A23b Attachment 2 Justification and Approval.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES

1155 DEFENSE PENTAGON

WASHINGTON, DC 20301-1155

ACQUISITION

DIRECTORATE

Control No. 2021-WHS-0211

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION UNDER SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES

FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS

UNDER FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR) 13.5

1. AGENCY AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY: The Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Acquisition Directorate, Enterprise Research and Engineering Division (ERED)

2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTION: This action is for the approval of a brand name justification for the procurement of the Dimensions.ai software subscription and support.

Dimensions.ai is the most comprehensive research grants database which links grants to millions of resulting publications, clinical trials, and patents. The contract will be firm fixed-price utilizing FY2021 RDT&E funds.

3. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES:

Dimensions.ai is a comprehensive bibliometric data analytics platform used by various grant funders, academics, and private institutions globally to guide decision making. With Dimensions, users can search across multiple content types, ranging from publications to grants, clinical trials, patents, datasets, and policy documents. The linking of all these data enables users to view the information in context, gain new insights from complex analytics, and trace the relationships between the results.

The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense, Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E), Basic Research Office (BRO) requires the procurement of the Dimensions.ai software subscription and support. BRO requires sixteen (16) seats of the Dimensions Analytics Subscription including the Platinum Subscription Support.

Standard access to Dimensions Analytics must include:

Publications data Grants data Patents data Policy Documents data Clinical Trials data Datasets

The Platform Subscription Support includes:

Up to 500 hours of platform subscription support to fully leverage use of the Dimensions Platform during this period.

and Deputy Secretary of Defense on research and engineering matters.

The high quality data required to enable these data analyses includes a robust grants database tool that will provide oversight of grants funded and the dollar amount.

Dimensions.ai is the only company that provides such grant database capability. Their curated grants database allows OUSD(R&E) to quantitatively study the impact of research funded by DoD and compare the research to other domestic and international efforts. The linking of their data sources enables the user to view the items returned in context, gain new insights from complex analytics, and trace the relationships among the results.

Similar platforms (Web of Science, Scopus, Microsoft Academic, Google Scholar, and Brainspace) do not provide some of the required document types and require the use of multiple platforms. This is not practical as the use of multiple platforms would require multiple subscriptions. An extensive comparison of products available in the market is documented in tab A11 Market Research Report of the pre-award contract file. In addition, Dimensions provides an Application Programming Interface (API), which allows a more complex analysis of the data behind the platform. Furthermore, the bibliometric platform is unique with capabilities different from what in-house capabilities could offer now and in the future. Therefore, Dimensions is the only product in the market that offers integrated databases of research grants, publications, citations, and patent that cover a broad landscape from both national and international major research resources and meets OUSD(R&E) requirements.

If the Dimensions.ai software is not acquired, OUSD (R&E) will not have access to the high quality data analytic tools needed to evaluate research programs and inform policy decision-making. The impact of this lack of access includes inefficient use of research funds, and potentially falling behind global competitors and fellow US research funding agencies. Also, R&E will not have access to comparable data analytics capability that many funding agencies possess. Therefore, an exemption from full competition is justified under FAR 6.302-1. A Sources Sought was posted on SAM.gov on 16 August 2021.

6. EFFORTS TO OBTAIN COMPETITION:

Market research was conducted using the SEWP V market research request tool. Request #202200 received no responses from SEWP V contract holders. In addition, a Sources Sought was posted on SAM.gov on 16 August 2021 and closes on 20 August 2021. The results will be documented in the contract file. Extensive analysis of alternatives was performed by the program office and Dimensions.ai is the only product that

7. FAIR AND REASONABLE COST DETERMINATION: I hereby determine that the anticipated price for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. The techniques identified in FAR 15.404-1(b) will be used to ensure award will be at fair and reasonable prices. Certified cost and pricing data will not need to be obtained since the requirement is for a commercial service.

8. MARKET RESEARCH: Market research was conducted on GSA E-Library to find resellers of the Dimensions.ai software product with an existing GSA schedule. Market research resulted in no findings. Market research was then conducted using the SEWP V market research request tool. Request #202200 received no responses from SEWP V contract holders. A web search for similar platforms provided ten potential sources, however, none of these sources provide bibliometric data analytics.

The software manufacturer, Digital Science& Research Solutions Inc (other than small), was then contacted to find out if a relationship with small businesses exist. This identified two (2) small businesses has a reseller relationship with the software manufacturer. The Government received a response from one of the small businesses. In addition, a Sources Sought was posted on SAM.gov on 16 August 2021 and closes on 20 August 2021. The results will be documented in the contract file.

9. ANY OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF SOLE SOURCE:

Dimensions.ai is available to the public and is in demand of many customers such as government agencies and academic institutions. These customers include other DoD components such as Air Force Research Laboratory and Office of Naval research, National Institutes of Health, and National Science Foundation.

10. INTERESTED SOURCES:

a. Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc (Large Business, Software Manufacturer) 625 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

CAGE CODE: 7SMW9

DUNS: 069967429

b. NineFX, Inc (HUBZone Certified, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business) 1225 Laurel St # 428 Columbia, SC 29201

CAGE CODE: 6YBJ3

DUNS: 830826587

11. ACTIONS TO INCREASE COMPETITION: The Government will continue to do market research and evaluate similar products to determine if any of the future identified and capable of providing the required software, BRO will critically evaluate the potential alternative to determine whether or not the alternative product will represent value to BRO in future procurements.

12. Is this acquisition for a non-competitive follow-on acquisition previously awarded on a non-competitive basis?

Yes. A copy of the previous justification is attached. The actions to remove any barriers to competition cited on the previous justification were were not completed.

No. The original acquisition was conducted on a competitive basis.

Not Applicable. This is a new requirement.