Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition Redacted.pdf

J & A Biometrics at Sea System (BASS) 2.0 Sustainment and Devices

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

10 U.S.C. § 3204 (a)(1)

Pursuant to the requirements of the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 6.3, and in accordance with the requirements of FAR 6.302-1, the use of the statutory authority under FAR Subpart 6.3 is justified by the following facts and rationale required under FAR 6.303-2:

1. Agency and Contracting Activity.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Coast Guard (USCG), C5I Contract Operations Division 2 Kearneysville 42), located at 408 Coast Guard Drive, Kearneysville, WV 25430 prepared this justification for other than full and open competition.

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action being Approved.

(a) Nature of the action: The USCG intends to procure on a sole source basis with the incumbent, InCadence Strategic Solutions Corporation (InCadence), approximately 450 additional Biometrics at Sea System (BASS) 2.0 (JavelinXL) devices with the Samsung Knox Mobile Device Management system and Ares Gateway and software (pre-installed on the devices) via the establishment of an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) vehicle. These devices will allow for enhanced data analytics, data integration with direct data connection to the Department of Defense (DoD) Automated Biometrics Identification System (ABIS), DHS Automated Biometrics Identification System (IDENT), and Department of Justice (DoJ)-Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Next Generation Identification (NGI) databases. This action will also include the replacement of approximately 250 cell phones which are interconnected with the current fielded JavelinXL devices as they reach end of life (i.e., four years after deployment). Additionally, the USCG intends to procure services to deploy newly procured devices, sustain the software on all fielded devices, including technology refreshes, software updates, bug fixes, and to perform hardware repairs on devices that cannot be repaired by internal USCG technicians at the Engineering Repair Facility (ERF).

Funding to be provided via FY25

(b) Name and address of the contractor:

InCadence Strategic Solutions LLC 10432 Balls Ford Road Suite 120 Manassas, VA 20191-1576

(c) Type of Action: Firm-Fixed Price Contract

(d) Estimated total value (including options):

Period Est. Number of Devices

Device Cost Est. Number of Cell Phone Replacements

Cell Phone Costs

Services Total

Base Year –

FY25

90 0

Option Year

1 FY26

2 FY27

3 FY28

4 FY29

90 0

TOTALS: 450 Devices

250 Cell Phones

GRAND

TOTAL:

(e) Type of Funding: Operations & Support

(f) Year of Funding: Each Fiscal Year, initial obligation to occur in FY25 for Task Order 1 for the purchase of sustainment services for 5 years and 20 JavelinXL devices with the anticipated value of

(g) Solicitation Number: TBD

(h) Background information about the requirement: Federal law requires that the USCG conducts a program for the mobile identification of individuals in the maritime environment. Contract number 70Z0G322POIPL0005 was competitively awarded in 2022 to obtain the Next Generation Biometrics at Sea System (NGB) and associated software to replace the previous 140 end-of-life SEEK II devices, resulting in the purchase of the JavelinXL devices. An additional 20 devices were procured in 2024 as future replacements for lost or irreparable devices. The InCadence JavelinXL met all functional requirements of the USCG consisting of a secure mobile device management system, dual iris scanner, fingerprint scanner, fingerprint match engine, facial match engine, iris match engine, and deployable systems case, providing forensic-quality fingerprint capture, dual iris scan capability, and facial capture technology.

3. Description of the Supplies or Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs

(including the estimated value).

The requirement is to purchase up to 450 additional JavelinXL devices including the Ares Gateway and Samsung Knox Mobile Device Management system. JavelinXL devices are the mobile capability used for identification within the USCG’s Migrant Interdiction Operations (MIO) and Enforcement of Laws and Treaties (ELT) activities. It provides biometric collection and matching for DHS officials in maritime and remote environments. The USCG requires up to 250 cell phones (as part of the JavelinXL devices) in Option Years 1 and 3 to replace anticipated end of life cell phones from previous purchases. Purchase of new JavelinXL devices includes two years of limited software maintenance and one year of hardware maintenance. Additional services must be procured to deploy new devices, sustain the current fielded devices outside of the original maintenance period, including implementing new device functionality, configuration changes, enhancements, and platform extensions, and to repair hardware on older devices, as needed, that cannot be repaired by the internal USCG ERF. The total estimated value of the supplies and services required as part of the BASS Devices and Sustainment action is

4. Identification of Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition.

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. § 3204(a)(1) implemented by the FAR Subpart 6.302-1 entitled “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements,” Specifically FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii)(B).

5. Demonstration that the Proposed Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or the Nature of the Acquisition Require Use of the Authority Cited.

The USCG requires approximately 90 JavelinXL devices per year, up to 450 devices total, to be utilized for various purposes including increasing the number of devices in operation by the USCG, building the USCG inventory of replacement devices, and acquiring spare devices. The devices are identical to the existing units in the fleet and at various USCG stations nationwide and contain proprietary Mobile Biometric Application software which is not available to third party vendors for troubleshooting. Approximately 57% of the new devices are necessary to replace lost or irreparable devices or to be used as spares that will temporarily replace devices in order maintain continuity of operations and ensure no resultant loss of capability during hardware maintenance. Without the supply of spares, the existing units would need to be taken offline for maintenance or repair, degrading the USCG unit’s capability to process biometric information until the original equipment is repaired and returned causing unacceptable delays in fulfilling agency requirements.

