Sole_Source_J A_(Redacted).pdf

Limited Source Justification

I. Agency and Contracting Activity

Requesting Activity

Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate

Communications-Electronics Research Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) Flight

Activity (CFA)

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ

Contracting Activity

General Services Administration

Assisted Acquisition Services Division

26 Federal Plaza, Room 20-100

New York City, NY 10278

II. Description of Action

This contract action is for a sole source award of a time and materials bridge task order to URS, Federal Technical Services, Inc., 20501 Seneca Meadows Parkway, Suite 300, Germantown, MD. 20876-7007, for a period of twelve (12) months for integration, modification, and maintenance services for critical aviation platforms and support equipment. Currently, the requesting activity has long term efforts that require a period of performance (PoP) longer than six (6) months. In order to conduct this work, the Department of Army’s CERDEC CFA requires a contract vehicle with an adequate PoP to purchase long lead items, modify them or use them in various ways, and then provide the aviation support related services that comprise its mission. The contract vehicle needs to be flexible enough to execute tasks that are unexpected or have little advance notice due to the uncertainty of when or what is needed for an aircraft. The contract vehicle needs to have a PoP that allows the government to finish tasks that are initiated on the contract vehicle. These tasks may include, but are not limited to: PM Aviation Ground

Support Equipment (AGSE) Composite Shop Sets ( ); Aviation

Intermediated Maintenance (AVIM) and Aviation Unit Maintenance (AVUM) Tool Shelters

( ); US NavyC4/ASW Kits ( );

UH-60 Blackhawk support ( ); UH-60 Trainer support (

); Noise Floor and Communications Testing on UH-60 (

); Phase kits for UH-60; Installation of Crashworthy External Fuel

System (CEFS) and Position Locator Systems (PLS) on UH-60 ( ).

The purpose of this bridge task order is to provide a vital continuity of support while a new long-term contract is in the process of re-solicitation and award by the US Army Contracting Center at

Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

III. Description of Supplies/Services

The requesting activity has a requirement for integration, modification and maintenance services for critical aviation platforms and support equipment. The total estimated value of this requirement is $37.7 million

. Research, Development, Test and Evaluation; Other Procurement, Army; and

Operations and Maintenance, Army appropriations; and other customer funds are intended to be utilized for this effort.

These services are essential to provide critical aircraft platforms and support equipment to

Soldiers supporting Overseas Contingency Operations (OCOs). This support includes, but is not limited to the following:

(a) Modifications to UH-60M Blackhawk Helicopters are necessary prior to deployment. The helicopters that come off the production line need to be modified to enable installation of critical equipment. This equipment is needed for the safety of soldiers. For example, dust and sand quickly degrades engine performance and is a constant threat to these helicopters when they are used in the Southwest Asia (SWA) Theater of operations and filters are installed to provide added safety features. Additionally, the Common Missile Warning System is added to the helicopters to provide protection to aircrews from surface to air missiles.

(b) Aviation Ground Support is provided to all helicopters used in support of OCOs through equipment and tools embedded in Maintenance Shelters. The Operational Tempo in SWA has resulted in an increased use of helicopters to support OCOs. This has resulted in an increase in the quantity of required Maintenance Shelters (and embedded equipment and tools), and the need to RESET Maintenance Shelters that are returned from SWA so that they are ready as units redeploy. Failure to provide these Maintenance Shelters will result in reductions in helicopters that are available for combat missions, and this would increase the safety risks to Soldiers.

(c) Classified Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions necessitate integration of sensors onto aircraft platforms to provide essential Quick Reaction Capabilities to Soldiers.

Integration of sensors on aircraft platforms is vital to provide enhanced Situational Awareness that enables Soldiers to adapt to changing enemy tactics and defeat the enemy.

IV. Authority Cited

10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(2) and FAR 6.302-2 for materials and FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(A) for services.

V. Reason for Authority Cited

The integration, modification, and maintenance of critical aviation platforms and support equipment under Task Order GST0213CJ0025, awarded under Contract Number GS10F0038M, ends on March 27 th

, 2014. Consequently, an immediate contract vehicle is necessary to ensure continuity of support of critical aviation platforms and support equipment, which are supporting

OCOs. The US Army Contracting Center (ACC) at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), MD has experienced numerous program adjustments and several delays in the execution of a new competitive contract award. Due to the complexity of the AIMS procurement, it has encountered numerous stumbling blocks, leading to multiple Congressional inquiries, mostly involving the status. The AIMS procurement started back in 2009, and since then has had 4 different PCOs and numerous lawyers assigned. The POP was changed from ten (10) years to five (5) year to now a three (3) year duration, which required additional reviews and approvals. Due to the long timeframe of the ACC-APG ensuring that there are no protests, additional documentations were levied upon CFA resulting from the changing acquisition environment, delaying the solicitation until the documents were completed. Request for Proposal (RFP) W15P7T-13-R-A205 was issued by APG-ACC on December 21 st , 2012 and will be competitively awarded through the

Small Business 8(a) Set Aside program. ACC-APG’s original estimated award date was May

2013, current estimated award date of the Aircraft Integration Maintenance Support (AIMS) contract is late March 2014; however, this anticipated award date has been updated sixteen (16) times since July 2013, with the latest update in December 2013, and is unlikely to be met based on the current status of the acquisition. This milestone has slipped multiply times from the original milestones and CERDEC CFA anticipates future slippage of the milestones. These delays have not changed the Army’s goal to award, but changes to the award date impacted the original award date of May 2013. The Army review and evaluation of proposals and related documentation process has taken much longer than anticipated which resulted in several schedule slips, thereby further delaying contract award. The target date for completion of the

CFA award is currently a moving target.

