Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity to Use Brand-Name Restriction

This is a Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity document for a Bridge Action issued by HQ ACC AMIC (Air Combat Command) at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The document approves a sole-source bridge contract using FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(A) exception to provide continuous operations support for CAF Fighter Squadron, USAFWC, and ASOS Operations Support. The contracting activity is classified as an Individual determination (not a class determination), with an expiration date to be determined.

The current contract (FA489020F0048) was competitively awarded to Vector CSP, LLC, a small business, on a firm-fixed-price level-of-effort basis. Performance is scheduled to end December 25, 2025, with all option periods already exercised. The bridge action covers a base period of three months plus one week, extending through March 31, 2026, with potential extension to September 30, 2026 if protests occur. The program provides in-garrison support to 21 CAF Fighter Squadrons and USAFWC Test Evaluation Squadrons, with 107 full-time equivalents (FTEs) providing functional support including scheduling, training, stan eval, mobility, weapons and tactics, and mission planning. Cost estimation for the bridge period applies a 3.5 percent escalation rate to historical contract prices. Market research identified six capable vendors, but only Vector CSP possesses the personnel to begin performance by December 26, 2025, without service break. The justification emphasizes that funding uncertainties, Department of Government Efficiency review processes, and a government shutdown delayed the competitive follow-on procurement timeline, making the bridge action necessary to prevent service gaps that would negatively impact combat readiness and test evaluation capabilities.