FSM OM Exception to Fair Opportunity Redacted.pdf

This is a Justification for Exception to Fair Opportunity document from the USDA Rural Development Technology Office (RDTO) for a sole-source contract with Steampunk, Inc. to provide Operations and Maintenance (O&M) support for Food Systems Modernization applications. The contract involves supporting the Grants System and Guaranteed Loan Services, specifically the Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) and Food Supply Chain Guaranteed (FSCG) programs.

The justification explains that Steampunk is uniquely qualified as they developed the original solution under contract 12319820A000 and possess specialized knowledge of the applications. The O&M support includes Salesforce application maintenance, API integrations, DevSecOps implementation, and technical assistance for help desk tickets. Key timing considerations include the VAPG Program regulation launch date of November 12, 2024, and the need to maintain continuous support to avoid disrupting the FY25 VAPG funding cycle. The document emphasizes that switching contractors would result in increased costs and delays due to learning curves and onboarding time. The contract will be a firm-fixed price arrangement, with pricing to be determined based on current contract rates and commercial pricing analysis.