J and A Redacted.docx

JUSTIFICATION REVIEW DOCUMENT

FAR PART 6 JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN

FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Programs/Equipment: Ballistic Research Laboratory – Computer Aided Design (BRL-CAD) Software Development Support Services Authority: 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(5) as implemented by FAR Part 6.302-5 – Authorized or Required by Statute. See FAR 19.1306 implementing 15 U.S.C. 657a

Amount: [redacted]

Reviews: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support other than full and open competition.

Program Manager:

Legal Counsel:

CUI

Control No: JA-21-Adel-378 Contractor: DALCOM, LLC.

Supply/Service: Ballistic Research Laboratory – Computer Aided Design (BRL-CAD) Software Development support services.

CUI

FAR Part 6 Justification and Approval for Other than Full and Open Competition

1. Contracting Activity: U.S. Army Contracting Command (ACC)-Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Adelphi Contracting Division, (CCAP-SCA), 2800 Powder Mill Rd, Adelphi, MD 20783

2. Description of Action: The Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Data and Analysis Center (DAC), requests a new Cost-Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract with DALCOM, LLC located at 5263 Bucktown Rd, Suite 2, Cambridge, MD 21613-3588. The Government projects an award for January 2022 and Fiscal Year 2022 Research, Development, Test and Evaluation funds will be used at time of award.

X An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement does not meet the threshold at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 207.103(d) (i) (B)

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Data and Analysis Center (DAC), requires Ballistic Research Laboratory – Computer Aided Design (BRL-CAD) Software Development support services to provide analytical, technical, and development for Survivability, Lethality, and Vulnerability (SLV) modeling and simulation software development projects within DAC. The Advanced Joint Effectiveness Model (AJEM), the standard tri-service SLV analysis code and the continued development and maintenance of this code suite is critical to the DAC mission. The Fast Air Target Encounter Penetration (FATEPEN) models are critical to the DAC’s ballistic SLV analysis process, as they are the tri-service standard for predicting penetration of ballistic threats into material targets. DEVCOM DAC requires the procurement of BRL-CAD Software Development support services to provide BRL-CAD coding that is developed with an integrated analysis environment and interacts with the Advanced Joint Effectiveness Model (AJEM) and other SLV modeling and analysis tools, like FATEPEN models. This effort will provide for continuous development of current BRL-CAD code suites and related modules. BRL-CAD code heavily interacts with AJEM, the premier code used at DAC for conducting ballistic analyses that are provided to materiel developers, system evaluators, and senior decision makers at the Department of Army (DoA) and Department of Defense (DoD).

Period of Performance: Four (4) year effort.

Total: [redacted]

4. Authority Cited: 10 U.S.C. 2304(5) as implemented by FAR Part 6.302-5 -- Authorized or Required by Statute. FAR Part 6.302-5(b) -- Sole source awards under the HUBZone Act of 1997 -- 15 U.S.C. 657a (see 19.1306)

5. Reason for Authority Cited: As described in FAR 6.302-5(a), full and open competition need not be provided for when a statute expressly authorizes or requires that the acquisition be made through another agency or from a specified source, or the agency’s need is for a brand name commercial item for authorized resale. The requirements for a sole source award under the HUBZone Program are described in FAR 19.1306(a), which states:

A contracting officer shall consider a contract award to a HUBZone small business concern on a sole source basis (see 6.302-5(b)(5)) before considering a small business set-aside (see 19.203 and Subpart 19.5), provided none of the exclusions at 19.1304 apply.

DALCOM, LLC has previously provided software development services for the DAC with the AJEM and other SLV modeling and analysis tools. Based on the previous software development, DALCOM, LLC has the institutional knowledge of the BRL-CAD software development and support services at DAC, whereas, any other vendor would not have the capability to develop, test, verify and deliver the required software development services within the timeframe required by the Government. Based on the aforementioned, DALCOM, LLC has the background knowledge to meet the Government’s requirement’s to interact with the existing AJEM and other SLV modeling and analysis tools.

If a new contractor were to perform these services, it would erode the team’s ability to address Software Change Request (SCRs), add new features, and conduct the modernization work that is essential to the health of any large, long-lived codebase. Knowledge of the codes is essential for efficient and effective model development at DAC. Without these support services, new methodologies and techniques required for meaningful analysis of emerging systems and improved efficiencies necessary to meet ongoing needs with limited resources will not occur. DAC will also be unable to accomplish critical funded tasks supporting Government ballistic SLV analyses.

BRL-CAD is used in every AJEM analysis to support future Science and Technology (S&T) designs, Army acquisitions, and DoD Testing and Evaluation (T&E) efforts. BRL-CAD is a 1 million line+ codebase with complex third party dependencies. DALCOM brings a combination of SLV and CAD software development for modeling and simulation. DALCOM has extensive experience in BRL-CAD as an SLV input to AJEM, thus understanding the software modeling required in sensitive military analysis.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition:

1. Effective Competition: The notice required by FAR 5.201 under solicitation number W911QX-21-R-0030 was published on www.beta.sam.gov on 21 September 2021 and closed on 05 October 2021 stating the Government’s intent to award a sole source to DALCOM LLC. This announcement was published as an attempt to locate any business concerns that could fulfill the requirement.

