ssj_Redacted.pdf

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

25 May 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 1 of 5

NOTE: If a Justification was approved for the preceding acquisition, a copy of the approved Justification for the predecessor action must be included in the staff package for approval of the instant Justification. This applies to Justification staff packages that are submitted for review and approval at a level above the contracting officer. The predecessor Justification will be used as a reference document by the approving official.

Is this a new or amended J&A Document? New Amended ( Prior to Award Only! )

Is this a Bridge Action as defined in the AF Bridge Action Reduction Plan? Yes No

Funding level for this acquisition: >SAT and < $700K > $700K and < $13.5M

Contracting Activity: AFSC/PZIMA

Purchase Request / Local ID Number: MFT 62343

Program / Project (and PE, if applicable): VXI Embedded Controllers

Program Type (PEO or Other Contracting): Other Contracting

Authority: AFFARS 5313.501 - 10 U.S.C. 2302b, Implementation of Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C. 1901)

AFFARS 5313.501 - 10 U.S.C. 2304a, Special Emergency Procurement Authority (41 U.S.C. 1903)

Justification Type: Class Individual

COORDINATION (AFFARS 5306.304(a) )

0'

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

25 May 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 2 of 5

I. Contracting Activity.

The contracting activity for this requirement is Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC)/PZIMA.

II. Nature and/or description of the action being processed.

Due to the circumstances described herein, the activity requests authority to acquire twenty-six (26) VXI Embedded Controllers, Part#: 780531-04, listed in this document using Other Than Full and Open Competition as prescribed by FAR 13.5, Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items. This action will result in the award of a new, commercial definitive supply contract which will be Firm Fixed Price (FFP). There is no previous contract history for this requirement. The contractor shall deliver the controllers no later than 30 business days after receiving the contract award. FOB: Destination.

This brand name requirement will be purchased from one of seven authorized resellers from the OEM listed below (the OEM will not be providing a quote):

National Instruments Corp 11500 N Mopac Expwy Austin, TX 78759

CAGE: 64667

Large Business (www.ni.com)

The seven (7) authorized resellers are:

1. ARC Technology Solutions, LLC 165 Ledge Street Nashua, NH 03060 VOSB CAGE: 1J7Z2

2. Advintt, LLC 6880 Tussing Road, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068-4101 VOSB CAGE: 3CMK9

3. Ideal System Solutions, Inc. 5600 Rowland Rd Ste 220, Minnetonka, MN 55343-4419 EDWOSB CAGE: 1QNC5

4. Stratom, Inc., 5375 Western Avenue, Suite A, Boulder, CO 80301 SB CAGE: 33AC3

5. Technical Communities, Inc. (DBA TestMart), 111 Bayhill Dr, Ste. 400, San Bruno, CA, 94066-3043 SB CAGE: 1RPN6 (only reseller with a GSA schedule, GS-24F-0066M).

6. Tevet, LLC, 85 Spring ST S, Mosheim, TN, 37818-6127 SDVOSB CAGE: 34SR4

7. WinSoft, 1932 E Deere Ave, STE 110, Santa Ana, CA, 92705-5735 SB CAGE: 1ML13

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs.

The VXI Embedded Controller; P/N: 780531-04, is a required component to perform time-sensitive T.C.T.O.

upgrade modifications to AN/GSM-345 ARTS, following the continued failures of their now obsolete and irreparable slot 0 VXI Embedded Controllers. The AN/GSM-345 ARTS provides the USAF depot, as well as intermediate level shops, with their sole means of troubleshooting and certification support for F-15C/D/E APG-70 Radar and AC-130U AN/APQ-180 Radar LRUs.

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

25 May 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 3 of 5

IV. Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

AFFARS 5313.501 - 10 U.S.C. 2302b, Implementation of Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C. 1901)

V. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited above (applicability of authority).

The requested National Instruments Corp. - DBA National Instruments proprietary components and configuration that make up this VXI Embedded Controller was chosen as the best fit by a System Engineering effort undertaken to determine a replacement for the failing and unsupportable slot 0 VXI controllers currently in the EARTS. This requirement follows a multi-year engineering effort that started with an Engineering Obsolescence Study first conducted in 2009 and evaluated further in 2011. The outcome of this study determined the current slot 0 VME VXI Embedded Controllers; P/N: 5160490, as obsolete and no longer supportable due to the fact that they operate on Windows 2000 OS. Windows ceased tech support for this OS on 13 Jul, 2010 and OEMs no longer develop or support products that utilize this OS.

