ACCESS_Bluestaq_Justification_and_Approval_Redacted.pdf

FEDSIM is a Client Support Center housed within GSA, FAS, AAS Page 1

General Services Administration (GSA)

Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (FEDSIM)

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

SOLICITATION 47QFCA19R00120

INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT NUMBER 47QFCA19S0050

The General Services Administration (GSA) makes this Justification and Approval

(J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition contract pursuant to Federal

Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302.

1. Identification of Agency and Contracting Activity:

Agency:

General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (FEDSIM) Acting in support of: Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

Contracting Activity:

GSA FEDSIM Contracting Office (QF0B) 1800 F Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20405

2. Nature and/or Description of Action Being Approved:

This is a justification to award a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contract to Bluestaq LLC. Bluestaq LLC was awarded an SBIR Phase I contract (FA9453-18-P-0230) on 11 July 2018, resulting from solicitation number 2018.1, Advanced Command and Control Enterprise Systems and Software (ACCESS), and topic number AF181039. The proposed SBIR Phase III contract will be a Labor Hour (LH) contract with an estimated period of performance of one 12-month base period and two 12-month option periods. The total estimated contract value is for $26,574,780.

3. A Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet Agency’s Need:

This requirement is for engineering services. The SBIR Phase III effort will support the integration of data from a variety of organizations, including the Space Security and Defense Program (SSDP), National Space Defense Center (NSDC), Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the Office of Space Commerce. As the strategy and platform are adopted by these organizations, there will likely be a variety of other organizations that will benefit from adopting the UDL tools and data management strategy.

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Tasks:

The following LH tasks define the work over the span of the contract. These top-level tasks listed in this section were all included in the original SBIR Phase I project and derive from/expand upon that work:

1. Program Management

2. Data Processing and Storage

3. Cloud Hosting

4. Integration

5. Data Publication

6. Identity and Data Access Management (IDAM)

7. Web User Interface (UI)

8. Mission Data Analytics

9. Modeling and Simulation

10. Documentation, Reports, and Demonstration

4. An Identification of the Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open

Competition:

The authority under which this J&A is made is pursuant to FAR 6.302-5, that the project is a SBIR Phase III award that is derived from, extends, or completes efforts made under prior SBIR funding agreements and is authorized under 15 U.S.C. 638(r)(4).

In accordance with the SBA SBIR/STTR Policy Directive dated May 2, 2019, the competition for SBIR Phase I and SBIR Phase II awards satisfies any competition requirement of the Armed Services Procurement Act, the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act, and the Competition in Contracting Act. Furthermore, 15 U.S.C. 638(r)(4) states:

“To the greatest extent practicable, Federal agencies and Federal prime contractors shall issue SBIR Phase III awards relating to technology, including sole source awards, to the SBIR and STTR award recipients that developed the technology.”

5. A Demonstration that the Proposed Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or the

Nature of the Acquisition Requires Use of the Authority Cited:

The nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited. The SBIR Program is structured in three phases:

PHASE I: The objective of SBIR Phase I is to establish the technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of the proposed Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) efforts and to determine the quality of performance of the small business awardee organization prior to providing further Federal support in SBIR Phase II.

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PHASE II: The objective of SBIR Phase II is to continue the R/R&D efforts initiated in SBIR Phase I. Funding is based on the results achieved in SBIR Phase I and the scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of the project proposed in SBIR Phase II.

Only SBIR Phase I awardees are eligible for a SBIR Phase II award.

PHASE III: The objective of SBIR Phase III, where appropriate, is for the SBIR awardee.

to pursue commercialization objectives resulting from the SBIR Phase I/II R/R&D activities. The SBIR program does not fund SBIR Phase III. For some federal agencies, SBIR Phase III may involve follow-on non-SBIR funded R&D or production contracts for products, processes, or services intended for use by the U.S. Government. The SBIR Phase III work derives from, extends, or completes efforts performed under SBIR Phase I and/or SBIR Phase II, therefore the use of the authority cited is required.

