JA24-150 ONENET Augmentation_FINAL_Redacted.pdf

Controlled By: DISA Controlled By: PSD/PS8511 CUI Category: PROCURE Distribution/Dissemination Control: FEDCON POC: JWCC Mailbox: disa.scott.ditco.mbx.ditco-jwcc@mail.mil

JUSTIFICATION & APPROVAL FOR FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION

SUBPART 16.5 ACQUISITIONS

EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Multiple Award Contract

Orders under Fair Opportunity Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 16.505, Defense FAR Supplement 216.505-70, Procedures, Guidance, and Information 216.505-70

Military Interdepartmental Purchase Request Number: N0003924MP00900 Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) Contract Number: HC105023D0002 Task Order (TO) Number: To Be Determined Procurement Title: Navy Enterprise Network (ONE-NET) Augmentation and Resilience Estimated Value:

Statutory and Regulatory Authority: 10 United States Code (U.S.C.) 2304c(b) and FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B)

EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Number: JA24-150

Upon the basis of the following justification, I, as the Procuring Activity Competition Advocate (PACA), hereby approve this exception to fair opportunity pursuant to the Statutory Authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304c(b) and Regulatory Authority of FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B).

1. REQUESTING AGENCY AND CONTRACTING OFFICE:

Requesting Agency:

United States (US) Department of the Navy (DON)/Program Executive Office Digital and Enterprise Services (PEO Digital) 1325 10th Street SE Washington DC, DC 20374 United States of America

Contracting Activity:

Defense Information Systems Agency/Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization/PS8511

2300 East Drive Scott Air Force Base, IL 62225-5406

2. NATURE/DESCRIPTION OF ACTION(S):

This action is to issue a firm-fixed-price task order (TO) against the JWCC Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contract for ONE-NET Augmentation and Resilience. This TO will be issued directly to Google Public Sector (GPS). The anticipated period of performance is for a

JA24-150 ONE-NET Augmentation and Resilience

6-month base period. The total estimated value is of which will be funded by Research, Development, Test & Evaluation funds.

3. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES:

PEO Digital seeks highly specialized cloud services for its ONE-NET pilot program which shall include a hybrid cloud environment with centralized management in a hub and spoke network.

This environment will provide access to an enterprise-wide area network (WAN) which meets specific unique testing requirements:

- Specific geographic locations/connection points that need to be tested for certain areas of responsibilities.

- Avoidance of key geographic areas and nation-states.

- Hybrid-multi-cloud connection capabilities that allow PEO Digital to choose between options and to provide resilience.

4. SUPPORTING RATIONALE, INCLUDING A DEMONSTRATION THAT THE

PROPOSED CONTRACTOR’S UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS OR THE NATURE OF THE

ACQUISITION REQUIRES USE OF AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY:

(a) Exception to Fair Opportunity.

FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B) - Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized.

(b) Description of the Justification.

The US DON Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) ONE-NET is a Navy-wide initiative to install a common and secure information technology infrastructure to OCONUS Navy locations. ONE-NET extends across three regions: 1) Europe (EU), 2) Far East (FE), and 3) the Middle East.

This supports performance for the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) area of the ONE-NET program. The INDOPACOM, responsible for the FE region, encompasses a vast and diverse area with unique network infrastructure requirements. PEO Digital requires a cloud-native network orchestration and management solution that meets strict INDOPACOM operational requirements to improve the resiliency and connectivity of ONE-NET and other Naval networks in the INDOPACOM region. GPS’s Network Connectivity Center (NCC) meets all INDOPACOM operational requirements and has extensive coverage across this region, including:

- Points of presence in strategically located countries like Japan, Australia, Singapore, and South Korea.

- Access to specialized infrastructure or partnerships with local providers not available to other Cloud Service Provider (CSPs).

- The ability to avoid key geographic areas and nation-states, which is an ability that none of the other CSP networks offer.

In addition, INDOPACOM nations have specific data residency laws and security regulations, such as Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information, Australian Privacy Act 1988, Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act, and South Korea's Personal Information Protection Act. GPS’s dedicated network solutions comply with the laws applicable to each region where coverage is sought.

Finally, DON activities in the INDOPACOM region often involve collaborations between various government agencies, militaries, and private entities. GPS can provide and facilitate hybrid and multi-cloud connections, enabling seamless communication and data exchange across diverse network environments.

(c) Justification.

(1) Minimum Government requirements.

The minimum government requirements for this specialized services pilot are:

- Ensure 99.999% network availability at key locations in the INDOPACOM region

- Support a minimum bandwidth of 100 gigabits per second

- Provide a web user interface for managing network connectivity between a virtual private cloud, software-defined WAN (SD-WAN), and virtual private network

- Encrypt data at rest and in transit

- Enable real-time observability of data transport and network performance

(2) Proposed sole source contractor. GPS.

