GXV-0060_Redacted.pdf

This is a Memorandum to the File documenting the justification for using other than full and open competition for a federal acquisition under the simplified acquisition threshold.

The acquisition involves a one-year membership for 20 subscribers to the ERAI research database, with a period of performance from May 31, 2026 to May 30, 2027. The vendor is ERAI, Inc., located in Naples, Florida, with CAGE code 53RU8. The contracting officer Morgan Helton approved this procurement on April 20, 2026. The justification for single-source procurement is based on the "Only One Responsible Source" rationale. ERAI maintains a proprietary electronic parts supplier database that provides critical information on part suppliers and part numbers vulnerable to quality, fraud, and counterfeit issues. The database is accessible only to ERAI members and contains data entered exclusively by ERAI member companies, with no alternative free or paid access available through other member sites. The memorandum emphasizes that NAVSEA facilities like NSWC Crane require this membership to identify risky part numbers and suppliers, avoid purchasing from problematic sources, and develop trend analyses for DoD and Navy components. The contracting officer determined that failure to procure ERAI membership would reduce the ability to identify poor parts or suppliers and increase the risk of counterfeit electronic parts being installed in Navy systems. Alternative research methods using Google Maps and government databases such as GIDEP would add significant time (approximately four times longer) and would not provide equivalent comprehensive information, leaving the government vulnerable to counterfeit parts procurement.