Fair_opportunity_exception_justification Public Affairs 1 May-30 May__Redacted.pdf

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

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

Is this a brand-name justification? D Yes IX] No

Is this a Bridge Action as defined in the AF Bridge Action Reduction Plan?

Contracting Activity: 6th Contracting Squadron

Purchase Request/ Local ID Number:

Program Name (and Program Element, if applicable):

Estimated Cost/Price of the Order (including options): $-

[gJ Yes □ No

Type Program (see DAFFARS 5302.101 for definitions): D PEO Program IX] Operational

Type of Determination: IX] Individual D Class Expires: [ click and select J

Fair Opportunity Exception: FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i) (Check the applicable subparagraph below.)

D Enterprise

IX] (A) □ (B) □ (C) □ (D) □ (E) 0(F) D (G) Check this box to display the FAR 6.302 exceptions.

Click here for instructions to complete the boxes below.

(1) Contract ing Activity:

Depart ment of the Air Force, Air Mobility Command (AMC), 6th Air Refueling Wing, 6th Contracting Squadron.

(2) Nature and/or description of the action being approved:

This justification is for an except ion to fair opportunity for a one-month bridge extension action to Task Order: FA481421 F0191 for Public Affairs Support Services for USCENTCOM. The current task order FA481421 F0191 was issued to contractor Red Gate Group under GSA OASIS contract 47QRAD20D1057 in the amount of $21,164,839.53 on 26 August 2021. The 52.217-8 6-month ext modification was awarded on 17 Apr 2025 to extend the contract from 1 September 2025 through 28 February 2026. The Government issued a one-month bridge (1 March through 31 March 2026) in the amount of $421,463.42 to the incumbent contractor under GSA OASIS on a sole-source basis to prevent a lapse in mission-critical Public Affairs services while finalizing award of a competitively solicited follow-on task order. That award was made on 20 March 2026 and a protest was filed on 27 March 2026 challenging the award decision. To maintain continuity of operations during the protest, a second one-month bridge contract ( 1 April through 30 April 2026) in the amount of $393,293.67 was executed to meet mission needs. Given the ongoing status of the protest, an addit ional 1 month bridge is needed from 1 May through 31 May 2026.

The estimated value of this bridge action is $-

(3) Description of the suppl ies/services required to meet the agency's needs:

Headquarters, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) requires critical public affairs support services including: strategic communications planning, media engagement and press coordination, senior leader communication support, operational messaging synchronization, and policy communication advisory services. These services are essential to CENTCOMs mission execution and synchronized Department of War messaging across a dynamic operat ionally sensitive Area of Responsibility.

The proposed bridge action w ill be for one (1) month.

CUN 7001

CUN 7002

CUN 7003

CUN 7004

CUN 7005

Program Manager JOC Media Analyst Planning Officer Media Operations Officer Social Media and Website Content Manager month month month month month s v 18 Jan 2024 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 1 of 6

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CUN 7006 P otojourna ist mont CUN 7007 Website Designer month CUN 7008 Regional Social Media Specialist - Arabic month CUN 7009 Regional Social Media Specialist - Farsi month CUN 7010 Regional Social Media Specialist - Urdu month CUN 7011 Regional Social Media Specialist - Russian month CUN 7012 Regional Social Media Specialist - Hebrew month CUN 7013 Regional Social Media Specialist - Turkish month CUN 7014 Administrative Assistant month CUN 7015 Assessment Specialist month CUN 7016 Senior Executive Assistant month CUN 7017 Contract Access Fee (CAF) month CUN 7018 Media Operations Officer month CUN 7019 Regional Social Media Specialist - Arabic month CUN 7020 Tools month CUN 7021 Graphic Designer month

Total: -The Period of Performance is 1 May 2026 - 31 May 2026

(4) Identificat ion of the exception to fa ir opportunity and the supporting rat ionale:

Federal Acquisition Regulation, RFO 16.507(a)(l )(i) requ ires the contracting officer must provide each awardee a fair opportunity to be considered for each order valued above the micro-purchase threshold according to paragraph (c), unless a sole source order is justified and approved according to RFO 16.507-6.Contracting Officer to provide each awardee under a multiple award contract, a fair opportunity to be considered for each order exceeding the micro-purchase threshold unless a statutory exception applies. The specific exception that precludes the fa ir opportunity process for this acquisit ion is RFO 16.507-6(b)(l):

"The agency need for the supplies or services is so urgent that providing a fair opportunity would result in unacceptable delays."

The incumbent task order and the initial one month extension for public affairs support services to CENTCOM expires on 31 March 2026. These services are mission-crit ical and directly support strategic communications, operational messaging synchronization, senior leader engagement, and media coordination across CENTCOM's Area of Responsibility. A lapse in service would cause CENTCOM Public Affairs to lose 75% of its current manpower, including 24-hour media operations capability, foreign language press release and social media operations, drastic reduction in PA support to Operational Planning Teams and other boards and bureaus, CENTCOM website management, PA information environment assessments and analysis for the commander, and the ability to t imely respond to international media during a heightened regional interest. Bottom line, CENTCOM Public Affairs w ill not be able to fu lfill its mission.

The follow-on requirement has already been competit ively solicited, awarded and is currently under a stay of performance under the GSA OASIS+ multiple-award contract vehicle. Due to the stay of performance on the new award, additional time is required to undergo the protest process in order to provide a transition period to ensure uninterrupted continuity of services.

Issuing a separate competitive task order for a one-month bridge period would require providing fair opportunity to all OASIS+ contract holders, allowing proposal preparation time, conducting evaluations and completing award actions. This process would introduce delays that would likely result in a lapse in critical services. Given the limited duration of the bridge action and the imminent contract expiration date, such delay would create unacceptable mission risk.

The proposed bridge action is limited to one-month and $- representing the minimum duration and value necessary to allow finalization of the competit ively solicited fo llow-on task order. The bridge only maintains the minimum level of effort in order to meet crit ical mission requirements. The need for this exception to fa ir opportunity is not the result of lack of planning or inadequate procurement execution. The Government initially planned to fulfill the requirement through an in-house $7S0M Professional Services IDIQ acquisition strategy; however, significant manpower reductions due to Department of War reduction in Personnel (DRP) impacted the requiring activity's ability to support the evaluation process, result ing in cancellation of that approach. The Government promptly init iated a competit ive procurement under GSA OASIS+. Additionally, a Federal Government shutdown cause an approximate 45-day delay to acquisition milestones. These factors were outside the control of v 18 Jan 2024 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 2of 6

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Accordingly, the circumstances meet the criteria for unusual and compelling urgency under RFO 16.507-6(b)(l), and provid ing fair opportunity to all contract holders for this short-term bridge action would result in unacceptable delay and potential disruption of mission critical services.

(5) Contracting Officer's determinat ion that the anticipated cost to t he Government wil l be fa ir and reasonable:

IAW RFO 15.404-1 (b)2(ii), the Contracting Officer has determined the anticipated price of $- or the one-month bridge action is fa ir and reasonable.

The proposed bridge pricing reflects a decrease in the current scope and level of effort under the incumbent task order. The contractor applied a 3% escalation to the monthly price established under the last option year of the existing contract and has not increased that for this extension. The prior established pricing was set in 2021. Since that t ime, the Employment Cost Index (ECI) for professional and technical services has increased by approximately 5.4%. The proposed 3% escalation is below the documented 5.4% increase in the ECI for the relevant labor category, indicating the proposed price adjustment conservative relative to broader market labor cost growth. The escalation is therefore considered reasonable and consistent w ith prevailing economic conditions

Additionally, the bridge action does not int roduce new scope and the pricing is based on previously negotiated GSA OASIS labor rates and maintains the same labor mix required for performance continuity.

Based on a comparison to historical pricing, review of applicable economic indices, and confirmation that the escalation is below current labor market cost growth, the Contracting Officer determines the proposed bridge price to be fair and reasonable.

(6) Other facts supporting the justifica t ion:

The incumbent contractor currently provides personnel with required security clearances and operational familiarity necessary to perform public affairs services in support of CENTCOM. Replacement personnel, even temporarily would require security processing, access provisioning, and operational integration, creating measurable mission disruption r isk during an already compressed t imeframe.

(7) Actions the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to increasing fair opportunity before any subsequent acquisit ion for the supplies or services:

The follow-on requirement has already been competit ively solicited under the GSA OASIS+ contract vehicle. The current award is under protest and the Government is going through that process. The bridge action is limited to one month and solely intended to allow sufficient t ime to finalize the protest and complete transit ion activit ies. The contracting activity will continue to monitor milestone tracking and acquisition lead times to ensure sufficient timelines for evaluation, clearance, and t ransitions for future acquisit ions.

(8) Program Manager's certificat ion t hat supporting data is accurate and complete:

As evidenced by my signature below, I certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my responsibility, is both accurate and complete.

(9) Contract ing Officer's certificat ion that t he just ifica t ion is accurate and complete:

As evidenced by my signature below, I certify that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

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(10) Approving Official's determination t hat one of the circumst ances in FAR 16.S0S(b)(2){i) applies to the order.

As evidenced by my signature below, I hereby determine that the fa ir opportunity exception checked on page 1 applies.

