B08_-_Redacted_SSJ_1.pdf

Sole Source Memorandum Que$tor

The U. S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) on behalf of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), is proposing to award a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Purchase Order to IHS Markit. BOEM has a requirement to purchase software license renewals for Que$tor Offshore Data software maintenance as required by the BOEM Resource Evaluation Division. Period of performance shall be from April 15, 2023 through April 14, 2024.

In accordance with the FAR 13.106-1 (b) there is only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The contractor, IHS Markit holds proprietary rights to the Que$tor Offshore Data software and its annual maintenance and is not offered through any resellers or distributors. Additionally, these services are not available through any established contract vehicles. Que$tor has been embedded in Fair Market Value Evaluation architecture since 2013 and is currently being used in BOEM offices in Sterling, VA;

New Orleans, LA; Camarillo, CA; and Anchorage, AK. The annual maintenance includes technical support and periodic updates of the software. The software maintenance also covers assistance by the company over the telephone when the software experience lag issues or the updates fail to initialize. Due to the proprietary nature of IHS Questor software, there is no way to overcome barriers for competition as long as there is a need for utilizing the software.

However, BOEM is continuously evaluating new technologies and will open up competition if and when another solution is technically viable.