C5.06.JARedacted.pdf

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION – SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Upon the basis of the following justification, I hereby approve the issuance of the contractual action described below:

JUSTIFICATION

1. Identification of Agency and Contracting Activity.

Department of the Navy

Office of Naval Research (ONR)

875 North Randolph Street

Arlington, VA 22203

2. Nature/Description of Action.

This acquisition is to award a sole source contract to Digital Science & Research Solutions, Inc.

(DSRSI) for support services through 10 March 2019, plus four (4) six-month option periods for both Dimensions subscriptions and support services. This contract will also include FAR 52.217-

8 Option to Extend Services which will allow for extension of performance, if necessary, for up to six (6) additional months. The contract type for this award will be Firm Fixed Price.

3. Description of Supplies/Services.

ONR previously awarded a sole source purchase order to DSRSI for procurement of subscriptions to Dimensions databases and tools. The Dimensions subscriptions are required to provide ONR’s

Data Analytics team access to research grants, patents, and publications to support senior level initiatives and provide better information to manage ONR’s research portfolio. Additionally, support services are now required to provide data and analytics support to ONR to develop, recommend, and demonstrate an approach that can immediately implement fully productive analytical capabilities in support of funding and research decisions at ONR.

Services are required through 10 March 2019, which is the end of the current period of performance for the Dimensions subscriptions previously awarded. In addition, the current six-month subscriptions may be needed for a longer period of time. As such, this award will include a four (4) month base for support services plus four (4) six month options for both the subscriptions and services, if necessary. The estimated value, including options, of the services plus the subscriptions is $2,120,000 for the entire period of performance.

4. Identification of Statutory Authority. The statutory authority permitting sole source procurement is:

41 U.S.C. § 1901, as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.501(a).

Pursuant to 41 U.S.C. § 1901, the procedures reflected in FAR Subpart 13.5 – Simplified

Procedures for Certain Commercial Items will be used for this procurement. As Subpart 13.5 requires, the Contracting Officer will make this justification publicly available within 14 days after contract award.

5. Demonstration of Contractor’s Unique Qualification.

DSRSI’s Dimensions subscription is the only research tool that has access to all three categories of data necessary for ONR’s Data Analytics project: grants, patents, and publications. The two most similar products do not include grants data. In addition, Dimensions includes international grants data that is not available from any other source.

DSRSI’s specialized capabilities and its expertise assisting Government research organizations

(such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health) in using

Dimensions data to assess research portfolios uniquely qualifies the company to provide the services ONR requires to accomplish its Data Analytics objectives. DSRSI has created proprietary automated tools that can link an organization’s grants to resulting publications and patents within the Dimensions data and compare the impact of particular ONR research efforts to the impact of similar efforts funded by other organizations, including foreign and non-profit entities. This type of analysis can only be accomplished utilizing the DSRSI tools with the

Dimensions data, and DSRSI does not currently offer these tools for independent use by subscribers such as ONR. DSRSI also has specialized expertise in cleansing and deconflicting

Dimensions data related to particular organizations, which is needed to ensure that ONR’s data analysis is as accurate as possible. The unique capabilities and expertise DSRSI possesses are not available from any other source and are needed in order for ONR to effectively utilize and analyze Dimensions data to optimize the impact of ONR’s research decisions.

6. Description of Efforts to Ensure Other Potential Sources Were Sought.

The Program Officer has been in direct contact with and library services and Open Source

Enterprise about their data subscriptions. Both and currently do not have a subscription and are exploring their own options to get a subscription including in the long term doing a joint subscription with ONR. Additionally, ONR had product demos and past subscriptions with both and discussed with them the need for grant data.

However, neither is currently offering it in the near term.

Additionally, a Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source contract for the Dimensions software and support services was posted to FedBizOps on 12 October 2018 and no responses were received.

This indicates that it is unlikely that other sources would submit proposals if competition was conducted.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost.

The Contracting Officer will determine that the contract price is fair and reasonable using price analysis techniques in accordance with FAR § 15.404-1(b). An Independent Government Cost

Estimate (IGCE) was prepared and provided by the Program Office. Furthermore, the pricing for the Dimensions tool was determined fair and reasonable on the previously awarded contract which will assist Contracting Officer in determining fair and reasonable pricing for this award.

Regarding the support services, commercial labor categories are anticipated for which the use of the Contract–Awarded Labor Category (CALC) tool or other commercially available websites will be used to determine fair and reasonable pricing. The order issued under this justification will be awarded at a fair and reasonable price based on the Government’s IGCE and the

Contracting Officer’s price analysis to be performed once a quote is received from DSRSI.

8. Description of Market Research.

Numerous Government websites (ESI, GSA Advantage/ eBuy, GSA IT Schedule 70, and NASA

SEWP) were searched for sources that could satisfy ONR’s requirements but none were found.

In addition, the 8A STARS II vehicle was explored but found to be not a match for the

Dimensions subscriptions.

In addition, a Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source contract was posted to FedBizOps on 12

October 2018 and no responses were received. This indicates that it is unlikely that other sources would submit proposals if competition was conducted.

Digital Science confirmed active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) and direct sell to the Federal Government and accepts Purchase Orders. Digital Science informed the

Government that no federal resellers exist at this time.

9. Any Other Supporting Facts.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541511.

10. Listing of Interested Sources.

None.

11. Actions Taken to Remove Barriers to Competition.

The market will be periodically surveyed to determine who offers the most robust expertise in the field of research portfolio. Subsequent acquisitions will consider using full and open competition as the default approach.