A02 JA FAR Part 6 (Mar 2022) JA_22_05_1167 (V1_Redacted) 30 Jun 22.pdf

CUI/SP-SSEL

Control Number:

Justification Review Document for Other than Full and Open Competition - FAR Part 6

Program/Equipment: Biomedical Research Sleep Protocol Extension-Bridge

Authority: 10 United States Code 3204(a)(1) as implemented in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii)(B), Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

Prepared by:

Contracting Officer:

Technical Representative:

Requirements Representative:

Controlled by: US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) CUI Category(ies): SEEL Distribution/Dissemination Control: FED ONLY POC: Jennifer C. Jackson

(Source Selection information See FAR 2.101 and 3.104 4)

1 MAR 2022

(Source Selection Information See FAR 2.101 and 3.104 4)

MAR 2022

Reviews

Legal Counsel

MAR 2022

Justification and Approval

1. Contracting Activity: The Contracting Activity responsible for this action is the U.S.

Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) on behalf of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), Silver Spring, MD.

2. Description of Action: The Government requires continued performance of service for Technical Support services for the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) requirements-driven basic and applied research to promote the psychological resilience, neurological functioning, and operational readiness of Service Members. This is a Bridge Contract to extend services under contract W81XWH-21-C-0041

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The Government requires continued performance of the services to provide technical support that will provide for research-based solutions and investigate medical solutions using basic preclinical and clinical research.

As such, the Contractor shall conduct animal behavioral sessions, perform blast overpressure studies, and perform traumatic brain injury and neuroprotection research.

The clinical research will include, but is not limited to, providing mental health research support, performing sleep studies (both clinical monitoring and field research), and supporting existing research to update the Soldier and Spouse resilience training programs, respectively. The services support both intramural and extramural research programs and projects throughout both the US Army and the Department of Defense (DoD), of which will directly support various internal and external stakeholder collaborations through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) and Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs).

The WRAIR has completed a procurement planning worksheet package for the follow on competitive requirement for Biomedical Research Support Services with an estimated value of for a base and one (1) Option Period. The initial award of contract W911QY17C0101 completed by Natick Contracting Office, transferred to USAMRAA under W81XWH21C0041 included FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Service; however, it was not evaluated at the time of award. This bridge is to

Research Support Services. USAMRAA intends to modify the current contract to cover this two-month gap and also include two, 2-Month option periods in case there are any unforeseen delays in award of the follow on action. The estimated value of the bridge contract for 6 months is

4. Authority Cited: 10 United States Code (U.S.C.) 2304 (c)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1 (a)(2)(iii)and (B), services may be deemed to be available only from the original source in the case of follow-on contracts

Control Number: JA 22 05 1167 for the continued provision of services when it is likely that award to any other source would cause unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency's requirements.

5. Reason for Authority Cited: The current award is a 100% Small Business set-aside. The follow-on requirement will also be set aside for Small Business.

The plan is for a separate small business set-aside follow on competitive award. Therefore, an extension of services is required for the current award. USAMRAA intends to extend the services with TechWerks, LLC to ensure continuity of the services to support the mission as the follow-on action competitive requirements package is being prepared for soliciting, evaluation and award. If this bridge modification is not awarded it would cause unacceptable delays in CMPN to conduct research. Continuity of services are to support ongoing research basic and applied in support of protection to brain health before, during, and after deployment by focusing on behavioral health, combat stress, sleep management, and brain injury. The current efforts being executed require a fundamental understanding about mental health advisory teams (MHATs) and the data collected to show a robust association between the numbers of combat exposures and reporting of the PTSD symptoms. Unacceptable delays will impact the research efforts and CMPNs mission that include:

The requirement to use models to validate and characterize scaled experimental blast exposure conditions and assess outcomes relevant to blast-injured Warfighters to define the biomechanical and neurobiological underpinnings of blast traumatic brain injury (TBI) and establish effective countermeasures will severely compromise specific timelines as directed by each institutional review board (IRB) approved research protocols.