1. Subcontracting is not anticipated. Moreover, in accordance with FAR 19.702(b), a Small Business Subcontracting Plan is not required, as the award will be made to a small business.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: Prior to the initiation of future acquisitions for the aforementioned requirement, the market place will be continually surveyed in order to determine whether additional sources have emerged that can fulfill the Government’s requirements. In the event that another source is capable of meeting the Government’s requirements, the Contracting Officer will continue to consider utilizing a set-aside or sole source under one (1) of the small business socioeconomic contracting programs, as applicable. If none of the small business socioeconomic contracting programs are in the best interest of the Government, the Contracting Officer will then consider a small business set-aside or full and open competition, given that small business set-asides have priority over full and open competition in accordance with FAR 19.203(c).

8. Market Research: Market Research was conducted between 11 May 2021 through 19 May 2021 by Branch Chief, Joint Software Engineering Branch. The market research methods used included querying government-wide contract directory, and contacting knowledgeable people and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).

SME and former BRL-CAD target model team leader and Program Office Representative from the Joint Technical Coordinating Group for Munitions Effectiveness (JTCG/ME): The BRL-CAD software package is heavily used in defense modeling and simulation applications. Software developers with background in BRL-CAD are not found in private industry and development experience is only possible through years of experience with the coding and how it interacts with the AJEM SLV model. The market research revealed only one (1) source (a HUBZone – DALCOM, LLC) was capable of meeting the above-mentioned requirements. It was determined that DALCOM LLC is the only source capable of fulfilling the Government’s requirement for BRL-CAD Software Development support services as they specifically have the requisite expertise in CAD and SLV software design that is needed to support SLV Modeling and Simulation software development projects within DAC. Ten (10) other sources were found via market research efforts that provide engineering support services, however they were determined to be incapable of meeting the requirements given their capabilities statements provided no indication of their ability to provide BRL-CAD and CAD specific software design and engineering support services. Specifically, these ten (10) other sources lack the ability to provide the SLV modeling and CAD design and development requirements outlined in the Performance Work Statement (PWS). See table below for results of market research. Based on the aforementioned, the Contracting Officer recommends a contract award to DALCOM LLC on a sole source basis under the HUBZone Program. Accordingly, effective competition is not applicable.

In addition to the above, a query search for the following phrases on https://www.contractdirectory.gov/contractdirectory/ returned the following non-satisfactory options (see Query Search Results table below). As noted below, if the company had CAD experience, it was not clear that they could do the required software development. If the company had software development experience, it was not clear that they had any CAD experience. No company claimed to have experience with BRL-CAD.

Query Search Results:

9. Interested Sources: A Request for Information (RFI) under solicitation number W911QX-21-R-0030 was published on www.beta.sam.gov on July 22, 2021 and closed on August 05, 2021. Upon posting, four (4) responses were received, namely Broadleaf Inc. (SBA Certified Hubzone), 9720 Capital Court, Suite 201, Manassas, Virginia 20110, RV Global Solutions Inc.(SBA Certified Hubzone), 247 E Front St, Suite # 1 Trenton, NJ 08611, FrancordSoft LLC (Small Disadvantage company), 8457 Reformatory Way, Lorton, VA 22079-4804, and DALCOM Engineering & Technical Services (SBA Certified Hubzone), 5263 Bucktown Rd, Suite 2, Cambridge, MD 21613. The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) reviewed all four (4) responses and concluded that DALCOM Engineering & Technical Services is the only Contractor that has CAD, BRL-CAD and SLV modeling and simulation software development experience, and is thus the only contractor capable of fulfilling the Government’s requirement. Broadleaf Inc. and FrancordSoft, LLC did not meet the Government’s minimum requirements due to the fact that there was no CAD experience identified in the submitted documents. RV Global Solutions Inc. did not meet the Government’s requirements due to the fact that there was no SLV modeling and simulation experience evidenced. In addition, the COR stated that although CAD capabilities were mentioned in one instance, there was no evidence to support it. As such, it was concluded that DALCOM Engineering & Technical Services is the only contractor capable of meeting the Government’s minimum requirements.

10. Other Facts:

Procurement History

Contract: W911QX-18-C-0011 Contractor: DALCOM LLC Award Date: 31 Jan 2019 Period of Performance: 31 Jan 2019 – 30 Jan 2022 Dollar Value: [redacted] Competitive Status: Hubzone sole source Authority: 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(5) as implemented by FAR Part 6.302-5 -- Authorized or Required by Statute. FAR Part 6.302-5(b)(5) -- Sole source awards under the HUBZone Act of 1997 -- 15 U.S.C. 657a (see FAR 19.1306)

11. Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signer’s Title: Program Coordinator

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signer’s Title: Branch Chief

13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. Fair and Reasonable Price Determination will be made in accordance with FAR Part 15.404-1(a) (3) “Cost Analysis shall be used to evaluate the reasonableness of individual cost elements when certified cost or pricing data are required. Price analysis should be used to verify that the overall price is fair and reasonable.”

This determination will be made using the following:

_X_ Cost analysis __ Price analysis __ Should cost

_X_ IGE

__ Audit:

__ Other:

As a part of this basis, certified cost or pricing data:

_X_ Will be required.

__ Will not be required and the following exception applies (FAR 15.403):

__ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on adequate price competition.

__ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on prices set by law or regulation.

__ A commercial item is being acquired.

__ A waiver has been granted by the head of the contracting activity (HCA) in accordance with DFARS PGI 215.403-1.

__ The contract action is a modification to a contract or subcontract for commercial item(s).

__ The estimated cost of the contract action is less than the threshold for certified cost or pricing data.

14. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Approval Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of Ballistic Research Laboratory – Computer Aided Design (BRL-CAD) Software Development support services, for an estimate of [redacted] for 31 Jan 2022 to 30 Jan 2023, on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C.2304(c)(5), subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

(End of J&A)

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