N3220523Q2273 Bridge JA__Redacted.pdf

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity. Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, VA.

2. Description of the Action Being Approved. Award of a bridge contract on a sole source basis for MSC Underway Replenishment Training Center (MUTC) services.

3. Description of Services. MUTC services, total estimated value $ , using FY 23 working capital funds.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition. 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority. The above statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition applies to the subject contract action due to the fact that the the subject mission critical services due to the inability to solicit and award the re-compete contract prior to the expiration of the current contract.

The bridge contract covered by this Justification and Approval (J&A) will allow for the provision of vital services that would otherwise lose Contractor support on 18 December 2022. Since the release of the solicitation on 06 April 2022, unforeseen revisions to the requirement and acquisition approach pushed the procurement timeline to the right, necessitating this bridge. Given the current circumstances, there is not enough time to re-compete and award the new contract in sufficient time to allow for the required phase-in period to allow the new contractor to transition, obtain the required security clearances, and hire or transfer personnel in order to fulfill the required services.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Possible. The bridge contract covered by this Justification and Approval (J&A) is the result of insufficient time to award the re-compete of an existing contract prior to its expiration, due to multiple unforeseen revisions to the requirement and acquisition approach. The re-compete solicitation was posted to sam.gov on 06 April 2022 as a competitive acquisition, closed on 21 September 2022, and received multiple proposals. However, making award prior to the expiration of the current contract is not a feasible course of action due to the need to enter discussions, the required start date of the contract, and the time needed for a phase-in period. This J&A is solely in support of a short-term bridge consisting of one (1), three (3)-month Base Period, and three (3), three (3)-month Option Periods, which is required to prevent a lapse in mission critical services. Efforts were not made to solicit offers from multiple sources for this action due to the limited timeframe to get a bridge awarded, and the amount of time required to transition to a new contractor.

In accordance with DFARS PGI 206.302-1, a request for information or sources sought notice will be posted to sam.gov in effort to identify sources that might be capable of providing these services in a timely and seamless manner in such a tight timeframe. Given the information contained in the paragraph above, it is not anticipated that any responses will be received. However, if any capable responses are received, this J&A will be revised to include that information.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost. The Contracting Officer has determined the anticipated cost to the Government of the supplies/services covered by this J&A will be fair and reasonable.