A3- JA (NMCARS Change 18-25)_Final redact.pdf
PDF 409 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Surveillance Drone
- Solicitation number
- M00681-26-P-0002
- Issued by
-
United States Marine Corps
About this file
This Justification and Approval (J&A) document supports a sole source award to W.S. Darley & Co. for a small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) for the 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV). The contract (M00681-26-P-0002) is a Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) procurement for one MARDIV Critical Surveillance Supply Suite 1.1, valued at a redacted total price. The acquisition was necessitated by urgent requirements during a Government Shutdown, with no competitive channels available to meet a time-sensitive delivery deadline for a naval and Marine Corps 25th birthday commemoration and amphibious assault demonstration at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
The procurement supports Headquarters Marine Corps efforts to showcase modernization in autonomous systems and Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) capabilities. Due to the Government Shutdown and limited acquisition support, 1st MARDIV determined that only Darley could provide the critical supplies within the required timeline. The Contracting Officer deemed the award price fair and reasonable based on commercial pricing, and RCO MCIWEST intends to compete similar future requirements in accordance with standard competition regulations.
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requirements. Given the production and delivery lead times associated with the subject critical supplies; the no-later-than delivery date to ensure execution of the
, for events of national significance that could not be rescheduled and that were determined to be excepted activities during the Government Shutdown in accordance with applicable Department of War (DoW) guidance; and based on market research, only one vendor (Darley) could reasonably provide the required critical supplies due to unusual and compelling circumstances. Failure to procure the required sUAS equipment would have prevented the Marine Corps from conducting the demonstration, thereby undermining strategic community engagement objectives that would have caused serious injury to the Government.
6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practicable.
1st MARDIV attempted to procure the sUAS through alternate, competitive channels, to include the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and the General Services Administration (GSA), but due to the lack of responses during the Government Shutdown, and given the time sensitive nature of these events to align with strategic community engagement events, no other means of acquisition was reasonably capable of meeting the required delivery date. Although market research revealed a suitable market for competition in a non-time constrained environment, the Contracting Officer determined that competition would preclude meeting the required timeline under the existing circumstances and would compromise 1st MARDIV’s ability to operate as directed by higher authority.
7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost.
The Contracting Officer determined the award price to be fair and reasonable utilizing the techniques set forth in FAR 13.106-3(a). The subject critical supplies are commercial in nature and competitive pricing can be readily determined based on published price lists and historical pricing on other procurements.
8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Future Competition.
RCO MCIWEST intends to compete requirements for future contracts of a similar type in accordance with the competition requirements specified in statute and regulation. The scope and duration of the Government Shutdown could not have been anticipated at the time this acquisition was conducted, which contributed to the unusual and compelling nature of the acquisition.
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