JOFOC UCAR 1305M326D0007.pdf

Version 6.0 December 2024

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION (JOFOC)

Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)

Identification Number: Requisition Workspace Number REQUIREMENTS-25-0619

1. Identification of the agency and contracting activity (FAR 6.303-2(b)(1)).

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO) Western Acquisition Division (WAD) proposes to enter into a contract on the basis of other than full and open competition in support of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

(UCAR).

2. The nature and/or description of the action being approved (FAR 6.303-2(b)(2)).

NOAA intends to award a follow-on IDIQ contract to the UCAR. The IDIQ will include only Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) pricing arrangements.

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value)

(FAR 6.303-2(b)(3)).

This requirement is to maintain an essential engineering, research, or development capability provided by UCAR.

UCAR manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF). This IDIQ is expected to be used by OAR, the National Weather Service (NWS), the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), and the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Services (NESDIS)

NSF is the sponsoring agency. NOAA is a non-sponsor (See Attachment 1a – UCAR Partnership). NCAR is the Nation’s only FFRDC dedicated to atmospheric research with unique capabilities in the following areas: Climate Adaptation and Mitigation, Weather-Ready Nation, Healthy Oceans and Resilient Coastal Communities, and Economies. NCAR possesses unique expertise and capabilities that directly benefit NOAA in attainment of its long-term goals. Specifically, the areas of expertise and capabilities are: (i) research studies on ocean, atmosphere, space, and arctic problems; (ii) use of unique instrumentation, experimental facilities, and data products for conducting NOAA research; (iii) analysis of weather and climate data sets; and (iv) storage and quality control of data from NOAA-sponsored experiments. Among the types of research and services that NOAA may order are:

a. Specialized research, development, testing and evaluation of numerical models and associated applications for climate, weather, water, space, ocean, and arctic processes using UCAR systems, facilities, and expertise.

b. Analysis of UCAR data sets from weather and climate simulations or data repositories. Because of its role as a national center for climate simulations and its role in developing advanced weather prediction capabilities, UCAR has developed and has continued to maintain vast data on weather climate for NOAA.

This data has been utilized by NOAA for many years to project effects of climate change or variability for analysis and comparison to predictions of less capable simulations, and for developing basic understanding of the atmosphere and the ocean.

c. Use of unique instrumentation, facilities, and data products in the conduct of NOAA experiments. UCAR operates advanced research aircraft with unique data systems that can provide critical information for NOAA experiments as well as the technical support to service and maintain the facilities and equipment.

d. Use of UCAR data repositories and quality control capabilities to store data from NOAA experiments.

UCAR is a national repository for data collected in major experiments by the NSF, NOAA, DOD, and others, and provides the only long-term repository for this data that enables scientists nationwide to cull information across a wide range of experimental scenarios.

The work involved will foster a variety of research and development activities that align with the mission goals of both NOAA and UCAR. The results or end products of this requirement are expected to result in improvements in NOAA research and development, and advancements in operational environmental and social science efforts. This will further the NOAA mission to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, and to share that knowledge and information with others.

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 35.017(a)(2), an FFRDC meets some special long-term research or development needs which cannot be met as effectively by existing in-house or contractor resources.

FFRDC’s enable agencies to use private sector resources to accomplish tasks that are integral to the mission and operation of the sponsoring agency. An FFRDC, in order to discharge its responsibilities to the sponsoring agency, has access, beyond that which is common to the normal contractual relationship, to Government and supplier data, including sensitive and proprietary data, and to employees and installations equipment and real property. The FFRDC is required to conduct its business in a manner befitting its special relationship with the Government, to operate in the public interest with objectivity and independence, to be free from organizational conflicts of interest, and to have full disclosure of its affairs to the sponsoring agency. It is not the Government’s intent that an FFRDC use its privileged information or access to installations equipment and real property to compete with the private sector.

The requirement is to provide these services by UCAR at an estimated maximum value of $70,729,552. The estimated period of performance is September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2030, with performance taking place at NCAR’s facility in Boulder, CO.

The estimated maximum value for each period of performance is as follows:

1. Base year: $15,540,000

2. Option Period I: $16,161,600

3. Option Period II: $12,265,344

4. Option Period III: $12,755,958

5. Option Period IV: $14,006,620

4. An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition (FAR 6.303-2(b)(4)).

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is Title 41, U.S.C. 3304 (a)(3) and as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-3 (a)(2)(ii), Industrial mobilization; engineering, developmental, or research capability; or expert services, “To establish or maintain an essential engineering, research, or development capability to be provided by an educational or other nonprofit institution or a federally funded research and development center”.

5. A statement demonstrating the unique qualifications of the proposed contractor or the nature of the action requiring the use of the authority (FAR 6.303-2(b)(4)).

UCAR (Unique Entity Identification YEZEE8W5JKA3), located at 3090 Center Green Drive, Boulder, Colorado, is uniquely qualified to provide these services to NOAA in accordance with FAR 6.302-3 Industrial mobilization;

engineering, developmental, or research capability; or expert services based on the following:

a. NCAR is the only FFRDC dedicated to atmospheric research with the unique capability to meet NOAA’s needs. In addition, the continuation and maintenance of these capabilities, inherent in this unique FFRDC, are essential to the atmospheric science component of NOAA’s mission. UCAR is a national repository for proprietary data collected in major experiments by the NSF, NOAA, Department of Defense, and others, and provides the only long-term repository for this data that enables scientists nationwide to cull information across a wide range of experimental scenarios. The research and services required are a continuation of NOAA’s long-term collaboration with UCAR.

