JA APCTT Advancement Redacted.pdf

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN

FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity: U.S. Army Contracting Command - New Jersey

2. Description of Action: The Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Armaments Center requests award of a new Firm Fixed Price, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract. ………………………………………………………… ………………….. will be used for task orders issued under this contract.

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The U.S. Army has a need for Asset Protection and Counter Threat Technologies (APCTT) Advancement to protect its critical Assets including soldiers, equipment, vehicles, and aircraft. “Protection” in this acronym means protection from physical, chemical, biological, or cyber threats. ……………………..

………………………………………….APCTT Advancement supports the following Army Modernization Priorities: Long Range Precision Fires, Assured Precision, Navigation, and Timing, Air & Missile Defense, and Development of Cross Cutting Enablers, by advancing camouflage and counter measure solutions to protect them. APCTT encompasses material, structure and array components that when combined ……….

……………………. on the Asset it is placed on. Examples of material are metallic inks, carbon, and high temperature ceramics. Structures include flexible or non-traditionally shaped (round or oval) circuit boards. Arrays under this effort would be 3D antennae, domes or cones utilized for radar and communication applications. These components can be combined to produce flexible printed circuit boards in different shapes that can be placed inside munition payloads to ………………………….., or be placed on cylinders made of nylon-type material to ……………………………………….

Additionally, flexible sheets of printed patterns may be used for radar and communications applications, such as a series of flexible printed patterns to form antenna arrays which would be used to …………………….. The services to be provided by the contractor include Design & Development, Transformative Manufacturing Technologies, Testing & Characterization, and Systems Integration. APCTT Advancement deliverables will include reports, presentations, and prototypes to be specified on a task order basis.

The period of performance will include one base year ordering period and two-12 month ordering periods for a total period of performance of three years from the date of contract award. …..…………………………………………………………………..

4. Authority Cited: Title 10 United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 2304(c)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1(a)(2), Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

5. Reason for Authority Cited: As described in FAR 6.302-1(a)(2), when the supplies or services required by the agency are available only from one responsible source, or for DoD, NASA and the Coast Guard, from only one or a limited number of responsible sources, and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for.

SI2 Technologies, Inc. (SI2), 267 Boston Road, Billerica, Massachusetts, 01862, previously developed APCTT as a subcontractor to the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)under contract number W15QKN-17-D-0029 for the Development, Characterization, Engineering and Testing of Advanced Materials, Processes & Technologies.. …………………………………………………………………………

SI2 possesses specialized Additive Manufacturing capabilities that are critical for advancing APCTT, as well as the necessary level of fabrication and quality control to develop the required materials, structures and arrays. SI2’s facilities include modified commercial-off-the-shelf, custom designed, and proprietary additive manufacturing equipment (2D and 3D printers). …………………………………………………………… ………... SI2’s inkjet systems utilize industrial grade, wide format printers to maximize the substrate widths and types that can be processed. SI2 has two production systems equipped to print on material up to 48 inches wide, at thickness ranging from one-thousand of an inch (0.001”) to one-tenth of an inch (0.100”), has an in-line drying oven with 400°C capability and includes roll to roll take up and a slotted S-band waveguide (particular radar frequency and wavelength used for medium-range meteorological applications such as airport surveillance) used to take real time quality control measurements. Each system has multi-channel deposition, which enables one or more inks (conductive, dielectric and resistive) to be deposited in a single pass. SI2’s 3D printers are multi-tooled systems capable of fused deposition modeling printing and ink/paste dispensing.

The only way to produce the required materials, structures, and arrays are through the layer-by-layer process that only additive manufacturing enables. SI2 also uniquely possesses proprietary equipment that enables direct fabrication on curved structures such as military structures like domes, missiles, wings. Additionally, SI2 has proprietary ink jet reel-to-reel technology for 3D printing of unique structures and novel materials.

