services required to provide full lifecycle support (including design, implementation, operation, maintenance, and enhancement) for USCG software applications. Many of these functions are USCG domain specific, all of which require full compliance with the CG C5ISC Systems Engineering Lifecyle (SELC) Configuration and Change Management Policy M4130; Homeland Security Enterprise Architecture (HLS EA) and USCG EA requirements; and the Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF) standards.

The services being performed by Synergy on these task orders are being incorporated into the COMPASS multiple-award BPA as BPA calls. Currently, only the OISPL call has been solicited and awarded (September 16, 2025), however follow-on solicitations were being prepared for the MSSPL and ESD requirements but were placed on hold due to the stop work order issued in response to the GAO protests. Once the protest period ends, solicitations for the BPA calls will be issued. For this reason, the USCG is seeking to use the FAR clause 52.217-8 to add two Option periods to extend the period of performance an additional five (5) months. The extension is also necessary to allow for transition from the current task orders to the follow-on calls off the COMPASS BPA.

The ongoing support provided by Synergy is mission-critical to the USCG and any disruption in that service would present an unacceptable risk. Extending the three (3) sole source task orders to Synergy for a limited period is in the best interests of the USCG to prevent severe mission impacts and ensure the continuity of essential system and application support services until transition to the COMPASS BPA can be completed and the protest period is complete.

Other contractors can provide the services as evidenced by the overwhelming number of responses to the COMPASS Request for Quote (RFQ). However, due to the protests received and the stop work order, the USCG cannot proceed with the current COMPASS BPA awardees and thus, must continue with the current contractor. The only reasonable option to ensure continuation of these critical services with no disruption is to extend the current three (3) sole-source task orders to the current contractor, Synergy.

Due to the protests and need for a transition, Synergy is the only source capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required and to maintain the USCG’s highly specialized systems. Therefore, it is in the best interests of the USCG to extend these three (3) sole source task orders to the current contractor for these services until the protest period has ended and transition can occur.

(5) Determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer that the anticipated order represents the best value consistent with 8.404(d)

The Contracting Officer hereby determines that this action represents the best value to the Government in accordance with FAR 8.404(d). GSA has already determined the prices for the services under Synergy’s schedule contract to be fair and reasonable. However, the Contracting Officer will perform a price evaluation as required by 8.405-2(d) to make a final determination of fair and reasonable pricing

(6) A description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

No market research was done due to the award of the BPAs and OISPL Call #1 and the protests received.

(7) Any other facts supporting the justification.

None.

(8) A statement of actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that preclude the agency from meeting the requirements of 8.405-1 and 8.405-2 before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made.

There are no barriers to competition. The services performed under these task orders have been incorporated into the C5ISC COMPASS multiple-award BPA, which has been competitively awarded, as an 8(a) set-aside, under the GSA IT MAS contract, utilizing the procedures outlined in FAR Subpart 8.405.