JA HMMS Software and Support Redacted 21226_Redacted.pdf

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

DLA CONTRACTING SERVICES OFFICE - PHILADELPHIA 700

ROBBINS AVENUE

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19111-5092

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE AGENCY AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY.

Requiring Activity:

DLA Information Operations 74 Washington Ave N Battle Creek, MI 49037

Contracting Activity:

DLA Contracting Services Office - Philadelphia (DCSO-P) 700 Robbins Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19111

2. NATURE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION BEING APPROVED.

This Justification and Approval (J&A) support a sole-source contract to Sphera Solutions, Inc. (Sphera) for the continued procurement, sustainment, and enhancement of the Hazardous Materials Management System (HMMS) software and its associated modules, licenses, and data integration services. The government intends to issue a long-term contract for the continuation of HMMS Software and Sustainment Services with Sphera. This action is intended to be a 5-year contract to ensure continuity of mission-critical hazardous material lifecycle management and environmental compliance across all DLA-managed sites, DoW Components, and federal partners. The contract will include a 12-month base period and four (4) 12-month option periods, with an estimated dollar value not to exceed .

3. A DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPPLIES OR SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET THE

AGENCY’S NEEDS (INCLUDING THE ESTIMATED VALUE).

The scope of this effort includes providing HMMS Software Licenses and Software Sustainment Support for multiple DoW and Federal Government organizations, through the following tasks:

The Contractor (referred to as the Vendor) will be required to perform tasks such as the following:

Task 1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUPPORT 0004-Program Management Task 2 – CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT 0004-Program Management Task 3 - INFORMATION ASSURANCE 0003- Operational Phase Task 4 - REQUIREMENTS FOR AI-DRIVEN AUTOMATION AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT 0002- Development

Task 5 - DATA MANAGEMENT and - SYSTEM

MONITORING / REPORTING

0002- Development Task 6 - SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE 0003- Operational Phase Task 7 - SOFTWARE RELEASE, MAINTENANCE AND ENHANCEMENTS 0003- Operational Phase Task 8 - TESTING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA) REQUIREMENTS 0003- Operational Phase Task 9 - SUSTAINMENT SUPPORT, DELIVERABLES, DOCUMENTATION AND SCHEDULE 0004-Program Management Task 10- SHARED SERVICES 0004-Program Management Task 11 - ONSITE AND VIRTUAL SUPPORT 0004-Program Management Task 12 Travel and Performance 0004-Program Management Task 13- TRANSITION AND CLOSEOUT SUPPORT **OPTIONAL TASK 0004-Program Management

The supplies and services include the following requirements:

- HMMS full HM automated lifecycle capabilities, regulatory reporting, consumption, license/permits, training, decanting for pharmacy activities, Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA), Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) 6, Tier II, Bi / Tri annual reporting, emerging chemical and supply chain risk management.

- HMMS HMIRS is the System of record and DoW Repository of Record, as identified in DoW HAZCOM 313 and CFR 29 for Safety Data Sheet and Global Harmonization System (GHS) of international labeling. This information is necessary to meet European and other foreign government shipping regulations and is mandatory for movement of Military Services property to support the war fighter mission.

- Capable of containing and feeding the Federal Logistics Information System and the Hazardous Material Indicator Code.

- Capable of providing information to Electronic Turn-In

- Capable of tying Safety Data Sheet Information to Wide Area Workflow contractual information and to warehousing information at the Disposal Turn-In Document and then to LIIN/NIIN level for Tier II reporting with National Stock Number (NSN) data.

- HMMS POP is the System of record and DoW Repository of Record, Capable of tracking and supplying United Nations Standard acceptable packaging at the NSN level with international shipping labels at the NSN, Service Modal and by locale level for laboratory tested packaging.

- Compliant with DML 4000.25, Defense Logistics Management Standards (DLMS), Volume 1, dated October 3, 2017, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) regulations for multiple global government and military agencies supported on three hosting configurations for attaining Authority to Operate.

- Pre-Acquisition Process a systematic control in place before hazardous product purchase.

This requirement ties a safety plan to the chemical level ensuring unsafe chemicals or chemicals that are not capable of being handled are not brought onto the base.

The contract will include a 12-month base period and four (4) 12-month option periods, with an estimated dollar value not to exceed .

4. IDENTIFICATION OF THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING OTHER THAN

FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION.

The authority of 10 U.S.C 3204 (a)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(a)(2), permits the acquisition of services by other than full and open competition when the services are available from only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy the agency’s requirements. FAR 6.302- 1(c) allows for other than full and open competition when an acquisition uses a brand-name description to specify a particular brand-name, product, or feature of a product particular to one manufacturer if justified in accordance with FAR parts 6.303 and 6.304.

5. A DEMONSTRATION THAT THE PROPOSED CONTRACTOR’S UNIQUE

QUALIFICATIONS OR THE NATURE OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES USE OF

THE AUTHORITY CITED.

