Limited_Source_Justification_APPROVED_Redacted.pdf

ID# ID05190070

Limited Source Justification Under Multiple Award Contract for Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) when fair opportunity is not provided IAW FAR 8.405-6

1. Requiring Agency and Contracting Activity

Requiring Agency: Global Hawk Program Office 2630 Loop Road West

WPAFB, OH 45433

Contracting Activity: General Services Administration, Region 5 Federal Acquisition Service 1734 Corporate Crossing, Suite #2 O’Fallon, IL 62269-3734

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Approved:

This is a Limited Sources Justification to procure Rockwell Collins 721S VHF/UHF radios and ancillary equipment for two Main Operating Bases (MOBs), Beale AFB and Grand Forks AFB as part of the Ground Segment Modernization Program (GSMP) solution for maintaining contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) during operations at/near these main operating bases. The resultant delivery order will be firm fixed price for commodities. The following will be procured and delivered to both locations: quantity of 7 – 721S-3B RT; quantity of 29 – RCU710; quantity of 7 – RT Audio Connector kits; quantity of 7 – Slide kits; and a quantity of 22 – Table top boxes. Procured items shall be delivered within 4 months from the date of award. The Government incorporated Rockwell Collins 721S radios into the design of the GSMP upgrade to the Global Hawk control stations. No other product will be acceptable based upon mission requirements.

Fiscal Year 2019 3600 RDT&E Air Force funds will be provided. The funds are two-year funds and will expire September 30, 2020. Award will not be issued until funds are received. This is a non-severable requirement and will be fully funded at award.

3. Description of the Supplies/Services Required to Meet Agency’s Need:

The GSMP is an upgrade to the Global Hawk (GH) control stations. GSMP will replace the shelter-based control units with a building-based system utilizing commercial hardware in a networked architecture. As part of the original GSMP design, the Government used the Rockwell Collins’ 721S radio transceiver for air traffic control communication. Rockwell Collins is the original equipment manufacturer of the radios configured for use within the GSMP network. The 721S Rockwell Collins radio can be used in a network environment as opposed to the other radios normally used in Air Force applications. This design selection was approved by the Program Office and made government-furnished equipment since, at the time, all believed these radios were crypto devices and could be obtained through government supply. It was later determined the radios were not crypto and therefore not in the government inventory.

As discussed above, the Global Hawk program is continuing to update the infrastructure across their network via the GSMP upgrade. The Global Hawk program is in need of these radios and ancillary equipment at an estimated combined value of $1,032,999 to meet their ongoing mission requirements at the MOBs. The Global Hawk program does not have the ability to fulfill the immediate need of the GSMP upgrade as these are new radios. As such, this requirement is needed to be solicited and fulfilled by the commercial marketplace. To date though, only one Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Rockwell Collins, a large business, has manufactured these items. Furthermore, Rockwell Collins has only been contacted by one reseller to provide these items under a Government contract, Davenport Aviation, Inc, a small business. Davenport currently has these items on their GSA Schedule, GS-07F-328AA, and it was confirmed the radios are available using GSA Advantage.

4. Authority and Rationale for Limiting Sources and a Demonstration of the Contractor’s Unique Qualifications This action is being proposed using the authority cited in FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B) Limited Sources, which states that “Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized”.

The GSMP program has a requirement for these radios to maintain contact with Air Traffic Control during operations at/near the MOBs. The Air Force does not have radios to satisfy the GSMP program’s need; therefore, an acquisition of these items is required. The Region 5 GSA Office has taken all necessary and reasonable actions to prepare for a timely quote of the required radios, receiving only one acceptable response, from Davenport Aviation, in response to the Government’s posted RFI notice (see section 6 for a detailed description of market research conducted).

As this is a specialized radio transceiver that has design specifications that required extensive developmental stages, another contractor could not build these particular items and accomplish the required prototype and security processes in the time required to meet the Global Hawk program’s mission needs. To date, Rockwell Collins is the only OEM that has successfully developed and deployed radios capable of supporting the GSMP network environment for use by the Government. Rockwell Collins only authorizes one reseller of this product and that is Davenport Aviation. Davenport Aviation currently has these items on their GSA Schedule 66, Special Item Number (SIN) 602-41 (Navigational and Flight Instruments). Additionally, the Government requires that the lead time for these items be 120 days from the estimated date of award (September 30, 2019). Davenport Aviation has partnered with the OEM, Rockwell Collins, for this developed item and can meet the required delivery date as the only reseller of this product. Although this is a Government network upgrade, there is no other contractor that would be able to set up production, order parts, manufacture, qualify its product and pass all necessary testing in time to meet the timeline for the Global Hawk’s GSMP program schedule.