Under the SBIR Program, Bluestaq LLC was awarded a Phase I contract in 2018 (FA9453-18-P-0230) for the research and development of the data as a service UDL platform in support of the ACCESS project. It is this derived technology and capabilities from Bluestaq LLC’s Phase I award with the Air Force that AFRL intends to fund and continue through a Phase III sole source award to Bluestaq LLC.

6. A Description of Efforts Made to Ensure that Offers are Solicited From as Many

Potential Sources as Practicable:

No other efforts were made to solicit other potential sources. Further, in accordance with FAR 5.202(a)(7), proposed contract actions resulting from the acceptance of a proposal under the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 are exempt from being publicized.

7. A Determination by the Contracting Officer that the Anticipated Cost to the

Government will be Fair and Reasonable:

The Contracting Officer will conduct proposal analysis in accordance with FAR Subparts15.404-1 (Proposal Analysis Techniques) and 15.405 (Price Negotiation) to ensure that the final price is fair and reasonable.

8. A Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results or a Statement of the Reason Market Research was not Conducted:

FAR 10.001(a)(2) states that market research appropriate to the circumstances must be conducted. SBIR Phase III procurements are such that the traditional market research to determine alternative sources is generally not applicable. The Government conducted market research to verify and determine that the proposed SBIR Phase III work derives from research and effort performed and/or prototypes developed under previous SBIR Phase I efforts by obtaining copies of the SBIR Phase I solicitation number 2018.1 and contract FA9453-18-P-0230, as well as the final report summarizing the SBIR Phase I’s feasibility. The contracting officer, by reviewing the aforementioned solicitation, FEDSIM is a Client Support Center housed within GSA, FAS, AAS Page 4 contract, and research report, has determined that the requirement for this SBIR Phase III contract derives from the SBIR Phase I research.

Additionally, the Government queried the SBIR website and contractor registry to validate Bluestaq LLC’s previous SBIR award. The technologies and capabilities in Bluestaq LLC’s ACCESS UDL platform were derived through Bluestaq LLC’s participation in the SBIR Program and are currently only available to the Government through an SBIR award.

9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other Than Full and OpenCompetition:

All other supporting factors have been described above.

10. A Listing of the Sources, if any, That Expressed, In Writing, An Interest in the

Acquisition:

As per paragraph 6 above, the requirement was not publicized and no other sources were solicited. Hence, the Contracting Officer is not aware nor has been made aware of any other sources that expressed interest in the acquisition.

11. A Statement of the Actions, if Any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome

Any Barriers to Competition Before Any Subsequent Acquisition for the Supplies or

Services Required:

The Government is not taking any additional action at this time. Any subsequent acquisitions for similar requirement will be required to follow the guidelines outlined in the SBA SBIR Program Policy Directive as it relates to procuring items for commercialization of technologies and capabilities that are derived from, extend, or logically conclude efforts from prior SBIR awards.

12. Contracting Officer Certification that the Justification is Accurate and Complete to the Best of the Contracting Officer’s Knowledge and Belief:

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and I determine on the basis of the findings above that an other than full and open competition approach is in accordance with the requirements and is in the best interest of the Government.

Digitally signed by MATTHEW

MATTHEW HEALEY HEALEY

D_a_te_: _20_1_9_.0_5._14 15_:5_3_:5_5_-_04_'0_0_'

Matthew Healey Date Contracting Officer FEDSIM Acquisition, Innovation Group

Final Approval:

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

FEDSIM is a Client Support Center housed within GSA, FAS, AAS Page 5 belief, and I determine on the basis of the findings above that an other than full and open competition approach is in accordance with the requirements and is in the best interest of the Government.

Digitally signed by THOMAS HOWDER

Date: 2019.05.15 15:26:10 -04'00'

Tom Howder Date Head of Contracting Activity

THOMAS HOWDER