In accordance with FAR 6.302-1(c), brand name HMMS software licenses and support are essential to the Government’s requirements because the supplies and services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source, and no other type or supplies or services will satisfy the agency’s requirements. A brand name is an item particular to one manufacturer and may be procured by brand name specification if essential to the Government’s requirements. The required HMMS software and support is a brand name item peculiar to one manufacturer. The HMMS brand name product is essential to the Government’s requirements, thereby precluding consideration of products manufactured by another company. Furthermore, Sphera is the only known firm capable of providing the required HMMS Software and Maintenance Sustainment support.

The HMMS software manages materials and waste effectively and in accordance with the requirements provided by law and policy as follows:

HMMS capability Hazardous Material Information System (HMIRS) is the single proprietary software and authoritative source and the DoW Repository of Record, as identified in DoW HAZCOM 313, meeting both the DoWI 6050.05 HAZCOM and DoWI 4715.18 Emerging Chemicals Instructions, including OSHA Safety Data Sheet, Global Harmonization System (GHS) of International Labeling, which is a mandatory requirement for movement of MILSRVCS property across the globe. HMIRS was selected and delivered the single solution in DoW via a now standardized API for bi-directional data exchange with DoW Health Agency (DHA) to automate the whole of DoW Industrial Hygiene Reporting for exposure to Defense Occupational and Environmental Health and Readiness System (DOEHRS) as required by DoWI 6050.20 and soon afterwards scaled to be the single entity responsible for reporting to the Veteran Administration for Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT) Public Law 117-168 to include the expansion of the law in 2022 for Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER). HMMS HMIRS does not include PII or PHI, it does include the data on what was purchased by specific sites and consumed for work at bases and the workshop level since legacy HMIRS was onboarded by DLA in 1995.

HMMS Performance Oriented Packaging (POP) capability is the DoW Repository of Record and authoritative source as defined by Defense Logistics Acquisition Regulation DLAR 4145.1 DoW-managed HAZMAT. This DLAR is designed to provide the lowest cost for the highest performance of lab tested packaging, exceeding Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 173.7 which gives DoW the Authority to certify for transportation packaging. HMMS POP provides DoW Modal packaging instructions meeting or exceeding DoW, DoT and International Regulations.

HMMS Hazardous Waste Disposition (HWD) capability is the single solution in DoW for management, tracking and reporting for DoW disposal of hazardous waste (HW) for DLA Major Subordinate Command (MSC) Disposition Services. MSC Disposition Services is the only DoW Provider of HW Disposal Services. HWD provides full automation as defined by EPA’s CFR 40 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to include annual regulatory reporting customized to meet the DoW specific needs and automated Waste Manifesting, then transmitting the contract line items (CLIN) type and sizing to EBS for billing for cost recovery at the DoWAAC Waste Generator Level. This cost recovery methodology is the first in DoW and is being modeled now at NASA and Army.

Sphera Solutions, Inc. is the sole developer, owner, and licensor of the HMMS software capabilities used across DoW. Sphera holds exclusive rights to its proprietary codebase, data schema, and environmental regulatory mapping used for HMIRS, EPCRA, and REACH compliance.

No other vendor can deliver an equivalent capability that satisfies:

- Cybersecurity integration with DoD ATO on Azure.mil

- Interoperability with DLA middleware and IBM MQ infrastructure

- Proprietary regulatory data and compliance mapping to Advana, Chemical Inventory Data Warehouse, DoD Health Agency, FLIS, GSA Enhanced Checkout, HMIRS, HWD, EBS, WMS.

The HMMS software is proprietary to Sphera and there are no authorized resellers of Sphera’s HMMS Software and Maintenance Sustainment Support.

There are no other firms that can fulfill all the Government’s minimum requirements to account for the full HM Logistics Lifecycle end to end. Therefore, Sphera is the only company that can continue the HMMS software system support services, as it is the only source capable of providing the required HMMS software and Maintenance Sustainment Support.

6. A DESCRIPTION OF EFFORTS MADE TO ENSURE THAT OFFERS ARE

SOLICITED FROM AS MANY POTENTIAL SOURCES AS IS PRACTICABLE,

INCLUDING WHETHER A NOTICE WAS OR WILL BE PUBLICIZED AS

REQUIRED BY SUBPART 5.2 AND, IF NOT, WHICH EXCEPTION UNDER 5.202

APPLIES.

A Request for Information (RFI) was issued simultaneously on JETS, SAM.gov and GSA E-Buy on August 13, 2025 informing industry of the Government’s requirement in accordance with FAR 5.2. This RFI resulted in eighteen (18) responses from interested vendors including the incumbent (results of the market research are listed in Section 8 below).

7. A DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE ANTICIPATED

COST TO THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE FAIR AND REASONABLE.

Market research conducted in FY2025 Q4 reviewed multiple vendors on SAM.gov, GSA Advantage, and NASA SEWP. Only Sphera Solutions demonstrated validated DoD accreditation and existing interface certification with DLA systems. Alternative systems would require redevelopment and recertification under RMF, adding in cost and 24 months in delay.

