A02.06 (SSJ 250k)_Idaho Helicopter Charter_Redacted.pdf

ERDC Control No. 24-2959

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

(FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures Not Exceeding $250K)

1. Agency/Contracting Activity: Engineer Research and Development Center Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (ERDC CRREL)

2. Description of Action: Helicopter Charter Services Near Boise, Idaho

Nature: New Requirement Follow-On Requirement

Mod to Existing Purchase Order/Contract Number

Pricing: Firm-Fixed Price Time and Materials

Funds: 2040 R&D Congressional Add Funds, FY23-24

3. Description of Supplies/Services:

a. The US Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) requires the services of a helicopter with an installed Meeker Aviation BRAND Utility Mount Faceplate (version for the R44/R66) to fly flight lines over areas of interest in Idaho ranging in elevation from 6000-9000 feet carrying a CRREL geophysical payload to support airborne surveys. This will be a recurring requirement, starting in 2024, with unfunded options for the same annual service over the subsequent 4 years.

b. The total estimated dollar value of the proposed action is for the base year, and total award value including unfunded options.

4. Authority: FAR 13.106-1(b)(1): Soliciting from a single source. For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract deem only one source reasonably available (e.g. urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand name, or industrial mobilization).

5. Reason for Authority Cited:

a. IAW FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) Market research indicates that Silverhawk Aviation Academy LLC (Silverhawk) is the only source for this requirement because Silverhawk is the only Vendor with equipment meeting the Government and FAA requirements at this time.

b. The US Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) requires the services of a helicopter with an installed Meeker Aviation BRAND Utility Mount Faceplate (version for the R44/R66) to fly flight lines over areas of interest in Idaho (Fig. 1, PWS) ranging in elevation from 6000-9000 feet carrying a CRREL geophysical payload to support airborne surveys. This will be a recurring requirement, starting in 2024, with unfunded options for the same annual service over the subsequent 4 years.

c. CRREL shall provide the airborne laser scanning (ALS) in a specialized payload pod for the geophysical data collection.

d. . The CRREL payload is designed and packaged to be flown in a specific pod that attaches to a specific kind of Meeker Aviation Utility Mount Faceplate (Airfilm Utility Mount System) described in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval guidance documents as the Nose Utility Mount AF-R44-1, Robinson Helicopter Model R44/R44II and R66 for the Airfilm Camera Systems AF-R44-1 Utility Mount System, as installed in accordance with STC SR02660LA, Supplement No. AF-R44NM-007. In the afore-referenced guidance, this specific version of the Meeker Aviation Utility Mount Faceplate is approved by the FAA to be flown on Robinson Helicopter Models R44, R44II, and R66. No other helicopter is FAA approved to carry this specific version of the Meeker Aviation Utility Mount of mounts are acceptable and thus no other kinds of helicopters are acceptable.

e. The Helicopter. While the payload mount faceplate (described above) required to carry and R66, we draw attention to the operational conditions required for this mission. The operation requires repeated flightlines over study sites ranging in elevation from 6,000- 9,000 feet. The helicopter will need to safely achieve altitudes of 1,000 to 4,000 feet above this 6,000-9,000 ft ground elevation in order to accomplish this mission. This means that this requirement can only be fulfilled by a helicopter capable of flying up to 4,000 feet above ground elevations up to 9,000 feet.

6. Actions to Increase Competition: As indicated in paragraph 5, the FAA restricts the type of mount and aircraft that can be used. The Government will continue to survey the market to identify additional vendors that have the FAA mandated equipment to satisfy future requirements that are similar in nature. A Notice of Intent (NOI) to sole source was posted to SAM.GOV under Notice ID PANERD-24-P-0000-000080 with responses due no later than 17 November 2023. As of 27 November 2023, no responses were received prior to or after the deadline.

7. Market Research:

1) Market research was conducted during Fall 2023 by CRREL technical representative CRREL conducted a twofold approach to market research. First, we called vendors to see if we could find any firms able to support this new requirement. Secondly, we reviewed the outcomes of a prior contract award only a year ago for the same requirement (W913E523P0002). These market research results are outlined in the Market Research document.

2) However, in summary:

a. Our Market Research only located one vendor in the geographic region with a qualifying helicopter, a R66 loaded with the required version of the Meeker Aviation Utility Mount Faceplate.

b. Of all the vendors contacted, only Silverhawk responded to us stating that they are interested and able to fulfill these requirements.

c.

Research and was the only vendor to respond. As with last year, all the other ors were uninterested because it was too far to travel to the field study location, thus it would not be financially viable for them to bid.

8. NAICS Determination: 541360 - Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services

9. Commercial Suitability: Based on the results of the market research and pursuant to FAR 10.002(e) and FAR Part 12.101(a), it is determined that this requirement can be met by a commercial item, and the commercial item definition in FAR 2.101 has been satisfied as demonstrated below. FAR Part 12 procedures will be used.

These services are determined to be commercial since they are helicopter charter services that are procured for support of a commercial product as defined by the FAR 2.101 Commercial product definition, regardless of whether such services are provided by the same source or at the same time as the commercial product; and the source of such services provides similar services contemporaneously to the general public under terms and conditions similar to those offered to the Federal Government.

10. Procurement History:

Previous Purchase Orders(s) or Contract(s): Yes No

Purchase order or contract number for this specific requirement is: W913E523P0002, although contracting records broadly show other prior awards to this vendor.

Was action competed? Yes No

If action was not competed, state the cited authority, summarize rationale: N/A

11. Additional information to support the justification:

CRREL has developed this sensor pod to be compatible with the mounting location and size/weight limits covered by the specific Meeker mount described above designed for the R44 and R66 helicopters.

In our market research, iation program managers / subject matter experts) , who advised us that if we did not use this approved mount, we would have to 1) make our own design for a brand new mount, 2) contract an aerospace engineering firm to conduct design analysis and testing, and then 3)