Limited_Source_Justification_-_RS_Means Cost redacted.docx

Memorandum for Record – Limiting Competition at or below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold

1. Contracting Activity:

911th Airlift Wing, AFRC 2475 Defense Ave Coraopolis, PA 15108

2. Description of Action:

Purchase of RS Means Online subscriptions to develop and validate construction cost estimates.

Nature of Action: New Requirement (Sole Source) Contract Vehicle: Purchase Order Number $$TBD$$ Pricing/Contract Type: Firm Fixed-Price Fiscal Year (FY): 2026 Name of Proposed Contractor(s) and Address:

The Gordian Group, Inc.

30 Patewood Dr., STE 350 Greenville, SC 29615 Brand Name Buy: Yes

3. Description of Services or Supplies:

The 911th Airlift Wing at Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station requires the procurement of construction cost estimating software access, specifically RS Means Online (or a technically equivalent cloud-based platform). The requirement includes three (3) accounts/licenses that can be used simultaneously.

To meet the Government's minimum needs, the software must:

Be based on the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Masterformat.

Utilize up-to-date, reliable construction estimating localized data to develop accurate project budgets and validate costs specifically for the Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station location.

Be convenient, intuitive, and fit the varying abilities of different squadron users.

Include dedicated helpdesk support (operating in clear, unbroken English) with a guaranteed response time within 24 hours.

Be fully accessible on government networks and compliant with PCI and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) requirements.

The Period of Performance for this Contract is one (1) base year and four (4) option years:

Base Period: September 6, 2026, through September 5, 2027 — Value: $[REDACTED] Option Period 1: September 6, 2027, through September 5, 2028 — Value: $[REDACTED] Option Period 2: September 6, 2028, through September 5, 2029 — Value: $[REDACTED] Option Period 3: September 6, 2029, through September 5, 2030 — Value: $[REDACTED] Option Period 4: September 6, 2030, through September 5, 2031 — Value: $[REDACTED] Total Estimated Value (Base + 4 Options): $[REDACTED]

4. Authority:

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1): For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name or industrial mobilization).

5. Reasons for Authority Cited:

The 911th Airlift Wing Civil Engineer Squadron requires an industry-standard, comprehensive, and localized construction cost estimating tool to draft precise project budgets and validate independent government cost estimates (IGCEs) for local military construction and repair projects.

RS Means Online is the industry's premier database for cost information on construction equipment, materials, and labor. The Gordian Group, Inc. has provided a Sole Source Qualifications letter confirming they are the sole source, owner, and distributor of the RSMeans Data Online product line.

Proprietary Rights & Exclusive Distribution: The underlying database, localized cost indexes, and cloud delivery platform are copyrighted and proprietary intellectual property solely owned by The Gordian Group, Inc. The Gordian Group is the exclusive provider of this digital service, offering it only through their online storefront or via internal sales representatives. While Gordian holds a GSA Schedule (GS-02F-142AA), it is strictly restricted to print publications, making the required digital cloud platform unavailable through GSA schedule resellers.

Local and Masterformat Alignment: It is the only database that offers the specific localized cost indexing required to accurately adjust estimates for the Pittsburgh, PA region while staying strictly aligned with the CSI Masterformat.

Impact of Non-Acquisition: Without access to this specific proprietary database, the engineering staff would have to manually research and validate local material and labor costs. This manual process would substantially increase the time required to validate requirements, delay contract award timelines, and introduce a high risk of budgetary inaccuracies and project overruns.

6. Publicizing Contract Actions:

In accordance with FAR 5.101 and 5.203, because the estimated value of this action ($[REDACTED]) exceeds $25,000, a Notice of Award will be publicized to include this limited source justification through the Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE) at SAM.gov. A Sources Sought Synopsis / Request for Information (RFI) under Reference Number FA671226SSRSM has already been published to satisfy initial market research requirements.

7. Market Research:

Market research was conducted between June 2026 and July 2026. A Sources Sought Synopsis / Request for Information (RFI) under Reference Number FA671226SSRSM was published on SAM.gov under NAICS code 513210 (Software Publishers) with a response deadline of July 16, 2026, at 3:00 PM EDT.

One (1) response was received from Quadyster (R3 UNIQ, INC. dba Quadyster), an SBA Certified 8(a) and Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB).

Evaluation of Response: Quadyster submitted a capability statement outlining their experience as an IT services and software licensing provider. However, Quadyster did not propose a technically equivalent alternative construction cost estimating software that utilizes the CSI Masterformat or incorporates a localized pricing database comparable to the RS Means standard.

Lack of Reseller Availability: Most importantly, Quadyster could not demonstrate authorized reseller access to RS Means Online. This aligns with the official Sole Source Qualifications document from The Gordian Group, Inc., which explicitly states they do not utilize resellers or third-party distributors for the RSMeans Data Online platform.

Therefore, market research confirms that The Gordian Group, Inc. is the single source capable of meeting the Government's requirement.

8. Other Facts:

None.

9. Technical/Requirements Certification:

I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

10. Contracting Officer Certification/Approval:

I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable based upon a price analysis comparing the contractor's quote to the Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) and historical prices for similar commercial subscriptions.

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and that completing this purchase as a sole source is in the best interest of the Government. Additionally, I approve this justification to limit competition subject to the availability of funds and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Ryan Scott Date:

Contracting Officer