Approximately 44% of the new devices will be for the expansion of mobile biometrics capabilities to designated USCG stations. The expansion of the BASS program and increased focus of the USCG and DHS on performing migrant interdictions and the speed and efficiency at which they are conducted has necessitated the procurement of increased quantities of JavelinXL devices to be deployed on USCG cutters and East and West Coast Stations. In 2022, a competition was held amongst vendors on SAM.gov to supply the devices and only InCadence’s JavelinXL devices were found to be technically capable of meeting the USCG’s requirements. Due to a pending Determination and Finding for standardization of the JavelinXL devices within Department of Homeland Security over the next 12 years, extensive market research was not conducted as a part of this action to procure biometrics devices, but the results indicated there are currently no comparable product or service from other vendors has been identified that meets USCG program needs.

The USCG also requires Ares Gateway and software for each of the new devices. The Ares Gateway and software is owned and operated by the vendor InCadence. This software is proprietary, and its capabilities are standard with the purchase of the JavelinXL device. In 2023, the USCG considered solutions to the BASS Phase II objective to implement a Biometric Data Management system and an automated solution for data transmission to other agencies for biometric analysis. Solutions considered were a custom web application solution with an automated feed to submit biometrics data agencies, a Biometric data management platform, the InCadence Biometric Solution – Ares Gateway, and the Low-Code Application Platform Integration with MIO. Of the four solutions considered, InCadence Biometric Solution Ares Gateway was both the quickest and least costly solution, saving approximately in implementation fees because the Ares gateway capabilities came standard with the JavelinXL devices in use by the USCG.

Since 2023, the Ares Gateway has been implemented on all fielded devices. However, as stated above, the USCG previously considered solutions for the Biometric Data Management system and using the InCadence Ares Gateway as a solution for the new devices saves 6 months’ time in implementation and approximately .

Additionally, installing another software onto the JavelinXL devices opens the potential for issues and delays as some software requires adjustment to the android Operating System settings. Without the procurement of the Ares Gateway on the new devices, provisioning, testing and implementation of new software will cause delays unacceptable to fulfill USCG mission to enforce federal laws.

The USCG will also require services to deploy new JavelinXL devices and provide software sustainment including technology refreshes, software updates, gateway maintenance, and device repair on an as needed basis. Without these services, the USCG could experience delays to processing time if the Gateway malfunctions. Delays could be days or weeks depending on how long it takes to repair the Gateway internally. These delays would result in the loss of collected biometrics data from individuals detained at sea, the primary mission for which these devices are used. The delays would also impact the USCG’s ability to provide the data to other federal operators in the maritime environment which would negatively impact law enforcement decisions. Because this is a proprietary software, no other vendors are able to provide support services for these devices and software as InCadence does not have any authorized resellers available to provide the devices, software and support.

Failure to obtain the new devices, replacement cellular phones, Ares Gateway and software, and maintenance support of all the Ares Gateway and software will result in unacceptable delays to fulfilling agency requirements and processing time if the Gateway malfunctions. Delays could be days or weeks depending on the time it takes to repair the Gateway internally. These delays would result in the loss of collected biometrics data from individuals detained at sea, the primary mission for which these devices are used. The delays would also impact the USCG’s ability to provide the data to other federal operators in the maritime environment which would negatively impact law enforcement decisions.

Due to the need for additional Javelin XL devices, Ares Gateway and software being proprietary and the only software that can be utilized on the JavelinXL devices, and the absence of authorized resellers of the JavelinXL devices, Ares Gateway and software, and support, it is in the best interests of the USCG to award a sole source award to InCadence.

6. 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.

Between 2022 and 2024, market research indicated an extremely limited market with only one vendor, InCadence, technically capable of meeting the USCG’s requirements inclusive of secure mobile device management system, dual iris scanner, fingerprint scanner, fingerprint match engine, facial match engine, iris match engine, and deployable systems case, providing forensic-quality fingerprint capture, dual iris scan capability, and facial capture technology. Furthermore, no other vendor is able to sustain the Ares Gateway and Samsung Knox Mobile Device Management and data transmission systems to other federal agencies.

7. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable.

The contracting officer determines that the anticipated prices will be fair and reasonable based on pricing from the 2022 competitively awarded contract for BASS Devices and Sustainment Services deployed in the USCG fleet factoring an average of 3% inflation costs per year. However, the contracting officer will conduct a price evaluation.

8. Description of Market Research.

In 2024, the USCG conducted research for vendors that would be able to provide the hardware, software, server, and the gateway compatible with the current devices support and that would function satisfactorily with the BASS equipment acquired in order 70Z0G322POIPL0005. The market research showed that InCadence is the only vendor able to provide the new devices and the Ares Gateway support; the vendor does not allow for any resellers/distributors of the devices or software, nor intends to in the future.

9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other Than Full and Open Competition.

N/A

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 Supplies or Services Required.

The USCG competitively awarded BASS devices for use in the fleet and ashore. Only one source can provide and deploy compatible JavelinXL devices, maintain the Ares Gateway for uploading the biometric information from those devices, and provide services on the devices including software sustainment, updates, and complex hardware maintenance.

The USCG will reassess the need for new biometrics towards the end of the next contract period of performance. After any standardization expires, through competitive acquisition.

12. Contracting Officer’s Certification.

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.

13. Technical/Requirements Personnel Certification.

I certify that this requirement meets the Government’s minimum need and that the supporting data, which forms a basis for the justification, is accurate and complete.

APPROVAL: