FAR_6_(JA) for Other Than Full and Open Competition_Aug2023 RSC_redacted.pdf

Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

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I. Agency and Contracting Activity.

This justification and approval to request authority for Other Than Full and Open Competition supports requirements generated for the the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) D'Azzo Research Library. The contracting activity for this requirement is the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Information Technology Section (AFRL/PZLET).

AFRL/PZLET

Bldg. 45 2130 8th Street

WPAFB, OH 45433-7288

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

Due to circumstances described herein, the activity requests authority to procure electronic access to the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) electronic journals, using Other Than Full and Open Competition in accordance with AFFARS 5313.501 - U.S.C. 230b, Implementation of Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C. 1901). This individual action will result in the award of a new Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract.

The current subscription will expire on 31 DEC 2024. The subscription period of performance will run from 1 JAN 2025 to 31 DEC 2025 with two 12-month option years. This subscription will be purchased with FY25 3600 DoD Funds. This sole source requirement will be acquired from the following organization:

Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) University City Science Center 3711 Market Street, Suite 800 Philadelphia, PA 19104

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

The proposed effort covered by this individual Justification and Approval is for a subscription to the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) electronic journals. The subscription period of performance will run from 1 JAN 2025 to 31 DEC 2025. The AFRL Library has a requirement for a chemistry and chemical engineering/science literature collection that meets the laboratory's mission to "lead the discovery, development, and integration of warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces." The AFRL library supports civilian, contractor, and military personnel, primarily scientists and engineers (S&Es), assigned to four AFRL technical directorates which include Aerospace Systems, Airman Systems, Materials and Manufacturing, and Sensors. The AFRL library provides research materials, including databases, electronic books, journals and other services, to all AFRL S&Es at Wright-Patterson AFB. The library acquires materials that are made available to civilian, contractor, and military employees across the laboratory units at Wright Site. The required scientific journal collection will help the AFRL Library meet the above mission by providing the library users with research materials to meet the requirements of the Air Force Reasearch Laboratory's research and development goals.

This resource needs a highly-focused scope on the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering/science and to offer a tailored collection of electronic journals for scientists and engineers (S&Es) that provides access to full-text titles, primarily peer-reviewed articles. Due to the differing research missions of the individual AFRL technical directorates that the library supports, the required literature collection needs to be all-inclusive of the different materials and allow S&Es the ability to effectively and efficiently research the required transportation engineering topics. The resource needs to provide full-text access to the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) electronic journals. These resources need to be made available through the AFRL library's website via the EZproxy authentication service, as well as, provide their own interface that can be accessed through an independent website. This resource needs to allow material to be be downloaded to provide offline access in situations with low or no internet access. The resource needs to provide online research tools from professionally curated and/or peer-reviewed sources that offer trusted information in abstracts, articles, and electronic journals with a focus on the subject areas listed above.

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IV. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited above.

6.302-1 – 10 USC 3204(a)(1), Only One Responsible Source - No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements

V. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under

FAR 5.202 applies.

A sources sought notice was posted on SAM.gov (System for Award Management) from 3 December 2024 to 10 December 2024 requesting any interested firms to submit a capabilities package indicating their capability to provide the requirement.

The synopsis outlined minimum characteristics a similar product would have to meet to fulfill the requirement as described in sections III. and V. above. One response from an interested vendor (VESQU, LLC.) was received. After reviewing the capabilities statement, it was found RRSC is the best value for the Government due to its unique offering of perpetual access to copyrighted content, ensuring indefinite and uninterrupted use. Unlike VESQU, LLC., which cannot transfer copyright ownership or publish Open Access articles on behalf of RSC, RSC guarantees long-term access without the need for annual renewals or the risk of subscription gaps. This arrangement is not only cost-effective but also ensures the highest quality and reliability of content. Only RSC can fulfill the requirement for publishing Open Access articles, making RSC the optimal choice for the Government's journal acquisition needs.

An intent to award sole source was posted on SAM.gov from 18 December to 19 December advising industry of the intent of the government to award sole source and requesting any interested firms to submit a capabilities package indicating their capability to provide the requirement. The synopsis outlined minimum characteristics a similar product would have to meet to fulfill the requirement as described in sections III. and V. above. No viable responses were received.

AFRL surveyed the market for vendors to determine if competition was available for the requirement. The library used publishers' advertisements, professional conferences, vendor demonstrations, customer suggestions and new publication reviews to conduct its surveys. No viable vendors were found.

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

The Contracting Officer has determined that the anticipated cost to the Government will be determined fair and reasonable based on price analysis techniques including comparison with proposed prices to historical prices paid and/or comparison to competitive published price lists.

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

As described in Section V above, market research, in accordance with FAR Part 10, was conducted by synopsis of the proposed acquisition, advising industry of the pending acquisition and soliciting inquiries from interested parties. Moreover, AFRL surveyed the market in order to determine if competition was obtainable. The library reviewed advertisements, new publications, and available conferences to ensure the course of action for a sole source acquisition was the most appropriate moving forward.

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

None.

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

A Sources sought notice was posted on SAM.gov (System for Award Management) from 3 December 2024 - 10 December 2024 requesting any interested firms to submit a capabilities package indicating their capability to provide the requirement.

The synopsis outlined minimum characteristics a similar product would have to meet to fulfill the requirement as described

August 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 4 of 4August 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 4 of 4 in sections III. and V. above. One response from an interested vendor (VESQU, LLC.) was received. After reviewing the capabilities statement, it was found that RSC is the best value for the Government due to its unique offering of perpetual access to copyrighted content, ensuring indefinite and uninterrupted use. Unlike VESQU, LLC., which cannot transfer copyright ownership or publish Open Access articles on behalf of RSC, RSC guarantees long-term access without the need for annual renewals or the risk of subscription gaps. This arrangement is not only cost-effective but also ensures the highest quality and reliability of content. Only RSC can fulfill the requirement for publishing Open Access articles, making RSC the optimal choice for the Government's journal acquisition needs.

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

AFRL will keep an open dialog with the users/patrons and evaluate statistics to determine the necessity to use this resource to supplement its collection of research databases. AFRL will continue to survey the market for vendors to obtain competition in databases. The library will use publishers' advertisements, professional conferences, vendor demonstrations, customer suggestions and new publication reviews in conducting its surveys.

XI. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

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

XII. 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.