Limited Source CSTARS 13 Aug 24.pdf

(March 2020)

4. Authority Cited: 10 USC 2304(c)(1) or 41 USC 253(c). Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

Reason for Authority Cited: The use of Sole Source Justification for this requirement is based on state-of-the-art high capability of The Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing (CSTARS) on receiving and analysis facility for X-band satellite data performing time sensitive data acquisitions using its U.S.-based network of antennas. The center has extensive experience supporting DOD and IC missions and the expertise and know-how to produce standard and customized image products, as well as enhanced and advanced analytical products. Located on a detached campus of the University of Miami with separate physical and electronic security.

CSTARS studies electromagnetics and ocean wave dynamics to derive quantitative results and has developed algorithms for coastal and marine analysis. The program also utilizes bistatic and multi-static SAR systems for target characterization. of sight for displacement estimations.

Since the formation of the CSTARS under DOD support, DOD has continued to augment and supplement funding for a wide range of studies and applications. The Table below is a list of grants and contracts showing the diversity of support.

CSTARS is the only source in the United States with a highly specialized satellite data acquisition and product generation capability based on a combination of both domestic and foreign satellite license, processing systems unique in the US, equipment and proprietary algorithms designed primarily to support specific DOD needs. CSTARS has the sole licenses and processors for the foreign satellite systems.

They are the only company capable of processing systems and proprietary nature of the algorithms; the commercial satellite data provider for TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X. (This agreement conforms to the Satellite Data Security Law of the Federal Republic of Germany and CSTARS has empowerment letters from DIA and NGA that were approved by both the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) which is a superior federal authority subordinate to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi).

5. Actions to Increase Competition: CSTARS will continue to be a concern of the Government and research will be completed for each requirement to ensure we are making decisions in the be interest of the Government. At this time The Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing (CSTARS), provide a service that have already been competed, purchased and in use by the US Government.

6. Publicizing Contract Actions: Per Far 5.203(a)(1), a notice of the proposed contract will be transmitted to SAM as required by FAR 5.201. “An agency must transmit a notice of proposed contract action to the GPE (see 5.201). All publicizing and response times are calculated based on the date of publication. The publication date is the date the notice appears on the GPE. The notice must be published at least 15 days before issuance of a solicitation, or a proposed contract action the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of 6.302, except that , for acquisition of commercial products or commercial services, the contracting officer may-

(1) Establish a shorter period for issuance of the solicitation.

7. Market Research: This Service is only specific to CSTARS. No other US vendor can fulfill the government’s requirement for these types of services. Creating and developing a center like CSTARS requires significant time and funding. Market Research was only conducted to locate a source for the existing service. At this time, we were unable to identify another contractor for this type of service. There will be continuous research and follow-up to identify a new contractor capable of providing this service.

The following websites: FPDS-NG, PPIRS, CPARS, GSA, SAM, SBA databases, that provide relevant information on acquisitions. were queried and none of them could provide the required services within the required timeframe. These services must be delivered on (30 Aug 2024).

8. Interested Sources: As shown in the market research, CSTARS is the only contractor that can provide the required service to meet the Government needs.

9. Other facts. The US market is currently limited for this type of service, and the cost of having another vendor duplicate and develop parallel capabilities would likely be equal to the costs already incurred by the DOD, increased by inflation. Trying to develop the equivalent capability with a new vendor would represent 1) a significant and undue cost burden on DOD and 2) result in a delay on the order of several years to a decade in meeting operational DOD needs and the requirement to respond to natural disasters as part of its humanitarian needs.

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of The Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing (CSTARS) on sole source basis pursuant to the authority of the Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items, 10 USC 2304(c)(1) or 41 USC 253(c). Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.as implemented by FAR 15, subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Signature: Date: 8 Aug 2024

Typed Name: Title: