Justification and Approval (JA) Port Villa Sole Source_FINAL_sam.gov_Redacted.pdf

This is a Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (J&A) for a new security services contract at the U.S. Embassy in Port Vila.

The Department of State's Office of Acquisition Management is procuring overseas guard services for the U.S. Embassy Port Vila on behalf of DS/IP/OPO. The contract will be awarded as a Time and Materials (T&M) agreement with a base period of one year and four one-year options. Guard Island Security Services (GIS) is identified as the sole source contractor capable of meeting stringent Overseas Security Policy Board (OSPB) standards and DS/IP/OPO requirements for guard force vetting, licensing, training, supervision, and rapid deployment. The justification documents that GIS is the only firm currently possessing fully vetted guard personnel cleared through the host government, valid local operating licenses and permits, an established functioning guard force already providing security in Port Vila, demonstrated capability to meet U.S. Government mandatory standards for training and reporting, and necessary financial and managerial infrastructure for uninterrupted operations. Market research identified four local security firms; three were excluded based on insufficient organizational capacity, lack of experience with comparable contracts, unreliable performance histories, and inability to meet mandatory OSPB guard standards and DS-specific operational requirements. A sources sought notice posted on SAM.gov on May 19, 2025, generated interest from two small businesses; however, the full and open solicitation released on July 22, 2025, received no proposals. The justification cites FAR 6.103-1 (only one responsible source) as the statutory authority and emphasizes that service interruption would jeopardize personnel safety, expose facilities to unauthorized access and criminal activity, and undermine diplomatic operations and host-government confidence. The contracting officer has determined the anticipated cost to be fair and reasonable based on historic data, IGCE, and local socioeconomic knowledge in Port Vila.