LS JA Google Cloud for Amplifire Final_Redacted.pdf

Limited Sources Justification and Approval (J&A)

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

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I. Contracting Activity.

AFICC 388 ESS/PKAA

Trevor Talamantez, Contracting Officer, JBSA-Randolph, TX

II. Nature and/or description of the action being processed.

This action will result in a new order to obtain a follow-on to existing task order FA3002-23-F-0072, which was placed against a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) 47SQA-18-D-008F to acquire Google products in support of the Pilot Training Transformation (PTT) program as a sole source task order to Carahsoft Technologies Corporation (Carahsoft). The anticipated award will be a sole source, firm fixed price (FFP) task order, under the terms of Carahsoft GSA MAS. The task order will be awarded under FAR 8.405 procedures. The estimated Subscription/Period of Performance (PoP) for this task order is expected to be for one (1) year, from 31 March 2024 through 30 March 2025.

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs.

19AF requires a network and data solution to streamline pilot training, utilizing state of the art commercial solutions. This solution leverages Google Cloud technologies to effectively facilitate student learning and enable other components of the system. Cloud services are designed to provide easy, afforable, pay as you go access to applications and resources such as computing power, storage, and databases without the need for internal infrastructure or hardware.

The SKU for software and support listed below is required to support the cloud-based capabilities for the existing support on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) for AmpliFire and Detachment 24 (Det 24).

Initial order quantities:

- SKU: 9A92-40AE-8D00-120, Description: Enterprise Agreement for Public Sector Subscription Google -

- SKU: 9A92-40AE-8D00-120, Description: Enterprise Agreement for Public Sector Subscription Google -

- SKU: GAPPS-ENT-PLUS-1USER-12MO-120 Description: Google Workspace Enterprise Plus

- SKU: GAPPS-ASSURED-CONTROL-1USER-611 Description: Assured Controls for Workspace Support

IV. Identification of the justification/rationale for limiting sources and demonstration of the contractor's unique qualifications to provide the required supply/service.

FAR 8.405-6 requires an ordering activity to justify its actions when restricting consideration of schedule contractors to fewer than required in 8.405-2. Specifically, in accordance with FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B), only one source is capable of responding due to the unique or highly specialized nature of the work.

This requirement is a continuation of Google Cloud Services that was established at the time the PTT program was developed. It has been determined, through market research, that Carahsoft is the only source capable of providing the requirements due to being the only Certified Public Sector Distributor for Google Cloud and Workspace. No other vendor can provide access to the required Google Cloud and Workspace software licenses and incidental support. Without access to the Google Cloud and Workspace, PTT components (Learning Management System, devices, remote instruction & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Flight Instructors) will be unable to function as needed. The PTT program would come to a complete stop and new technologies and capabilities could not be leveraged to provide a controlled learning environment for the students and Instructor Pilots.

Limited Sources Justification and Approval (J&A)

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

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V. Determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer that the order represents the best value consistent with

FAR 8.404(d).

Pricing will be determined fair and reasonable by using historical pricing for past products and by comparing proposed pricing to both the current GSA Pricing as well as pricing for similar commercial cloud platforms. The proposed products will be evaluated to ensure that the order represents the best value to the Government.

VI. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or explain why market research was not conducted.

On 5 Feb 2024, the Government posted a notice of intent (NOI) to go sole source to Carahsoft, indicating the Government's intention to award a FFP contract on a sole-source basis to the current distributor. The NOI was posted for 7 days with a closing date of 12 Feb 2024,but no responses were received. Initial analysis of the market showed that market conditions had not changed from the previous acquisition and supported a sole source award to Carahsoft. The Government contacted a Google Federal Accounts Manager on 2 Feb 2024 to ask them if Carahsoft was still the only certified public distributor of Google products. Google confirmed that conditions had not changed by confirming Carahsoft Technology Corp. is the ONLY certified Public Sector distributor for Google Cloud and Workspace at this time.

VII. Other facts supporting the justification.

No other facts.

VIII. Actions the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services.

19 AF is currently researching the utility of the DoD trusted cloud computing platform, Cloud One, under an existing contract FA8726-19-F-0096, to support the PTT's innovation efforts. Approval and migration will take a significant amount of time to pursue with so many unknowns (e.g., does it cover our software applications; how does Cloud One impact the Electronic Flight Bag; what services, applications, and computing devices going in will migrate; what level of autonomy is there in Cloud One; is there a loss of agility to continuing development and what's moving over; what level of control; any loss of agility to continue development, etc.) at this point. 19 AF is working directly with the Cloud One PMO to determine if/when the PTT data network architecture could be moved to Cloud One without degradation of support or negative impact to mission. As part of this effort, we have awarded a Cloud Optimization effort on our Learning Management System contract (FA3002-23-C-0006) to migrate key functions from Google to the contractor hosted Microsoft Azure Platform, reducing the GCP costs They only items that will remain on GCP are hosting for the Amplifire quiz engine software used for Air Mobility Fundamentals and Fighter-Bomber Fundamentals, as well as Google Workspace supporting the Detachment 24 Dev Net. Migrating to Cloud One will be much simpler since the majority of the PTT architecture will exist in one cloud vs two. Additionally, Google stated it is working with another company to have them on a GSA schedule by mid-summer 2024.

IX. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

As evidenced by my signature above, I have determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

X. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by my (our) signature(s) above, I (we) certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my (our) responsibility, is both accurate and complete.