b. UCAR is a unique national center for large and complex atmospheric studies enabled by supercomputing systems, experimental facilities, data repositories and a critical mass of globally-recognized scientific experts that are beyond the scope of any university or other comparable governmental or private entity dedicated to atmospheric research.

c. UCAR possesses unique expertise and capabilities that are critical to NOAA in the attainment of its long-term goals. Specifically, the areas of expertise and capabilities are: (a) modeling and predictability research, to include testing and evaluation of models and related data assimilation; (b) observations, to include instrumentation and field campaigns, including exploitation of UCAR’s unique facilities related to instrument development and testing; (c) computational and information systems for research in atmospheric and related sciences; (d) data processing, quality control, analysis and repositories; (e) research applications that develop and transfer knowledge and technology in areas of atmospheric and related sciences to directly impacted sectors, such as agriculture, aviation, human health, surface transportation, renewable energy, and water resources; (f) community outreach such as workshop and website support.

d. The research and scientific capability provided by UCAR is essential and necessary for NOAA to meet its long-term strategic goals in the following areas: climate, weather forecasting, oceans, and coasts, and in sharing that knowledge and information with others. Among the types of research and services that NOAA may order are: (a) Specialized research, development, testing and evaluation of numerical models and associated applications for climate, weather, water, space weather, ocean, and arctic processes using UCAR systems, facilities, and expertise, (b) Analysis of UCAR data sets from weather and climate simulations or data repositories, such as those produced by UCAR models (e.g., the Weather Research and Forecast model, the Community Earth System Model). Because of its role as a national center for climate simulations and its role in developing advanced weather prediction capabilities, UCAR has developed and has continued to maintain vast proprietary data on weather climate for NOAA. This data has been utilized by NOAA for over 16 years to project effects of climate change or variability for analysis and comparison to predictions of less capable simulations, and for developing basic understanding of the atmosphere and the ocean. (c) Use of unique UCAR instrumentation, facilities, and data products in the conduct of NOAA experiments. UCAR operates advanced research aircraft with unique data systems that can provide critical information for NOAA experiments as well as the technical support to service and maintain the facilities and equipment, (d) Use of UCAR data repositories and quality control capabilities to store data from NOAA experiments.

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 FAR 5.2 and, if not, which

In January 2025, the program manager reviewed the master Government list of FFRDCs, current as of February 2024, to assess the capabilities of FFRDCs. UCAR is the administrator of the only FFRDC dedicated to atmospheric research with the unique capability to meet NOAA’s needs.

A Notice of Intent to Sole Source was published to SAM.gov on December 20, 2024. There were no responses to the notice when it closed on December 30, 2024.

7. Determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable (FAR 6.303-2(b)(7)).

The contracting officer determines that the anticipated price(s) will be fair and reasonable based on FAR 15.404- 1(a)2. Prior to award of the proposed contract, price information shall be obtained from the contractor and a price analysis will be performed and documented to sufficiently determine that the cost to the Government of the proposed acquisition will be fair and reasonable.

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 (FAR 6.303-2(b)(8)).

NCAR was established as the Nation’s only FFRDC dedicated to atmospheric research, which is administered by UCAR. In addition, NOAA has maintained a long collaborative relationship with UCAR, so this new contract vehicle is a continuation of maintaining UCAR’s engineering, research and development capabilities that are essential to NOAA’s mission. In accordance with FAR Part 10, market research was performed by reviewing all of the available FFRDCs and UCAR was determined to be the only FFRDC committed to atmospheric research.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition (FAR 6.303-2(b)(9)).

All facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition for cited acquisition have been documented in sections one (1) through eight (8) of this JOFOC.

10. A listing of any sources that expressed a written interest in the acquisition (FAR 6.303-2(b)(10)).

No sources indicated any written interest.

11. A statement of any actions the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition, if subsequent acquisitions are anticipated (FAR 6.303-2(b)(11)).

The acquisition team will perform the required market research before the issuance of a subsequent acquisition to ascertain the possible removal of any barriers that limit competition. However, FAR 6.302-3(a)(2)(ii) allows the agency to issue acquisitions for essential engineering, research, or development capability without providing full and open competition, which will also be considered on any subsequent acquisition.

12. CERTIFICATION

The JOFOC has been prepared and certified by:

Technical/Requirements Personnel:

I certify that the above narrative is accurate and contains complete data necessary to support the recommendation for other than full and open competition. I further certify that the narrative verifies the Government's minimum needs or schedule requirements and any rationale used to justify other than full and open competition procedures.

Orlando Epps Date Contracting Officer’s Representative

Contracting Officer:

I certify that the data supporting the recommended use of other than full and open competition is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Vicki Keen Date Contracting Officer

13. REVIEW and CONCURRENCE

Review:

Office of General Counsel

Date

Date

Date

EPPS.ORLANDO.D

IONN.1049232060

Digitally signed by

EPPS.ORLANDO.DIONN.10492320

Date: 2025.03.03 07:34:29 -05'00'

KEEN.VICKI.LYNN.1266432689

Digitally signed by

KEEN.VICKI.LYNN.1266432689

Date: 2025.03.03 06:45:31 -07'00'

FLORENCE

____BRIDGES__________________________

Florence N. Bridges Office of General Counsel

Concur:

Head of Contracting Office

Chad Hepp Director, Western Acquisition Division

Concur:

NOAA Competition Advocate

Binita Sharma NOAA Competition Advocate and Director, Policy Oversight Division

Digitally signed by FLORENCE

BRIDGES

Date: 2025.03.03 10:04:18 -05'00'

14. APPROVAL

Approved:

DOC Competition Advocate

Molly A. Shea Date Deputy for Procurement Management and Deputy Senior Procurement Executive