JOFOC - LUX Research.pdf

Justification and Approval Document

OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(Requirements ≤ $250,000)

1. EERE, Golden Field Office, Acquisition Office

2. Description of Action:

Requirement: New Repeat Pricing: Firm-Fixed Price Time & Materials Cost Funds: Program Program Direction:

Other: Insert funds type here

3. Procurement History:

Previous Contract or Purchase Order Number: 89243419PEE000015 or N/A Previously competed? N/A No Yes If No, previous authority for less than Full & Open Competition:_____FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)_______

Name of Intended Contractor: LUX Research Street Address: 100 Franklin St., 8th Floor City, State, Zip: Boston, MA 02110

Phone: (617) 502-5329

4. Description of Supplies/Services: The estimated value of the proposed action is $74,900.00.

5. Authority Cited: FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) - For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (including all options), contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available:

(a) Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, OR

(b) Unusual and compelling urgency.

*If brand name of item is only provided by one source, complete a separate Brand Name justification.

Subscription renewal for Lux Research 7 Accounts Total: 1 Advisor Member, 6 Reader. Member site and Journals, Tech Pages, Analyst Inquiries, Client requesting briefings (CRBs), Monthly Client-only Webinars, Lux Executive Summit (Global event in Boston), and Partnership Review.

http://farsite.hill.af.mil/reghtml/Regs/far2afmcfars/fardfars/Far/13.htm?zoom_highlight=13%2E106#P119_17036

6. Reason for Authority Cited:

7. Actions to Increase Competition:

8. Contracting Officer Determination that the Anticipated Price to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable:

9. Market Research:

These online services are available from only one source and other types of services will not satisfy the needs to the Department of Energy. Lux Research provides in-depth analyses of emerging technology in the space of Alternative Fuels by combining knowledge of the alternative fuels market with a thorough understanding of the science and engineering behind new technologies in the space. Lux's global coverage is based on interviews with the technology developers themselves by their experienced engineers and scientists. Their expert opinions are subsequently augmented by data analysis on our own and third-party databases. Combining big data analysis with the unique insights of technology experts is what makes Lux's coverage more accurate and more informative on both market and technology developments. The Lux product offers substantial information in a fast and efficient format, providing the same types of information elements for all companies, while also providing links to current and past articles in other publications.

The market and technology advisory services offered by Lux Research, Inc. are a sole supplier product, created exclusively by Lux Research, Inc. No other company sells a comparable service that has the insights/analysis of the biofuels/biochemicals industries and makes these products readily available via a user-friendly online platform.

Therefore, the Lux analyses must be purchased directly from Lux Research, Inc.

If Lux is not selected, the harm that will come to the Government is that the Government will not have access to these efficient and effective services and therefore will spend considerable additional resources to access these types of information. No equal product of similar capabilities has been identified though a search was undertaken as discussed under Section 9.

This acquisition is sole source and no competition is expected. Alternate sources were evaluated, but found to be insufficient.

The price is determined to be fair and reasonable and is in the best interest of the Government.

10. Reviews and Approvals:

Contracting Officer:

___________________________ Date: _________ Jessica Finley

Branch Chief:

________________________ Date: ________ Ric Schweitzer

Market research was conducted, primarily through internet search and found that only one qualified vendor currently satisfies the agency requirement.

Jim Lane’s Biofuels Digest conducts some elements of company analysis and highlights. However it does not review or analyze the companies in a systematic and structured way to allow for easy comparisons and analysis access. When searching for companies in Biofuels Digest, you are simply directed to past published articles and you can read them and hope the information that you are looking for is in there somewhere. In comparison, the Lux product offers more information and in a fast and efficient format, providing the same types of information for all companies, while also providing links to past articles in other publications. In short, the Biofuels Digest writes their own stories about developments in the bioenergy/biochemicals market, whereas Lux does analysis about bioenergy/biochemical companies, their developments in technology, and insights as to the risk, viability, and strategies of the companies.

The only comparable provider that we have discovered is from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). EERE has an existing contract with BNEF to provide access to its market insights and analysis of the “clean energy” industries. The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) has paid for BNEF accounts previously under the EERE contract. However, BETO has determined that they do not have sufficient focus and expertise on the domestic bioenergy/biochemicals market. BNEF is heavily focused on the electricity sector and on transportation electrification. Therefore, based on our prior experience with this vendor, BETO has found that the vendor does not have sufficient expertise in the U.S. bioenergy sector.

Further, to evaluate if similar services were available from other vendors, a web search was conducted on the following terms:

Alternative fuels research periodicals (Google produced 6,780,000 results); Alternative fuels periodicals (Google produced 7,920,000 results); Alternative fuels research (Google produced 82,000,000 results); Renewable fuels research (Google produced about 63,200,000 results); Advanced biofuels research (Google produced about 9,580,000 results); These top results for each of these queries identified an individual papers and periodicals, but did not provide any integrated market analysis services comparable to platform offered by Lux Research, LLC.

A Notice of Intent to Sole Source was posted on FBO and no responses were received.

04/08/2020