JA Library Book_Redacted.pdf

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 2 of 7

I. Contracting Activity.

20 Contracting Squadron at Shaw AFB, SC.

II. Nature and/or description of the action being processed.

The library requires the leasing of an Adult Lease Book Plan with a twenty-five book allowance per month, a Protected Paperback Plan with a ninety book allowance per month, and maintenance of a leased inventory level of 500 books in the collection.

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs.

Adult Books

• The Contractor shall lease new 25 books per month (25 books if the books are under $27 each, 12.5 books if the books are $27.01 to $ 37 per book)

• The Contractor shall allow up to a leased inventory level of 500 books in the collection

• The Contractor shall allow the library to select which books to acquire each month

• The Contractor shall allow the library to order prepublication up to 3 months ahead of publication and from the weekly NYT best sellers lists

• The Contractor shall replace a book with a new book free of charge if it becomes damaged within the first six months

• The Contractor shall allow the library to keep 7 books per month (30% of 25 books equal 7 books/month) for permanent collection

• The Contractor shall allow the library to claim up to 10 % of annual inventory book shipments claimed to cover lost and stolen books

• The Contractor shall allow the library to purchase or return books at any given time

• The Contractor shall provide prepaid labels for the return of lease books

Paperback Books

• The Contractor shall allow 90 points per month (10 books if $ 16 per book)

• The Contractor shall allow the library to select which books to acquire each month

• The Contractor shall replace a book within six months of ordering if it is damaged or defective

• The Contractor shall reinforce paperback books with laminate

• The Contractor shall allow the library to order one-month pre-publications and 18 months previous publications

• The Contractor shall allow the library to keep all books

IV. Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

FAR 6.302-1 Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

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V. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited above (applicability of authority).

Historically, library lease book plans have been sourced solely through Brodart Company due to the significant time and cost savings. Transitioning to an alternative contractor would necessitate returning the majority of the current book inventory to the incumbent, resulting in substantial delays and disruptions to the Shaw AFB library and its patrons.

VI. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable.

Efforts included reviewing potential suppliers and conducting market research to identify other capable vendors.

However, these efforts confirmed that no other vendors could meet the comprehensive requirements and provide the same level of service and flexibility as Brodart Company.

A request for information (RFI) was posted from Aug 08, 2025 to Aug 22, 2025, in SAM.Gov.

Two vendors express interest but only one sent their capability statement:

1. Supreme Books: Cage Code 1KSY8, SB, WOSB. This company offers a book lease service comparable to Brodart.

2. BHPE LLC: Cage Code 9SWS7 SB, SDB, VOSB, SDVOSB. The vendor showed interest in the requirement as a possible distributor of the books. A request for capability was requested but has not been received to confirm capability.

VII. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The Contracting Officer has determined that the costs associated with this sole source procurement are fair and reasonable based on:

1. Historical pricing data from previous contract FA480320P0039 with Brodart Company valued at , with the last executed option year valued at

2. Price comparisons with similar services and products available in the market. Supreme Books provided a one-year quote during market research valued at .

VIII. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

A Request for Information (RFI) was posted from August 8, 2025, to August 22, 2025, on SAM.gov. Two vendors expressed interest, but only one submitted a capability statement. Comprehensive market research was conducted, including:

1. Reviewing recent contracts and procurement data in FPDS.

2. Engaging with potential suppliers to understand their offerings.

3. Comparing the capabilities and pricing of alternative products/services.

The research clearly indicated that Brodart Company is the only vendor capable of fulfilling the specific needs of the Shaw AFB library, given the unique requirements and the need to avoid significant operational disruptions.

IX. Any other facts supporting the use of Other Than Full and Open Competition.

FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii)(A) - Substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition.

The library's current inventory is exclusively provided by Brodart Company. Transitioning to a different vendor would result in significant startup and closeout expenses, requiring approximately 33 days of effort. This transition period would necessitate the library's closure for 4 weeks and an additional 2 weeks of partial service.

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The costs associated with removing the current inventory from the system, packing, and returning the books are estimated at in labor. Furthermore, the labor costs for labeling, stocking, and inputting new books into the system are projected to be

Market research revealed that Supreme Books provided a quote of for a 200-book starter pack, which would only supply half the number of books currently available. Additionally, Supreme Books quoted an annual subscription fee of $7,848.00 which is $1,573.80 more than current annual price from Brodart Company to maintain the book services.

In total, the additional costs for transitioning to Supreme Books or similar company amounts to or about which represents a substantial duplication of cost that the Government is not expected to recover through competition.

X. List of any sources that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

BHPE LLC: Cage Code 9SWS7 SB, SDB, VOSB, SDVOSB.

Supreme Books: Cage Code 1KSY8, SB, WOSB.

XI. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required.

1. 20 CONS will continue to monitor the market and conduct periodic market research to identify any new entrants or changes in the market that could provide competitive alternatives in the future.

2. Efforts will be made to engage with potential suppliers and solicit their interest and capability to meet the library’s needs in future procurements.

