nChannelJustificationforOtherthanFullandOpenCompetitionredacted.pdf

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION 41 U.S.C. 253(c) and 10 U.S.C. 2304(c) nChannel Software Maintenance

1. Identification of the Agency and the Contracting Activity.

This requirement is in support of GSA IT, QI, 1800 F Street, NW Washington, D.C.

20005, for the GECO2 application managed by QS. The contracting activity is Internal

Acquisition Division (IAD), 1800 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20405.

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

Annual Maintenance for software updates for the sole-source nChannel product license for the GECO2 application. Annual Maintenance is for up to 25 stores, the License number is NCEMCM02151502090519D, and Maintenance Period: is one year from date of award.

GECO2 is funded and managed by GSA Supplies and Services; funding provided via their eBusiness SAPI.

Original license purchase as part of Contract ID040019, this contract is in its second option year, but there are no CLINs for ODC, since the plan was to fund via the SAPI

Follow-on 2014 maintenance procured via FAST-OS 201628

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs

This procurement is for annual maintenance for the sole-source nChannel license for the

GSA Enhanced Check-Out (GECO) system.

The nChannel multichannel (multi-store) software is used for the GSA GECO system that provides GSA customers with access to GSA's catalogs of commercial supplies and products at competitive prices. This application is deployed throughout the USA and

Asia. This provides a simplified acquisition and competitive pricing options for GSA’s customers.

4. An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is in accordance with 6.302-1 Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

(a) Authority. Citations: 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) or 41 U.S.C.253(c)(1)

NOTE: (c) Application for brand name descriptions. An acquisition that uses a brand name description or other purchase description to specify a particular brand name, product, or feature of a product, peculiar to one manufacturer does not provide for full and open competition regardless of the number of sources solicited. It shall be justified and approved in accordance with FAR 6.303 and 6.304. The justification should indicate that the use of such descriptions in the acquisition is essential to the Government’s requirements, thereby precluding consideration of a product manufactured by another company. See 5.102(a)(6) for the requirement to post the brand name justification.

(Brand-name or equal descriptions, and other purchase descriptions that permit prospective contractors to offer products other than those specifically referenced by brand name, provide for full and open competition and do not require justifications and approvals to support their use.)

GSA has determined that this procurement requires the use of the same contractor since they are the only provider of the nChannel license. This is a follow on maintenance procurement; GSA procured the original license via ID04140019, renewed it last year via

FAST-OS 201628, and plans to procure this year based on approved FAST-OS 204461

(PR201505120021). Further, funding for this maintenance was approved via the GSA

Supplies and Services eBusiness SAPI.

5. A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited.

nChannel is the only vendor with the nChannel Enterprise license, and this is an annual maintenance contract for the license already purchased and in production.

6. A description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable, InChannel is the sole provider of nChannel Enterprise Edition software maintenance and support. Offers will be solicited through the use of the Federal Business Opportunities website to any authorized resellers.

A Google search was conducted for other vendors that provide nChannel maintenance, and none were found. Also spoke with Steve Weber, nChannel President and CEO, and was informed that no other companies provide nChannel maintenance.

Market research was conducted by the IT Specialist/COR for the GSA GECO contract.

This is sole-source procurement because nChannel is the only vendor that provides the nChannel Enterprise Edition License. The nChannel Enterprise License for up to 25 stores was purchased 2 years ago via Contract ID04140019, for the GSA Enhanced

Check Out (GECO) application. The first year of maintenance was purchased in 2014

(FAST-OS 201628), this is the second year of maintenance for which this procurement is requested.

Google Searches for “nChannel Enterprise Edition License” returned only nChannel the company, or other companies that use nChannel.

7. A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the

Government will be fair and reasonable.

Based on the data gathered, the Contracting Officer has determined that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable. The expectation of reaching a fair and reasonable price was determined through market research and historical data in order to determine best value for GSA.

8. A description of the market research conducted and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Market research was conducted by IT Specialist/COR for the GSA GECO contract.

Market research findings concluded that the only one source has the capability to satisfy this requirement. NChannel is the only vendor that provides the nChannel Enterprise

Edition License. The nChannel Enterprise License for up to 25 stores was purchased 2 years ago via Contract ID04140019, for the GSA Enhanced Check Out (GECO) application. The first year of maintenance was purchased in 2014 (FAST-OS 201628), this is the second year of maintenance for which this procurement is requested.

Google Searches for “nChannel Enterprise Edition License” returned only nChannel the company, or other companies that use nChannel.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition.

FAR 6.302-1 for follow-on acquisitions as described in 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii). Cost is the same as the GSA paid for the 2014 annual maintenance. Invoice for this procurement is included in the procurement package.

10. A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

Not applicable.

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

There are plans to continue with the existing nChannel GECO application, which means annual maintenance will be required on an annual basis. Since this is maintenance procurement for an existing license, there are no actions underway or to be undertaken at the time of this writing to overcome barriers to competition for future acquisitions.

12. Program/Technical Official Certification

I hereby certify and accept the responsibility that any and all supporting data provided above or used to justify the above requested for a sole source procurement (e.g., verifying the Government’s minimum needs, schedule requirements, and/or other rationale for other than full and open competition) is accurate and complete to the best of my personal knowledge and belief.

6/26/2015

Vickie Szewczyk

Contracting Officer Representative

Signed by: VICKIE SZEWCZYK _________________

Name & Title Date

Contracting Officer’s Certification:

I hereby certify that the information contained in this Justification and Approval for Other than Full and Open Competition, for the purchase of specific brand name nChannel maintenance renewal is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge.

Carolyn Turner Date

Contracting Officer