JA ACTA_Redacted_Final.pdf

This is a Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity (FAE) document for a task order under the PACER IDIQ contract. The contracting activity is the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL/RAKPC) located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The justification seeks approval for an exception to fair opportunity requirements under FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i), specifically invoking exception 6.302-1, which permits sole-source awards when only one responsible source can satisfy agency requirements.

The task order pertains to the Advanced Core & Termination Analysis (ACTA) program under the Advanced Aerospace Systems Technology Research (AASTR) multiple-award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract awarded to The Boeing Company (Contract #FA2391-23-D-0002) on May 5, 2023. The contractor is required to develop, validate, and deliver a computational analysis tool. Boeing is justified as the sole-source provider based on its unique combination of advanced analysis tool development capabilities, extensive expertise in manufacturing and test data production, and specialized engineering expertise that cannot be replicated by other sources without substantial cost duplication and unacceptable schedule delays. The justification emphasizes that any alternative source would require complete replication of foundational research, tool development, and data generation already completed by Boeing, creating prohibitive costs, technical risks, and schedule impacts to the Government. Cost fairness and reasonableness will be determined through technical evaluation by the project engineer, price analysis using external market data, and inputs from the Defense Contract Management Agency, with Boeing's Forward Price Rate Recommendations from DCMA serving as the basis for pricing.