The system design was approved and system hardware had been purchased for development and operational testing. Reworking the design to find another radio was determined to be too risky and impact to the program unacceptable. Consideration of an alternative solution from a source other than Rockwell Collins would not meet the Global Hawk program office’s required need date of January 2020.

The 721S radios will be used by the Air Force user community to maintain contact with ATC during operations at/near the MOBs. If this requirement is not fulfilled, the Air Force will be unable to sustain operations utilizing the critical Global Hawk network. This would prevent vital communications from occurring between the Air Force user community and ATC. Furthermore, new requirements for other MOBs to use this system will not be met due to not having this radio equipment as part of the GSMP upgrade. The warfighter will be hampered by being limited or completely unable to utilize the latest GSMP upgrades to Global Hawk’s network. As such, the radios and ancillary equipment provided through this delivery order are essential to meeting the Global Hawk program office’s mission.

5. Determination by the Ordering Activity Contracting Officer that the Order Represents the Best Value Consistent with FAR 8.404(d):

There is only one source capable of providing the supplies required at the level of quality required because the supplies are unique or highly specialized. Based on an Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) that was developed utilizing historical prices paid using a U.S. Navy Space & Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) contract and in the quantities being requested; prices for these items will be discounted from Davenport Aviation’s GSA Schedule unit prices by $2,477.39 or 5% for the 721S radios; $166.25 or 2.7% for the RCU710;

$2.92 or 4.2% for the RT Audio Connector kits; $33.25 or 2.7% for the Slide kits and $155.47 or 43.7% for the Table top boxes. The unit prices on the GSA schedule have been found to be fair and reasonable in accordance with FAR 8.404(d). In addition, a review of the unit prices compared to historical pricing using the SPAWAR contract finds the pricing fair and reasonable in accordance with FAR 15.404-1(b)(ii), “Comparison of proposed prices to historical prices paid….”. Based on the RFI request, Davenport Aviation, Inc. responded with an email confirming all items being available on their GSA schedule (GS-07F-328AA).

6. Description of the Market Research Conducted among the Schedule Holders and the Results of the Research:

In compliance with the GSA Memorandum, Preferred Use of Existing GSA Contract Vehicles (dated October 11, 2012), which requires GSA employees to use existing GSA acquisition vehicles for new contracts, a sources sought notice was posted on the GSA eBuy website on July 25, 2019 and also on the FedBizOpps website on July 26, 2019. The sources sought notice was sent to six Federal Supply Schedule 66 (SIN 602-41) contractors; however, all schedule holders were able to view the RFI and to an unknown number of companies using FedBizOpps (FBO).

In response to the RFI, one response was received from Davenport Aviation via GSA eBuy, who is partnered with the OEM of this product and it was confirmed that the items are on their GSA Schedule 66 (SIN 602-41). There were no responses from the FBO announcement, which only solidifies the position that Davenport Aviation is the only source for these commodities. As such, GSA will utilize the schedule to fulfill this requirement and therefore be in compliance with the GSA policy. The RFQ will be posted to GSA eBuy which will include a redacted version of the limited sources justification which satisfies the posting requirements of FAR 8.405-6(a)(2).

7. Any Other Facts Supporting the Justification:

None.

8. Statement of the Actions the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome any Barriers that Led to the Restricted Consideration Before Any Subsequent Acquisition for the Supplies or Services is Made:

There are no other sources available for the Rockwell Collins 721S VHF/UHF radios and ancillary equipment purchase at this time. If additional radios and ancillary equipment are required at a later date, GSA will assess whether competition for future requirements is feasible and cost effective.

9. Technical/Requirements Certification I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the Limited Sources Justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Michael Hopkins Deputy GSMP Program Manager

AFLCMC/WIG

10. Contracting Officer’s Certification The contracting officer’s signature on the signature page evidences that she has determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of her knowledge and belief.

Lisa O’Donnell Contracting Officer Contracting Division, R5 FAS

11. Review and Approval:

Yjuania Still Supervisory Contracting Officer Contracting Division, R5 FAS

Rodney Couick Director, Assisted Acquisition Services, R5 FAS

Assistant Regional Counsel General Services Administration, 5L

Micky Mayes Director, Contracting Division, R5 FAS

APPROVAL:

Anne Mesch Deputy Regional Commissioner, R5 FAS Competition Advocate