Redacted_Marriott_JOTFOC_Redacted.pdf

Procurement Request (PR) No.V3321025

V220T.07 08/15

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER (VOLPE CENTER)

Situational Awareness and Logistics Division, V332

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION1

PART I - TECHNICAL SUPPORTING DATA

Recommend that negotiations be conducted with Marriott Cambridge – Boston on a noncompetitive basis for award of a contract in an amount estimated to be $ for a period of performance from July 10 through August 13, 2016. The supporting data for this recommendation are as follows:

A. Description of Supplies/Services:

The purpose of this requisition is to provide lodging for twenty (20) persons, for five (5) week duration from July 10 through August 13, 2016. The lodging shall be within ¾ of a mile (reasonable walking distance) of the US Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, 55 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02142 or provide scheduled free shuttle service to the U.S. Department of Transportation and can meet the necessary requirements.

1. Market Research:

Market research conducted in October 2015, comprised of internet searches and phone calls, initiated by the technical customer, showed that the Residence Inn by Marriott Cambridge – Boston is the only hotel that meets the unique need of providing “extended stay” services (i.e. – kitchenettes) for the Period of Performance. There are several hotels in Cambridge, including the Cambridge Marriott, literally across the street from the Volpe Center, and the approximately ¾-mile from the Volpe Center, as well as several additional hotels within a mile, that could potentially provide rooms; however the unique extended stay aspect of having suites with kitchenettes is only available at Residence Inn by Marriott Cambridge – Boston.

The Office of Acquisitions conducted a Sources Sought Request via Fed Biz Ops in November 2015, expanding the requirements to determine of offerors outside of the .75 mile radius could provide transportation to/from Volpe and the lodging facility. The requirements stated were:

• In-room kitchen including refrigerator, freezer, stove top, oven, microwave, sink and washing area, cooking and eating utensils to enable guests to cook and eat their own food.

• Easy access to public transportation

• Single accommodation with double-size or larger bed

• Private bathroom with shower and tub

• Television, free internet, in-room phone, alarm clock, closet, hot iron, hair dryer

• Writing desk with chair

• Daily room cleaning and fresh linens and towels, toiletries

• Concierge services including access to personal laundry services or laundry machines on-site.

• Be within walking distance (no more than .75 miles) of 55 Broadway, Cambridge, MA

Or,

• Provide group access to transportation such as free scheduled shuttle service to/from Volpe Center (Monday – Friday).

o Depart the hotel at a time to arrive at the Volpe Center by 8:15am daily.

o Pick up at the Volpe Center at 11:30am for a return to the hotel (for lunch).

o Depart the hotel at a time to arrive back at the Volpe Center by 12:50pm o Pick-up at the Volpe Center at 4:45pm for the return to the hotel.

No responses to the Sources Sought were received. Consequently, the established requirement to include the walking distance of 0.75 miles is considered to be valid, since no alternative transportation concepts were identified, nor were any other sources identified that could meet the set of requirements. Given the cultural limitations of our audience and a language barrier, it will be extremely disadvantageous to the Government to have lodging for this event miles away from the Volpe Center with a travel situation that we don’t understand or have control of. Market research has demonstrated and supports a sole source environment for this acquisition.

2. Background:

United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has tasked Volpe’s Situational Awareness and Logistics Division (V332) with developing and hosting a five-week workshop for twenty representatives from several African nations where attendees will learn the: operation and administration of SeaVision and TV-32, Automated Identification Systems, radar systems, IT networking, and Project Management. The workshop will begin on Monday July 11, 2016 and will span for five weeks, ending on Friday August 12, 2016.

Sessions will be held five days per week. FY 2016 is the third consecutive year that V332 has conducted this training.

B. Circumstances Requiring the Use of Other Than Full and Open (F&O) Competition.

The attendees are from sub-Saharan Africa and many have cultural and religious needs, including daily prayer and special preparation of their meals, such as halal preparation. The attendees will not have rental cars and accommodations must be within a reasonable walking distance for an attendee to easily travel back and forth to the Volpe Center not only at the start and end of the day, but allow an attendee to return to the hotel for midday prayer and meals. There are halal markets within several miles of the Volpe Center that are accessible via public transportation or taxi, allowing the attendees to prepare meals in their suites.

The failure to meet the cultural and religious needs of the attendees would have a serious detrimental impact on AFRICOM’s mission of building partnerships and fostering relations with African nations.

A Sources Sought effort was conducted as described above and received no responses. The Residence Inn by

Marriott Cambridge – Boston is an extended stay hotel in Kendall Square, diagonally across the street from the Volpe Center. The hotel is all-suite; each room in the hotel is designed with separate living, working and food preparation / dining areas and meets the necessary cultural needs of the guests, and is the only source capable of satisfying the Government’s requirements.

C. Steps to Foster Competition (or Consideration) – If this requirement has a bona fide need in the future the

Volpe Center will continue to conduct market research for businesses that can compete for this requirement.

D. TECHNICAL OFFICE CERTIFICATION:

The requirement set forth is initiated to satisfy a recognized Government need. As applicable, the plans, drawings, specifications, and statement of work are limited to state the minimum needs of the Government. I certify that the above information which serves as the basis for the justification for other than full and open competition is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

______________________________________ January 13, 2016 Technical Initiator

____________________________________ January 13, 2016 Division Chief

PART II – CONTRACTS SUPPORTING DATA

A. Description of the Procurement Action –

This action will be awarded as a new Firm-Fixed-Price contract and processed as a commercial item purchase using SAP under the FAR Subpart 13.5 as a sole source acquisition. A separate Justification has been prepared and will be published in accordance with FAR 13.501(a) (1).

B. Authority –41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 13-106(b) Soliciting from a single source. No other

Supplies or services will satisfy the Volpe Center’s requirements.

C. Efforts to Obtain Competition This proposed contract action will be synopsized in the FEDBIZOPS as required by FAR Subpart 5.2.

A Sources Sought looking for hotels that are capable of meeting the necessary requirements was published with reduced the restriction to location if transportation could be provided, and stating the residency time period need.

The Volpe Center expanded the limitation of .75 miles distance from the Volpe Center by adding the capability of transporting the participants to and from the hotel. No capability responses were received when posting the Sources Sought.

D. Fair and Reasonable Cost –The signature of the Contracting Officer provided below represents a determination that the anticipated cost to the Government will be considered fair and reasonable because the room rate will be within the established Government CONUS Per Diem rates for the area.

E. REVIEWED FOR LEGAL SUFFICIENCY:

__________________________ January 25, 2016 Volpe Center Attorney Date Office of Legal Services

F. CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION:

I certify that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

_______________________ January 25, 2016 Contracting Officer Date