Lambda_SSJA_redacted.pdf

Single Source Justification (Simplified Acquisition)

April 2021 Page 1 of 2April 2021 Page 1 of 2

Section A: General Contract Information

Is this a Bridge Action as defined in the AF Bridge Action Reduction Plan? Yes No

Contracting Activity: AFRL/RIKO, 26 Electronic Pkwy, Rome NY 13441

Project/Program Name: Lambda Scalar Server and Support /

Purchase Request / Local ID Number:

Estimated Contract Cost (including Options):

Section B: Description of the Supplies/Services Required

The Government requires one (1) Lambda Scalar server to support ongoing research and development in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The required server system is comprised of the following components:

· Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04 - Includes Lambda Stack for managing TensorFlow, PyTorch, CUDA, cuDNN, etc.

· Processor: 2 x AMD EPYC 9554 (64 cores 3.10`3.75GHz, 256MB cache, PCIe 5.0)

· GPU: 8 x NVIDIA L40S

· Memory: 768GB | 24 x Hynix DDR5-4800 RDIMM - 32GB

· Operating System Drive: 1 x Samsung PM9A3 NVMe Gen4 M.2 SSD - 1.92TB

· Scratch Drive: 2 x Samsung PM9A3 NVMe Gen4 U.2 SSD - 7.68TB

· TDP/BTU/PSU: External TPD = 4,323W | Internal TPD = 4,040W | Heat = 13,790BTU/h = 1.149 Tons of cooling | PSU

· config=(2+2) | PSU Wattage = 2,000 per PSU @208V+ | Ships with 4x C13-C14 power cords

· Native Network: Dual 10G RJ45 & 1G IPMI

· Lambda Scalar Hardware Support - 3 Year Standard: Three year hardware warranty with Lambda technical support

· covering hardware issues

· Lambda Scalar System Support - 3 Year Standard: Three year Lambda technical support covering software issues

· including Lambda Stack, ML frameworks, drivers, OS and BIOS

The Government estimate is based on an informational quote obtained by AFRL from Lambda Labs, Inc. for budgetary purposes.

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

The products to be acquired are essential to the Government's requirements and other companies' products do not meet, or cannot be modified to meet the Government's needs.

The Lambda Scalar Server includes Lambda Stack, a proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) software which provides a one line installation and managed upgrade path for PyTorch, TensorFlow, CUDA, cuDNN, and NVIDIA drives. The Lambda stack is designed to work seamlessly with the NVIDIA GPUs to optimize performance over using out-of the box NVIDIA drivers. This unique and proprietary technology, combined with the L40S server's optimized design, results in unparalleled performance in the continued research and development of AI and machine learning (ML) tasks that other providers cannot match.

Furthermore, AFRL/RI currently possesses a significant number of existing servers that work seamlessly with the Lambda Stack and Lambda products. The required Scalar Server is compatible with this previously procured equipment. This feature will allow simplicity of installation and provide interoperability with AFRL/RI servers currently being used for AI/ML training, and inference operations. Use of another source's products would cause AFRL to experience a duplication of costs not expected to be recovered through competition.

Additionally, Lambda's expertise in designing and manufacturing high-performance servers allows them to offer customized solutions tailored to meet the Government's needs. Lambda provides a team of Machine Learning Engineers to provide Machine Learning support to customers working on building AI/ML solutions. AFRL/RI is a Government Leader in the Large Language Model space building production level systems and requires this level of support from the Lambda support team in order to meet mission requirements. Their team of experts can provide comprehensive guidance and support throughout the project

Single Source Justification (Simplified Acquisition)

April 2021 Page 2 of 2April 2021 Page 2 of 2 ensuring seamless integration into our existing infrastructure and system configuration for optimal performance.

While Lambda Labs, Inc., a small business, does support a network of authorized resellers of Lambda products, market research has determined that Lambda has offered the Government additional discounts to their pricing which are not passed on to their resellers. These discounts result in savings .

Given this information, the Government has determined that no other source can meet this requirement. An award to any other source would result in both a duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition and result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the Agency's requirements.

Section D: Efforts to Obtain Competition

A Notice of Contract Action (NOCA) / Pre-solicitation Notice outlining the Government's intent to make a sole-source award to Lambda Labs, Inc. was posted to the SAM.gov website from 12 Jan 2024 to 19 Jan 2024. While two (2) responses were received in response to the NOCA, they were determined to be technically unacceptable upon review by the customer or cost prohibitive based upon market research results.

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

The Government will continue to monitor the market in order to identify opportunities to maximize competition in potential future requirements. In the event that the research and development activity changes, other products will once again be evaluated to determine their capability to support future projects.

Section F: Contracting Officer's Determination

I have determined, in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), that the circumstances of this contract action deem only a single source is reasonably available.