AutonoME_JOFOC_Redacted.pdf

Effective Date: 11/15/24 Page 1 of 6

REVISION: 01

Acquisition ID#: 36C262-25-AP-1057

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION UNDER SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL

ITEMS IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR 13.5

Acquisition Plan Action ID: 36C262-25-AP-1057 JOFOC Tracking Number: FY25 – RPOW Activations - 702

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs, Regional Procurement Office West (RPOW)

Activations Branch III, San Diego VA Healthcare System (SDVAHCS)

Purchase request: 664-25-1-4001-0004

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Processed: This procurement is for AutonoME Patient Environmental Control Units in accordance with FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items and specifically FAR 13.501 Special Documentation Requirements, where acquisitions conducted under Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6, but still require a justification using the format of FAR 6.303-2. RPOW Activations Branch III intends to award a new, firm fixed price contract to Accessibility Services, Inc.

A new Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)/Community Living Center (CLC) building is under construction on the campus of SDVAHCS which will require the expansion of the AutonoME Patient Environmental Control Unit (PECU) system. This contract will provide 50 AutonoME PECUs capable of allowing a veteran patient with limited functionality (quadriplegic, paraplegic, suffers from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and/or etc.) to control their environment while having the ability to participate in a broad range of activities. SDVAHCS has a six-year history with the AutonoME PECU system, which are currently installed and operational on 30 spinal cord injury inpatient beds. The previous procurement at SDVAHCS for AutonoME PECUs was procured by the Technology Acquisition Center under contract and obligation number .

3. Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs:

This request is for the procurement, installation, and configuration of AutonoME PECUs in support of the new SCI/CLC building at SDVAHCS. The AutonoME PECU system provides environmental control units specifically designed to provide disabled and/or paralyzed veterans the independence to control their environment and supplement nursing care. The controls include nurse call, adjustment of the hospital bed, operations of the television and telephone, computer access, and speech generation. This is a brand name only sole source acquisition. The AutonoME PECU is the only solution that satisfies the functional requirement to provide a wide variety of alternative input methods to accommodate veterans with all types of disabilities. These methods include voice recognition, touchscreen, “sip n’ puff,” eye gaze, and head tracker technologies. These alternative methods are proprietary technologies that interact with the AutonoME PECU system in such a manner that allows spinal cord injury patients to utilize the PECU. No other source can provide this assistive technology and functional requirement that interacts with the items and settings used by veterans in their hospital rooms. This functionality is required to provide VA with the capability to accommodate veterans with any type of disability. Furthermore, these input methods are interchangeable by the patient with no staff assistance and provides the veteran with independence as they receive care. This procurement updates the current AutonoME equipment in use and requires additional PECUs for the activation of the new SCI/CLC. To maintain standardization and continuity of care for veteran patients and VA staff, the procurement of the same brand name equipment is critical to the VA Healthcare System.

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50 each A20000G, AutonoME PECU hospital system 1 job Installation

Estimated dollar value:

Required Delivery date: March 14, 2025 Period of Performance: 30 days After Receipt of Order

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Restricted Competition:

FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items. The statutory authority for applying the Simplified Procedures for Commercial Items of FAR 13.5 is 41 U.S.C. § 1901 and is implemented by FAR 13.106-1(b)(2) for restricting competition on this procurement. Competition is restricted on this procurement for the reason below:

(X) Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements

5. Demonstration that the Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or Nature of the Acquisition Requires the Use of the Authority Cited Above (applicability of authority):

The AutonoME software is proprietary. The specialized equipment is used for veteran patients with injuries or diagnosis that significantly limit their functions due to paralysis and has been used at SDVAHCS since 2017. Accessibility Services Inc. is the original equipment manufacturer and sole distributor of the AutonoME PECU system confirmed by correspondence with the mission partner and contractor during the market research phase on February 2, 2024.

