BNJPT1119 Redacted.pdf

XXXXXXXXX

Justification for Exception to Fair Opportunity

Brand Name FAR 16.505(a)(4)(i)

1. Agency and Contracting Activity.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the United States Coast Guard (USCG), Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber and Intelligence Service Center (C5ISC), C5I

Contracting and Procurement, Alexandria (CG-9141) located at 7323 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA 20598-7320, prepared this justification for an exception to fair opportunity.

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

The USCG intends to award a Delivery Order (DO) under the brand name exception to fair opportunity for the annual renewal of F5 hardware and software maintenance support pursuant to

FAR 16.505(a)(4)(i), restricting items peculiar to one manufacturer. This will result in a Firm-Fixed-

Price (FFP) DO amongst authorized F5 resellers via the NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide

Procurement (SEWP) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle.

3. Description of Supplies/Services.

The USCG requires the purchase of annual maintenance support renewal for the F5 hardware and software currently residing at USCG C5ISC Kearneysville, Chesapeake, Alexandria, and Alameda.

The services include firmware updates, online resources, telephone support, preventative maintenance and concurrent maintenance. The period of performance for the maintenance/support renewal is 12 months, from 28 May 2021 to 27 May 2022. The estimated renewal amount is

$XXXXXXXX using FY21 funds.

4. Identify the exception to fair opportunity and supporting rationale.

The statutory authority permitting exception to fair opportunity is FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B). “Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized.” This requirement will be procuring items peculiar to one manufacturer on a brand name basis in accordance with

BIG-IP SERVICE:

PREMIUM, (LEVEL 1-3)

F5-SVC-BIG-PRE-L1-3 / F5-BIG-BT-I7800 XX $ 246,491.50

BIG-IP SERVICE:

PREMIUM VIRTUAL

EDITION LEVEL 1-3

F5-SVC-BIG-VE+PREL13 / F5-BIG-LTM-VE-

1G-V16

XX $ 19,034.05

BIG-IQ SERVICE:

PREMIUM VIRTUAL

EDITION LEVEL 1-3

F5-SVC-BIG-VE+PREL13 / F5-BIQ-VE-S XX $ 12,840.00

BIG-IP SERVICE

PREMIUM LEVEL 1-3

F5-SVC-BIG-PRE-L1-3 / F5-ADD-BIG-EXT-

HSM

XX $ 8,491.50

$ 286,857.05

Estimated Fixed Price Per

Estimated Total Firm Fixed Price

Item Description Part Number/ Covered Product Number

Quantity

16.505(a)(4)(i).

The USCG C5ISC provides IT support to local and remote organizations and their network environments. The F5 hardware/software maintenance is the only available and technically compatible support for the F5 load balancers. F5 hardware/software is proprietary and only authorized resellers can provide maintenance support. The hardware/software maintenance is necessary to ensure the USCG can deliver high availability load balancing services for USCG information technology enterprise applications. Failure to have the maintenance renewed will result in risk to the USCG for security vulnerabilities potentially, leading to increased exposure to cyber security exploits. Also, non-functional F5 load balancers will cause imbalance of server and network loads causing instability in USCG applications and inability for users to connect to USCG systems.

The support services will improve the overall performance of applications by decreasing the burden on servers associated with managing and maintaining application and network sessions. Purchasing new equipment to replace existing equipment is cost-prohibitive as it would require a re-engineering of the present architecture and new hardware is significantly more expensive than maintenance on existing hardware.

Due to the F5 proprietary requirements by the USCG, the contracting strategy which will provide the Government the best value is completing the brand-name F5 hardware and software maintenance renewal requirement using the NASA SEWP contracting vehicle.

5. Determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The Contracting Officer determines that the anticipated cost will be fair and reasonable based on adequate price competition, as there are multiple authorized F5 resellers on the NASA SEWP contract vehicle. The Contracting Officer will also perform a price analysis to determine that the price at the time of award represents the overall best value for the Government and is consistent with the NASA SEWP contract vehicle terms.

6. At this time, there are no other actions the Government can take to foster increased competition.

Currently, F5 hardware and software are proprietary and on the USCG network. The availability of multiple vendors that can provide F5 brand name hardware and software maintenance ensures competition.

7. Contracting Officer’s Certification.

I certify that the data supporting the recommended use of other than full and open competition is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Contracting Officer

8. Technical/Requirements Personnel Certification.

I certify that this requirement meets the Government’s minimum need and that the supporting data, which forms a basis for the justification, is accurate and complete.

Contracting Officer’s Representative

APPROVAL:

Contracting Officer