Justification_Single_Source_-_IMESA_NLETS_Redacted.pdf

Single Source Justification (Simplified Acquisition)

Page 1 of 2Updated: 9 Jun 16

Section A: General Contract Information

Contracting Activity: Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA)

Project/Program Name: Identity Matching Engine for Security and Analysis (IMESA)

Purchase Request/Identification Number:

Estimated Contract Cost (including Options):

Section B: Description of the Supplies/Services Required

This acquisition is for criminal background checks necessary for Identity Matching Engine for Security and Analysis (IMESA). NLETS is unique in that it operates an international system and network accessible by all criminal justice agencies and is the only provider of this capability in the US. The System User/Access fees collected by NLETS for services rendered funds all operations of the system and network, and are set by the principal membership once a year at the NLETS Annual Business Meeting. Rates have not increased since 2004, and the current User/Access fees for the US Department of Defense for the period of performance September 30, 2019 through September 29, 2022 is

, which shall be divided equally for the three years covered.

Section C: Justification for Soliciting from a Single Source or Brand Name

Proposed vendor, National Law Enforcement Telecommunications (NLETS), is the incumbent with experience providing these services under the current contract H9821016C0020. The subject procurement is being made in accordance with the provisions of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13.106-1(b)(1), Soliciting from a single source. Based on market research and capability responses to the Notice of Intent (NOI), the subject procurement requires specific criminal background batch checks that only NLETS can provide to the IMESA system. One additional response was received to the NOI that requires a user to log in and perform a single search for data on a specific person, instead of an IMESA to NLETS system-to-system interface to query large "batches" of subjects. The requirement is for a system-to-system connection. The capability statement could not provide this specific aspect.

Instead the company appeared to be reselling individual queries derived from the NLETS database. NLETS is a not-for-profit corporation owned and operated by the fifty States, districts and territories known as the Principal membership and is administered by a Board of Directors elected from those law enforcement agencies. The efficiencies of this model are proven given that rates have not increased since 2004. A search on GSA Advantage and the Technology Products and Services section of the GSA website have proved that no other provider of such services exist.

Section D: Efforts to Obtain Competition

Market research included reviewing the GSA Advantage site, Technology Products and Services section of the GSA website with no competitors discovered. This research confirms that NLETS is the only source capable of meeting this need. A Notice of Intent was issued for this iteration of the requirement was posted on 12 Aug 2019, which afforded interested parties an opportunity to submit a capability statement if they believed they could satisfy the requirement. One response was received, but the company wasn't capable of meeting the requirement of the system.

Section E: Steps to Preclude Future Single Source or Brand Name Awards

The DMDC will have an on-going need for IMESA system. Market research will continue during the period of performance of this contract and if a competitor is discovered, a solicitation process will be explored to see if new vendors have emerged who can provide the services necessary.