REMOVING ROWS: CAUTION (click here first) NOTE: The t ext in the signature blocks below is edit able, including t he title.

Date Contracting Officer Signature

Russell Beasley BEASLEY.RUSSELL.T.1 Digitally signed by

27 Apr 2026 BEASLEY .RUSSELL.T.

6 CONS/PKB, (813) 828-4729 Date: 2026.04.27 13:03:09 -04'00'

Date Chief of the Contracting Office (COCO) Signature

Michael Terranova TERRANOVA.MICH Digitally signed by 29 Apr 2026 TERRANOVA.MICHAEL.

6 CONS/PK, (813) 828-4752 AEL Date: 2026.04.29 12:14:15-04'00'

X

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Instructions for Completing the Template IAW FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B)

(2) State whether the action is a new order or a modification to an existing order. Identify the basic multiple award contract number and the order number for the current action. Also identify the type of the order/line items on the order (e.g., Firm Fixed price, Cost Plus Fixed Fee, etc.).

(3) Specifically describe the supplies/services to be acquired including the price/cost and quantity of each item in the order and the total estimated value of the order. For services, state whether services are performance-based, and if not, provide rationale for not being performance based. State the delivery/performance schedule/period for the items under the order. Explain how the requirement/order fits under the scope of the basic multiple award contracts.

(Note: The Contracting Officer must ensure that the order is issued within the period of performance and within the maximum value of the contract).

(4) Include the appropriate exception from FAR 16.505 (b)(2) and the supporting rationale. FAR16.505(b)(1)(i) requires the Contracting Officer to provide each awardee under a multiple award contract, a fair opportunity to be considered for each order exceeding $3,000 unless a statutory exception applies. The specific exception that precludes the fair opportunity process for this acquisition is FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)( ) [Insert A,B, C, D, or E]. If a brand name product description is being justified, use this section to explain why the particular brand name, product, or feature is essential to the Government's requirements and why other companies' similar products/services do not meet, or cannot be modified to meet, the agency's needs.

FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(A): “The agency need for the supplies or services is so urgent that providing a fair opportunity would result in unacceptable delays”. When using this exception provide a detailed justification with supporting documentation that explains the exact urgency of the requirement and the mission impact if awarded to any other contractor. The user/customer typically provides this supporting information. Recommend attaching supporting documentation to the back of the document. General statements of urgency are not acceptable.

FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B): “Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized”. When using this exception provide a detailed justification, with supporting documentation, as evidence of the “unique or highly specialized” nature of the procurement. The user/customer typically provides this supporting information.

Supporting documentation may be attached to the back of the document. General statements are not acceptable.

FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(C): “The order must be issued on a sole-source basis in the interest of economy and efficiency as a logical follow-on to an order already issued under the contract, provided that all awardees were given a fair opportunity to be considered for the original order”. When using this exception provide information on the previously competed order under this contract and detail the economies and efficiencies that will be obtained by going sole source for the follow-on order. The user/customer typically provides this supporting information.

General statements are not acceptable.

FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(D): “It is necessary to place an order to satisfy a minimum guarantee.”

FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(E): “For orders exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, a statute expressly authorizes or requires that the purchase be made from a specified source.”

Discuss the market research that was conducted by the user/technical team/contracting officer among the supplies/services of all awardees that resulted in the conclusion that a fair opportunity exception applied. The narrative in this section should provide a high level of confidence that the requirements of FAR 16.505(b)(1) and DFARS 216.505-70 could not be met. If no market research was conducted, state so and provide the rationale. If any other awardee expressed interest in fulfilling the requirement, but was not considered a potential source, explain why that awardee cannot provide the required supplies/perform the service.

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If the use of a brand name purchase description is being justified, the market research should include an analysis of any industry proposed alternative products or approaches to meeting the requirements. Additionally, the Government's efforts to identify as many potential sources as practicable offering the required brand name item(s) should be addressed.

(5) This paragraph needs to be tailored based on the types of CLINs in the order and the pricing arrangements on the basic multiple award contract. If the contract did not establish the price for the supply or service, the Contracting Officer must establish prices for each order IAW FAR 15.4. The paragraph needs to describe the steps that will ensure that the prices/estimated cost of the order will be fair and reasonable. For example, even if firm-fixed prices were obtained under adequate price competition in the award of the multiple award contract, the Contracting Officer still needs to consider market conditions and other factors that may have changed since contract award and explain the basis in the determination that prices/costs are fair and reasonable prior to award of the order.

(6) Provide any other facts supporting the use of exceptions to the fair opportunity process.

(7) Include a statement of the actions, if any, to be to be taken to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the exception to fair opportunity before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made. If no actions are planned, so state and provide reasons.

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