SSJ print redacted_Redacted.pdf

This is a Department of the Air Force Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition document supporting a brand-name restriction for an acquisition valued under $10 million.

The Air Force Material Command (AFMC) at Air Force Test Center (AFTC), Edwards Air Force Base, California is acquiring 197 new Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) enterprise solid-state drives (SSDs) to support data-storage capability at the Edwards Data Center (EDC)/CENTS-U environment. The requirement consists of 52 units of HPE Part Number P09926-001, 45 units of HPE Part Number P49750-001, and 100 units of HPE Part Number P40563-B21. The drives must be new, factory-sealed OEM HPE products or HPE-certified superseding/interchangeable products meeting specified characteristics: 6.4 TB nominal capacity, dual-port 12 Gb/s SAS interface, 2.5-inch small-form-factor configuration with HPE Smart Carrier, minimum 3.0 drive writes per day mixed-use endurance, authentic factory-installed HPE digitally signed firmware, and full three-year HPE commercial manufacturer replacement warranty.

The justification restricts competition to a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) set-aside under NAICS 334112, leveraging the Small Business Administration's active class waiver allowing qualified small business and WOSB resellers to bid on brand-name HPE hardware without violating the Nonmanufacturer Rule. The Government will issue a combined synopsis/solicitation through SAM.gov as a competitive WOSB set-aside with firm-fixed-price terms. The HPE brand restriction is necessary because the SSDs must operate with existing HPE ProLiant servers and HPE Smart Array RAID-controller environment, and authentic HPE firmware is required to maintain hardware compatibility, storage telemetry, drive-health monitoring, and continued operation within the approved EDC configuration. Market research identified eligible WOSB concerns FCN, Inc. and Blue Tech Inc., along with other eligible WOSB competitors that will have opportunity to compete. The contracting officer (Christina M. Day, NH-03 DAF, dated 17 September 2026) and technical personnel (Kane Martin, dated 16 September 2026) have certified the justification as accurate and complete.