SSJ-FAU Redacted.pdf

22 October 2019

MEMORANDUM

Subj: SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT FROM FLORIDA

ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Limited Source Justification.”

This is a sole source justification. Contracting activity is the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division (NSWC PCD), 110 Vernon Avenue, Panama City, FL 32407-7001 (Contracts Department Code 02).

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

This action will award a firm fixed price purchase order to Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road Boca Raton, FL 33431 (DUNS: 004147534 CAGE Code: 7B713) for the development of .

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value).

The requirement is to advance the development of an enhanced material for better protection, produce samples of potential materials and test their performance. Specifically, design elements to provide enhanced protection at depth by preventing material . These materials will be developed, tested and analyzed, and the results will be reported. Test samples will be supplied to the NSWC PCD for further evaluation.

The Government’s minimum needs have been verified by the certifying technical and requirements personnel. This memo does not authorize acquisition for other requirements. This acquisition will be conducted using simplified acquisition procedures with a total dollar value above micro-purchase levels, but not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold of $250,000.00. The estimate is $197,801.23. The purchase action will be funded with funds provided by the Naval Innovative Science & Engineering program.

4. Identification of the justification rationale and, if applicable, a demonstration of the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service. 10 U.S.C.

2304(c) (1) - Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, FAR 6.302-1.

Enhanced protection at depth is an extremely important asset for and current lose much of their capability . The NSWC PCD is developing an enhanced material that retains its properties which is also wearable, flexible and durable.

Florida Atlantic University (FAU) has a joint patent with the NSWC PCD on one of the material technologies NSWC PCD intends to explore in this effort. FAU intellectual property rights make them the sole contractor to work with for continued development of this particular material. FAU has also worked with the NSWC PCD in the past to develop, produce and test some of the other technologies NSWC PCD will be exploring. FAU’s extensive past development and testing of these composite materials gives them unique knowledge and capability to continue maturing it. It is the intent of this effort to leverage the FAU/NSWC PCD patent and FAU’s composite knowledge to develop an enhanced material for Navy use.

Although other material designs exist, there are no existing technologies that can provide similar properties as those that FAU has worked to develop without undergoing duplicative development and testing. Therefore, it is in the Government's best interest to purchase this continued technology development from Florida Atlantic University.

5. A determination by the ordering activity contracting officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 13.106-1(b).

The Contracting Officer has determined that the order represents the best value and results in the lowest overall cost alternative (considering price, special features, administrative costs, etc.) to meet the Government’s needs.

6. A description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

This requirement will be synopsized on FEDBIZOPPS per FAR 5.2. No additional market research was conducted because it is not practicable, for the reasons discussed in paragraph 4 above to substitute any other product.

7. Any other facts supporting the justification.

None

8. A statement of the actions, if any, 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 is made.

As stated in paragraph 4 above, FAU is the only source with the knowledge and capability to produce and optimize the enhanced materials. In order for other organizations to produce a similar material that is equally optimized for this application, they would need to conduct costly and extensive optimization efforts and testing to demonstrate their success. And in that case, there is still no guarantee that another organization would be able to produce the same material property results that FAU has demonstrated. Furthermore, FAU shares a patent on one of these materials with NSWC PCD.