This led to an engineering research effort that determined the requested National Instruments Corp. - DBA National Instruments VXI Embedded Controller as the sole form/fit/function compatible replacement. This engineering research and sustainment project further tested and vetted this particular VXI Embedded Controller configuration and led to its development of drawing 73003033, which lists the National Instruments Corp. - DBA National Instruments as the sole approved vendor item. This drawing number has since been incorporated into modification T.C.T.O. 33D7-44-353-507 during its development.

The government lacks the organic capability to produce these assets as required to leverage for the acquisition of the OEM's proprietary data rights. The OEM has been asked if they would consider selling the data rights for this item to the Government. They have failed to respond to multiple inquiries. Attempting to pursue another product or vendor would delay the procurement of these assets in the very limited time frame in which they're available due to the rapid evolution of commercial market technology. If these parts are not procured before their obsolescence, it will lead to another multi-million dollar sustainment research engineering project with a 42-48 month lead time and development of a new T.C.T.O.

VI. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable.

The Government performed extensive market research to identify other small business firms that might be capable of performing this requirement (see the Market Research report). No other sources were identified.

VII. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

This acquisition will follow procedures of FAR 13.5, "Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items." The overall cost of this acquisition will be negotiated in accordance with procedures in FAR Part 12 and FAR 13.106-3(a)(2), and a statement of price reasonableness ensuring the ultimate price to the Government is fair and reasonable. Additional pricing methodologies to negotiate fair and reasonable pricing may include reviewing publicly offered catalogs, comparison to historical contractor sales, and/or analysis of limited cost and pricing information provided by the contractor. In the event that limited cost and pricing information is made available, the Government's negotiation objective will be developed using local technical analysis and

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

25 May 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 4 of 5 direct and indirect rate factors recommended by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA).

VIII. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

In accordance with FAR Part 10, market research was conducted to identify sources capable of providing National Instruments Corp. – DBA National Instruments products. The methods used to arrive at the market research findings involved reviews of product data from the manufacturer’s website, internet searches, and searches conducted through the Dynamic Small Business Administration (SBA) search engine and General Services Administration (GSA) Advantage (see GSA Advantage quote from only GSA reseller-Technical Communities-"GSA Shopping Cart 36"). SBA queries were conducted to assess small business opportunity. A query using keyword “VXI Embedded Controller” and NAICS 334515 yielded no returns. An additional query using keyword “Embedded Controller” and NAICS 334515 yielded the following contractors:

I2C TECHNOLOGIES cage: 32XJ1

829 VIA DE LA PAZ

EL PASO, TX 79912-6613

NADAGY CORPORATION CAGE: 36AN1

6817 WHITE OAK CT

EDWARDSVILLE, IL 62025-3003

KANNE & ASSOCIATES CAGE: 64KC8

8668 NAVARRE PARKWAY #323

NAVARRE, FL 32566-2185

Upon review, none of these three companies is even listed within National Instruments Alliance Partner Directory, nor are they listed as an approved federal distributor (see attached- "NI Federal Resellers List) .

National Instruments is the OEM for this item and only the 7 listed resellers are authorized to sell the controllers. In summary, the market research found no other vendors other than that described above as capable of providing these particular OEM items. The research confirmed that all items are proprietary to National Instruments Corp. – DBA National Instruments.

Foreign sources were reviewed but none were identified that could meet the requirement. Mandatory sources such as Ability One were reviewed but no further sources were identified. General Services Administration (GSA) schedules were reviewed as mentioned above. One of the resellers, Technical Communities, Inc (DBA TestMart), has a GSA schedule for this item.

IX. Any other facts supporting the use of Other Than Full and Open Competition.

None.

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

25 May 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 5 of 5

X. List of any sources that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

None.

XI. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required.

In an effort to remove or overcome such a barrier to competition in the future, the market will be scanned frequently for new companies that could satisfy the Government's requirements. Where possible, the Government will prepare future requirement descriptions suitable for competition.

XII. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

As evidenced by my signature above, I have determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by my (our) signature(s) above, I (we) certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my (our) responsibility, is both accurate and complete.