0608-01 - OpenAthens BNM Redacted.pdf

This is a Memorandum for Recommendation for Other Than Full and Open Competition, specifically a sole source or limited sources justification document for a federal procurement.

The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) seeks to procure a ©2025 OpenAthens Compass subscription for up to 1,000 users from Joint Information Systems Committee (Jisc) Services Limited (JSL). The total estimated cost is redacted for a base period subscription of 12 months with four optional 12-month renewal periods. Delivery is requested immediately upon order receipt to ensure timely access to critical subscription services. The contracting activity recommends this procurement proceed as other than full and open competition based on limited authorized resellers for this copyrighted subscription service. OpenAthens provides secure authentication, personalized setup, and expert support, functioning as the only identity and access management system combining a managed proxy with federated Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) single sign-on into a unified cloud-hosted platform. The solution is currently deployed at other warfare centers and is compatible with existing systems. The memorandum notes that duplicating efforts to find alternative viable options would cost the government significantly in labor and resources with no recoverable revenue. Market research through communications with other warfare centers, IT personnel, and internet searches confirmed that copyrights restrict competition to limited authorized resellers. The document includes certification sections for the originator and Contracting Officer signatures, with blank date fields for authorization.