A3. Redacted J&A DataRobot.docx

MEMORANDUM TO THE FILE

Subj: DETERMINATION THAT ONLY ONE SOURCE IS REASONABLY AVAILABLE FOR A FAR PART 13 ACQUISITION UNDER THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

I. BACKGROUND:

1. FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) states for purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, 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).

2. As required by FAR 13.106-3(b)(3)(i), this memorandum explains the absence of competition for this acquisition, as only one source will be solicited for this requirement (or for a portion of the requirement) and the requirement (or portion of the requirement to be sole-sourced) is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.

II. DESCRIPTION OF ITEM OR SERVICE:

This action being approved is justification for other than full and open competition of a Brand Name requirement for a DataRobot software license in support of the Marine Corps Directorate of Analytics and Performance Optimization (MCDAPO). This requirement will be awarded as a Firm-Fixed Price contract to an authorized reseller of DataRobot software, the Original Equipment Manufacturer.

This requirement provides for license access to the DataRobot Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) software in support of MCDAPO. MCDAPO requires AutoML support to enable senior leaders to focus on better outcomes by revolutionizing how enterprise analytics is integrated with cross functional research. This requires a multi-disciplinary approach in bringing together expertise from both social science and applied mathematics in order to: define research questions from motivating problems; gather the appropriate enterprise data; explore the data; and build and refine analytic models before providing input for resourcing decisions.

The Period of Performance (PoP) is as follows:

Base: 30 September 2025 - 29 September 2026 Option 1: 30 September 2026 - 29 September 2027

In order to increase the capabilities and analytic capacity, MCDAPO seeks to leverage cutting-edge techniques of applied mathematics through the use of AutoML tools, which streamline several facets of the machine learning process that ordinarily require highly trained data scientist. The particular phases of the machine learning and data science application which must be streamlined include: feature selection; feature preprocessing; feature engineering; model training and selection; parameter optimization; and accompanying technical support.

The acquisition will be funded through Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Operation & Maintenance Marine Corps (OMMC) funds.

Determination that Only One Source is Reasonably Available (Including Brand Name) – FAR Part 13 Acquisitions under the SAT

V 1.1 (30 June 2016)

The table below lists the materials required for this effort:

III. THE DETERMINATION FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

IS BASED ON THE FOLLOWING (select all that apply):

A. ONLY ONE RESPONSIBLE SOURCE (select all that apply):

1. RESTRICTIVE RIGHTS. The source has established proprietary rights, limited rights in data, patent rights, copyrights or secret processes in the item or service required.

2. EXCLUSIVE LICENSING AGREEMENTS. The item or service is only available from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), or there is only one authorized distributor or technical representative for the OEM.

3. OTHER REASONS.

B. X BRAND NAME

Item required must be a brand name, product, or feature of a product, particular to one manufacturer.

MCDAPO employs a cross functional team of analysts to examine complex data sets and provide senior leaders with recommendations to resolve complex problems. Currently, the MCDAPO team uses software tools coded in languages such as R and Python as well as proprietary software tools such as Tableau and Linux to gather, analyze and refine data. These tools require a data analyst to build models and to manually increase capabilities. Unfortunately, increased demand for data analysts both in the private sector and DoD have resulted in a critical shortage of trained and skilled data scientists.

The keen competition has resulted in high turnover and inability to quickly fill up positions. In an effort to leverage emerging technology, MCDAPO sees AutoML solutions as a way to both enhance the current analytic team and mitigate the impacts of turnover.

AutoML is the process of automating end-to-end the process of applying machine learning to real-world problems. In a typical machine learning application, practitioners must apply appropriate data pre-processing, feature engineering, feature extraction, and selection methods to make data for software tools amenable for machine learning. AutoML is an artificial intelligence-based solution that automates the Machine Learning process by producing simpler solutions and models that are usually designed by hand. There are three types of AutoML capabilities: open source, closed source, and standard. Only the closed source type works in FPD’s network.

Although there are multiple closed source AutoML solutions in the market, DataRobot’s AutoML solution is the only one compatible with MCDAPO’s closed system architecture, which is a closed network that does not work with the Cloud. MCDAPO currently lacks an approved DoD cloud computing environment capable of holding Personally Identifiable Information (PII) with the necessary bandwidth to conduct analytic computing.

In addition, DataRobot AutoML is the only solution that provides a suite of tools that fully maximizes MCDAPO’s team performance. In depth assessment of DataRobot AutoML solution demonstrated an increase in capability via time savings. The time saved by the team in model building was valued at more than $63k, but the increased capacity measured in Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) is estimated at more than $4.4 million annually. Meaning MCDAPO would have to hire $4.4 million of additional contract FTEs to complete the same amount of work in the same time span. In comparison to other AutoML solutions, the DataRobot AutoML efficiency results from the advance feature engineering capability that requires minimal data analyst input.

C. URGENT AND COMPELLING. The supplies or services are of such unusual and compelling urgency that the Government would be seriously injured unless the agency is permitted to limit the number of sources from which it solicits bids or proposals. Urgent requirements are supplies or services that will result in a work stoppage, or are mission critical and the routine processing time would result in injury to the Government. The determination that the procurement for the above item/service is an urgent and compelling requirement is based on the following:

1. Date on which the requirement was first identified:

2. Required delivery date/period of performance:

3. Explanation of why delivery/commencement of services by the date mentioned above is required:

Determination that Only One Source is Reasonably Available (Including Brand Name) – FAR Part 13 Acquisitions under the SAT

V 1.6 (20 December 2023)