This allows users to digitally change what is being printed without a template which can create many different rapid prototypes. Without these additive manufacturing capabilities, opportunities for rapid development and advancement of materials, structures and arrays would not be possible.

SI2 has dedicated its expertise to Aerospace and Defense work for all branches of the Department of Defense since 2003. SI2 is the Small Business Representative on the Office of the Secretary of Defense Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech) Panel serving on the Electronics Processes & Fabrication Sub-Panel. This position allows SI2 to be involved with ManTech project reviews and technical reviews so that it can plan for and enhance APCTT to address the future of Department of Defense weapon systems. In order to perform APCTT Advancement, the contractor must have a Secret Facility Clearance. SI2 also has a Secret Facility Clearance with secure communication and holding capabilities up to the Secret Level, with two General Services Administration-Approved security containers and three active Automated Information Systems. Additionally, SI2 possesses the required modelling and simulation software to support the analysis of classified information required under this effort.

Awarding to a contractor other than SI2 for APCTT Advancement would not be possible.

Only SI2 is capable of continuing its work on APCTT by advancing the APCTT it previously developed and utilizing its unique proprietary additive manufacturing capabilities.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition:

a. Effective Competition: Since it has been determined that this is a sole source action, effective competition is not applicable. The notices required by FAR 5.201 shall be posted and any bids or proposals received considered.

b. Subcontracting Competition: SI2 is a small business concern; therefore, in accordance with FAR 19.702(b), subcontracting plans are not required for small businesses. FAR Clause 52.244-5 entitled “Competition in Subcontracting”.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: Full and open competition is not practical at this time. There are no plans to compete the requirement for APCTT Advancement in the future as SI2 is the only source that has the proprietary additive manufacturing capabilities required to advance the APCTT. However, the Government will obtain Government Purpose License Rights to all APCTT Advancement data produced under this contract, which should allow future requirements to be competed. Future competitive requirements will depend on if the APCTT Advancement data received from this anticipated contract successfully evolves. .

8. Market Research: In accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 205.205-71, DFARS 206.302-1(d), and DFARS Procedures, Guidance and Information (PGI) 206.302-1(d), Sources Sought Notice W15QKN-19-X- 04TE was posted to FedBizOpps on 11 December 2018 and closed on 10 January 2019. Only one response was received to this notice and it was from SI2 on 10 January 2019. The response received from SI2 Technologies, Inc. demonstrated that it is capable of meeting the Government requirements as outlined in the Sources Sought Notice. SI2 Technologies, Inc. previously developed APCTT as a subcontractor to the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) under contract number W15QKN-17-D-0029 for the Development, Characterization, Engineering and Testing of Advanced Materials, Processes & Technologies. The contractor has first-hand knowledge of and experience with advanced materials, equipment (hardware/software), fabrication, integration, and testing techniques as it relates to APCTT.

CCDC Armaments Center performs continuous market research for APCTT to understand the current market and industry at the forefront of these technologies.

CCDC Armaments Center has attended numerous conferences, symposiums, and panels regarding technological developments that encompass APCTT, such as the Army Additive Manufacturing Community of Practice, Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel, and the Printed Electronics and Flexible Hybrid Electronic Technical Working Group. CCDC Armaments Center has also conducted internet research and reviewed trade journals and periodicals related to APCTT. No other contractor has the experience or capability to meet the Government’s requirement of APCTT Advancement.

9. Interested Sources: To date, no other sources have written to express interest in the requirement.

10. Other Facts:

a. Procurement History: This is a first-time acquisition of APCTT Advancement.

b. Other facts: Not applicable.

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.

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.

13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. This determination will be made using cost analysis, price analysis, and the Independent Government Estimate. As part of this basis, certified cost or pricing data will be required in accordance with FAR 15.403-4.

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 Asset Protection and Counter Threat Technologies Advancement on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of Title 10 United States Code (U.S.C.)

Section 2304(c)(1), as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. The total ceiling for this action over the three year period of performance is $13,491,546.00. The approval is subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services or property herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.