The resident psychological resilience and neurological functioning expertise, cleared personnel (e.g., accesses to research protocols and databases containing sensitive research data), geographic coverage and critical statistical tool capabilities (as required by the PWS) that cannot be replicated without significant disruptions to ongoing studies, WRAIR, MRDC and its key customers and funding sponsors.

Award to any other source would result in substantial unacceptable delays in fulfilling the knowledge base-specialized and expertise to support the requirements of CMPN.

will prevent the research (area) from undergoing relevant developing, testing, validation and transition tools (developed) for behavioral health assessment and management in the far forward context during large-scale operations. The current contractor is actively engaged in research that studies comprehensive fatigue management and the ability to maintain vigilance, creativity, and flexibility where all may be compromised during periods of stress and fatigue. In the event of a contract lapse it would disallow the edge in increasingly complex and multi-faceted environment.

As described at FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii)(B), when the supplies or service required by the agency are available only from one responsible source, or for DoD, NASA and the Coast Guard, from only one or a limited number of responsible sources, and no other types of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: The Contracting Officer shall publish the notices required by FAR 5.201 and any responses received shall be considered. Competition efforts for this interim bridge are neither efficient nor effective for the reference performance period.

a. Effective competition. No effective competition is anticipated for this short term interim period of performance acquisition. A Sources Sought was posted to SAM.gov on 15 February 2022 there were seven (7) responses of which three (3) were found to be acceptable. The Request for Information (RFI) was an effort to ensure market research was conducted from as many potential sources as practicable for the follow on requirement.

In review of the three acceptable capability statements to the RFI and the timelines for implementing a new contract, awarding to a source other than the

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incumbent would require extended time. Failure to bridge the services would result in unacceptable delays to conduct the requirements in support of basic and applied research to promote the psychological resilience, neurological functioning, and operational readiness of service members.

b. Subcontracting competition. There are no subcontracting possibilities with this requirement.

Actions to Increase Competition: The follow-on requirement will be competitively advertised on SAM.Gov on or about 26 June 2022.

7. Market Research: Market research was conducted by the WRAIR on 24 March 2022.

The RFI issued also was done for market research purposes looking at any significant changes in the market place. Market research showed that there are at least two or more small businesses that can compete for the follow on requirement.

8. Interested Sources: The notice required by FAR 5.201, Intent to Sole Source to TechWerks, was posted on 24 May 2022. No responses were received from industry regarding the Notice of Intent.

9. Other Facts: None

a. Procurement history.

(1) Contract numbers and dates of the previous contract(s) for these same service

Natick Contracting Division to TechWerks, LLC, on 23 June 2017 with a start date of 26 June 2017 in response to request for proposal (RFP) W911QY-17-R-0029. Resulting from a mutual agreement between Natick Contracting Division and USAMRAA to transfer the administration and performance oversight of service, and that contract W911QY-17-C-0101 had 2 (two) unexercised options, W81XWH-21-C-0041 was awarded with a total performance period of 26 February 2021 to 25 June 2022.

This award was a competitive total small business set-aside.

Authority previously used for less than full and open competition:

(4) If a justification was prepared to support the procurement made before this one, a summary of the contents of paragraph 7 of the justification for that procurement and an explanation of the results. Not Applicable

(5) If any prior contract for this requirement was accomplished using full and open competition, include a detailed explanation of the changed circumstances causing this action to now limit the sources. Not Applicable

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(6) An explanation of any unusual patterns that may be revealed by the history, e.g., several consecutive, urgent buys. Not Applicable

(7) If a justification was prepared to support the procurement made before this one, briefly describe the circumstances justifying the procurement and whether there have been any significant changes. Not Applicable

b. Other facts. Provide any other facts necessary to justify limiting competition that were not previously stated. None

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11. Technical Certification:

I certify 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.

12. Requirements Certification:

13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination:

I hereby determine that the anticipated cost to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable.

14. Contracting Officer Certification:

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

(Source Selection Information See FAR 2.101 and 3.104 4)

Approval

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of technical support services in support for Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience for the estimated amount of on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 10 United States Code (U.S.C.) 2304 (c)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1 subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services and property herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.