Justification_and_Approval_UARC Tactical Autonomy.pdf

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition

IV. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited above.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Section 220(b)(2)(A), provided for the development of capability at HBCUs, including workforce and research infrastructure, to more effectively compete for federal funding opportunities, grow a more diverse pool of S&E for Department of the Air Force(DAF)/

Department of Defense (DoD) support.

In accordance with DoD's UARC Engagment Guide and Management Plan, UARCs allow the DoD to establish a long term strategic relationship to provide and maintain advanced and sophisticated engineering, research, and development capabilities essential to the Department's mission and operations that cannot be provided as effectively and efficiently by governmental or other private sector sources. The creation of a HBCU UARC for autonomy supports the FY 2022 NDAA initiative.

In order to support the language in the FY2022 NDAA, select the HBCU that will meet the contract requirements, and establish a long-term strategic relationship to provide and maintain advanced and sophisticated engineering, the DAF Chief Scientist identified the colleges/universities with the highest Carnegie Foundation Classification for

Institutions of Higher Education (IHE). There are currently no HBCUs with a Carnegie Classification greater than R2

(high research).

The contract will be awarded to one of eleven (11) HBCUs with a classification of R2, which will lead a consortium of

HBCUs to establish a center of excellence and maintain long-term strategic relationships to provide engineering, research, and development capabilities. These efforts will achieve the DAF and DoD objectives of fostering creative tactical autonomy research and enhancing early career development of outstanding STEM professionals to engage with the Air Force, Space Force, and DoD missions and related challenges in science and engineering.

10 U.S. Code§ 3204(a)(3)(B), as implemented by FAR 6.302-3(a)(2)(ii) allows the head of an agency to use other than competitive procedures when it is necessary to award the contract to a particular source or sources in order 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. DoD policy uses this authority to establish a UARC.

V. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under

FAR 5.202 applies.

All HBCU's meeting R2 classification will be included in the solicitation. In accordance with FAR 5.202(a)(10), a notice of proposed award is not required when using FAR authority 6.302-3. In accordance with 10 USC 3204(f) as implemented in FAR 6.305(a), the approved J&A shall be made publicly available within 14 days after contract award by posting to beta.sam.gov.

VI. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

In accordance with FAR 15.402, the Contracting Officer (CO) shall ensure that all R&D efforts under this contract are procured at a fair and reasonable price. The evaluation team will conduct a thorough technical evaluation and cost analysis of the proposed costs to form the basis for the CO's determination of fair and reasonable cost. The proposed budgets will be analyzed to determine whether prices are reasonable and realistic. The CO is anticipating adequate price competition (APC) as defined in FAR 15.403-l(c)(l), therefore, anticipates conducting a price analysis using methods described in FAR 15.404-1. However, in the event that APC cannot be obtained Certified

Cost and Pricing Data may be obtained in accordance with FAR 15.403 and a cost analysis may be performed.

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