(3) Discussion regarding the cause of the sole source situation.

The only source capable of performing the ONE-NET Augmentation and Resilience at the level and quality required is GPS based on their NCC that is unique to GPS. GPS's NCC is essential for the government's requirements due to its INDOPACOM Reach and Specific Locations, which provides extensive coverage and specialized infrastructure crucial for Department of Defense (DoD) operations including regions lacking infrastructure and/or in areas with specific security requirements (for example, no infrastructure in specific adversarial regions).

Additionally, GPS provides geopolitical and DoD compliance, as it has proven ability to meet specific data residency/security regulations in a unique software-defined paradigm called GPS’s Assured Workloads.

GPS also provides hybrid/Multi-Cloud Expertise, which offers seamless integration for diverse collaborations & mission-critical applications. Lastly, GPS’s NCC offers stringent Zero-Trust Security and Compliance, which has a proven security track record tailored to government needs.

Other CSP solutions lack required services such as INDOPACOM reach and specialized infrastructure, geopolitical and DoD compliance capabilities in a software-defined manner, seamless hybrid/multi-cloud integration, and proven Zero-Trust security and compliance adherence.

(4) Demonstration of unique source.

GPS possesses the knowledge, skills, capabilities, certification, clearance, and experience required to continue the ONE-NET pilot program without a break or degradation in critical mission services. Given these critical mission requirements, GPS is the only contractor that is capable of performing the necessary services for the DoD within the current required timeline.

GPS offers unmatched INDOPACOM reach and its specialized infrastructure has the most extensive network coverage and access to the INDOPACOM region. This is crucial for the specific operational needs. Other CSPs lack this level of presence and/or the necessary infrastructure to support the requirements.

The project requires seamless integration across diverse network environments, including hybrid and multi-cloud configurations. GPS’s NCC excels in this area through its software-defined networking capabilities, which other solutions cannot replicate.

GPS’s NCC provides a comprehensive set of sovereign capabilities and controls, which enables data residency, operational oversight, and encryption management, in compliance with local data regulations. GPS is the only CSP that has a DON-approved cloud environment running outside of the US, at the US Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center in Yokosuka, Japan.

Other CSPs either do not offer sovereign cloud solutions at all, or only offer sovereign clouds in other OCONUS regions such as the EU which does not satisfy this requirement.

GPS is the only CSP that offers a sovereign cloud solution that supports the INDOPACOM region.

(5) Procurement discussion.

The ONE-NET Augmentation and Resilience project has a critical timeline (6 months) that requires a proven solution with minimal setup time as directed by the DON Chief Information Officer). Onboarding with a new CSP could lead to extensive delays, jeopardizing project completion within the timeline.

(6) Impact.

Project Delays: Onboarding with a new CSP would require significant setup time, potentially delaying project completion and impacting critical mission timelines in a contested environment where 73 million manpower hours are currently lost annually because of ONE-NET connectivity and availability issues.

5. COST/PRICE FAIR AND REASONABLE DETERMINATION:

A determination that the price is fair and reasonable will be based on a comparison of the contractor’s proposal to the independent government cost estimate and the JWCC Catalog pricing, including any discounts, which was previously found to be fair and reasonable and based on the contractor’s commercial pricing.

6. MARKET RESEARCH:

Market research for the basic JWCC Contracts was conducted and resulted in a signed market research report on November 9, 2021, which was validated and recertified on July 29, 2024.

After a survey of the market, it was concluded that the JWCC Contract is in the Government’s best interest due to technical feasibility and cost to the Government.

Additional research was conducted from July 2024 through August 2024 by reviewing the specific capabilities in the JWCC Contracts and it was determined that GPS is the only source capable of fulfilling the Government’s minimum needs in the manner and time frame required.

More specifically, market research involved consulting cloud computing subject matter experts (SMEs) from the DON Neptune Cloud Management Office to provide a vendor-neutral Analysis of Alternatives for each of the four JWCC CSPs. Representatives from each of the JWCC CSPs were also interviewed to present their current cloud service offerings in the INDOPACOM region and address any questions developed from the AoAs. This panel of government SMEs provided a recommendation stating that GPS is the only CSP that meets all requirements for this effort including established presence in the INDOPACOM region, compliance with data residency and security regulations, and support for hybrid cloud connectivity.

7. ANY OTHER SUPPORTING FACTS: None.

8. ACTIONS THE AGENCY MAY TAKE TO REMOVE OR OVERCOME BARRIERS

THAT LED TO THE EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY:

(a) Procurement History: None.

(b) For future acquisitions, the Government intends to continue to conduct market research and assessments for CSP’s emerging technologies possessing authorized impact levels and security capabilities, hybrid/multi cloud solution, network coverage, etc. The Government recognizes the value in competitive requirements and will continue to monitor the market.