ETFO Redacted.pdf
PDF 2 MB Posted
- Solicitation number
- HS002126FE029
About this file
This document is a Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity for a sole-source task order under the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) Credit Reporting Services multiple-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract.
The task order HS002123D0004 is a new firm-fixed-price order issued to Verato, Inc. for a six-month period with no option periods. The contractor shall provide Single Bureau Consumer Employment Credit Reports from the three major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax) and Tri-Merge Credit Reports in Department of Defense format, along with system-to-system connections (such as BI Connect Direct Batch File) to legacy DCSA systems including the Personnel Investigations Processing System (PIPS). The justification cites two primary reasons for the sole-source exception under 41 U.S.C. 4106(c): (1) Verato, Inc. is the only contractor with an established, tested system-to-system connection to DCSA's legacy systems capable of handling approximately [redacted] initial vetting investigations daily and [redacted] continuous vetting credit checks weekly without creating unacceptable delays to personnel onboarding and access decisions, and (2) the other IDIQ holder, Array US, Inc., became administratively ineligible when its System for Award Management (SAM) registration lapsed on April 25, 2026, and remains inactive as of April 30, 2026, in violation of FAR 4.203-1(b). Market research from February 2026 confirmed that Verato's firm-fixed pricing is significantly more cost-effective than other available GSA Professional Services Schedule vendors. The Contracting Officer will monitor Array US, Inc.'s SAM registration status during the six-month performance period to enable return to competitive task order procedures for future requirements.
View the file
On GovTribe
Work with this file
- Download the original file
- Contacts named in this file
- Similar government files
- Ask GovTribe AI about this file
Text version
• Continuous Vetting: DCSA requires approximately single bureau credit checks weekly. An inability to conduct these checks creates a critical gap in meeting trusted workforce requirements and delays the resolution of potential financial risks.
Because of this extreme daily volume, DCSA requires a contractor with an already established system-to-system connection (e.g., BI Connect Direct Batch File) to DCSA’s legacy systems, including PIPS, as mandated in PWS Section 2.5. Verato, Inc. already possesses this highly specialized, fully operational connection. Attempting to compete and award to a vendor without an existing, tested connection would require a lengthy IT onboarding and testing phase. Given the processing volumes noted above, even a brief transition period would create an insurmountable backlog of responses, directly degrading our customers' ability to onboard personnel or grant appropriate access.
Furthermore, competition under this vehicle is administratively impossible at this time. There are only two prime contractors awarded under the Credit Reporting Services multiple-award IDIQ: Verato, Inc. and Array US, Inc. On April 25, 2026, Array US, Inc.’s active System for Award Management (SAM) registration lapsed and as of April 30, 2026, is still inactive. In accordance with FAR 4.203-1(b), the Government is prohibited from making an award to an offeror that is not actively registered in SAM. Because this exception is driven by immediate technical and administrative barriers, DCSA is limiting this sole-source task order to a six-month duration. This short-term solution ensures DCSA avoids an insurmountable vetting backlog and mission failure, while limiting the scope and duration of the non-competitive award. Verato, Inc. is both technically the only vendor with the required system connection in place, and administratively the only eligible IDIQ holder. Therefore, they are the only awardee capable of providing these highly specialized services without causing unacceptable delays to the DCSA personnel vetting mission.
5. Other Facts:
a) Market Research: In accordance with FAR 10.001, DCSA, Data Collection &
Analysis (DC&A) utilized the initial market research conducted in February 2023 for the multiple-award IDIQs, which remains valid for the first 18 months. To validate this research, DC&A conducted additional market research in February 2026. This review utilized the GSA Professional Services Schedule (PSS) category 561450, SIN 520 16 (Business Information Services). Three randomly selected vendors from the GSA schedule were reviewed to determine pricing for Single Bureau Consumer Employment Credit Reports.
The findings demonstrated that the established firm-fixed pricing on the existing IDIQs (Array at and Verato at per report) is significantly more cost-effective than the other available GSA vendors (e.g., and
). Consequently, market research indicates that
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .