A16-3-0034_Single_Source_Justification_11_9_2023_1.pdf
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- Attached to
- NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- DOIFFBO240031
About this file
This single source justification document requests 36 solar-powered GPS transmitters from Ornitela to track mallard duck movements as part of a partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Arkansas at Monticello. The transmitters use cellular networks to transmit location, behavior, and other data which will provide information to strategically manage National Wildlife Refuges and benefit hunters and birders in the Southeast region. Ornitela was selected as the sole source due to existing research projects using over 350 of their transmitters to ensure consistent data collection, management and analysis across studies. Limited market competition and reliability concerns of other vendors' products represent barriers to competition. Ornitela's transmitters provide data management systems, accelerometers, included data plans and appropriately sized units for mallards. This purchase will leverage existing projects and partners for deployment and analysis, representing substantial cost savings to the government.
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FWS Form 3-0034 (Rev. 10/2020) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1. Description of Need
3. Other Capable Sources
2. Market Research Conducted
Pursuant to FAR subpart 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) and (ii), for purchases not exceeding the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT), Contracting Officers may solicit from only one source if the circumstances deem only one source is reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand name, or industrial mobilization).
Instructions: The information in the text boxes are provided as sample language or to indicate a needed fill-in. Sample language should be removed from the final document. All text boxes require information and shall not be left blank.
SINGLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION
(UNDER SAT)
JOINT ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS
Acquisitions Operations
4. Barriers to Competition
5. Contractor's Qualifications
6. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost
7. Recommendation and Certification by Program Office
Based on the above justification, I recommend this acquisition to be conducted using sole source acquisition procedures. I hereby certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Program / Project Officer
8. Contracting Officer Certification and Approval: Under SAT
Based on the above justification, I hereby certify and approve the use of sole source acquisition procedures under FAR Part 13 for this purchase.
Contracting Officer
| Text3: Dr. Hagy’s market research indicates that there are two other vendors (NorthStar, CTT) that provide somewhat similar products, although there are substantial differences in the data management and delivery system, the housing and physical structure of the unit, data charges, and the functionality of the units which makes Ornitela uniquely able to meet the overall needs of the study. Dr. Heath Hagy has extensive expertise in waterfowl tracking and reviewed all company’s products and deemed Ornitela to be the vendor that met the study’s criteria most closely and had the best product reliability. Dr. Hagy spoke with more than 10 collegues about the reliability of the Ornitella units compared to competitors. Moreover, it is very important to the study design that the units be from the same vendor as the cooperating University is using so that the experimental design is not compromised. | |
| Text2: The vendor was selected by a research cooperator (UAM) for ongoing research project and the cumulative order of transmitters is much larger than the number requested from USFWS (>40 units overall anticipated). More than 350 units from Ornitela have already been purchased and deployed. DB White River NWR purchased 36 Ornitella units in 2021, UAM purchased and deployed ~20 Ornitella units in winter 2019/2020, we deployed 28 units in winter 2020/2021 and another 36 units in winter 2021/222. UAM and other partners plan to deploy >150 Ornitela units in winter 2023-2025. Our units will be deployed on Cache River NWR in cooperation with the existing project and will help us answer Refuge-specific questions. It was critical that a single vendor be used for all transmitters to ensure similar functionality of transmitters, consistent and coordinated data management and analysis, reduce weight and size bias resulting from different transmitter types, and maintain consistency of other parameters critical to the experimental design of the study. Ornitela (the vendor) provides a data management system to track birds in real time via web portal, provides an accelerometer within the standard unit to track behaviors, includes a flat rate for data acquisition, and makes cellular units that are the appropriate size for use on Mallards without an external antenna. Moreover, Ornitella has a better reputation for reliability of the units and a cheaper overall cost as other vendors (extensive market research by Dr. Heath Hagy, Project Leader, USFWS). Other studies led by TTU and the University of Missouri are also using Ornitela units and through these coordinated partnering studies, we hope to address many research needs of NWRs and the USFWS. Purchasing these units and leveraging resources for deployment and data analysis from ongoing, existing projects represents a substantial cost savings to the government and is highly efficient. | |
| Text1: This request is for solar-powered, GPS transmitters that work with the cellular network to transmit data on the location, behavior, and other characteristics of ducks throughout their annual cycle, especially during winter and open hunting seasons around sanctuaries on Cache River NWR. The USFWS is partnering with the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM), and several other conservation organizations on several projects of examine movements of mallards around Refuges and in response to changing habitat conditions (i.e., sanctuary, food density) and hunting opportunity. This project will provide information critical to the Strategic Action Plan for Waterfowl Management in the Southeast, is a key science need of the Region’s Science Team and is important to strategically managing NWRs and benefiting hunters and birders in the Southeast. | |
| Text4: The partnership with UAM, and other Universities was unique in this situation and all transmitters needed to be purchased form the same vendor to ensure that the experimental design of the overall projects were followed and to allow coordinated and consistent data acquisition, management, and analysis. This consistency represents a substantial cost savings to the government due to leveraging of existing projects and other funding sources. Limited competition in the market and reliability of units form other vendors are barriers to competition. Units from Ornitela and other vendors are comparable in price after discounts, data plans, and other factors are considered. | |
| Text6: See barriers to competition. | |
| 2023-11-09T15:50:08-0600 | |
| CHRISTOPHER SWANSON |
| 2023-12-12T13:56:59-0600 | |
| JOHN SKOGEN |
Text5: Ornitela (the vendor) provides a data management system to track birds in real time via web portal, provides an accelerometer within the standard unit to track behaviors, includes a flat rate for data acquisition, and makes cellular units that are the appropriate size for use on Mallards without an external antenna. Moreover, Ornitella has a better reputation for reliability of the units and a cheaper overall cost as other vendors (extensive market research by Dr. Heath Hagy. Other studies led by TTU and the University of Missouri are also using Ornitela units and through these coordinated partnering studies, we hope to address many research needs of NWRs and the USFWS. Purchasing these units and leveraging resources for deployment and data anlysis from ongoing, existing projects represents a substantial cost savings to the government and is highly efficient.
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