The Contracting Officer hereby determines that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable based on utilizing various price analysis techniques including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) comparison of the proposed prices to historical prices paid, whether by the Government, for the same or similar items (FAR 15.404-1(b)(2)(ii)); (2) comparison with the independent Government cost estimate (FAR 15.404-1(a)(2)(v)); and/or (3) comparison of proposed prices with prices obtained through market research of the same or similar items (FAR 15.404-1(b)(2)(vi)).

8. A DESCRIPTION OF THE MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED (SEE FAR PART 10)

AND THE RESULTS OR A STATEMENT OF THE REASON MARKET RESEARCH

WAS NOT CONDUCTED.

DLA posted a Request for Information (RFI) simultaneously on JETS, SAM.gov and GSA E-Buy on August 13, 2025. This RFI resulted in eighteen (18) responses from interested vendors including the incumbent. Additionally, the HMMS Program Management Office (PMO) has conducted continuous market research in order to bring DoW Customers the most efficient technology at the most advantageous price to DoW that meets or exceeds the DoW mission requirements. Over the last two years, the HMMS PMO scheduled demonstrations for the required capabilities that have been presented to the DoW Wide Emerging Chemical Working Group (ECWG). The ECWG is comprised of all MILSRVCS, Office of

($M)

Secretary of Defense Offices from Acquisition and Support, Energy, Installations and Environment, Supply Chain Risk Management, DoW Health Agency and Industrial Base Critical Chemical Offices. The ECWG reports to the Emerging Chemical Governance Council (ECGC) comprised of the principal SES’ and/or senior leaders from each MILSRVC and DoW Agency with the direction to ensure DoW is proactively positioned with the correct policy and technology to support DoW Critical Mission Work.

DLA HMMS PMO reviewed the responses from interested vendors and provided the following information:

Sixteen (16) of the responses failed to demonstrate the full depth or breadth of knowledge of the current DoW or DLA HM Logistics Lifecycle nor did the responses show that technology was readily available to seamlessly connect the full HM Logistics Lifecycle. The responses failed to demonstrate the turnkey ability to implement a software suite with real-time API that complies with DML 4000.25, Defense Logistics Management Standards (DLMS), Volume 1, dated October 3, 2017, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) regulations for multiple global government and military agencies supported on three hosting configurations for attaining ATO.

is a small business that provides information technology (IT) solutions and services to the Defense (DoW) and Federal Civilian agencies. states that they provide and support enterprise-wide efficiency and accelerated mission delivery by delivering sophisticated, purpose-built IT applications, modernization, infrastructure support, and integration solutions. Plateau’s WEBCASS-E houses the capability known as Hazardous Material Inventory Database (HMID) providing Army a hazardous material solution.

HMID is not integrated with HMIRS, nor does Army participate in the DoW HAZCOM Policy.

did not demonstrate an understanding of the end-to-end integration or management of SDS under the DoW HAZCOM Policy.

’s HMID is a leader in HM and HW capabilities for the Army and is growing their understanding of how to support DoW and other non-Army entities.

does not use MS Azure and did not demonstrate an understanding of the environment which is currently hosting HMMS Applications and HMMS Applications are using Azure Native Services. HMID has become part of the Web Compliance Assistance and Sustainment System – Enterprise (WEBCASS- E) for the Army since 2020. WEBCASS-E capabilities have grown significantly, and DLA will continue to evaluate these capabilities annually. Sphera’s response, the eighteenth response received, shows the capability of meeting all government needs for this requirement.

9. ANY OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN

COMPETITION.

N/A

10. LISTING OF THE SOURCES, IF ANY, THAT EXPRESSED, IN WRITING, AN

INTEREST IN THE ACQUISITION.

11. A STATEMENT OF THE ACTIONS, IF ANY, THE AGENCY MAY TAKE TO

REMOVE OR OVERCOME ANY BARRIERS TO COMPETITION BEFORE ANY

SUBSEQUENT ACQUISITION FOR THE SUPPLIES OR SERVICES.

DLA has and continues to exercise competition as often as possible and is required to conduct ongoing reviews to keep abreast of new technology, both in industry and in the Government. DLA uses a variety of vendors, manufacturers and contracts to fulfill its requirements and will continue its practice of surveying the market to ensure full and open competition to the maximum extent practicable.

DLA plans to continue to attend trade meetings, conferences and participate in industry demonstrations to ensure the most effective and cost-efficient solution is being used to meet the user community’s needs.

This continuous effort will include meeting bi-annually with the to understand improved capabilities and hosting methodologies as this application matures. In the event the DLA becomes aware of another comparable HM Lifecyle tool that can meet or exceed the DoW Mission Requirements available today in HMMS products that can satisfy the requirements, a competitive acquisition will be conducted to determine the best value to the Government.

12.CERTIFICATIONS.

Requirements/Technical Certification:

I hereby certify that the support data provided for which I am responsible and which form a basis for this justification are complete and accurate.

Contracting Certification:

I hereby certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

I have reviewed and approve this justification.

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