Attachment 6 - Brand Name Justification.pdf

This is a Justification and Approval (J&A) document for a sole-source acquisition of HVAC chiller replacement services for the United States Air Force.

The Department of the Air Force, through the Air Force Installation Contracting Center (AFICC), is establishing a Brand Name Class J&A to standardize HVAC chiller procurement across all DAF installations from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2029. The estimated total contract cost is $437.5 million, with anticipated purchases of approximately 1,654 HVAC chiller units over the five-year period. The acquisition is justified under FAR 6.302-1(a) based on the determination that only one responsible source—each DAF installation's approved HVAC chiller manufacturer—can satisfy agency requirements. HVAC chillers are mission-critical equipment essential for maintaining proper temperature and humidity in facilities without natural ventilation. The standardization strategy limits purchases to pre-identified manufacturers at each installation to reduce training inefficiencies, lower inventory management costs, improve cybersecurity posture, and enhance mission effectiveness. Since the 2018 Category Intelligence Report identified problems with 142 different manufacturer products in the DAF inventory, the standardization initiative has reduced manufacturers to 127 as of 2024, with 12 bases achieving 80% standardization and providing measurable cost avoidance estimated at $50 million. The acquisition includes purchases of commercial HVAC chiller equipment, with intellectual property limited to technical data for operation and maintenance. A Request for Information/Sources Sought notice was posted on SAM.Gov on December 12, 2023, for 15 days, yielding two industry responses supporting the standardization approach. The J&A received final approval on July 23, 2024.