This effort is necessary to maintain functional support for the CFA in the areas of combat readiness and support. The AIMS PWS additionally requires a sixty (60) day transition period before the new contractor can begin real hands-on work, technically leaving a gap in service if a bridge contract is not put in place. APG-ACC can't commit to a deadline beyond March 2014 and has failed to meet several previous deadlines/milestones. The evaluation process is in its second round of discussions with the prospective offerors. Awarding a bridge task order to any other source would result in substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered with a six (6) month competition. Re-competing this effort would not provide material cost savings and would introduce significant schedule and performance risk.

The source for this action is URS, Federal Technical Services, Inc., 20501 Seneca Meadows

Parkway, Suite 300, Germantown, MD. 20876-7007.

These CFA support services require special test and inspection flight facilities to maintain aviation system integrity for both CONUS and

OCONUS.

This effort is a consistent extension of the work performed under previous and current government contracts for CFA maintenance and modifications, listed under paragraph 10a. No other contractor can perform the extensive task and air platform integration/ testing necessary to be able to provide the capability required in a timely manner.

FAR 8.405-6 requires an ordering activity to justify its actions when restricting consideration of schedule contractors to fewer than required reflected in FAR 8.405-1 or 8.405-2. The specific circumstance that justifies restriction for this acquisition is FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(A), wherein an urgent and compelling need exists.

This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of the Multiple Award Schedule Program pursuant to the statutory authority found in Title III of the Federal Property and Administrative

Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 251, et seq.) and Title 40 U.S.C. 501, Services for Executive

Agencies. This justification is prepared in compliance with 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(A), which authorizes the limiting of sources when “An urgent and compelling need exists, and following the procedures would result in unacceptable delays.” Based on the requesting activity’s needs, the intent of this procurement is to minimize cost and transition risk to meet critical mission requirements. The LOGWORLD and Professional Engineering Services (PES_ schedules have all the necessary labor skill categories to meet the requirements contained in the Performance

Work Statement (PWS).

The materials portion of this requirement is not a part of the LOGWORLD or PES contracts;

therefore, the materials need to be identified as an open market item on this task order. FAR

6.302-2 is the authority cited for the materials as URS, Inc. must be the supplier of the materials because the labor portion of the work includes the identification, ordering, acceptance and installation of materials and parts required to perform the various unique aircraft efforts.

URS, Inc. will continue critical CFA support services immediately upon task order award and will be able to complete all of the Government’s urgent requirements. No other source can provide the continued level of support without a major impact on the CERDEC Flight Activity.

The incumbent contractor, URS, Inc., has existing resources and extensive knowledge in providing the unique and specialized services required. The incumbent contractor has a qualified and cleared workforce capable of providing services with no delays or performance risk.

All efforts on this task order will be completed in its entirety and will not transition to the AIMS contract once awarded. In the interim, it is essential that seamless support continues to be provided by URS to provide vital Force Protection to Soldiers. Failure to provide seamless support will increase the safety risks to Soldiers, and increase the risk of serious injury or loss of life to Warfighters supporting OCOs.

VI. Efforts to Obtain Competition

Extensive market research was conducted (for the Army re-compete), details of which are included in the market research section of this document. Due to eligible Small Business 8(a) contractor responses to Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) synopsis from November

2012 and in January 2013, the AIMS effort will be awarded competitively.

VII. Actions to Increase Competition

A follow-on concurrent competitive award to an SBA 8(a) contractor is planned by the US

Army.

VIII. Market Research

Market Research History:

Three Requests for Information (RFIs) and one synopsis were publicized by APG’s ACC. The first RFI was posted on February 28 th

, 2009 and generated responses from:

The second RFI was posted on July 28 th

, 2010 and generated responses from:

The third was posted on August 23 rd

, 2011 and generated responses from:

A synopsis was posted to FEDBIZOPS on January 31 st , 2013 announcing the Government’s intention of award to eligible SBA 8(a) Set Aside small businesses.

IX. Interested Source

(See paragraph VI, Efforts to Obtain Competition).

X. Other Facts

a. Procurement History:

Contract Number Contractor Award Date Extent Competed/Authority

GST0213CJ0025 URS 28 March 2013 Sole Source/Log World; PES

W9115104D0018 URS 28 September 2011 Competitive/ AVJAMSS

GST0209CJ0603 URS 28 September 2009 Competitive/Log World

WI5P7T-05-C-P624 URS/LSI 30 September 2005 Competitive

DAAB07-03-D-B010 LSI 27 January 2004 Competitive

XI. Technical Certification

I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in this justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

XII. Requirements Certification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

XIII. Contracting Officer’s Certification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, that the order represents the best value to the government and the anticipated cost to the government will be fair and reasonable.

Bjorn Miller

Contracting Officer

XIV. Concurrence

I concur with the Contracting Officer’s determination.

XV. Approval

Based on the foregone justification, I hereby approve a sole-source task order award to URS, Inc.

for twelve (12) months of integration, modification, and maintenance services for critical aviation platforms and support equipment pursuant to FAR 6.302-2 for materials and FAR

8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(A) for services.