Limited-Sources Justification_Redacted.pdf

SAS Software Licenses with FORCE Number VA-24-00034556 Maintenance (WH-CSPCC)

*SAS/Office Analytics is a suite of integrated SAS products (previously licensed separately) which will provide significant upgrades related to efficiencies/capabilities and cost savings. The suite includes all of the above in addition to the following: SAS® Web Parts for SharePoint, SAS/STAT®, SAS® Integration Technologies, SAS/GRAPH®, SAS® Enterprise Guide, SAS/BASE®, SAS/ACCESS®, SAS® Add-In for Microsoft Office, SAS® Environment Manager, and SAS® Management Console.

LIMITED-SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Procurement Acquisition and Logistics

Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724

2. Description of Action: The proposed action is for a firm-fixed-price sole source order to be issued under General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) 70 Contract 47QTCA18D0081 to Executive Information Systems, LLC (EIS), for SAS® Institute, Inc. (SAS) software licenses with maintenance support.

3. Description of the Supplies or Services: The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Information and Technology (OI&T), Cooperative Studies Program (CSP) has a requirement for a maintenance renewal of SAS® 9.4 software (SAS). CSP needs to update using the current SAS release to stay current with SAS improvements. The software shall assist in providing continued statistical analysis of research data necessary to conduct multi-search research studies, and ensure studies being conducted by the CSP Coordinating Center will proceed as planned.

Annual maintenance is required for site number 947795, for a 64-bit rack-mounted Linux server with up to 6 processor cores, with the following products, SAS®/Office Analytics*, SAS/FSP® (Full Screen Product) , SAS/AF® (Application Facility), SAS/CONNECT®, and SAS/ACCESS® Interface to Microsoft SQL (Structured Query Language) server.*

Annual maintenance is required for site number 50030 for Microsoft Windows desktops. The maintenance renewal will enable VA Cooperative Studies Program Coordinating Centers (CSPCCs) located at Hines, IL; Palo Alto, CA;

Perry Point, MD, and West Haven, CT to continue to utilize the SAS brand maintenance statistical computational and analytical toolset. This allows the CSPCCs to analyze large research databases on complex VA research multi-site clinical trials to inform and enable improved outcomes for Veterans through better methodology and improved efficiency and effectiveness of VA operations.

The licenses include maintenance support including technical support, on-line self-help, and software patches and updates for the SAS software. The software license maintenance will be provided for a total of 36-months with one base period and two option periods starting on 4/30/2024 to 4/29/2027. The total estimated value of the proposed action is .

4. Authority: This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple- Award Schedule Program. The specific authority providing for a limited source award is Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B), “Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized.”

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: The proposed source for this action is EIS, 6901 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20817. Based on market research, as described in section 8 of this justification, it was determined EIS is the exclusive authorized reseller of SAS products and services of the aforementioned SAS software license and maintenance. VA’s national clinical trial databases currently utilize SAS datasets. Only the SAS software offers an integrated suite of analytics that is interoperable with the current OI&T computing environment and compatible with existing clinical trial databases throughout VA.

To procure another software license in lieu of the required SAS software license and associated maintenance, even if another one existed with qualifications that met the Government’s requirement, would require a completely separate infrastructure to install, cause a significant cost for rework of all interconnected systems to ensure compatibility with the new solution currently set up to work only with the interoperable SAS license, require additional testing of the new solution, along with training VA staff on the use of a new software license which would cause multiple project delays for actions already in process. The costs for thesed delays are not expected to be recouped through competition. Without this analytical software maintenance supporting OI&T's computing environment, OI&T will not be able to provide VA with the latest analytical support for patient safety and healthcare outcomes initiatives, which are becoming increasingly large and complex.

Furthermore, SAS software coding is proprietary in nature and is not released to any other party. No other firm has the capability to develop and issue software updates and fixes for SAS software necessary to support CSP’s statistical and analytical requirements without access to SAS proprietary software code.

Finally, SAS software maintenance will ensure that all support services are performed and properly configured to the VA-owned SAS software which can only be provided by those who have access to the propriety source code. The SAS license code is proprietary, and no other manufacturer can provide maintenance to this software. EIS is SAS’s sole Government provider of software and software maintenance and holds a current contract under GSA FSS 70 Contract 47QTCA18D0081. Only EIS is capable of providing the required SAS software licenses and maintenance that meet the Government’s requirements.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in the market research section of this document. This effort did not yield any additional sources that can meet the Government’s requirements.

There is no competition anticipated for this acquisition. In accordance with FAR

5.301 and 8.405-6(a)(2) the award notice for this action will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities website and this justification will be made publicly available within 14 days of award.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the market place that would enable future actions to be competed or if other software license with maintenance packages have the capability or interoperability to provide the updates required.

8. Market Research: Market research was conducted by Government technical representatives during March 2024 via web searches in an attempt to determine whether software providers other than SAS could provide the requisite SAS® 9.4 software (SAS) licenses and maintenance. Similar products researched were IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. It was found that due to proprietary software restrictions, only a brand name SAS® 9.4 software (SAS) licenses with associated maintenance can meet the Government’s statistical and analytical requirements without complete replacement of the existing SAS software solution. Additionally, in February 2024, the Government directly contacted SAS representatives which confirmed that it only conducts business with the Federal Government through its small business reseller, Executive Information Systems, LLC (EIS). SAS confirmed that its SAS software licenses with maintenance support are available on EIS’s General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) 70 contract. Therefore, since EIS is the sole authorized reseller for the required SAS software license and associated maintenance through its GSA FSS 70 contract, the solicitation will be issued on a sole source basis to EIS under GSA FSS 70 contract number

47QTCA18D0081.

9. Other Facts: None.

10. Technical and Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in this justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: __________________________

Statistical Programmer, PM Signature: __ __

11. Determination of Best Value: I hereby determine that the proposed contract action will represent the best value to the Government consistent with FAR 8.404(d). GSA has already determined that the prices on the FSS contract are fair and reasonable. Additionally, price discounts will be sought. Finally, the quotation will be comparted to the Independent Government Cost Estimate

Date: ___________________________

Procuring Contracting Officer Signature: _ _____

12. Procuring Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. As this contract action does not exceed $700,000, the certification below required by FAR 8.405- 6(d)(1) serves as approval.

Date: ___________________________

Procuring Contracting Officer Signature: _ ____