JOFOC - EP-D-16-021 - 6-Month Extension until 3.25.2022.docx

Justification for other than full and open competition FAR 6.302-1 – Only One Responsible Source

(1) Identification of the agency and the contracting activity:

Agency U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development Pacific Ecology Division (PED) Corvallis OR 97333

Contracting Activity Office of Acquisition Solutions Cincinnati Acquisition Division (CAD) 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Mail Code W136 Cincinnati, OH 45268-0001

(2) Nature and/or description of the action:

This is a sole source action to extend existing contract EP-D-16-021 with Consolidated Safety Services Incorporated, which currently expires September 25, 2021. EPA requires the extension of the contract, entitled “On-site Technical Western Ecology Division al Support Corvallis & Newport Oregon”, for a six-month period of September 26, 2021 through March 25, 2021. Without extending this option period, work would be forced to stop following the contract’s expiration date. The new On-site Technical Support contract is in the process of being awarded as a competitive, small business set-aside requirement. The solicitation for this contract was posted on June 23, 2021 and closes on July 23, 2021. This contract is for an ID/IQ task order contract. It is not anticipated that the contract will be awarded in sufficient time to process task orders starting on September 26, 2021. Therefore, a six-month extension is warranted to allow for uninterrupted service. The Consolidated Safety Services Incorporated is the only responsible source able to perform the six-month effort due to its combination of expertise, knowledge, and familiarity with the ongoing projects required to meet EPA’s critical deadlines during the six-month period.

(3) Description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value):

Under this contract, the contractor shall provide technical support both on-site at PED facilities in Corvallis and Newport and (for short periods) at off-site and remote field sites (within the United States and including minimal international travel to attend international meetings and symposia to present scientific information and papers or to gather information considered useful in completing Task Orders under this contract). The contractor shall: 1) perform chemical, physical, biological, biochemical, statistical, geographical, and other standardized analysis; 2) conduct terrestrial, freshwater, wetland, riparian and estuarine/marine environmental studies; 3) collect and report on geological, hydrological, geomorphology, soils and marine sediments, climatic, edaphic, remotely sensed or other physical data from field, outdoor chamber and laboratory studies; 4) participate in field data collection, logistics, and data input into information systems, including collection and identification of biological specimens (plants and animals) and documentation of physical/chemical environmental properties; 5) operate and maintain several experimental facilities; 6) perform statistical design, analysis and modeling; 7) conduct geographical and landscape analysis; 8) conduct a variety of tasks relating to the synthesis, integration and interpretation of environmental data, models, and study results and 9) quality assurance. The six-month extension is estimated at $XXXX based on the task orders that will extended from September 26, 2021 – March 25, 2022.

(4) An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition:

The authority for this action is 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), FAR cite 6.302-1 “Only One Responsible Source”

(5) A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited.

This contract was originally procured as a small business set-aside. Consolidated Safety Services Incorporated has satisfactorily performed the services for over four years. The support services performed under this contract are critical to EPA’s mission and any delays or interruptions would be unacceptable and damaging. Consolidation Safety Services (CSS) is the only responsible source because this is an extension of their current contract and continuation of highly complex research already begun by CSS. It would be very costly to the government in both time and money to bring in another contractor to pick up where CSS left off for such a short period of time. The delays caused while the new contractor got “up to speed” would be detrimental to sample collection and processing since hold time for some samples is very short. Samples could be lost causing data loss or extra expense to recollect samples, if possible.

(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.

In accordance with Subpart 5.202 exception (a) (11) applies. The proposed contract action is made under the terms of an existing contract that was previously synopsized in sufficient detail to comply with the requirements of 5.207 with respect to the current proposed contract action.

(7) A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The cost of the extension to the Government is anticipated to be fair and reasonable because the cost of the extension can be compared to the current and historical rates utilized under the contract. All task orders extended during this period will be reviewed by the Task Order Contracting Officer Representative (TOCOR) that has knowledge and expertise in this area. They are aware of the labor rates and level of effort required to perform these services. In addition, the CO has experience with overseeing this contract effort and can assist to ensure that any cost proposal for a task order extension accepted by the Government is fair and reasonable.

(8) A description of the market research conducted (see Part 10) and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

As stated in item 6 above, the contract was previously synopsized.

(9) Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition.

The Option to Extended Services Clause was included in the contract at time of award. However, the option was not evaluated at time of award. Therefore, this JOFOC supports the use of other than full and open competition.

(10) A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

None.

(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 required.

This Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition is for services that are not currently available from another qualified source due to the reasons stated above. The acquisition of the next contract is currently in process and is being procured via a small business set-aside. To overcome barriers for this current acquisition, market research was conducted by posting a sources-sought synopsis to FedBizOpps on September 1, 2020, for which capability statements were submitted in response. The RFP was issued publicly on June 23, 2021, with a submission due date of July 23, 2021. The resultant contract is not anticipated to be awarded by September 25, 2021. This six-month extension to the current contract is a result of the limited time between the end of the predecessor contract and the new award, in conjunction with the technical expertise needed and the ongoing nature of the work. The extension is also needed to account for potential delays, to reduce duplicative efforts and costs, and prevent negative impacts on a broad array of programmatic efforts in the absence of such an action.

(12) Contracting officer certification that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the contracting officer’s knowledge and belief.

Technical Officer’s Certification & Concurrence I certify that the facts and representations stated in this justification are complete and accurate which form the basis to award this requirement.

____//Signed//________7/27/2021________ Reene Watt Contract Level Contracting Officer’s Representative (CLCOR)

Contracting Officer’s Certification I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

_____//Signed//________7/27/2021_______ Renita Tyus Contracting Officer

Approving Official Level Above the Contracting Officer

_____//Signed//________7/27/2021__________ Kathleen Roe Branch Chief, Office of Research and Development