JA Alaska Mobility Services Redacted.pdf

Sole Source Justification Checklist Template_NOVEMBER_22_2019

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Office of Procurement, Acquisition, and Logistics Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724

2. This requirement will be accomplished via:

[ X ] New Purchase Order

Purchase Order will be:

[ X ] Firm Fixed Price [ ] Cost Type Contract:

[ ] Time and Materials [ ] Other (Specify):

Type of Funds (e.g. Supply Fund, Franchise Fund, IT, etc.):

[ X ] IT Funds

3. Description of Supplies or Services.

[ X ] Services

This is an acquisition for 20 lines of cellular service and 20 smartphones for the VA to provide mobility services to employees at remote locations throughout the state of Alaska to include native Alaskan villages. Cellular services include unlimited voice, text, and internet data; the carrier must be able to provide a local telephone number with an Alaska area code.

4. Authority Cited.

[ X ] FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold. Contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available.

5. Reason for Authority Cited.

The proposed source for this action is the following:

GCI Communication Corp.

2550 Denali St, Ste. 1000 Anchorage, AK 99503-2751

GCI Alaska Wireless Mobility Services, Acquisition Plan No. 36C10B-22-AP-0291

[ ] The supplies are urgently needed for the following reasons:

[ ] Explain exclusive licensing agreements:

[ ] Explain need for brand name:

[ ] This is a follow-on contract. Awarding this contract to a new source will result in $_________ of duplication of cost as follows:

[ X ] Other rationale for not promoting competition, as follows:

GCI Communication Corp. (GCI) is the only wireless mobility provider that has the ability to provide wireless mobility coverage to the remote Alaskan regions and villages required to provide rural outreach to Veterans. GCI has built and maintained the necessary infrastructure to meet the VA’s technical requirements.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition.

[ X ] There is only one responsible source for this item. Efforts made to locate additional sources are described under the “Market Research” paragraph of this document. There is no competition anticipated for this acquisition. Procurement data does not include any unnecessary requirements that may inhibit competition.

[ ] The sources proposed above are the only sources that can meet the urgent requirements for the reasons given above. Procurement data does not include any unnecessary requirements that may inhibit competition.

7. Actions to Increase Competition.

[ ] A competitive technical data package (TDP) is being prepared by (enter name of responsible party). It will not be available for this procurement;

however, it is forecast to be available by _______________.

[ ] The solicitation will contain requirements for the acquisition of a competitive TDP that will allow for future full and open competition.

[ X ] Other actions that will be accomplished to increase competition:

The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the marketplace that would enable future actions to be competed.

8. Market Research.

Market research was conducted by technical experts from VA’s Office of Information & Technology. Requests for Information (RFIs) were issued on

01/27/2022 with a response date of 02/04/2022. The methods used and results are as indicated below:

[ ] A notice soliciting additional sources of supply was published in the Contracting Opportunities Page on ___________________________

[ ] No response was received.

[ ] _______ companies expressed interest, but did not submit any data supporting that they can supply the item.

[ X ] The following companies submitted data claiming that they can supply the item. However, the government evaluation of the data resulted in a negative determination.

[ X ] The following companies were contacted by telephone and each one stated they did not make a product that would be interchangeable in form, fit and function with the item being procured.

Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile USA, Inc., and AT&T Mobility

[ X ] The market research consisted of the following:

RFIs were issued on General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise Wide Procurement (SEWP) on 01/27/2022 with a response date of 02/04/2022. Both RFI’s requested vendors to demonstrate their ability to provide wireless mobility services to the remote regions of Alaska. No vendors from NASA SEWP responded to the RFI. One vendor, Verizon Wireless, responded to the GSA MAS RFI. The response demonstrated their ability to provide wireless coverage to the populated areas of Alaska. Upon further clarification in an email received on 02/09/2022 it was determined that while Verizon can provide the required wireless coverage to the more populous areas, it did not have the capability to provide coverage to the remote areas of Alaska required to provide rural support to Veterans as required in the performance work statement.

[ ] Market research was not conducted because (provide complete rationale):

[ ] Other, as follows:

9. Interested Sources.

[ ] No other source has expressed written interest in supplying this item.

[ X ] The following companies have expressed written interest in supplying this item and/or service. However, they are not being considered for this procurement for the reasons given below.

While Verizon Wireless can meet the technical requirements for wireless coverage in populated areas of Alaska it does not have the capability to provide coverage to the remote areas of Alaska required to provide rural support to Veterans as required in the PWS. GCI is the only source capable of meeting all of VA’s technical requirements.

[ X ] Solicitation covering this procurement will be synopsized in the Contracting Opportunities Page and any bids/proposals received shall be evaluated.

[ ] Solicitation covering this procurement will not be synopsized in the Contracting Opportunities Page pursuant to FAR 5.202_________