XII. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

As evidenced by my signature above, I have determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by my (our) signature(s) above, I (we) certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my (our) responsibility, is both accurate and complete.

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Contracting without providing for full and open competition shall not be justified on the basis of lack of advance planning by the requiring activity or concerns related to the amount of funds available (e.g., funds will expire) (10 U.S.C. 3204)

VI. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable.

(FAR 6.303-2(b)(6))

Describe all efforts taken (or to be to be taken) to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable under the circumstances. Although Market Research is covered in Section VIII, the information in Section VI should correlate with the Market Research described in Section VI. The following issues should be addressed in this paragraph:

Sources Sought Synopsis (used as part of market research). If a sources sought synopsis was issued, state the date the synopsis was issued and a brief description of its content. If any responses were received, describe in detail the results of the screening process and the rationale for determining the unacceptability of any synopsis respondents. Reference FAR 13.105, Synopsis and Posting Requirements.

Other Actions. In this paragraph, discuss any other actions taken or planned to facilitate competition for this acquisition. The discussion should include actions tried or considered even if the actions were unsuccessful. If the efforts were unsuccessful, so state and describe why.

Qualifying Country Sources. If qualifying country sources have expressed interest, but are to be excluded, provide supporting rationale.

VII. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the government will be fair and reasonable. (FAR 6.303-2(b)(7))

Include a statement by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost will be considered fair and reasonable and provide the basis for this determination. The steps that will be taken to ensure the final contract price will be fair and reasonable are also described here. Describe the extent of cost or price analysis anticipated including the requirements for certified cost or pricing data, technical evaluations, and audits.

VIII. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or explain why market research was not conducted. (FAR 6.303-2(b)(8))

Generally, some form of market research should be conducted. Discuss any market research conducted pursuant to FAR Part 10 and describe results of that research. Market research is any effort undertaken to determine if sources capable of satisfying the agency's requirements exist and to determine if commercial items or non-developmental items are either available or can be modified so that they will satisfy the agency's needs. Market research should be focused not only on identifying alternate sources, but also on alternate equipment or substitutes that might fulfill the Government needs with only minor modification.

Regardless of the approach used, the results should provide a high level of confidence that no other qualified sources exist.

When other exceptions from the requirement to obtain full and open competition are relied upon, the market research might be limited to an examination of the acquisition history and experience with the marketplace under previous acquisitions for the same or similar items.

If no market research was conducted, so state and provide the rationale.

IX. Any other facts supporting the use of Other Than Full and Open Competition. (FAR 6.303-2(b)(9)(i))

Provide any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition, including an explanation of why technical data packages, specifications, engineering descriptions, statements of work, statements of objectives, or purchase descriptions suitable for full and open competition have not been developed, are not being developed, are not being used, or are not available.

X. List of sources, if any, that expressed interest in the acquisition. (FAR 6.303-2(b)(10))

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If a sources sought synopsis was done and all interested sources are included in Section VI, it is acceptable to state, “See Section VI above.”

XI. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required. (FAR 6.303-2(b)(11))

Describe any actions taken or to be taken to foster competition for future acquisitions of the supplies or services being acquired.

Describe potential actions that could be taken to remove the barriers to competition that have been identified in the justification and include a milestone schedule, where available, for accomplishing these actions. For example, if a follow-on competitive acquisition is planned, so state and provide the planned award date, or state that the Government will attempt to acquire rights in technical data and computer software sufficient to compete follow-on acquisitions as a priced option in the contract action that is the subject of this Justification, or (if applicable) state how the Government intends to challenge nonconforming markings on technical data and computer software delivered to it under previous contracts so those markings can be removed in order that the technical data and computer software may be used in support of a follow-on competitive acquisition, or describe plans to qualify additional sources.

Address efforts to ensure competition for future spare parts and maintenance in support of systems or equipment covered by the justification, even when these acquisitions will be accomplished by other organizations. Include a discussion on available breakout data.

If no actions are planned, so state and provide reasons. If approval is sought for more than one year, explain why a sole source effort is required for the planned time duration.

For a non-competitive follow-on acquisition to a previous award for the same supply or service supported by a Justification citing the same authority, include a discussion of the actions planned to overcome barriers to competition established in the previous justification, the status of those actions, and the results of those actions. The approval authority shall determine whether the planned actions were completed. If the planned actions were not completed, the justification for the follow-on acquisition shall be approved by the approval authority one-level above the approval authority for the previous justification (see FAR 13.501(a)(2)). If the previous justification was approved by the Senior Procurement Executive (SPE), the approval remains at the SPE level.

[DFARS 213.501(a) and DFARS PGI 206.304(a)(S-70)(ii)]

XII. Certification by the Contracting Officer. (FAR 6.303-2(b)(12))

As evidenced by his/her signature, the contracting officer has determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of his/her knowledge and belief.

XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel. (FAR 6.303-2(c))

As evidenced by their signatures, the technical and/or requirements personnel have certified that any supporting data contained herein, which is their responsibility, is both accurate and complete.