It is essential for the Government to procure the AutonoME PECU system to maintain standardization and continuity of care for veteran patients and VA staff. Accessibility Services Inc. is the only firm capable of providing the AutonoME PECU system without the Government experiencing substantial duplication of costs that could not be expected to be recovered through competition.

6. Description of Efforts Made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as deemed practicable:

Sources sought notice 36C24W25Q0014 was published to System for Award Management (SAM) on December 11, 2024, and closed December 23, 2024. Three responses to the sources sought notice were received with only one of the sources submitting a capability statement, the original equipment manufacturer, Accessibility Services Inc. The other two sources were and . A review of the two interested offeror’s websites did not mention that the contractor was engaged in the support to supply patient environmental control units. Additionally, on February 2, 2024, it was disclosed by memo submitted to the mission partner that there are no distributors of Accessibility Services Inc. for the AutonoME PECU system required by SDVAHCS.

7. Determination by the CO that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable:

In accordance with FAR 13.106-3(a)(2)(ii), the Contracting Officer will conduct a comparison of the proposed price with prices found reasonable on previous procurements to determine that the proposed price is fair and reasonable.

The same or similar procurements within VA resulted in the following historical data:

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8. Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results, or a Statement of the Reasons

Market Research Was Not Conducted:

As described in Section 6 above, market research in accordance with FAR Part 10 was conducted by posting a sources sought notice for the proposed acquisition to SAM, advising industry of the pending acquisition and soliciting inquiries and capabilities from interested parties.

A VetCert search was conducted using NAICS Code 339112 and rendered 668 potential

SDVOSB/VOSB vendors.

GSA e-Library search using NAICS code 339112 resulted in 43 small business vendors.

Federal Procurement Data System search using keyword “AutonoME” rendered 229 results. All the results were from various Network Contracting Offices throughout the VA who all ordered from Accessibility Services Inc.

Supply Chain Master Catalog search by keyword “AutonoME” rendered zero results.

Small Business Dynamic Search tool was used searching NAICS 339112 and “AutonoME.” No small business concerns were identified.

The proposed procurement is restricted to one source. There is no other source with the adequate functionality to meet the VA’s mission. The Buy American statute restricts the purchase of supplies that are not domestic end products. The AutonoMe system is manufactured in the United States.

9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other than Full and Open Competition:

None.

10. Listing of Sources that Expressed, in Writing, an Interest in the Acquisition:

Accessibility Services Inc.

POC: Brice Green VP of Business Development Accessibility Services, Inc.

6421 S. Tex Pt Homosassa, FL 34448 Phone: 727.420.4376 brice.green@accessibilityservices.com

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

Competition before Making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required:

There is no known alternate to this sole source procurement that can satisfy the Government's requirement technically. Prior to future acquisitions, the Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the marketplace that would enable competition.

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the requirement outlined in this justification is a Bona

Fide Need of the Department of Veterans Affairs and that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Robert Bott Date Chief Veteran Experience Officer

SDVAHCS

Effective Date: 11/15/24 Page 6 of 6

13. Approvals in accordance with the VHAPM Part 806.3 OFOC SOP:

a. Contracting Officer or Designee’s Certification (required): I certify that the foregoing justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Lynn Pettit Date Contracting Officer RPOW, Activations Branch III

b. One Level Above the Contracting Officer (Required over SAT but not exceeding $750K): I certify the justification meets requirements for other than full and open competition.

Gary W. Smith, MBA Date Branch Chief

RPOW, Activations Branch III

c. Division Chief: I certify the justification meets requirements for other than full and open competition.

Antonio Jackson Date Division Chief

RPOW, Activations

c. VHA RPO HCA Review and Approval: I have reviewed the foregoing justification and find it to be complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief and approve ($750K to $7.5 million (or $15.0 million for acquisitions described in FAR 13.500(c)) for other than full and open competition.

Curtis M. Jordan Date Executive Director, Regional Procurement Office West Head of Contracting Activity (HCA)